The Importance of Family Time

When I was growing up, my parents always made it a point to sit down and eat dinner as a family. Although like most siblings, my sister and I would often end up arguing or bothering each other, it was our family time to catch up and talk at the end of the day. If I had a good day, it was my chance to share my happiness with my family. If my day wasn't so good, it was my chance to unburden myself at the end of a long day. Sometimes I did not talk, but instead listened. I listened to my sister talk about her plans for the weekend with her friends, or about the teacher who she was sure hated her. I heard about my father’s day at work or about something interesting my mom had heard from her friends. Sometimes, on occasion, I even heard stories from my parents about their childhood.

Flash forward many years later, I have two children, a great wife, and a wonderfully hectic life. Between work and extracurricular activities, we seem to always be on the go. However, despite the occasional craziness, we try to maintain one constant--the family dinner. Of course, due to busy schedules, it isn't always possible for all of us to eat together. So, we've created another family tradition, sharing time before bed. We spend a few minutes before bed talking about what made us happy during our day and what made us feel not so happy. And if there's time, my wife and I take a few minutes to tell family stories, either about our children when they were smaller, or about our own childhoods.

I truly believe that it is important for families to consistently take the time to talk at the end of the day. Families may choose dinner or bedtime, or even some other time that works best for them, but regardless of what they do, the end results is the same--bringing the family closer and bringing security to our children. In fact, studies have suggested that teens that engage in family dinners more than 5 times a week were less likely to engage in smoking, drinking or using drugs, and in fact, performed better in school.

Now being a parent, I completely understand why my parents made this a routine. Times are different now, compared to then, but the need to connect as a family still remains. I'd be interested to hear what "family-time routines" you've started - please leave me a comment on Facebook.

Viren Bavishi, D.O.

Pediatrician

Meriter Pediatrics

2275 Deming Way, Suite 220

Middleton, WI 53562

608.417.8388

meriterkids.com

What to Watch for: Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease

Summer is a time for children to play outside, be active, and enjoy freedom from the classroom. However, summer is also the season when some of the most common pediatric illnesses rear their ugly heads. One of these illnesses that is showing up recently in children in the Madison area is Hand, Foot and Mouth disease (HFMD).

HFMD is a viral illness that typically occurs during the summer months in children ages 10 years and younger. The usual symptoms include fever, mouth sores and a rash. The fever is often the first symptom to develop. This is typically followed by the development of blisters in the mouth, and sometimes on the hands and feet (hence the name!). Some children may also develop this blistery rash on their buttocks and genitals. As one can imagine, with these blisters, children may refuse to walk, eat or drink and may cry with urination.

Unfortunately, there is no specific treatment for HFMD. The most important steps a parent can take to help their child through this illness is to give acetaminophen or ibuprofen for comfort and fever reduction and to make sure that the child is getting plenty of fluids. Children with HFMD are at risk for dehydration because the mouth pain prevents them from drinking enough liquids. Offering popsicles or soup can help to soothe the throat while also providing fluids.

If you fear that your child may have become dehydrated or have other complications from HFMD, please contact your child’s primary care provider.

The best way to fight HFMD is through stopping the spread of the virus. Help children have a happy and healthy summer…teach them good hand washing!

Dr. Nicole Baumann-Blackmore
Medical Director, Pediatric Hospitalist Program
Meriter Hospital
meriterkids.com

Swimming Safety

Summer break is finally here and kids will soon be spending more time in and around water. Swimming is a great way for kids to get exercise and stay cool during the summer, but it is important to swim safely.

Remember to protect children from the sun. Sunburn is a risk factor for skin cancer. In 2003, a total of 45,625 new cases of melanoma were diagnosed in the U.S., and 7,818 people died from the disease. Check out Dr. Johnson’s Sun Safety blog (March 22, 2010).

Drowning is the second leading cause of unintentional injury deaths for children ages 1 to 14.

• Never – even for a moment – leave small children alone while in bathtubs, pools, spas or wading pools, or near standing water. With infants, toddlers and weak swimmers, an adult should be within an arm’s length.


• If you have a pool, install a four-sided fence. This includes inflatable and above ground pools.


• Children need to learn to swim. AAP supports swimming lessons for most children 4 years and older. New studies suggest classes may reduce the risk of drowning in younger children aged 1-4 as well.


• Parents, caregivers and pool owners should learn CPR.


• Do not use air-filled swimming aids (such as inflatable arm bands) in place of life jackets.


• Counsel teenagers about the increased risk of drowning when alcohol is involved.

Check out the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) updated guidelines on water safety and drowning prevention: http://www.aap.org/advocacy/releases/may2410studies.htm#drowning

Learn basic facts about recreational water illnesses.
The number of recreational water-associated outbreaks is increasing with a total of 78 outbreaks affecting 4,412 people reported for 2005-2006. The CDC recommends the following steps to prevent outbreaks:

• Never let your child swim when they’re not feeling well.


• Don’t let them swallow pool water.


• Practice good hygiene. Shower with soap before swimming and wash your hands after using the toilet or changing diapers.


• Take your kids on bathroom breaks or check diapers often.

Public and pool users can test water at their local pool or hot tub. Free test strip kits can be ordered at: http://healthypools.org/freeteststrips/

You can check the quality of water at local lakes and beaches at the following sites:
http://www.wibeaches.us/apex/f?p=BEACH:HOME:620813377447211 and http://dnr.wi.gov/lakes/

Stay cool!

Dr. Sumita Ram
Pediatrician
Meriter Pediatrics
2275 Deming Way, Suite 220
Middleton, WI 53562
608.417.8388
meriterkids.com

Taking Time to Enjoy Summer

I remember that when I was a kid, summer seemed to last forever. I couldn't wait for the school year to end because I knew that those endless days were just around the corner. Those last few weeks of the school year were agony - the weather had already turned and we would sit in our desks perspiring (schools didn't have air conditioning in the stone age) and pretending that we were dutifully attending to our studies, but really we were dreaming of the summer's promise.

I recall afternoons spent shooting hoops on the Bauer's driveway or playing baseball with all the other neighborhood kids in the empty lot across the street - the ball diamond was a well worn path in the weedy grass. Sometimes we would cross the train tracks to go across the big highway (two lanes really, but to us it seemed tantamount to crossing a national border) to buy a few pieces of candy, some Zots, Pop Rocks, Root Beer Barrels, with the change we had managed to hoard from Dad's pockets. Aside from Little League and swimming lessons, my three brothers and I didn't really get a lot done over the summer. Or at least it seemed that way. I did manage to catch you-know-what from my Mom once when I went fishing all day and forgot about my piano lesson. But as I look back upon my childhood summers I do realize that they were a valuable component of my upbringing. I now appreciate that I was given the opportunity of free time, time that I could spend exploring, playing, engaging in what I found value in, even as a kid. I learned a lot about myself. And I learned a lot about how to occupy my free time without being told what to do.

I worry that we are depriving our children this same opportunity when we overschedule them. I hear ads on the radio offering academic day camps - so kids won't forget all the precious knowledge that has been pumped into them over the school year. (Not to disparage, but when's the last time you used the quadratic equation?) I think it's important to maintain a sense of balance in our childrens' summer schedules. They really do need some unscheduled time over the summer. Sometimes a kid just needs to be a kid.

So as summer approaches, I ask you to keep in mind, and think back to your own childhoods, what you remember most fondly about your summers growing up. And to give your kids some free time.

Dr. George Idarraga
Pediatrician
Meriter Pediatrics
2275 Deming Way, Suite 220
Middleton, WI 53562
608.417.8388
meriterkids.com

Get Rid of Your Unwanted Medications at MedDrop

With the recent voluntary recall on Infants’ and Children’s Tylenol, Motrin, Benadryl, and Zyrtec, you may have some bottles sitting around in the cabinet gathering dust. (For more information about the recall and to get a refund or product coupon, please see http://www.mcneilproductrecall.com/.) Maybe there are some nearly empty vitamin drops, unfinished antibiotics, old inhalers, or even unused pain pills? Maybe there are medications that have expired, and you just haven’t gotten around to disposing them?

There’s no point in keeping them in the house. Expired medications can be ineffective. Leftover meds can be a safety risk with kids or pets in the house. But, throwing medications into the trash or flushing them down the toilet can harm the environment, affect our water supply, and in the end, come back to us in ways we don’t want.

MedDrop is a volunteer run program where you can drive through with your meds, answer some very basic questions (e.g., what is your zip code; is the drop-off place a good location for you), and feel good that the meds will be disposed of in a safe manner.

Saturday, June 5, from 9am to 1pm, volunteers will be at three locations: LaFollette HS, Middleton HS, and the Sun Prairie Recycling Center. You can bring prescription meds, over-the-counter meds, meds for pets, inhalers, vitamins, and even illegal drugs (which will be taken with no questions asked). If possible, please keep them in their original containers. The meds and their containers will be disposed of in a way that will maintain patient confidentiality, but feel free to cross off your name and other personal info if you like. Just leave the name of the medication visible, so the volunteers can properly dispose them.

For addresses, detailed instructions, background information on the program, volunteer opportunities, and lots more, please check out their Web site.

Dr. Tracy Lee
Pediatric Hospitalist
Meriter Hospital
meriterkids.com

Get in Shape this Summer

Looking to run a road race this fall? Preparing your son or daughter to join the cross-country team? Just want to shed a few of those hibernation pounds? Nothing like a good jog on the Lakeshore Path or a run through the Arboretum to get yourself ready for the upcoming year! Experienced runner or novice jogger can “shape up” in a matter of 6-8 weeks by following a couple of simple rules.

• Train a minimum of four days a week. If you’ve never run before, start by using a combination of walking/jogging for a couple of miles every other day. If you’re an experienced runner start at a daily mileage you feel comfortable with.

• Increase your distance by about 10% a week. (i.e., if you just ran 25 miles, move up to 28, then 31, etc.) For variety, add in a short temp run by increasing your pace to the point where it just becomes difficult to converse. Once a week, try to go “long and slow.” A good mid-preseason schedule might have two easy runs, one tempo run, one long run and one medium distance run.

• Vary the scenery and the terrain. Madison has so many wonderful places to enjoy. And don’t forget to keep yourself well-hydrated!

• Go for a family run! Baby joggers (for children up to four) and bicycles can be a great way to get everyone involved in the outing!

Dr. Ron Grant
Pediatric Hospitalist
Meriter Hospital
meriterkids.com

What is the Meriter Pediatric Center?

I am so excited! Not only is this my first opportunity to write a blog, but also the long-awaited opening of the Meriter Pediatric Center is only a day away! On Tuesday, May 18th, the hard work of so many over the past two years will finally come to life. A Pediatric Center is a new concept for many of us, so I thought I would take this opportunity to explain what you can expect of a visit to the Meriter Pediatric Center.

The Meriter Pediatric Center is an 8-bed unit, located adjacent to the Emergency Department, which is staffed by Nurses, Physician Assistants, Pediatricians, and Emergency Physicians, all of whom are trained to care for children. The Center was designed specifically with children and their families in mind, and will centralize care for the majority of children receiving emergency and inpatient services at Meriter Hospital. For children 17 years of age and younger who come to Meriter for non-life-threatening emergency visits, there are 5 exam rooms dedicated to their care, along with a pediatric-only waiting area. There are also three inpatient beds which will be reserved for children 15 years of age and younger who require hospital admission for observation, further treatment or post-surgical care.

Outside of the Pediatric Center, children will continue to be cared for across the entire hospital for a host of other services, including outpatient surgical procedures, medical imaging procedures, and therapy visits. In addition, patients with severe illness and injury will continue to be cared for in the main emergency department. Children ages 16 and 17 years who require hospitalization will be admitted to the appropriate specialty unit, but will be cared for by pediatricians, surgeons or family medicine physicians.

I hope that you and your child never need the services of the Meriter Pediatric Center. But if you do, know that your child will be in the excellent hands of caring and professional staff who are all dedicated to providing the best care possible for children.

Have a Happy and Healthy Summer!

Dr. Nicole Baumann-Blackmore
Medical Director, Pediatric Hospitalist Program
Meriter Hospital
meriterkids.com