Fever, Your Guide To Taking Care Of It At Home #parenting101

Fever, seems to be the most common complaint of parents in the middle of the night as I work my weekender shifts. The children can range from very ill to very playful. Parents can be very well educated and some not so much at all (sad but true). Lots of education needs to be done about fever, parents for some reason just freak out if their child is running a fever......ekkkkkkk.

By all means if your child is not breathing, in distress, having a seizure, blue in color or unconscious --Please call 911!!! Do not try and drive to the ER!

Most often if a child is brought to the Emergency Department for a fever, the parent has really not tried to do anything at home to first bring the fever down. They just drop everything and rush to the ER...OMG!!

Caution: Now if your infant child is less than 90 days old and is running a temperature greater than say 100.5 rectally (yes in the bum bum- rectal is most accurate) or your Peds doctor will tell you a specific temperature to call for. Please attempt to call your doctor first! They want to be called before you rush to the ER!

Infants less than 90 days old with a high fever is a medical emergency, these little ones still have mommas antibodies floating around from birth. They should not have fevers that high. Be prepared if you take an infant that small to the ER with a high fever that he/she will get a full septic work up which may include blood work , catherized urine specimen's(most sterile collection), xray's, lumbar puncture(spinal tap looking for ?meningitis) , IV with antibiotics amoung the most common things ordered by an ED physician.

Even in older children a call to the Peds doctor first can save you stress, time and the very expensive cost of an ER visit. Not to mention the germ exposure to your other family members.

Many cooling methods can be performed before you visit your local ED or even your doctors office.
First of all, give your kids some medication for fever. Acetaminophen (Tylenol) or Ibuprofen (Motrin: if they are over 6 months of age) is made for just that reason, they are fever reducers and pain relievers. You are not going to overdose or kill your child by giving these medications. You can even given them together in appropriate situations, they are metabolized in different areas of the body (kidneys and liver) so it is perfectly ok if your pediatric doctor or the ED doctor tells you to give the medications together for one dose to reduce a high fever, then alternate the medications from then on.

A Fever is the body's defense mechanism for fighting off some kind of process going on, such as viral or bacterial infection. It is ok for your child to have a fever (don't flip out on me now). Fever in the body's natural reaction to a stress reaction going on inside the body. It is trying to fix the problem in its own natural response.

Febrile seizures most often will occur in children that might be prone to these (due to a problem with the temperature thermoregulation). A febrile seizure occur due to a sudden rapid rise in the temperature.

These types of seizures like any seizure activity is scary for us as parents. Keeping your child safe from harming themselves during the event is imperative. Keep the child on their side, away from objects they might hit and do not try and put anything into a seizing child's mouth. Most children outgrow febrile type seizures.

Children can burn up a lot of fluids when they run fever, hydration is important. Don't worry so much about trying to feed them, just make sure they are drinking fluids such as water, electrolyte solutions (Pedialyte/ Ricelyte), coconut water, juices, clear sodas( if that's all they will drink- especially older kids) Popsicles etc.

Avoid dairy products please,unless you want to see the clabbered milk again.....yuck, dairy tends to just make them vomit. I will never forget the time my husband gave my feverish 1yr old daughter a whole bottle of milk just before I got home from working a 12 hour night shift. She proceeded to cover me in hot milk vomit as soon as I tried to pick her up.......lovely it was.

The info-graphic below has some great info about fever, please educate yourself.

Condom Snorting Challenge ..yep the latest craze

YouTube is the place to learn the latest challenges for your kids. Believe it or not your kids are learning some down right dangerous crap on YouTube.
Like the "Cinnamon Challenge" " Chubby Bunny or Marshmallow Challenge" or the "Salt and Ice Challenge" all of these are dumb and stupid and can be found on YouTube with other such risky behaviors like "The Choking Game" that has claimed thousands of pre-teen and teen lives in the US and UK. 

This latest craze amongst teens on YouTube is putting them in real danger of choking and suffocating. As seen in the video below, 3 girls snort (yes, SNORT) condoms through their noses and attempt to pull them out of their mouths. After much gagging and choking they accomplish the disgusting feat. 

Not without a bit of vomit though. Yuck!

These videos are getting huge amounts of views on a daily basis and it can only be fueling the condom-snorting fire.

The Condom Challenge sounds simple, really, and it is -- simple and possibly fatal: To complete the challenge, a teen has to snort a condom up his or her nose and expel it through his or her mouth WITHOUT choking to death in the process. (If you choke to death, you lose! Ha, ha!) Not so funny huh?
Come on people, this is not only disgusting, it is just irresponsible and gross! If you think that snorting a condom up your nose makes you look cool, it does not!
As a nurse I can tell you that if you choke on this condom it is very hard to "fish" it out of your trachea or lungs, look at the diagram below and see how easy it is for that condom to go the wrong way and end up blocking your airway.

Please be responsible and be safe! 

Hard hits and hard knocks!

Taking part in sports and recreation activities is an important part of a healthy, physically active lifestyle for kids. But injuries can, and do, occur. More than 2.6 million children 0-19 years old are treated in the emergency department each year for sports and recreation-related injuries.

Thankfully, there are steps that parents can take to help make sure kids stay safe on the field, the court, or wherever they play or participate in sports and recreation activities.

Prevention Tips

Gear up. When children are active in sports and recreation, make sure they use the right protective gear for their activity, such as helmets, wrist guards, knee or elbow pads.

Use the right stuff. Be sure that sports protective equipment is in good condition and worn correctly all the time—for example, avoid missing or broken buckles or compressed or worn padding. Poorly fitting equipment may be uncomfortable and may not offer the best protection.

Practice makes perfect. Have children learn and practice skills they need in their activity. For example, knowing how to tackle safely is important in preventing injuries in football and soccer. Have children practice proper form – this can prevent injuries during baseball, softball, and many other activities. Also, be sure to safely and slowly increase activities to improve physical fitness; being in good condition can protect kids from injury.

Pay attention to temperature. Allow time for child athletes to gradually adjust to hot or humid environments to prevent heat-related injuries or illness. Parents and coaches should pay close attention to make sure that players are hydrated and appropriately dressed.

Be a good model. Communicate positive safety messages and serve as a model of safe behavior, including a wearing helmet and following the rules.

One of the most common injury related to kids sports are head injuries and concussions,especially for those contact sports such as football. Even with a helmet on a concussion can occur.

A concussion is also known as a mild traumatic brain injury. Although we usually hear about head injuries in athletes, many occur off the playing field in car and bicycle accidents, in fights, and even minor falls.

Kids who sustain concussions usually recover within a week or two without lasting health problems by following certain precautions and taking a breather from sports.

But a child with an undiagnosed concussion can be at risk for brain damage and even disability.

Anyone who sustains a head injury should stop participating and be removed from the activity or sport. Even without a loss of consciousness, it's important to watch for symptoms of a concussion.

Common initial symptoms include:

• a change in level of alertness
  
• extreme sleepiness
  
• a bad headache
  
• confusion
  
• repeated vomiting
  
• seizure
  

Someone with these symptoms should be taken to the emergency room.

Signs and Symptoms of a Concussion

Someone with a concussion may lose consciousness, but this doesn't happen in every case. In fact, a brief loss of consciousness or "blacking out" isn't a factor in determining concussion severity.

Other signs of a concussion include:

• headache
  
• sleepiness or difficulty falling asleep
  
• feeling confused and dazed
  
• difficulty concentrating, thinking, or making decisions
  
• dizziness
  
• difficulty with coordination or balance (such as being able to catch a ball or other easy tasks)
  
• trouble remembering things, such as what happened right before or after the injury
  
• blurred vision
  
• slurred speech or saying things that don't make sense
  
• nausea and vomiting
  
• feeling anxious or irritable for no apparent reason
  

Concussion symptoms may not appear initially and can develop over the first 24-72 hours. Anyone showing any of these signs should be seen by a doctor. Young kids can have the same concussion symptoms as older kids and adults, but changes in mood and behavior may be more subtle.

Call an ambulance or go to the ER right away if, after a head injury, your child:

• can't be awakened
  
• has one pupil — the dark part of the eye — that's larger than the other
  
• has convulsions or seizures
  
• has slurred speech
  
• seems to be getting more confused, restless, or agitated
  

Though most kids recover quickly from concussions, some symptoms — including memory loss, headaches, and problems with concentration — may linger for several weeks or months. Nearly 15% of kids age 5 and older have symptoms and/or changes in functioning lasting 3 months or longer. It's important to watch for these symptoms and contact your doctor if they persist.

Diagnosis

If a concussion is suspected, the doctor will ask about how the head injury happened, when, and its symptoms. The doctor also may ask basic questions to gauge your child's consciousness, memory, and concentration ("Who are you?"/"Where are you?"/"What day is it?").

The diagnosis of a concussion is made by health care provider based on history and physical exam. The doctor will perform a thorough examination of the nervous system, including testing balance, coordination, nerve function, and reflexes.

Sometimes a doctor may order a CT scan of the brain (a detailed brain X-ray) or an MRI (a non-X-ray brain image) to rule out bleeding or other serious brain injury. Concussions can change the way the brain works, but in most cases, imaging tests will show normal results.

Preventing Concussions

All kids should wear properly fitting, appropriate headgear and safety equipment when biking, rollerblading, skateboarding, snowboarding or skiing, and playing contact sports. Safety gear has been shown to reduce the occurrence of severe head trauma.

Childproofing your home will go a long way toward keeping an infant or toddler safe from concussions and other injuries. Babies reach, grasp, roll, sit, and eventually crawl, pull up, "cruise" along furniture, and walk. Toddlers may pull themselves up using table legs; they'll use bureaus and dressers as jungle gyms; they'll reach for whatever they can see.

All of these activities can result in a head injury that leads to a concussion. Be sure your child has a safe place to play and explore, and never leave a baby or toddler unattended.

The time you spend taking these safety precautions — and getting your kids into the habit of abiding by your safety rules and regulations — will help keep your family safe and sound!

Credit to : KidsHealth.org

Know For Sure, don't just think you do!

Back to school health checklist: Is your child ready to start the year?

Posted by Laura under Health Care

A new school year is upon us and it brings excitement along with it. I’m guilty of loving new supplies! Nothing makes my heart jump like three new highlighters in annoyingly bright colors. There’s no sarcasm here because I would genuinely look forward to shopping for book and supplies lists.

Source

Kids need to also check their health before they go to school. So I’m getting into the festivity of checklists and created a health related checklist designed specifically for school-aged children:

• Lice- Children notoriously share lice when they are in daycare, preschool and starting elementary. If only the shared their toys as much with their siblings. Vacation spots are also a breeding ground for lice so be sure to check their heads before starting school. For example, I got lice in Disneyland! I visited the mouse and he sent bugs my way. No fair if you ask me.
• Allergies- Many kids have some sort of allergy like pollen or bee stings. Be sure to let the teacher and school know what they should look out for and how to proceed. Small children who are accustomed to staying home everyday are usually exposed to the same things. Once they start daycare or preschool, they learn to deal with watery eyes and constant sniffles. Be on the lookout for signs of allergies so your child’s school day can be a little easier.
• Vision issues- Most parents don’t learn a child needs glasses until they enter school. Teachers may observe the child is squinting in order to see. Others might claim it’s too hard to read and refuse to learn altogether. If your child complains of recurrent headaches, he might have a vision problem that needs correcting.
• Immunization- Parents choose whether or not to vaccinate their kids but if you do be sure to keep your child’s vaccines up to date. Ask your doctor to provide you with a copy of his records so you can keep it at home.
• Healthy lunches- Children need healthy, balanced meals to help them curb obesity and lead overall healthier lives. Ask your children to help you choose their lunches because involving them encourages healthier patterns for the future. Healthy lunches usually include at least one serving of the big three: fruits, vegetables and proteins.
• Healthy behaviors- These include habits like washing their hands before meals and after recess and covering their mouths and noses after coughing or sneezing. Parents do this anyway but it’s incredibly important when kids start venturing out to schools.

This list can be used for any child but keep in mind that all kids are different. Parents with children with specific needs should always inform the school before starting the year. My sister, for example, took an anti-seizure medication for the first seven years of her life. It would leave her groggy for the first hour of class. Teachers knew that by letting her sleep an extra 20 minutes in school she would eventually wake up and get on with her day.
Great info from the @dialdoctors blog page, love to follow them on Twitter

Image by Cool Text: Logo and Button Generator - Create Your Own Logo

 

Image thanks to Christina Richert 

 article re-posted from child safety 101 "theexaminer.com"

Hopefully, if you are the parent of a young child or teen, you have heard of this game before.  If you haven't, you need to familiarize yourself with it and be prepared to talk to your child about its dangers.  Because most kids have heard of it, and many are playing it, sometimes with deadly consequences.
The Choking Game is also known by the names "Black Out" or "Pass Out", is defined by the CDC as "self-strangulation or stangulation by another person with the hands or a noose to achieve a brief euphoric state caused by cerebral hypoxia."  Translation?  Kids, primarily between 9 and 16 years old, are attempting to get a quick high by cutting off the oxygen to their brain for short periods of time.
The danger is that when a person's brain is deprived of oxygen for even short periods of time, brain damage or death can result.  Kids, who often play this game in groups, may never have witnessed any adverse effects, and therefore think the game is safe.  But its not.  According to the Games Children Shouldn't Play (GASP) website, between 250 and 1,000 kids die playing this game each year.
In What is the Choking Game, we examined this scary, potentially deadly game that is "played" by thousands of kids every year.  Awareness is great, but parents also need to know what they can do to prevent their child from falling victim to this trend, and what signs to look for that may indicate that their child is already participating.
Choking Game Prevention
The most important thing parents can do is talk to their kids about this game and it's dangers.  Many parents may be hesitant to do so, fearing that if they bring up the subject, they may be giving kids the "idea" to engage in this practice.  However, according to the Games Adolescents Shouldn't Play (GASP) website, most kids already know about the game anyway.  What they don't know is how deadly it can be. The GASP website has educational materials you can use to talk to kids about this dangerous activity.
Choking Game Warning Signs
The GASP website lists some of the common warning signs that a child may be engaging in The Choking Game:

• Any suspicious mark on the side of the neck, sometimes hidden by a turtleneck, scarf or permanently turned-up collar.
• Changes in personality, such as overtly aggressive or agitated.
• Any kind of strap, rope or belt lying around near the child for no clear reason—and attempts to elude questions about such objects.
• Headaches (sometimes excruciatingly bad ones), loss of concentration, flushed face.
• Bloodshot eyes or any other noticeable signs of eye stress.
• A thud in the bedroom or against a wall—meaning a fall in cases of solitary practice.
• Any questions about the effects, sensations or dangers of strangulation.

If you suspect a child may be engaging in this behavior, let their parents know right away.  Talk to them about the dangers, and refer them to the GASP website for more information.
Please take the time to view this short video about The Choking Game.
Thank you to Susan Carney Child Safety Examiner on the website examiner.com for this article to help us make parents more aware of this dangerous youth risk behavior, the team at Ed4Ed and Gasp want everyone to be more aware and look for all the signs. A complete injury prevention program for any parent or educator is located on our blog at Ed4Ed4All.blogspot.com please visit and educate yourself. You might just save a life that you love.

Bullying: A serious problem

Bullying is when one child picks on another child again and again. Usually children who are being bullied are either weaker or smaller, are shy, and generally feel helpless.

Facts About Bullying
•Both girls and boys can be bullies.
•Bullies target children who cry, get mad, or easily give in to them.
•There are 3 types of bullying.
◦Physical—hitting, kicking, pushing, choking, punching
◦Verbal—threatening, taunting, teasing, hate speech ◦Social—excluding victims from activities or starting rumors about them
Bullying Happens:
•At school—in the halls, at lunch, or in the bathroom, when teachers are not there to see what is going on.
•When adults are not watching—going to and from school, on the playground, or in the neighborhood.
•Through e-mail or instant messaging—rumors are spread or nasty notes are sent.
Bullying is Different from Fighting or Teasing:
•A bully has power over another child.
•Bullies try to control other children by scaring them.
•Being picked on over and over can make your child a victim.
•Bullying usually happens when other children are watching.
Talk With Your Child About Bullying
Even if you don’t think your child is bullied, a bully, or a bystander, you will be helping to protect your child just by asking these questions:

•“How are things going at school?”
•“What do you think of the other kids in your class?”
•“Does anyone get picked on or bullied?”
When your child is bullied Talk with your child about how to stay safe. Bullies always pick on smaller or weaker children. If there is a fight, and the bully “wins,” this will only make matters worse for your child.

Help your child learn how to respond
Let’s talk about what you can do and say if this happens again.

Teach your child how to:
•Look the bully in the eye.
•Stand tall and stay calm in a difficult situation.
•Walk away.
Teach your child how to say in a firm voice:
•“I don’t like what you are doing.”
•“Please do NOT talk to me like that.”
• “Why would you say that?”
Just telling your child to do and say these things is not enough. For many children, these skills do not come naturally. It is like learning a new language—lots of practice is needed. Practice so that, in the heat of the moment, these skills will come to your child naturally.

Teach your child when and how to ask for help. Your child should not be afraid to ask an adult for help when bullying happens. Since some children are embarrassed about being bullied, parents need to let their children know that being bullied is not their fault.

Encourage your child to make friends with other children. There are many adult-supervised groups, in and out of school, that your child can join. Invite your child’s friends over to your home. Children who are loners are more likely to get picked on.
Support activities that interest your child. By participating in activities such as team sports, music groups, or social clubs, your child will develop new abilities and social skills. When children feel good about how they relate to others, they are less likely to be picked on.

Alert school officials to the problems and work with them on solutions.

•Since bullying often occurs outside the classroom, talk with the principal, guidance counselor, or playground monitors, as well as your child’s teachers. When school officials know about bullying, they can help stop it.
•Write down and report all bullying to your child’s school. By knowing when and where the bullying occurs, you and your child can better plan what to do if it happens again.
•Some children who are bullied will fear going to school, have difficulty paying attention at school, or develop symptoms like headaches or stomach pains.
When Your Child is the Bully
If you know that your child is bullying others, take it very seriously. Now is the time when you can change your child’s behavior.

In the long run, bullies continue to have problems. These problems often get worse. If the bullying behavior is allowed to continue, then when these children become adults, they are much less successful in their work and family lives and may even get in trouble with the law.

Set firm and consistent limits on your child’s aggressive behavior. Be sure your child knows that bullying is never OK.

Be a positive role model. Children need to develop new and constructive strategies for getting what they want.

Show children that they can get what they want without teasing, threatening, or hurting someone. All children can learn to treat others with respect.

Use effective, nonphysical discipline, such as loss of privileges. When your child needs discipline, explain why the behavior was wrong and how your child can change it.

Help your child understand how bullying hurts other children. Give real examples of the good and bad results of your child’s actions.

Develop practical solutions with others. Together with the school principal, teachers, counselors, and parents of the children your child has bullied, find positive ways to stop the bullying.


SourceConnected Kids: Safe, Strong, Secure (Copyright © 2006 American Academy of Pediatrics)
Article found here on the HealthyChildren.org website

For more info on bullying check these sites out:
kidshealth.org
http://www.aacap.org/cs/root/facts_for_families/bullying
Medline Plus - NIH
Stop Bullying Now website
http://www.stopbullyingnow.hrsa.gov/kids/

"Safer than drugs? NOT!!

The choking game is not safer than drugs! The most common age for this fatal risk taking game is 11-16 yrs old, 87% are males. Many deaths from this are just thought to be suicides, not accidental suffocations.Causes irreversible brain damage, permanent disabilities and death. The "choking game" is an activity in which persons strangulate themselves to achieve euphoria through brief hypoxia. In simple terms: they choke themselves, cutting off the blood(that carries the oxygen) from the heart to the brain, thus passing out or near passing out. As they let go or unloosen the stangulation all the blood that has pooled rushes back up to give that person a "warm and fuzzy feeling". What happens when the warm and fuzzy feeling goes wrong and you pass out with whatever tied around your neck? You do not wake up, you die!!! If you, your child or your friends think this is fun and safer than drugs, better leave your obituary written out so your family can find it when you are gone. If you want a "warm and fuzzy feeling"  I will gladly get you a kitten or a puppy ;), they are warm and fuzzy, but alot less dangerous.

Thank you to the GASP Association for this great video, and thank you to Carrie at Ed4Ed on You Tube for making sure this was on You Tube for all to view.

~~~Leslie~~~
crazy ER nurse and not a fan of the Space Monkey