Powerful Kid Care Answers

Names of hypoallergenic breeds can be found on the internet or at a veterinary clinic. More importantly, try to get exposed to the dog you are planning to get to be sure you do not react. Hypo means low but not "zero."

What type of classroom is the child in? The child needs to be in a class with a small teacher to student ratio with an Exceptional Student Education background. It is important to know the goals that the child is able to achieve.

It has been shown that "the consequence" in addressing undesirable behaviors do not work. Exploring the reasons for the choice of the particular coping skill (sucking the thumb) should be done first. Then, according to the information, one proceeds into redirecting, along with continuous reminder of support and togetherness in attempt to overcome the unhealthy habit.

You may help yourself by reading about the symptoms (visit www.aacap.org and follow prompts toward parental education), and if you find any suggestion that it might be a case, seek professional help (child psychiatrist or your pediatrician).

14 year old may be smoking cigarettes for several reasons, some of which are easier to overcome (peer pressure, personal experimentation, lack of coping skills etc) and others (anxiety disorders, mood disorders, ADHD etc.) that need more attention. Either way, my advice would be (assuming that you, as a parent, exhausted all of you resources) to seek professional help with thorough evaluation, and hopefully, the most appropriate intervention.

So far we do not have any studies pointing out any significant side effects in the long run (questionable effect on growth; conclusion: in average, treated individuals were found to be 1-2 inches shorter than expected height based on parental height). Several studies suggest significant benefit in prevention of substance abuse. Please go to www.AACAP.org and follow prompts for parent education.

These two conditions have number of symptoms that overlap. Professional evaluation, and most likely, longer observation, is needed. Often, these two conditions, unless the child has co-morbidity of both at the same time, have different development. ADHD may not be as detrimental, in global sense; the symptoms remain the same, more or less. The nature of BPAD is significant for deterioration in symptoms, and definite negative progression, if not treated.

Keep trying with different choices but do not make it into a threat, or force feed. Do not get upset or show your child that you are upset. You can set the best example by having good choice of vegetables at meal times and your family practicing good eating habits.

The behavior appears to be "instinctive response" to her feeling of being in danger and/or insecure. Try a gentle approach in redirecting, offering comfort and talking about this particular behavior later on after her negative emotions fade away.

First, you would need to make sure nothing else is medically wrong, i.e., hearing, motor development, genetics, prematurity vs. full term. Is the child social? Does he make eye contact? It sounds like he/she is already on the way to developing speech. If he does not continue to progress, a speech evaluation is warranted.

There may be several reasons why a 2 year old may bite himself. Is language age-appropriate? Could he be frustrated? Is he social? This may be a self-stimulating behavior.

The bottle itself is not the problem. The milk, juice and sugar-containing beverages that stay in the child's mouth for prolonged periods of time cause the cavities. Take time to decide when you are going to discontinue the bottle and follow through. The eating strike will be temporary, for a hungry child craves food.

It depends on the age; however, the exaggerated physical activity, inability to stay in one place for an age appropriate* amount of time; inability to sustain attention for an age appropriate* amount of time; difficulties controlling impulses (mainly expressed in disturbing behavior) are signs.

(*age appropriate = age in years x 3 times number of minutes)

This question asks for very long discussion. However, a brief response would be that we should be concerned regarding the present level of societal attention to this issue, and more so regarding the tendency to further decline.

Reactions to food can vary from a mild skin irritation, such as a fine rash around the mouth and contact area and diaper, to severe hive-like rash that can start on the face and then become generalized. Raised red hives can signal a severe allergic hypersensitivity reaction, and you should contact your pediatrician immediately.

The dose of hydrocortisone is 2-3 times a day for up to one week. If rash reappears after one week, reapply (Eczema is a chronic condition!) As far as natural options, Aveeno soap, Lubriderm, Cetaphil are some that you can consider.

It is not uncommon to develop some post inflammatory hypo pigmentation and you are on the right track for future by using sunscreen etc. The good news is these spots will go away and do not cause any scarring as they are very superficial.

Although eczema is common in infancy they can develop at any age. Majority of the children grow out of it although a small percentage of children will have persisting eczema. If you can identify a food product or a particular trigger when your child has a flare up by avoiding them you can minimize the eczema. Milk and dairy products are common triggers, if your child has bad eczema consulting a dermatologist or allergist might help.

Any time a parent is concerned with a child's health and cannot reach their primary care physician, they should always go to the nearest emergency room for evaluation.

No. You may use tap-water-soaked towels to cool the patient. Once the towels feel hot, remove and re-wet the towels. If the patient is older than 6 months, you may give Motrin every 6 hours, or Tylenol every 4 hours. If the patient is less than 6 months, use only Tylenol. Always notify your primary care physician.

EXCELLENT QUESTION. Most likely you are absolutely correct. These sound like growing pains. These pains do happen more frequently during growth spurts. The child usually responds to plenty of TLC and anti- inflammatory medication like Motrin or Advil.

Along with a proper, healthy, well-balanced diet there are two additional measures parents can take to ensure proper growth in children. First, a child should get plenty of sleep. Growth hormone is secreted in pulses largely during REM sleep. As a result, the more cycles of REM sleep a child gets the more pulses of growth hormone secretion can occur. Generally, recommendations consist of 10-14 hours of sleep for newborns and toddlers, 10-12 hours of sleep for younger children, and 8-10 hours for older children and teenagers. Secondly, proper exercise is important. Growth hormone secretion also occurs during exercise. Although there are genetic limitations to growth that are not able to be overcome, ensuring proper rest and adequate exercise, along with a proper, well-balanced healthy diet can help your child maximize their growth potential.

Adolescent girls who have excessive hair growth, especially in a male-type distribution (in other words, hair present in locations where girls do not typically get hair such as the face, cheeks, chest, and abdomen) and who have amenorrhea (absent or irregular menstrual periods) may be exhibiting signs of polycystic ovarian syndrome or hyperandrogenism (excessive male hormones). Although the mechanism is not completely understood, very often girls with polycystic ovarian syndrome have an underlying insulin resistance, especially if the child is overweight. Insulin resistance results in excessive insulin production which stimulates ovarian androgen hypersecretion. In other words, the high levels of insulin stimulates the ovaries to overproduce androgens (male hormones) which causes unwanted hair growth in a male distribution pattern and interferes with normal menstrual physiology. Although there is no cure, use of Metformin (glucophage) is an appropriate therapy as one of the effects of Metformin is to increase the body's sensitivity to insulin resulting in decreased levels of insulin secretion and, as a result, decreasing stimulation to the ovaries to produce androgens. Other options include the use of birth control pills.

Cyclical vomiting is characterized by cyclic bouts of nausea/vomiting which may last hours to days, typically around the same time of day and same duration. It is usually without headache and can be triggered by stress infection menses. During attacks patients are lethargic. Abdominal migraine is characterized by sudden abdominal pain from 1-72 hrs with nausea and vomiting, flushing or pallor. Aura and headaches are minimal or absent. Family history of migraine is common.

Reflux is not purely hereditary as in eye color or sex, but there are families where there appears to be a predisposition to reflux. This would mean an increased chance (maybe 5-10%) greater than the average family. If the baby is full term, that would lessen the chances, but the true test will be after birth to see how the baby does. Breast fed babies appear to do much better than formula fed babies to decrease the incidence of reflux.

Sometimes the efficiency of absorbing all the nutrition from food, leaves little to make stool. The key is the consistency, not the frequency. If the stool is soft, even if it's infrequent, that's OK. When the stool is hard, or the baby appears to be straining more, then increasing what the baby takes in, by adding a little water or giving some prune juice, usually helps. If neither of these assists the baby, then I would call the doctor.

This could be Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome, which is a condition that causes recurrent bouts of intense vomiting with periods of completely normal health between episodes. If you think your child might have this, you should see your pediatrician for evaluation.

First you must determine if there are any organic causes for her stomach aches and have her evaluated by a pediatric gastroenterologist. Does she have vomiting? If her GI workup is negative, and she has vomiting as well, this may be a form of migraines. Perhaps she may need evaluation by a neurologist.

He or she most likely has a lactose intolerance. However, this should be discussed with your physician to confirm that the pain is only related to milk. A diet evaluation should also be done.

There are a few organizations working with Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome. Following are two such organizations:

Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome Association (www.cvasonline.org)
International Foundation for Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders (www.iffgd.org)

It is uncertain what causes Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome. There is no cure for it. The attacks of vomiting are usually treated in a hospital setting. Intravenous fluids are given, as well as medications to try to help stop the episode. Sometimes medications are tried to prevent attacks, as well as avoiding certain foods, such as chocolate and caffeine, which may be triggers.

Changes in stool frequency, color and consistency can be normal when transitioning to cow's milk. Toddlers sometimes become temporarily constipated. However, by increasing fiber and water intake, this problem can be resolved. Occasionally, the opposite will occur, and children can have more frequent loose stools and increased gas. This, with time, will also be resolved. Parents should be alarmed and seek medical attention if there is watery diarrhea accompanied by severe abdominal cramping and vomiting, or if there is mucus and blood in the stool when milk is introduced.

Through the public school system, the child may have a psycho educational evaluation. This will determine if there is a specific learning disability, and more specifically where the cognitive deficit lies. Depending on the results, he or she may qualify as an ESE student. Typically these students are in mainstream classes, and they are pulled out into smaller groups for their core subjects i.e. reading and math.

A low fat diet and exercise are the first line of therapy for lipid disorders in children and adults. Although often related to diet, elevated levels of cholesterol and triglycerides may have a genetic or familial etiology. Although the use of statins have been approved in children, a child with elevated lipids on screening tests should be evaluated by a specialist to assess other risk factors and to ensure proper therapy.

The facility that is right for your family depends on your family constellation. If you have children you should choose a facility that has comprehensive pediatric facilities, including a Pediatric Emergency room, a pediatric floor, a Pediatric Intensive Care Unit and outpatient services for children such as radiology and laboratory services. It is also important that the facility you choose has pediatric sub-specialists to take care of specialized needs.

As a health care professional I agree that children should be able to start Kindergarten if they are ready. I would suggest getting in touch with your local Congressional Representative and having that discussion.Your other option is to send them to a private Kindergarten and transition them to public school at first grade at which time they will take them.

All babies that are discharged from the NICU are tested in a car seat prior to discharge. For those babies that have trouble keeping their posture in the car seat because of their size, there are special "car beds" that we can get for our babies. We support the CAR SEAT SAFETY. You should keep children in car seats, reverse facing, until they reach 40 lbs. After that, modified booster seats for up to 65lbs.

It is no longer recommended to give over-the-counter cold medicines to young children. Some children have developed seizures, respiratory problems, and cardiovascular problems after taking these medications, probably related to dose. Please consult your pediatrician regarding what medication, if any, they recommend your child to be given in case of a cold.

If nose bleeds are excessive or frequent, the child should be seen by their pediatrician.

The appropriate amount of homework must be measured by the age of the student and the level of the class. Children should be given enough work to stimulate and challenge them to think independently and hone their organizational skills. If the amount of work is preventing them from getting enough rest and leading a well-balanced life, then it is too much. Parents such be involved with their children to make sure they have an appropriate time and setting in which to complete their assigned tasks.

THIS IS A QUESTION THAT IS OFTEN ASKED BUT VERY HARD TO DETERMINE. The life-long damaging effects of cleaning supplies and/or detergents is not really understood completely. There are so many things that our children are exposed to that it is often very difficult to isolate a single cleaning supply or detergent over a long period of time. Our children are constantly exposed to chemicals and radio signals all day in the air we breathe and in the food/water we consume. However, the toxic effects of acute exposure is often known and can be and should be discussed with a poison control professional.

No, there is no known correlation between malignant hyperthermia and high fevers. Malignant hyperthermia is a condition in which our body reaches temperatures above a cretain temperature. This is often over 106. It can be caused by overwhelming infection, malignant tumors, heat stroke and/or medications.

Most of the time ear infections occur when children have colds, as their eustachian tube is horizontal and does not drain the ear well in the face of a cold.To keep children healthy they should avoid settings that have large numbers of children, get plenty of rest and eat well and take multivitamins with Vitamin C. Day care settings with small groups of children are preferable, and the day care should have a strict sick policy and send home children who are sick.

First, remind your child that bed wetting is very common and temporary. He should avoid drinking excessive amounts of fluids for at least two hours prior to bedtime and also use the toilet before turning in for the night.  Wake him 1 to 2 hours into his sleep to use the toilet. Protect the mattress with a plastic liner and have your child participate in changing the sheets, as this will teach him the importance of responsibility. Bed-wetting alarms and medications can sometimes be helpful after 2 to 3 months of unsuccessful trials. The medication should be prescribed by your pediatrician.  Remember, these are help techniques, not cures.  Beware of any expensive or alternative treatments that claim to be cures.

In this case your pediatrician can refer your child to CMS (Children Medical Services). Your child will meet criteria based on his medical history and will be able to receive occupational therapy, speech therapy and nutritional services that will be covered by Medicaid.

Keep the area in question clean by using soap and water only. Use items like baby talc to keep it dry. It's not recommend to use an antiperspirant.

This can vary with each child but the recommendation is to have a pediatric orthodontist evaluate your child when they are 6-7 years of age. Your child's dentist may be able to give advice regarding your child.

This is a very important question and has to be asked with every medication your child is prescribed. We always look at the risks and benefits and the need for a medication before starting a child on it. Also in the hospital we have a Pediatric Pharmacy & Therapeutics Committee carefully monitoring the use of medications.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recognizes Chiropractic Medicine as one of the most popular types of Complementary and Alternative Medicines seen in pediatrics. Parents should make sure that the practitioner is licensed and will collaborate with the pediatrician. It is important to remember that there is a need for more scientific data to prove the effectiveness of chiropractic treatments; therefore, caution should be used when treating serious, chronic or life threatening conditions.

You should be very careful not to take him to areas with large groups of children or adults who could be potentially sick. Avoid all known sick contacts. Make sure he washes his hands frequently and well, and make sure he eats a well-balanced diet and gets sufficient rest. You may also give him multivitamins containing Vitamin C. At the first sign of illness in him, contact your pediatrician.

IgA deficiency is the most common immunodeficiency in kids and most of time, they don't know they have it. Usually children do not experience any symptoms except for mild or increased frequency of respiratory and gastrointestinal infections.

The only precaution you need to have is if you child has something called IVIG (immunoglobulin's). If this is the case, you will need to notify the doctor. IVIG is only an issue if your child has specific diseases like kawasaki disease or severe viral infections that cause damage to the heart.

Actually, there are no unbiased studies comparing Juice Plus+ and fruits and vegetables. If there is concern about a child having a vitamin or mineral deficiency, he or she should have their diet evaluated by their physician or a pediatric registered dietician.

This is a very common concern of many parents. The reality is that many of our young children are picky eaters. The simple answer to your question is your child's growth curve. Every time your child goes to the doctor for her physical examination her height and weight are plotted on a standard growth curve. This gives you and your physician all the information in a quick glance. If your child's linear growth and weight are consistent on that curve, parents should know that at least your child is consuming enough calories. With this in mind, parents should always request to see their child's growth curve and begin their discussion with their child's doctor after reviewing this chart together. However, despite your child getting enough calories it is often prudent to start a child who is particularly picky and not consuming a wide variety of foods on a multivitamin.

At age 12

This is an excellent question. Starting health fitness and awareness days that can be filled with fun activities and workshops is a great place to start.

First of all, 21 is still considered within normal limits. It is high normal, but still normal. This number itself does not mean much without other data such as the appearance of the optic nerves and family history.

If the optic nerves appear normal, there is probably nothing more to do. If the nerves have a glaucomatous appearance, a visual field test can be performed. It is highly unlikely that this represents true glaucoma.

If you want to be extremely cautious about this, you could visit a glaucoma specialist for a definitive expert opinion.

The best age for a first eye EXAM is around 4 or 5 years old. This is because the child is old enough to communicate and give good responses to the vision chart (letters or pictures) and also young enough to treat certain issues such as amblyopia or lazy eye if they are discovered. At the very least, every child should have a vision SCREENING by the time they start kindergarten. A screening can be performed by a pediatrician, trained volunteer, optometrist or ophthalmologist. An exam, which is more detailed, can only be done by an optometrist or ophthalmologist.

It is hard to determine without knowing the symptoms that are present along with the congestion of your 5 year old. Need to be more specific and would recommend consulting with your physician.

Coughing, wheezing and chest retractions would imply asthma symptoms. Sometimes it is difficult to determine just by having a physical exam. In a situation like this, the patient can be challenged in a laboratory setting with, for example, exercise or methacholine to see if there is some asthma associated with those challenges. Your doctor could explain in more detail.

It depends on age. For example, pulmonary function tests can be done usually by 5 to 6 years old and this could help to diagnose asthma. In younger children, the doctor relies more on physical findings such as wheezing, type of cough, etc.

Always have a rescue medication to be used if suddenly needed. Preventive medication to be used daily depends on how frequent the symptoms are, and how severe they are when the patient gets them. A doctor would recommend alternatives of control or preventive medications. Usual control medications are in 2 groups: inhaled steroids and antileukotrienes.

Yes, it may be chronic bronchitis. If the problem is recurring so often, it would be advisable to get a chest x-ray. Have your primary care physician order one. Unfortunately, kids in pre-k share their colds, therefore your grandson may simply be getting sick over and over. The up side to this is that their immune system will be built up. If you have any questions, you should consult an allergist, or pulmonologist. 

Only if she was a premature child or has chronic long term lung damage would she be at risk for getting more infections than usual. However, if she does not have any lung problems (like chronic lung disease) or any major medical problems that does not mean anything.

If your child attends day care, it would be very common for her to catch a cold.

If she has not experienced monthly ear infections, frequent throat infections or severe cases of pneumonia that have led to hospitalization, more than likely she does not have any immune issues.

Just give her healthy meals and she will be ok.

The American Academy of Pediatrics is recommending the vaccine against Human Pappiloma Virus which is the virus that causes cervical cancer. If your daughter is close to the age of potential sexual activity, the academy recommends that the vaccine be given to prevent the devastating disease of cervical cancer.

No long term side effects have been linked to Gardasil vaccination.

The most commonly reported side effects include:
*  Pain, swelling, itching bruising and redness at the site of the injection
*  Headache
*  Nausea
*  Dizziness
*  Vomiting
*  Fainting

Sometimes fainting is accompanied by falling with injuries, such as head injuries, which can be prevented by closely observing the vaccinated person for 15 minutes after vaccination.

Serious adverse event reports were not related or caused by the vaccine after experts analyzed the cases.

There are many things you can do to avoid your child having a reaction. Make sure to mention to your pediatrician if they have any food or medication allergy so they can check the particular vaccine and make sure there is no problem. Report any previous reactions to your pediatrician. In general it is advisable not to have immunizations when your child is sick, except with a common cold when it is okay to give the vaccination. Local reactions are common and nothing to be concerned and a lot of times the child may have a low grade fever and/or pain so ask you pediatrician if it okay to give Tylenol or Motrin after the immunization.

The H1N1 vaccine will be administered at no cost to the public starting with the most susceptible members of the population, including school age children. Initially, it will be administered at local hospitals, and then may eventually be given at doctor's offices by trained medical personnel.