Suzi at St. Louis Children's Hospital
Mosquito season is near!
My daughter called me the other day to inquire about the amount of DEET to apply to her six month old daughter, Madison. Her question made me think about all the rain we've had this spring and the mosquitos it may bring this summer.
Realizing I don't know
everything about
everything, I went to our nurses on 454-KIDS to request the latest information on DEET for my daughter. I wanted to share what I found out.
1. Avoid buying products that contain a combination of DEET and sunscreen. The reason behind this recommendation is that sunscreen needs to be reapplied, but DEET is water soluble. Repeated applications of DEET as you reapply sunscreen could be potentially toxic.
2. DEET is not recommended for infants under two months of age. After two months of age, DEET 10% may be used. Another option is Picaridin. For children over three years of age, Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus may be used.
3. All DEET products should be applied to exposed areas of skin, but not on the face. Also, avoid application to rashes or cuts.
4. Be sure your child takes a bath before bedtime to wash off DEET or alternate repellent.
Here's a fun fact: Mosquitoes will not fly more than two miles from their home. It would do us all well to enpty containers that have standing water in them. With the rain we're having this spring, we might be emptying containers frequently! Mosquitoes like to lay their eggs in standing water.
Once the nurses on 454-KIDS armed me with this reliable information from the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Center for Disease Control, I called my daughter and told her more than she ever thought she wanted to know! Mothers tend to do that.
Since we're probably in for a battle with mosquitos this summer, I thought you'd appreciate this information, too.
Allergy Season is here!
Spring is here! I know this not because I put my winter coats away. After all, this is St. Louis, and I hear we may have snow flurries tomorrow. I can tell it's spring because my grandson, Charlie, is doing what we fondly refer to as the "nasal salute". Like a lot of children in St. Louis he has a runny nose from all the pollens this time of year.
Every spring the grasses, trees and weeds release thousands of timy particles called pollens that get into his nose and throat, triggering him to sneeze as well as causing his nose to run. One might think about moving out of the area, but studies show that he would develop new allergies. There are roughly 35 million Americans that share in allergy season discomfort.
After allergy testing two years ago year, Charlie's physician was able to identify exactly which pollens triggered his symptoms. Charlie's symptoms are easier to manage now because we have learned that during pollen season the key to controlling his symptoms has been to continuously give him his allergy medications.
So, if you notice your child or grandchild also doing the "nasal salute", try following these very effective measures recommended by the nurses at 454-KIDS to combat seasonal allergies:
1. Avoidance:
- stay away from substances causing the allergy
- Keep the house closed up at night and use the air conditioner when needed. It keeps the air cool and dry.
- Pollen is most prevalent in the early morning between 5 and 10 am. Minimize outdoor play until after 10 am and on days when pollen counts are up.
- Roll your car windows up when traveling.
- Part of Charlie's bedtime routine is to take a bath, washing the clingy pollens out of his hair, face, lashes and eyes. This will help to eliminate night time symptoms.
- Keep outdoor dogs a distance away as pollen does cling to their hair, too.
2. Medications
- Antihistamines or decongestants can be helpful in easing some allergy symptoms. At 454-KIDS we recommend you talk to your pediatrician, because what works for one child may not work for another.
3. Immunotherapy
- Immunotherapy is desensitization through allergy shots.
Another recommendation from the nurses at 454-KIDS is to be a CSI. Keep a log of your child's symptoms, dates and weather conditions. This will be great information for your doctor to more accurately treat symptoms.
Armed now with your new knowledge and arsenal of treatment options, hopefully spring in St. Louis will no longer be the season to suffer through, but once again be embraced and enjoyed!
Look for the Helpers
You are on family vacation, driving down the highway and you suddenly see ambulances, police cars and lights flashing...Your child walks through the room just as a graphic war scene is flashed on the TV screen...Your inclination is to shield your child from anything scary or disturbing, but sometimes you are not able. How do you handle these situations? I turned to Mr. Rogers for his timeless advice. 2008 marks the 40th anniversary of the first Mister Rogers' Neighborhood show that aired on PBS. Sadly, Mr. Rogers died in 2003. CNN described him as a "cultural icon and kindly neighbor to generations of American children".
Mister Rogers' mother used to tell him to "look for the helpers" in any kind of a crisis situation. What great advice! There are always caring, helpful people when I find myself in a crisis as an adult. This thought also helps me stay calm in a crisis, which is important because my grandchild very quickly picks up on my emotions. A worried adult can worry a child.
When a crisis occurs how do you handle the "why did this happen" question? Since many times we don't know the answer, a better response might be to turn the question around and ask the child what they think happened. This will give you an opportunity to find out if your child has misconceptions that you can clear up. It's okay to tell your child that you don't know why something bad happened either and that it is okay to feel sad and scared. Let your child know that you love them and that you are there to help them.
The nurses on 454-KIDS get calls about children who are sick, but they also get calls that deal with these kinds of concerns, too. Please call us. We'd be happy to help you.
March 20th marks what would have been Mister Rogers 80th birthday. On his program Mister Roger always wore sweaters his mother made for him. March 20th has been declared "Sweater Day" in honor of Mister Rogers and all are encouraged to wear a sweater that day. The nurses at 454-KIDS will have their sweaters on!
My neighbor told me something the other day that I found very interesting.
No one in her family has gotten sick this year!Our calls on 454-KIDS have been about "a little cold, sore throats and strep". Whole families have been stricken with vomiting and diarrhea. Our Answer Line phones have been very busy with calls about headaches, sore throats, muscle aches, congestion, coughs, high fevers and vomiting. This year the flu is hitting the United States in record numbers not seen in recent years.
I'd like to pass along some of the prevention tips the nurses share with callers on 454-KIDS, so that you and your family may be able to side-step some of this aching, draining and wheezing going around.
Cover that coughCover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. When using a tissue, deposit it in a waste basket after use. If you don't have a tissue handy and need to cough or sneeze, do so into your upper sleeve, NOT your hands.
Wash your handsMost people (hopefully) wash hands before meals and after using the restroom. But, don't forget that germs are rude and pushy, constantly hanging around, watching and waiting for an opportunity to invade.
Where are some of their favorite haunts? Germs can be found on shopping carts, door knobs, the pen at the cash register, or perhaps that five dollar bill handed to you at the fast food drive-through.
Now that you have the germs on your hands, does this meay you're doomed to illness? NO!
Germs need a way to get into your body. So, don't touch anything until you wash your hands. Sepcifically, germs enter the body by way of the mouth, eyes and nose.
The single most improtant element of illness prevention is good handwashing.
- Use soap and running warm water, especially after coughing, sneezing or blowing your nose.
- Vigorously scrub hands together and work up a lather.
- Get every nook and cranny, between fingers, tops of hands, wrists and under nails.
- Every second counts, so scrub for at least 15-20 seconds. Sing a song while you wash!
- Rinse, then dry with a clean, disposable towel.
- Apply hand lotion, especially in the dry winter months.
- Wash hands with an alcohol based hand cleanser when soap and water are not available.
Keep your distance
If you are in the presence of someone who is ill, keep your distance. Three feet is a good distance. The distance makes it harder for sneezes and coughs of another to reach you.
Hopefully, now you feel armed with information to avoid passing germs for the remainder of 'flu season'.
Sibling Rivalry
"So...if I understand this right, Drew threw Dancing Elmo and it hit Sarah?" The nurse sounded concerned because Sarah was only 2 weeks old. "And how are both the children now?"
Sibling rivalry dates back to Cain and Abel. We hear it often from parents on the 454-KIDS line. "Say sorry to your sister!" "Tell your sister you love her."
Well, sometimes kids aren't sorry. Sometimes kids don't love their sister. Sometimes they just need to throw Dancing Elmo.
Sibling rivalry is going to happen. What impressed me is that the nurse was not only concerned about Sarah, but also about Drew.
The nurse's call made me remember when my daughter brought home her newborn daughter this past November. Three-year-old Charlie, a first grandchild, had enjoyed the full attention and adoration of our whole family for his entire life....then his world changed.
Shortly after mom and baby came home, we were sitting down for dinner when Charlie demanded, "Put that baby in the other room, please!" Then, a few days later, my daughter was walking Charlie upstairs in preparation for bedtime, when he stopped. Ahead on the landing, he turned to her. She could see tears welling in his big brown eyes as he sorrowfully said, "Mommy, you broke my heart."
Charlie summed it up!
Farber and Mazilish in their book, "Siblings without Rivalry: How to Help your Children Live Together so You Can Live, Too" liken a child's feelings about that new arrival to what a wife might feel if her husband brings home a new wife. I can understand not wanting to eat in the same room!
In the last two months I see how my daughter has made special time to be with Charlie. I listen to her celebrate his uniqueness and I know in time her family will fall in stride to the new normal for them. Charlie knows how special he is and I see him making room in his own heart for his new little sister.
Teaching and discipline
It is amazing how substituting one word for another can completely change one's perspective. For example, substitute the word "teacher" for the word "disciplinarian" when considering your role in your children's lives and how they learn to navigate the world. It makes a huge difference!
I'd like to share a discussion I had just the other day with some of the nurses at work. We talked about information and tips we find helpful to pass on to parents calling in about a parenting or discipline issue. The main advice the nurses give, of course, is very specific to the problem, but we also try to toss in a little helpful tidbit where we can. "I hope he had his helmet on when he did that wheelie down the driveway." "I can give you information on the clinics that will be giving flu shots this coming weekend."
It's commonplace for parents to be well-versed in all aspects of what's normal for infants and toddlers. However, as their child grows, and life gets busier, they may not feel as comfortable with some of their child's behaviors. "Is it okay to let her paint her fingernails black?" Of her three year old, she said sheepishly, "he still sleeps in bed with us. My mom thinks he's too old for that."
At 454-KIDS the nurses enjoy these calls. Comparing "normal" kids with their child, a parent gets to see that their child is often not too far off the mark.
Remember, when it comes to teaching and discipline, keep your sense of humor and know that tomorrow is another day.
By the way, if you'd like to receive one of our St. Louis Children's Hospital brochures on discipline call 454-KIDS (1-800-678-KIDS) and press option 3.
Our New Addition
As we welcome in the new year, it is very exciting for St. Louis Children's Hospital to host a blog on stlmomsworld.com! Through the blog I look forward to sharing information with you on pediatric health and wellness and growth and development in the many days to come.
Over the Thanksgiving holiday my husband and I became grandparents for the second time. We couldn't be more excited! Health information related to children is now not only of interest to me as a pediatric registered nurse, but also as a grandmother.
I hope you will find the information we share with you from St. Louis Children's Hospital 454-KIDS to be beneficial, and I look forward to your comments.
