veggies, veggies, veggies
“Monitor your child’s diet closely to make sure they are getting enough calories… Some teens need 4,000 calories a day when they’re in a growth spurt!”
Check out the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Tip of the Week- a post on vegetarian teen diet basics with input from Dr. Lai!
Julie Kardos, MD and Naline Lai, MD
©2020 Two Peds in a Pod®
Substance abuse, bullying, poverty, violence, chronic illness— all adverse childhood experiences that can lead to toxic stress in children. Sounds overwhelming, but there are ways from the CDC (Centers for Disease Control) to prevent adverse experiences in childhood from causing lifelong trauma. Bloggers like us are teaming together with the American Academy of Pediatrics to spread the word about one method which carries the hashtag #findyour3.
Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) can cause unremitting stress. Termed “toxic stress,” this type of stress will actually change a child’s brain structure. This stress can lead to health and social problems such as depression, substance abuse, diabetes, heart disease, chronic lung and kidney disease, and even unemployment.
Identifying just three people or organizations that kids can turn to for help, can build resilience in the face of adversity. The three can include a parent, grandparent or other relative. But the three do not have to be biologically related. Pediatricians, therapists, teachers, counselors, neighbors, sports coaches, or youth group leaders are all examples of possible positive adult influences. Encourage your own child or children you know to engage in school or community related activities in order to help them to find their three.
For a more comprehensive review of ACEs and the prevention and treatment of toxic stress please see this review article from the NIH (National Institute of Health).
You can also read some of our earlier posts for more ways to build resilience in your children and ideas on how to explain scary news to your children. Also, read on how to tell your child about an impending divorce and tips on how to communicate effectively with your young children.
Spread the word #findyour3 #preventACEs
Julie Kardos, MD and Naline Lai, MD
©2020 Two Peds in a Pod®
“Remember: colds = gradual and annoying. Flu = sudden and miserable.”
Please read here for our post of how to tell if your your child has a cold or the flu.
Stay well, may the new year bring you neither one.
Julie Kardos, MD and Naline Lai, MD
©2020 Two Peds in a Pod®
Believe it or not, pharmacies sold this “cold remedy” until the 1960s!
Honey, tar, and alcohol, oh my! Tucked away in a display at the Mercer Museum of Bucks County, Dr. Lai found this old bottle of cough syrup from the late 1800s. While we do NOT recommend this type of medicine for children of any age for any condition, it does remind us that we wish we had the perfect cold remedy to offer our patients who have a winter cold virus.
Kids can start out feeling extra tired or out of sorts for a day or so, then they may develop a sore throat, runny nose, maybe a fever, and then the cough sets in. Fever from a cold virus starts within the first two days of a cold. Younger kids sometimes develop loose bowel movements or vomit mucus. Colds can cause watery eyes. Symptoms from a winter cold virus interrupt sleep and disrupt appetites.
We were thrilled to hear Caroll Spinney, a.k.a. Bird Bird and Oscar the Grouch, address the American Academy of Pediatrics National Conference back in 2011 (Dr. Lai’s iPhone 3 or 4 captured this “high” quality photo).
Caroll Spinney, the late puppeteer who was both Big Bird and Oscar the Grouch on Sesame Street, had the idea back in 1969 to make Big Bird a forever 6 year old. We were sad to hear of his passing today, but glad that Big Bird’s portrayal of 6 year olds lives on. Please read our post to learn more about 6 year olds.
Julie Kardos, MD and Naline Lai, MD
©2019 Two Peds in a Pod®
Manners can work magic. Here’s how, when, and why to say “thank-you” to your children.
“Thank-you for bringing your plate to the sink,” to your 2-year-old becomes “Thank-you for clearing the table,” to your 8-year-old becomes “Thank-you for cooking dinner,” to your 14-year-old.
“Thank-you for putting your clothes in the hamper,” to your 3-year-old becomes “Thank-you for folding your clothes,” to your 6-year-old becomes “Thank-you for doing the laundry,” to your 10-year-old.
“Thank-you for sharing your toy with your sister,” to your four-year-old becomes “Thank-you for babysitting your sister,” to your 13-year-old.
“Thank-you for climbing right into your car seat,” to your 3-year-old becomes “Thank-you for buckling your seat belt before I drive,” to your 9-year-old becomes “Thank-you for driving over to the store for more milk,” to your 16-year-old.
“Thank-you for the hug,” to your 1-year-old becomes “Thank-you for the hug,” to your 5-year-old becomes “Thank-you for the hug,” to your 15-year-old becomes “Thank-you for the hug,” to your 50-year-old.
May your Thanksgiving include many servings of “thank-you.”
Happy Thanksgiving,
Julie Kardos, MD and Naline Lai, MD
©2019 Two Peds in a Pod®
When Dr. Lai’s niece was in preschool she would complain of headaches- the culprit? Too much screen time and the need for glasses. Check out the post that Dr. Lai contributed to Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia’s Health Tip of the Week on screen time for kids.
Julie Kardos, MD and Naline Lai, MD
2019 Two Peds in a Pod®
Has your toddler ever pulled off your glasses and thrown them? Slapped another toddler at the playground? Bitten their brother? Run off in a store and ignored you when you called? Are you afraid to set limits for your child because you fear the tantrum that may result?
Yes, toddlers are cute, but left to their own devices, they grow into the school bully, the family bully, or worse yet, they don’t listen to an adult and run into the street in front of a car.
Now that school has been in session for over a month, it’s not too early for you to learn all about strep throat. It might even save you a trip to the doctor’s office!
Julie Kardos, MD and Naline Lai, MD
©2019 Two Peds in a Pod®
Excited for his Germ Fighters, this kiddo wears his “Vaccines save, bro” shirt for all of his pediatric office vaccine visits.
Who should get it?
Unless medically contraindicated, all kids aged six months and older should get the flu vaccine. Your child’s pediatrician will ask you questions to be sure the flu vaccine is appropriate for your child.
Is the flu vaccine different this year from last year?
Yes, so even if your child received a flu vaccine last year, they should get another one this year. The predicted flu strains change yearly so manufacturers make up a new batch of flu vaccines every year.
Which flu vaccine should they get- the shot or the-spray-in-the-nose kind?
All kids can get the shot. Kids two years and older without certain other medical conditions can get the nose spray. If your child is eligible for both, then the best type to get is the one that is available- they are both effective.
When should they get the flu vaccine?
The goal is to be completely immunized for this year’s flu season by Halloween- the end of October. When it comes to the flu vaccine, “better late than never” also holds true. It is impossible to predict precisely when the flu will hit and how long it will circulate. So even if it’s mid winter, get the vaccine if it is still available.
How many doses do they need?
If your child is under the age of nine years and never had a flu vaccine or had only one prior dose of flu vaccine before the date of June 30, 2019, then they need two doses separated by a minimum of four weeks. All other kids need one dose only every year.
What are the common side effects of the flu vaccine?
The injectable brands of flu vaccine, like all shots, can cause mild symptoms such as soreness or redness in the body area where a child gets the shot, fever, or fatigue. The nasal spray version can cause some nasal congestion, sore throat, fever, and muscle aches.
Can any flu vaccine cause the flu?
No.
You can read a summary about the nasal spray form of the flu vaccine here and well as the injectable form of the flu vaccine here. Both of these Vaccine Information Statements expand on all of the above points.
Still on the fence about flu vaccine 2019-2020?
Last year, 116 children in the US died from the flu, and almost half of these children were previously healthy kids. The average age of death was six years. Of those who died and COULD have received flu vaccine- meaning the ones that were older than 6 months of age, 70% did NOT receive the flu vaccine. So flu vaccine might have averted more than half of these flu deaths.
Additionally, of children last year in the hospital with flu, the majority did NOT receive flu vaccine. The flu killed thousands of adults last year. School-aged children are the group most likely to spread the flu germs. Therefore, flu vaccine not only can protect your children and those too young or too ill to be vaccinated, but also protects your children’s grandparents.
Click here for an exhaustive review of the American Academy of Pediatrics recommendations for this year’s flu season. We hoped to provide you all with the most important highlights. You can read our flu vaccine myth-busters here.
Julie Kardos, MD and Naline Lai, MD
©2019 Two Peds in a Pod®