|
Dr. Mike: Our Resident Pediatrician
Night Terrors - What Are They and What To Do
|
Posted
by Dr.Mike at
3/9/2010 12:44 PM PST
|
About once a week, a parent comes into the office and asks me about a scary phenomenon: their child has been waking up at night, frightened and unable to be consoled or comforted. These are called night terrors, (also called sleep terrors or pavor nocturnus) and can be very worrisome for parents. The child seemingly awakens from sleep in a panic, sometimes screaming or crying and cannot be calmed down. The child might appear confused and might not recognize the parent. In actuality, the child is still asleep.
Night terrors are a disorder of arousal, similar to sleepwalking and sleep talking. They can be inherited and can occur in up to 5% of children. They can happen at any age, but are most common from 1-8 years old. Most children outgrow them. Sometimes they are brief, and sometimes they can last as long as 30 minutes. They differ from nightmares in that Night Terrors usually occur in the early part of the night, the first 4 hours. Also, a child can usually recall what scared him in his nightmare, while a child usually has no memory of having a night terror.
Your pediatrician will be able to recognize simple night terrors versus something that needs further intervention. Night terrors are harmless and therefore no treatment is usually necessary. They are often triggered in children who are overtired, so making sure your child gets enough sleep can help to prevent them. Your goal during a terror is to try to get your child to return to normal sleep by trying to soothe or comfort him, but most importantly, protecting them from injury as they might flail in bed, fall down a stairwell, or run into a wall. Also, make sure to alert and educate babysitters of your child’s possible sleep disturbance.
There has been some success to halting night terrors if parents wake their child up before the usual time of occurrence, thus altering the child’s sleep patterns. This has to be repeated for a week.
This topic has personal significance for me, as my 3 year old daughter has been having night terrors for over a year. They do seem to be more frequent when she has not been getting adequate sleep. They are more of a nuisance than anything else, as she wakes the household up during a terror. And, even though we might get rid of her night terrors by altering her sleep patterns, I am sure I speak for a lot of parents when I say that the last thing I would ever do is wake up my daughter once I finally got her to sleep!
All information given is not a substitute for the advice of your pediatrician, primary care provider or trained health professional. Always consult with your pediatrician or health care professional.
|
Adolescents and Sexually Transmitted Diseases
|
|
Posted
by Dr.Mike at
2/21/2010 9:24 AM PST
|
One-in-four girls aged 14-19 in the United States have at least one of the five most common sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), based on data analyzed by the CDC. These five STDs are Gonorrhea, Chlamydia, Herpes, Trichomonas, and Human Papillomavirus (HPV). This means that about 3,000,000 girls in this age group in the U.S. have one of these STDs. So what does this mean? It means we need more adolescent STD prevention education. Not only should education programs focus on delaying sexual initiation, but kids need to learn about safer sex and correct condom use. Also, we should encourage vaccinating against HPV, the STD most commonly found in this research, before sexual activity starts. Previous studies have shown most parents believe their daughters are starting sexual activity later than they actually are. As parents, we need to realize these statistics are real and the serious health risks these STDs pose to our children. Communication about sex needs to start in the home much earlier and more consistently. Hopefully, through education, communication, and medical intervention an impact to these staggering statistics can be achieved. All information given is not a substitute for the advice of your pediatrician, primary care provider or trained health professional. Always consult with your pediatrician or health care professional. |
Kids and Cholesterol
|
|
Posted
by Dr.Mike at
1/28/2010 5:30 PM PST
|
As published in the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 1 in 5 children and teens in the U.S. have abnormal lipid levels. This was demonstrated by blood levels that revealed too much bad cholesterol (LDL), too little good cholesterol (HDL), or too much fat (triglycerides). These abnormal levels increase the risk of heart disease, the leading cause of death in the United States. In the study, almost half of obese children had abnormal blood levels. This is alarming, as obesity is increasing so rapidly in this country. The CDC reports that over the past 30 years childhood obesity has increased from 5% to 17%.
What should we do?
The current recommendation is to screen children and adolescents with a blood test. Your child may need to be screened if they are overweight or obese, if they have high blood pressure, if they smoke cigarettes or have diabetes. Family history of cholesterol problems, early cardiovascular disease, or an unknown family history are risk factors as well. If an abnormality is detected, lifestyle modification with exercise and healthy eating is the first-line treatment.
Hopefully, by treating abnormal lipid levels during childhood, the lifetime risk of cardiovascular disease can be reduced.
All information given is not a substitute for the advice of your pediatrician, primary care provider or trained health professional. Always consult with your pediatrician or health care professional.
|
Food Allergies in Children
|
|
Posted
by Dr.Mike at
1/20/2010 2:40 PM PST
|
The rate of reported food allergies in children is increasing. As reported in "Pediatrics", the number of doctor visits and hospitalizations because of food allergies has increased. This might represent an increase in awareness by doctors and parents rather than more allergic disease. Can we help prevent food allergies in children? Approximately 90% of allergic reactions to food are caused by 8 different food types: milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, soy, wheat, shellfish and fish. Overall, studies have not shown that women who excluded eggs, peanuts, milk and fish while pregnant have children with fewer allergies than those without a restricted diet. Also, there is a lack of evidence to support that giving these foods to babies will cause, promote or worsen allergies.
There is, however, evidence that exclusive breast feeding for the first 3-4 months of life as well as continued breast feeding while introducing these allergenic foods might help with decreasing the amount of allergic problems in your child. Therefore, breast feed as long as you can. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends at least a year and longer if possible. All information given is not a substitute for the advice of your pediatrician, primary care provider or trained health professional. Always consult with your pediatrician or health care professional. |
How Tall Is My Child Going To Be?
|
|
Posted
by Dr.Mike at
1/8/2010 10:31 AM PST
|
This is one of the most frequently asked questions in my practice at a well child check. Obviously, genetics are the most important factor in determining a child’s final height. As I tell my shorter families, “You do not get a Great Dane from two Chihuahuas”. As a pediatrician, I am not concerned with trying to predict final height, but rather watching for growth problems and addressing growth concerns. There are three indicators that would warrant further evaluation.
The first -- is the child growing enough per year? This is called growth velocity. Healthy non-pubertal growth is at least 2-2 ½ inches/year.
The second--is the child growing correctly for his/her genetics? There is a calculation based on parental heights called the Mid-Parental Target Height (MPTH). If the child falls out of the predicted height zone, he might warrant further evaluation.
Finally--is the child below the third percentile for his or her predicted final height?
Usually, the first step in the work up for growth concerns involves an x-ray and a simple blood test. Sometimes, a consult by a growth specialist (endocrinologist) is needed. It is important to recognize growth issues early, so please schedule yearly physicals for your children. |
|
|
It's Not Just a Concussion: March is Brain Injury Awareness Month
Safer Than Plastic - Simple Steps To Smarter Choices
How to Find Clothes to Flatter Your Body
10 Tips for Organizing a Kitchen
Delicious and Healthy Family Recipe from The Hungry Duchess
About Eco-Friendly Living
