North Jersey Pediatrics

Resources

Normal 0 MicrosoftInternetExplorer4 st1\:*{behavior:url(#ieooui) } /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0pt 5.4pt 0pt 5.4pt; mso-para-margin:0pt; mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:10.0pt; font-family:"Times New Roman";} Here is a list of links to information about childhood health topics and other illnesses: The American Academy of Pediatrics Newborn Screening from the March of Dimes The Center for Disease Control American Academy of Family Physicians Safety Recalled products from the Consumer Product Safety Commission Other Breastfeeding: La Leche

Drug Dosages

Parents: please be advised that Acetaminophen dosages have been reformulated. Click here to read more. Acetaminophen is the main ingredient in Tylenol®. Acetaminophen is used as a pain reliever and fever reducer. It should NOT be used in children under 2 months of age. The following products can be used every 4- 6 hours as needed. Weight (lbs.) Infant Tylenol Drops (80mg/0.8ml) Children's Tylenol Suspension (160mg/5ml) Tylenol Chewable (80 mg) 13-17 lbs. 0.8 ml not recommended 1 tab 18-23 lbs. 1.2 ml not recommended 1 1/2 tabs 24-35 lbs. 1.6 ml 1 tsp. 2 tabs 36-47 lbs. .. 1 1/2 tsp 3 tabs 48-59 lbs .. 2 tsp. 4 tabs Ibuprofen is the active ingredient in Advil® and Motrin®. Ibuprofen is used to decrease pain and swelling and to reduce fevers. It should not be used in children less than 6 months old without discussing first with your practitioner. All of these products can be given every 6-8 hours as needed. Weight (lbs.) Infant's Ibuprofen Drops (50mg/1.25ml) Children's Ibuprofen (100mg/5ml) Children's Ibuprofen Chewable (50mg) Junior Strength Ibuprofen Chewable or Tabs(100mg) 12-17 lbs. 1.25 ml 1/2 tsp. .. .. 18-23 lbs. 1.87 ml 3/4 tsp. .. ... 24-35 lbs. 2.5 ml 1 tsp. ... ..... 36-47 lbs. .. 1 1/2 tsp. 3 tabs .. 48-59 lbs .. 2 tsp. 4 tabs 2 tabs 60-71 lbs. .. 2 1/2 tsp. 5 tabs 2 1/2 tabs Benadryl (diphenhydramine) is used for hives and to reduce the itchiness associated with certain rashes. Benadryl can be given every 6-8 hours as needed. Weight (lbs.) Benadryl Elixir (12.5mg/tsp.) Benadryl Chewable (12.5 mg) Benadryl Tabs (25 mg) 12-17 lbs. 1/2 tsp. .. .. 18-23 lbs. 3/4 tsp. .. ... 24-35 lbs. 1 tsp. 1 tab .. 36-47 lbs. 1 1/2 tsp. 1 1/2 tab .. 48-59 lbs 2 tsp. 2 tab 1 tab

Baby Care

Going home with a new baby is exciting, but it can be scary, too. Newborns have many needs, like frequent feedings and diaper changes. Babies can have health issues that are different from older children and adults, like diaper rash and cradle cap. Your baby will go through many changes during the first year of life. You may feel uneasy at first. Ask your health care provider for help if you need it. Please visit The Department of Health and Human Services for more information on this topic.

Infant and Toddler Development

When will my baby take his first step or say her first word? Early childhood, from your baby's birth until he or she turns 5, is when children develop skills they will use for the rest of their lives. The normal growth of children can be broken down into the following areas: Gross motor - controlling the head, sitting and walking Fine motor - holding a spoon, picking up a piece of cereal between thumb and finger Sensory - seeing, hearing, tasting, touching and smelling Language - being able to talk and be understood, and understanding what parents and other children say Social - the ability to play with family members and other children Babies do not develop at the same rate. There is a wide range of what is considered "normal." Your baby may be ahead in some areas and slightly behind in others. If you are worried about possible delays, talk to your baby's health care provider. For more information on this topic, please visit The Department for Health and Human Services.

Child Nutrition

A healthy diet helps children grow and learn. It also helps prevent obesity and weight-related diseases, such as diabetes. The following guidelines will help you give your child a nutritious diet: Offer five servings of fruits and vegetables a day Choose healthy sources of protein, such as lean meat, nuts and eggs Serve whole-grain breads and cereals because they are high in fiber Broil, grill or steam foods instead of frying them Limit fast food and junk food Offer water and milk instead of sugary fruit drinks and sodas Learn about your children's nutrient requirements. Some of them, such as the requirements for iron and calcium, change as your child ages. For more information on this topic, please visit The Department of Health and Human Services.

Infant and Toddler Nutrition

Food provides the energy and nutrients a baby or toddler needs to be healthy. For a baby, breast milk has all the necessary vitamins and minerals. Infant formulas imitate breast milk. For children younger than 2, up to 50 percent of calories should come from fat. Whole milk is a good source of fat after age 1. You can switch to low-fat milk after age 2 or 3. Some other things to watch for: Make sure your child gets enough iron Toddlers between 1 and 3 need 500 milligrams of calcium each day Dietary fiber is important after age 3 because it might prevent diseases later on Don't feed your baby eggs, citrus fruits and juices, cow's milk or honey until after his or her first birthday Don't feed your child seafood, peanuts or tree nuts before age 2 or 3 For more information on this topic, please visit The Department of Health and Human Services.

Ear Infection

Also called: Otitis media Ear infections are the most common illnesses in babies and young children. Most often, the infection affects the middle ear and is called otitis media. The tubes inside the ears become clogged with fluid and mucus. This can affect hearing, because sound cannot get through all that fluid. If your child does not yet talk, you need to look for signs of an infection: Tugging at ears Crying more than usual Ear drainage Trouble sleeping Balance difficulties Hearing problems Often, ear infections go away on their own, but your health care provider may recommend pain relievers. Severe infections and infections in young babies may require antibiotics. Children who get frequent infections may need surgery to place small tubes inside their ears. The tubes relieve pressure in the ears so that the child can hear again. For more information on this topic, please visit The Department of Health and Human Services.

Chickenpox

Also called: Varicella Chickenpox is an infectious disease caused by the varicella virus. Most cases occur in children under age 15 but older children and adults can get it. It spreads very easily from one child to another. Symptoms include an uncomfortable, itchy rash, fever and headache. The rash is like blisters and usually appears on the face, scalp or trunk. The disease is usually mild and lasts 5 to 10 days, but it sometimes causes serious problems. Adults and older children tend to get sicker from it. Do not give aspirin to anyone sick with chickenpox since the combination might cause Reye Syndrome. Once you catch chickenpox, the virus usually stays in your body forever. You probably will not get chickenpox again, but the virus can cause shingles in adults. A chickenpox vaccine can help prevent most cases of chickenpox, or make it less severe if you do get it. For more information on this topic, please visit the Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Medication Conversion

Medication Conversion Chart Please use the following as a guide to convert teaspoons to milliliters: Teaspoon = tsp Tablespoon = tbsp Milliliters = ml ½ tsp = 2.5 ml = 2.5 cc 1 tsp = 5 ml = 5 cc = 1/3 tbsp 1 ½ tsp = 7.5 ml = 7.5 cc = 1/2 tbsp 2 tsp = 10 ml = 10 cc 3 tsp = 15 ml = 1 tbsp = 1/2 ounce 6 tsp = 30 ml = 30 cc = 1 oz

FAQs for Parents

This content is subject to change at any time. It is reviewed and updated periodically as new health information becomes available. The information is intended to inform and educate and is not a replacement for medical evaluation, advice, diagnosis or treatment by a healthcare professional. Well Child Care Sick Child Care After Hours Care FAQ - Health Related Well Child Care Seeing children and parents at regular intervals is an important element in maintaining your children's health. Evaluating growth and development, discussing safety, nutrition, behavior and answering age related questions can be expected at all well visits. We recommend that you write down any questions you have and bring them to your appointment. Schedule of visits Hospital Newborn Exam 3-5 days 1-3 weeks of age if necessary 1 month 2 months 3 months 4 months 6 months 9 months 12 months 15 months 18 months 2 years 2 ½ years Yearly visits ages 3-21 years We encourage advance scheduling of well childcare visits. For infants and toddlers please schedule your next check up at the end of your visit. Otherwise, we suggest you call at least 6-8 weeks ahead of the time you wish to be seen. We can usually schedule visits 2 – 3 months out; therefore to schedule a convenient time for you and your child please make your appointment as soon as possible within this timeframe. Back to Top Sick Child Care At this time we do not have walk-in hours. We will see sick children on the same day whenever possible with appointments. Please call after 9:00 am to schedule an appointment. Appointments cannot be scheduled before the office opens at 9:00 am. The appointment time for sick children is shorter than well child visits. However, if your child is already scheduled for a well child visit, but happens to be sick, we can still do the checkup. If you have additional sick siblings, please call ahead so that we can accommodate you. Back to Top After Hours Care When our office is closed, the answering service will answer when you call our main number: 201 794-8585. After hours calls are for PEDIATRIC EMERGENCIES only. Please call with routine questions during regular office hours. The service will reach the doctor or Triage on call who will return your call. Please let the service know if you have a TRUE PEDIATRIC EMERGENCY. Reminder, please do not call after hours with routine questions. If possible, it is best to call before 7:00 p.m. You MUST disable your caller ID block. The doctor will not call you back if you do not disable caller ID block. If you are not sure how to do this or if you have this feature enabled, please ask the answering service for instructions. Back to Top Frequently Asked Questions My baby has a lump after her shots My baby's tongue is white My baby's stool is green My baby's not stooling as often My child had a cold and a fever and now has a rash My child has a nose bleed My baby has pink eye, the eye is tearing and has drainage Pediatric Drug Dosages My child has a lump after her shots After getting a vaccine, your child may have a small painless lump or a sore, red, swollen spot at the place where the injection was given. This lump may last up to 2 months. Warm compresses applied 3 times a day may be helpful. Your child may also: have a slight fever have some decrease in activity have some decrease in appetite have some irritability limp for a couple of days (if the vaccine was given in the leg) Remember, these reactions are normal and should only last for a couple of days! My baby's tongue is white, does she have thrush? Thrush A white tongue is called "milk tongue" and is often not thrush. Thrush is an infection in the mouth caused by a yeast-like organism called Candida albicans. This condition is most common in newborns. If your baby develops white spots on the tongue and white spots that look like milk curd on the insides of the cheeks and lips, this may be thrush. These spots often bleed if you try to wipe them off. Thrush may be painful and cause feeding problems. The same yeast infection can also cause a diaper rash. Some babies have the infection both in their mouth and on their bottom. Thrush also can spread to your breasts if your baby is breastfed. Mild cases often clear up on their own however many babies need treatment with a prescription antifungal oral medication. These medications are applied orally with a dropper. A baby with a yeast infection in the diaper area can be treated with an antifungal cream following diaper changes. If your baby develops thrush and you are breastfeeding, you may want to use the same antifungal solution on your nipples to help prevent passing the infection back and forth between your breast and your baby's mouth. You can continue breastfeeding during treatment. Disinfect daily any item that comes in contact with your baby's mouth. This includes nipples, pacifiers, teethers, breast shells, breast pads, bras, pump parts and artificial nipples. To sterilize bottle nipples or pacifiers - boil them for 20 minutes each day to kill the yeast that may be residing on them. My baby's stool is green The first bowel movements (BMs) babies have are thick and dark green or black in color. A breastfed baby's BMs will become yellowish, loose, and "seedy" in texture. A formula fed baby usually has yellowish to tan BMs that are the texture of peanut butter. When it comes to your baby's BMs, there is no "normal" number, color or schedule. The number, color, and texture of BMs vary greatly in the same baby and between babies of similar age. The color of the BMs depends on a variety of things, including what a breastfeeding mom is eating, the type of formula, and how often and how much your baby is fed. Iron supplements may cause the BM to appear dark green. You should not worry about the color of the BM unless it is black, red (bloody), or white. My baby's not stooling as often Baby’s BMs vary in frequency. Some will go many times a day, while others will only go every few days. When starting solids BMs will firm up, but will also change texture based on what the baby is eating. Rice cereal may cause BMs to be more formed. There is no need to be concerned about constipation as long as the BMs are soft. My child had a cold and a fever and now has a rash Viral infections commonly result in skin lesions and rashes. Some viruses result in rashes with specific characteristics (e.g., chickenpox), but others are not easy to identify. Viral infections commonly cause rashes, especially in children, and eruptions usually resolve after the immune system clears the virus. After the rash is gone, some skin peeling may occur. My child has a nose bleed Nosebleeds (known as epistaxis) are a very common during childhood. The nose easily bleeds as a result of trauma to the nose, dry nasal passages and from the normal picking, vigorous nose blowing and rubbing of the nose. Children, with allergic rhinitis (nasal allergies), tend to have more nosebleeds due to chronic nasal congestion and inflammation. A nosebleed usually starts suddenly from one nostril. Fortunately, most nosebleeds stop on their own within a few minutes. Treatment Have your child lean forward and spit out any blood. Do not have your child put his/her head back or lay flat on his/her back as this can result in increase bleeding and swallowing of blood. Tightly pinch the soft parts of the nose against the center wall for 5-10 minutes, do not release pressure. Have your child breathe through his/her mouth during this time. If after 5-10 minutes the bleeding has not stopped, repeat the process. Do not insert anything into the nose. Prevention: Apply a small amount of Vaseline to the nasal passages at bedtime or spray each nostril with nasal saline twice a day. Use a humidifier in your child's room while they are sleeping. Treat nasal allergies. CALL OUR OFFICE: If the bleeding does not stop after 20 minutes of direct pressure If your child appears pale or sweaty or your child is not responding to you If your child continues to have frequent nosebleeds despite the use of Vaseline and humidification Your child's nasal allergies are not controlled by over the counter antihistamines If you have other questions or concerns My baby has pink eye, the eye is tearing and has drainage Most likely your baby has a blocked tear duct. A blocked tear duct (nasolacrimal duct obstruction or dacryostenosis) is a common condition in babies. It occurs when the normal drainage system for tears (the lacrimal system) fails to open or becomes blocked (obstructed), stopping the flow of tears from the eyes into the nose. Blocked tear ducts are very common in newborns. Up to 70% of all newborns are believed to have blocked tear ducts. They cause noticeable symptoms in 6% to 20% of these babies. What are the symptoms of a blocked tear duct? Babies who have blocked tear ducts usually have symptoms the first few days to the first few weeks after birth. Symptoms often affect only one eye, but may affect both eyes, and usually include: Excessive tears, ranging from the eye appearing wet to tears running down the cheek (epiphora). Buildup of yellowish-white mucus drainage at the inner corner of the eye and on the lashes. Swelling and redness of the eyelids and irritation of the surrounding skin. The symptoms of a blocked tear duct may get worse after an upper respiratory infection (such as a cold or sinus infection). Also, symptoms may be more noticeable after the baby has been exposed to wind and cold, because these may cause increased production of tears. How is a blocked tear duct treated? Usually no treatment is needed for a blocked tear duct in a baby. It usually clears up on its own by the time the baby is 1 year old. Keeping the baby's eyes clean to prevent infection until the duct opens may be all that you need to do. The primary treatment is gentle cleansing of the lids with a warm wet washcloth. Use a clean portion of the washcloth with each pass. This should be accompanied by a regimen of firm nasolacrimal duct massage, usually 2 or 3 times a day. With a clean finger, simply rub the area between the inside corner of the eye and the bridge of the nose. If signs of infection develop, the baby may need an antibiotic eye drop medication. If the duct remains blocked after the baby is 6 months to one year old, an evaluation by a pediatric ophthalmologist may be suggested. CALL OUR OFFICE: The eyelids are red or swollen The white part of the eye becomes red The inner lower corner of the eyelid develops a red lump Lots of yellow-green discharge is present Back to Top

Bisphenol A (BPA)

Bisphenol A (BPA) has raised concerns over the last few years. Use the link below to read more about BPA from the US Department of Health and Human Services web site. http://www.hhs.gov/safety/bpa/

Symptom Checker Link

The American Academy of Pediatrics has a new symptom checker tool. This great new resource can help parents identify common illness and injury in their children. While it is not a replacement for doctor's advice, it can assist in the decision of whether a child's symptoms require immediate attention or can wait for an appointment at the office. http://www.healthychildren.org/English/tips-tools/Symptom-Checker/Pages/default.aspx

Flu Clinic 2011

Sunday, October 2, 2011 8 a.m. – 1 p.m. Fair Lawn Office The flu mist is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Although insurance is billed for flu vaccinations, you will be responsible for any co-pay or services not covered by insurance. The success of the clinic depends on your cooperation. We thank you in advance for following our requirements, below: -Participating children must be current with check-ups. -Children are requested to wear short sleeves and have jackets removed prior to entering the exam room on the day of the clinic. -Children must be healthy. -Sick children are requested to make an appointment to be seen during regular appointment hours. Regretfully, issues unrelated to the flu vaccination cannot be addressed during the clinic. NOTE: Sick children will be seen at the Hackensack Office on flu clinic day(s). Please call (201) 794-8585 for more information.

Acetaminophen for Infants Reformulated

Please be advised that companies producing acetaminophen will be reformulating the dosage for infants. Old concentration was 80 mg / 0.8 mL New concentration is 160 mg / 5 mL Parents are advised to always read and follow the label. Keep medicines out of reach of children. Never give adult medicine to children. Use only the dosing device that comes with the product. Please discuss any questions you may have with the pediatricians on staff at North Jersey Pediatrics.