Bloom Kids Winter 2018

Catholic Health Initiatives NON-PROFIT ORG US POSTAGE

PAID

DENVER, CO PERMIT NO. 4033

6071 E. Woodmen Road, Suite 225 Colorado Springs, CO 80923 719-571-7130

When your child needs immediate care, turn to the experts at St. Francis Medical Center’s Pediatric ER. We offer experienced, specially trained medical providers and northeast El Paso County’s only emergency room designed especially for kids.

719-571-KIDS (5437)

Centura Health Physician Group Pediatrics NorthCare is part of Centura Health, the region’s leading health care network. Centura Health does not discriminate against any person on the basis of race, color, national origin, disability, age, sex, religion, creed, ancestry, sexual orientation, and marital status in admission, treatment, or participation in its programs, services and activities, or in employment. For further information about this policy, contact Centura Health’s Office of the General Counsel at 1-303-673-8166 (TTY: 711). Copyright © Centura Health, 2018. ATENCIÓN: Si habla español, tiene a su disposición servicios gratuitos de asistencia lingüística. Llame al 1-719-776-5370 (TTY: 711). CHÚ Ý: Nếu bạn nói Tiếng Việt, có các dịch vụ hỗ trợ ngôn ngữ miễn phí dành cho bạn. Gọi số 1-719-776-5370 (TTY: 711).

SWEET

DREAMS Sleep’s link to obesity and ADHD

Also inside:

BOX UP A BETTER LUNCH WINTER 2018

Helping parents raise healthy toddlers, tots, and teens

Volume 3, Issue 1

CHILDBIRTH THE SECOND TIME AROUND WHEN AND WHERE TO TREAT WINTER ILLNESS

inside

FOR FUN, HEALTHY KIDS’ LUNCHES,

THINK

CHILDBIRTHREFRESHER

THE BOX

Bento boxes packed with veggies, deconstructed

sandwiches, and dipping sauces are this year’s playground rage. For moms hoping to keep up, stunning examples online — dolphin-shaped sandwiches, twirly carrots, bread-crust bunny ears — can be intimidating.

But they don’t have to be works of art, or time-consuming, says Melaina Bjorklund, MS, RD, clinical dietitian at Penrose-St. Francis Health Services. “Get kids involved. If they’re helping make lunch, they’re more apt to eat it.”

The key: Make boxes healthy, and fun. “A lot of kids don’t want to stop playing to eat. If you can make mealtime enjoyable, and they can be mindful about eating, that’s a great lesson,” she says. The variety of colors is great, too, she says. “The more colorful your plate, the more nutrients.”

Childbirth is like riding a bike, right? Once you’ve done it, you never forget how.

That’s true — to a point, says Marci Holguin, a childbirth educator with Penrose-St. Francis Health Services.

Childbirth can be different the second, or even third, time around. For example, Braxton Hicks contractions are more common in subsequent pregnancies. And, subsequent labors may be shorter, Holguin says.

Moms, and their partners, benefit from a reminder of what to expect during labor.

To help you prepare, St. Francis Medical Center offers a monthly Practicing Labor Skills class. And, Holguin says, the class includes slow dancing and massage. “It’s like your last date before the baby comes.”

Learn how to construct a healthy but fun box lunch plus get ideas for ingredients at bloomkidshealth.org.

To learn about Practicing Labor Skills classes, visit penrosestfrancis.org/events.

LEAK-PROOF ADVICE

HOW TO RECOGNIZE WHEN BED-WETTING IS A PROBLEM

Your child knows his ABCs, writes his name — and still wets the bed.

Should you worry?

Probably not, says Sarah Amoroso, DO, a pediatrician with Centura Health Physician Group Pediatrics NorthCare.

bloomkidshealth.org

If he has been dry all night and suddenly starts wetting, “that’s something we want to talk about,” Amoroso says. Likewise, if bedwetting persists at age 7.

Rarely, bed-wetting can signal a urinary tract infection or diabetes. More often, it may indicate constipation, Amoroso says.

If medical causes are ruled out, she suggests parents try: « Limiting bedtime fluids « Rewarding consecutive dry nights — but avoid criticism when wetting occurs « Using bed alarms, which sense urine and wake the child CHPG Pediatrics NorthCare

head toe HELP FROM

TO

W

hen your child is sick, it can be hard to know if she needs to see a doctor. And how quickly.

Centura Health Physician Group Pediatrics NorthCare pediatrician Pennie Schultz, MD, helps you make the right call.

Always call 911 if your child turns blue or is unconscious after hitting his head.

HEAD

THROAT

Extreme sleepiness, vomiting, irritability, or a bump after hitting the head could indicate concussion and should be checked quickly.

Fever and white spots in the throat indicate strep, which should be treated.

TUMMY

NOSE AND CHEST

Most tummy troubles go away. But if a child under 2 months isn’t keeping anything down, he needs to be seen, Schultz says.

If your child has a fever, cough, and congestion, it could be a respiratory infection. Your pediatrician can determine if it’s viral, or if antibiotics could help.

Centura Health Physician Group Pediatrics NorthCare physicians offer same-day appointments for established patients and newborn first visits. For 24/7 and emergency care, head to the pediatric emergency room at St. Francis Medical Center.

!

SEEK IMMEDIATE CARE IF YOUR CHILD SHOWS SIGNS OF: DEHYDRATION. If she isn’t urinating, or it takes more than two seconds for color to return after you push on warm fingertips, see the doctor.

To care for minor aches and pains at home, download a FREE list of medicine chest essentials at bloomkidshealth.org.

LABORED BREATHING. Faster-thannormal breathing and sucking in the belly need immediate attention, Schultz says.

GET TO KNOW

SLEEP ON IT

MEET THE CENTURA HEALTH PHYSICIAN GROUP PEDIATRICS NORTHCARE PHYSICIANS To many of us, winter means skiing, snowmen — and sickness. But cold weather doesn’t have to mean being knocked out by cold viruses and other germs.

P

arents of toddlers often joke about being sleepdeprived. But when the kids don’t get enough sleep, it’s no laughing matter.

In fact, it can pose health risks: One study found toddlers who went to bed after 9 p.m. were more likely to become obese.

Some cranky, fussy toddlers just need more sleep, says Centura Health Physician Group Pediatrics NorthCare’s Pennie Schultz, MD. And just like adults, kids can’t do their best without sufficient sleep, Schultz says. “School performance drops off; they have behavior issues at school.”

The effects are so profound that sleep-deprived kids can be mistakenly identified as having attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, she says.

Sleep problems? Learn about natural supplements and other tips by downloading a flyer at bloomkidshealth.org.

NO SMOKE, NO RISK?

E-cigarettes are tobacco-free, but they aren’t necessarily risk-free. A study reveals that teens who use e-cigarettes are four times more likely to take up smoking.

So, what are parents to do? Sarah Amoroso, DO, offers some advice: • Be alert. “I’m not advocating going through their rooms,” but look for signs, like your child becoming more secretive.

• Talk. “Bring it up specifically. Tell them you know kids their age are doing it.”

• Know the facts. E-cigarettes may lack cigarettes’ cancercausing additives, but their long-term health impacts aren’t known. “Even with e-cigarettes, they are still inhaling nicotine.”

To stay healthy this winter, be vigilant about hand hygiene, advises Sarah Amoroso, DO. Make sure everyone washes hands effectively, especially before meals. She defines “effectively” as scrubbing with soap as long as it takes to say the alphabet.

Stay active, says Pennie Schultz, MD. “Get outside and play. Cold air is not a bad thing, as long as we’ve got coats, hats, and gloves on.”

Cold weather doesn’t make us sick in winter, Schultz says, but breathing other people’s germs in closed spaces can.

CHPG Pediatrics NorthCare is located at 6071 E. Woodmen Road, Suite 225, in Colorado Springs. We are accepting new patients. Call 719-571-7130 for an appointment, or come to our office for a FREE meet and greet on the third Thursday of the month at 4:30 p.m.

bloom kids is published four times annually by Penrose-St. Francis Health Services. As part of Centura Health, our mission is to nurture the health of the people in our community.

The information herein is meant to complement and not replace advice provided by a licensed health care professional. For comments or to unsubscribe to this publication, please email us at bloomkids@centura.org. bloom kids is produced by Clementine Healthcare Marketing. Executive editor is Jill Woodford.

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