How to Plan a Balanced Thanksgiving Meal for Picky Eaters
Thanksgiving can be challenging for parents with picky eaters. With a little planning, you can create a balanced Thanksgiving meal the whole family will enjoy. Here are some tips to please your picky eaters without straying from Thanksgiving traditions or creating a lot of extra work.
- Choose at least one food you know your child will like.
- Engage your child in meal planning.
- Engage your child in meal prep.
- Use food bridges.
- Make it look, smell, and taste delicious.
- Keep the mealtime relaxing and enjoyable.
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Choosing an Insect Repellent
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Insect repellents come in many forms, including aerosols, sprays, liquids, creams, and sticks. Some are made from chemicals and some have natural ingredients.
Insect repellents prevent bites from biting insects but not stinging insects. Biting insects include mosquitoes, ticks, fleas, chiggers, and biting flies. Stinging insects include bees, hornets, and wasps.
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[av_row row_style=’avia-heading-row’][av_cell col_style=”]What’s Available
[/av_cell][av_cell col_style=”]How Well It Works[/av_cell][av_cell col_style=”]How Long it Protects[/av_cell][av_cell col_style=”]Special Precautions
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[av_row row_style=”][av_cell col_style=”]Chemical repellents with DEET
(N,N-diethyl-3-methylbenzamide)[/av_cell][av_cell col_style=”]Considered the best defense against biting insects. [/av_cell][av_cell col_style=”]About 2 to 5 hours depending on the concentration of DEET in the product.
[/av_cell][av_cell col_style=”]Caution should be used when applying DEET to children.
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[av_row row_style=”][av_cell col_style=”]Picaridin[/av_cell][av_cell col_style=”]In April 2005 the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended other repellents that may work as well as DEET: repellents with picaridin and repellents with oil of lemon eucalyptus or 2% soybean oil. Currently these products have a duration of action that is comparable to that of about 10% DEET.[/av_cell][av_cell col_style=”]About 3 to 8 hours depending on the concentration.[/av_cell][av_cell col_style=”]Although these products are considered safe when used as recommended, long-term follow-up studies are not available. Also, more studies need to be done to see how well they repel ticks.
Allergic reactions are rare, but can occur when using repellents made from essential oils.[/av_cell][/av_row]
[av_row row_style=”][av_cell col_style=”]Repellents made from essential oils found in plants such as citronella, cedar, eucalyptus, and soybean[/av_cell][av_cell col_style=”]In April 2005 the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommended other repellents that may work as well as DEET: repellents with picaridin and repellents with oil of lemon eucalyptus or 2% soybean oil. Currently these products have a duration of action that is comparable to that of about 10% DEET.[/av_cell][av_cell col_style=”]Usually less than 2 hours.[/av_cell][av_cell col_style=”]Although these products are considered safe when used as recommended, long-term follow-up studies are not available. Also, more studies need to be done to see how well they repel ticks.
Allergic reactions are rare, but can occur when using repellents made from essential oils.[/av_cell][/av_row]
[av_row row_style=”][av_cell col_style=”]Chemical repellents with permethrin [/av_cell][av_cell col_style=”]These repellents kill ticks on contact.
[/av_cell][av_cell col_style=”]When applied to clothing, it lasts even after several washings. [/av_cell][av_cell col_style=”]Should only be applied to clothing, not directly to skin. May be applied to outdoor equipment such as sleeping bags or tents
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Read more about types of repellents and the dos and donts for children.
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Jonesboro Occasions Readers’ Choice Award Best Pediatrician
Congratulations to Dr. Jane Sneed for winning the Jonesboro Occasions Readers’ Choice Award for Best Pedatrician. Also congrats to Dr. Kevin Rouse for winning Finalist in the Jonesboro Occasions Readers’ Choice Award for Best Pedatrician. The Children’s Clinic is fortunate to have you both on our team!
Read MoreSunscreen
- When possible, dress yourself and your kids in cool, comfortable clothing that covers the body, like lightweight cotton pants, long-sleeved shirts, and hats.
- Use a sunscreen with an SPF (sun protection factor) of at least 15. The higher the SPF, the more UVB protection the sunscreen has.
- For babies older than 6 months. Apply to all areas of the body, but be careful around the eyes. If your baby rubs sunscreen into her eyes, wipe the eyes and hands clean with a damp cloth. If the sunscreen irritates her skin, try a different brand or try a sunscreen stick or sunscreen or sunblock with titanium dioxide or zinc oxide. If a rash develops, talk with your child’s doctor.
For More Information on Tips about Sunscreen check out the link below.
https://www.healthychildren.org/English/safety-prevention/at-play/Pages/Sun-Safety.aspx
Read MoreAbout Prevnar-13
The Prevnar vaccine was first introduced in 2000, and has been modified several times. The most recent is called the Prevnar 13 and is administered at 2, 4, 6, and 12-15 months. It protects against a bacteria called Streptococcal pneumoniae , which can cause anything from ear infections to more serious infections like pneumonia, bacteremia or blood infections, and meningitis or infections of the brain and spinal cord. It’s easily spread from person to person, and children under 2 yrs of age and adults older then 65 yrs of age are most susceptible to this infection.
Before this vaccine was available, this bacteria caused 5 million ear infections, 13,000 blood infections, and 700 cases of meningitis and 200 pediatric deaths a year. Of those that survived the meningitis, a significant number of them were deaf or neurologically devastated. See link from a family who want to show others what this horrible disease can do to a child.
Outcome
Since the Prevnar vaccine hit the market, the diseases caused by this bacteria have been reduced 88%. The disease this vaccine prevents can be so aggressive and horrible, that it’s hard to understand why anyone would conceivably put their child at risk by not vaccinating.
This post and attempt at education is done in memory of those families who lost a normal and healthy child to this horrible disease, either through death or from neurological devastation. They did not have the opportunity to vaccinate their child, but you do!
Below is a video of a family with a child living with Pneumococcal Meningitis.
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Read MoreMeasles
What is measles?
Measles is a viral infection that begins with a fever that lasts for several days, followed by a cough, runny nose, and conjunctivitis (pink eye). The rash starts on the face and upper neck, spreads down the back and trunk, and then extends to the extremities (arms and legs) to include the hands and feet. After about 5 days the rash then fades in the same order it appeared.
That all sounds fairly benign, so why should we worry about the measles?
Here’s why!
- 1: 4 = require hospitalization
- 1: 1000 = Get encephalitis(inflammation of the brain)
- 1 or 2: 1000 = Will die from this illness either from pneumonia or encephalitis
- Pregnant Unvaccinated Women or Women who’s antibodies to the vaccine are no longer protective= are at risk if they acquire measles during pregnancy for Miscarriage, Still birth, Prematurity, or Congenital Rubella Syndrome which consists of heart problems, Microcephaly(small head), hearing and vision problems, learning problems, and the list goes on.
How is measles spread?
- A person with measles is contagious for 4 days before developing symptoms and remains contagious until 4 days after symptoms evolve.
- The measles virus lives in the mucous of the nose and throat, and is spread when people sneeze or cough.
- Droplets from coughing enter the air and can contaminate a space for up to 2 hours after person leaves
- Incubation period(time from exposure to dev of disease) is 7-21 days.
Memphis had 3 distinct outbreaks and now 7 confirmed cases. The cases were not related to foreign travel and the health department could find no relationship between the outbreaks but are still investigating.
So what about the measles vaccine!
- Introduced in 1963, and is combined with Mumps and Rubella to give the MMR (Measles, Mumps, and Rubella) vaccine. In 2000, Measles was felt to be eliminated in the United States, but there are still pockets of disease secondary to people traveling outside of the US and bringing it home or in populations which opt out of vaccines.
- There is no scientific proof that the measles vaccine causes Autism, and the vaccine does not contain mercury. The fear of both of these things has caused families to not vaccinate.
- Nationally, 91.9% of children between 19-35 months of age have had at least one MMR vaccine as of 2013. However, Arkansas’s numbers were at 88.3% for the country (near the bottom but not the worst). The saddest part of these statistics, is that our state is at the very bottom of the list for this age group having received all of its vaccines at 57% (means only 57% of kids in Arkansas between 19-35 months of age are completely immunized).
- At present the recommendations are that children receive 2 doses of the MMR vaccine. The first dose to be given between 12-15 months of age, and this would protect 93% of those exposed from getting measles. The second dose normally is given between 4-6 years of age,with entrance to school and raises the protection level to 97%(this means if you were exposed to measles you should be protected against not getting it 97% of the time). If the health department deems necessary, they will change timing of second vaccine and request it to be given 28 days after first.
- Those less then 5 yrs of age are the one of the most susceptible groups, either because they are too young to vaccinate or have not gotten their second dose of the vaccine.
What about babies who aren’t vaccinated because they are too young?
Babies get passive immunity from their mothers (antibodies pass through the placenta), but no one is quite sure how long these last for. Thus this age group is very much at risk.
What other groups can’t receive the vaccine?
Pregnant women, those on steroids and other immunosuppressive medicines can not receive the MMR vaccine. This includes those individuals who have undergone transplants or are bring treated for cancer.
So the major take home point is that we need to get our children immunized with the MMR vaccine to protect them, but also to protect those in the community who are too young, pregnant, or unable to be vaccinated for other medical reasons. Stay informed by checking your local news and visiting our website for updates.
Read MoreDog Bite Prevention Week
May 15-22, 2016 is Dog Bite Prevention Week®.
Each year, more than 4.5 million people in the US are bitten by dogs. Of the 800,000 who seek medication attention, half are children.
Since most dog bites involve familiar animals, prevention starts at the home.
The American Pediatric Association gives the following tips on preventing dog bites:
- Almost 1 in 5 people bitten by dogs require medical attention. For children, the injuries are more likely to be serious. Parents should be aware of some simple steps that can prevent dog bites.
- Never leave a small child and a dog alone together, no matter if it is the family dog, a dog that is known to you, or a dog that you have been assured is well behaved. Any dog can bite.
- Do not allow your child to play aggressive games with a dog, such as tug-of-war or wrestling, as this can lead to bites.
- Teach your child to ask a dog owner for permission before petting any dog.
- Let a dog sniff you or your child before petting, and stay away from the face or tail. Pet the dog gently, and avoid eye contact, particularly at first.
- Never bother a dog that is sleeping, eating, or caring for puppies. Dogs in these situations are more likely to respond aggressively, even with a person who is familiar to them.
- Do not allow your child to run past a dog, because dogs may be tempted to pursue the child.
- Teach your child that if a dog is behaving in a threatening manner—for example, growling and barking—to remain calm, avoid eye contact with the dog, and back away slowly until the dog loses interest and leaves.
- If you or your child is knocked over by a dog, curl up in a ball and protect the eyes and face with arms and fists.
For more information and what to do if a dog bites your child, visit healthychildren.org.
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