Inclement Weather Policy
THE SAFETY OF OUR PATIENTS, STAFF, AND PROVIDERS ALWAYS COME FIRST!
The Children’s Clinic rarely closes completely during inclement weather. We evaluate the roads at 6:30am the morning of and decide on clinic hours.
Our Walk-in Clinic will be open during the clinic hours for that day. If your provider is unable to make the drive, you may be seen in our Walk-in Clinic.
Please watch our facebook page for special hours.
Cotton Swabs
Cotton-tipped swabs are not meant to be placed in ears. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, the best thing to do with earwax is leave it alone. Trying to remove earwax can cause problems.
Putting cotton-tipped swabs into the ear canal pushes wax further into the ear. It can cause damages, dizziness, and balance problems. A child whose earwax is blocking the ear may have ringing or fullness, ear pain, itching, discharge, odor, and cough. Swabs also may tear or rupture the eardrum causing pain, bleeding, and permanent hearing loss.
For more information on earwax, please visit the HealthChildren.org.
Fever Medication
Every year hundreds of infants receive more than the recommended dose of Tylenol for age. Rarely, these overdoses can cause liver failure or death. The overdoses are most likely related to dosing too frequently- that is more than every 6 hours AND from parents using two products that BOTH contain acetaminophen
e American Academy of Pediatrics does NOT recommend cough or cold medications for children under the age of two unless they are ordered by a physician.
When Is a Fever an Emergency?
While for the majority of children fever is not an emergency- there are a certain group of children that fever is considered dangerous. Think of the Three I’s
Think of the Three I’s
- Immune compromised– children that do not have a well working immune system cannot fight off infection and therefore when they have fever they need to see their healthcare professional immediately
- Immunization– babies less than two months of age are at higher risk for bacterial infection and if your child has not had his 2-month vaccines and has a temperature over 100 degrees rectally you should consider this a medical emergency and go directly to the emergency department
- Intake– having a fever WILL make your child uncomfortable- especially if it is over 102. Often this leads to poor drinking and if your child cannot drink enough they may become dehydrated. If you think your child might be dehydrated due to fever then bring them to see the doctor immediately.
Fever is Good – Most of the Time
For parents, doctors and pharmacy companies, fever has been thought to be “the enemy”. We should be scared of fever and make it go away as fast as possible. This may be a very dangerous idea for the following reasons.
Fever Facts
- All animals, even single cell organisms, have fever. Therefore it is felt to be important in protecting us in some way.
- Studies show that increasing the body temperature decreases the ability of bacteria to multiply and spread. That gives antibiotics a chance to work faster.
- Newer studies also show that the increase in body temperature activates a special kind of white blood cells- aptly named “killer T cells”. The activation of these killers means that your body can fight virus infections better and may be the only “treatment” needed for getting rid of the most common form of infection.
Therefore- not letting your body have a fever when you have an infection may actually make the virus last longer and take the antibiotics longer to work for bacteria infections.
Fever Phobia
In 1980, Pediatrician Dr. Barton Schmitt created the term “Fever Phobia” to describe the misconceptions that many parents and physicians have regarding fever. Since that initial study, many other researchers have looked at how parents react to a child with fever. Most all studies show that the majority of parents do not understand key concepts related to fever, such as what defines a fever, how dangerous is a fever and how should fever be treated.
Throughout the month of September, The Children’s Clinic will be providing daily information for parents about what defines a fever and how to treat fever in children. It is hoped that this factual information will help alleviate the myths and fears that are associated with fever and guide parents on when to call for an appointment and when to be concerned if their child develops fever.
Summer Saturday Hours
We will start our summer hours for our Walk-in Clinic this Saturday, May 13. Saturday hours will be from 9am to 12pm. Weekday hours will remain 8am to 6pm.
Shyness
Childhood shyness is common and it causes concern for some parents. A child may be shy because of many reasons, such as, harsh living situations, neglected or rejected. In some cases, shyness can be disabling. Extremely shy children can find it hard to socialize at school and the longer this goes on the more reclusive they can become. Some children just need time to adjust to a new setting and they will do well in relationships and social settings. Parents can guide their children into social situations and they can learn how to interact in a successful way. Children want to be liked but sometimes are rejected by their peers. When a child is rejected it could be because of their impulsive and disruptive behavior. This can lead to a child being neglected. Which often means they are ignored, forgotten, not invited to parties, or picked last for teams. Successful socializing interactions require skills and special ways of interacting. Parents should look for these skills in their children and help develop them.
- Forgiving
- Apologizing
- Expressing affection
- Sharing
- Asking for help
- Helping others
- Comforting someone
- Doing favors
- Keeping secrets
- Sticking up for a friend
