Exceptional Pediatric Care
Evergreen Pediatric Clinic has been providing exceptional pediatric care to our community since 1979. We specialize in the care of well and sick children from birth through adolescence. We take great pride in offering the highest quality pediatric care, including preventive care and developmental screening, treatment of acute illness and injuries, and management, coordination of care and advocacy for infants, children and adolescents with complex medical needs. We offer extended hours weekday evenings and weekend mornings for sick or injured children who need same-day care. We are pleased to announce the opening of our second office in Salmon Creek!
Late-season Influenza is here!
Influenza (the “Flu”) has arrived in our community. New cases are being documented daily. It is NOT too late to get your child vaccinated. Call for a flu shot appointment. If you child is too young to received the flu vaccine (under 6 months of age), make sure that everyone in the family circle is protected.
For more information about influenza (the flu), please see the American Academy of Pediatric’s parent site at the address below:
www.healthychildren.org/English/health-issues/conditions/chest-lungs/Pages/The-Flu.aspx
Get the Dec 2011 Parent Resource List
Hey Everyone,
Download the December 2011 Parent Resource List. A great guide filled with tons of classes, workshops, support and other great things do do around the community. Keep checking back for updates as well!
Tylenol (Acetaminophen) Dosing
Note “Infant Drops 80mg/08 ml” are no longer being sold.
Check the concentration (mg/mL). Doses below are based on weight in pounds and dosing in milliliters (mL).
| Child’s Weight (pounds) | 6-11 | 12-17 | 18-23 | 24-35 | 36-47 | 48-59 | 60-71 | 72-95 | 96+ | lbs |
| Infant Drops 80 mg/0.8 mL | 0.4 | 0.8 | 1.2 | 1.6 | 2.4 | – | – | – | – | mL |
| Syrup: 160 mg/5 mL (1 tsp) | 1.25 | 2.5 | 3.75 | 5 | 7.5 | 10 | 12.5 | 15 | 20 | mL |
| Syrup: 160 mg/1 teaspoon | – | ½ | ¾ | 1 | 1½ | 2 | 2½ | 3 | 4 | tsp |
| Chewable 80 mg tablets | – | – | 1½ | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 8 | tabs |
| Chewable 160 mg tablets | – | – | – | 1 | 1½ | 2 | 2½ | 3 | 4 | tabs |
| Adult 325 mg tablets | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | 1 | 1½ | 2 | tabs |
| Adult 500 mg tablets | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | 1 | tabs |
Indications: Treatment of fever and pain.
Table Notes:
- CAUTION: In May, 2011, a move to one standard concentration (160 mg/5 ml) of liquid acetaminophen medicine for infants and children was announced. Up until this point, there have been mainly 2 concentrations: 80 mg/0.8 ml (Infant Concentrated Drops) and 160 mg/5 ml (Children’s Liquid Suspension or Syrup). During this transition period, both old and new concentrations of infant acetaminophen may be available on store shelves and in homes. Before selecting a dose, please double check the infant package carefully to find the correct concentration. Then, select the dosage according to the concentration and child’s weight.
- AGE LIMIT:
- Don’t use under 12 weeks of age (Reason: fever during the first 12 weeks of life needs to be documented in a medical setting and if present, your infant needs a complete evaluation.) Exception: Fever from immunization if child is 8 weeks of age or older.
- Avoid multi-ingredient products in children under 6 years of age. (Reason: FDA recommendations 10/2008).
- DOSAGE: Determine by finding child’s weight in the top row of the dosage table
- MEASURING the DOSAGE: Syringes and droppers are more accurate than teaspoons. If possible, use the syringe or dropper that comes with the medicine. If not, medicine syringes are available at pharmacies. If you use a teaspoon, it should be a measuring spoon. Regular spoons are not reliable. Also, remember that 1 level teaspoon equals 5 ml and that ½ teaspoon equals 2.5 ml.
- BRAND NAMES: Tylenol, Feverall (suppositories), generic acetaminophen
- FREQUENCY: Repeat every 4-6 hours as needed. Don’t give more than 5 times a day.
- ADULT DOSAGE: 650 mg
- MELTAWAYS: Dissolvable tabs that come in 80 mg and 160 mg (jr. strength)
- SUPPOSITORIES: Acetaminophen also comes in 80, 120, 325 and 650 mg suppositories (the rectal dose is the same as the dosage given by mouth).
- EXTENDED-RELEASE: Avoid 650 mg oral products in children (Reason: they are every 8 hour extended-release)
Copyright © 2000-2012. Barton D. Schmitt, MD for Symptom Checker
Last Revised: 8/2011 Last Reviewed: 8/2011
Flu Shots Available
Call to schedule your child’s annual flu shot.
The flu (influenza) vaccine is recommended for all children 6 months of age and older. For those too young to receive the vaccine or who are otherwise medically fragile, it is strongly advised that other family members get their flu vaccines.
More information on influenza and children at the following link of the American Academy of Pediatric’s site for parents: http://www.healthychildren.org
Flu Shots Available for High Risk Patients
We now have flu shots available for patients with asthma and those considered high risk. Very soon we’ll have them available for all children 6 months of age and older. We’ll keep you posted!
If you feel your infant or child fits into this category, please call to schedule his or her flu vaccine.
Free Service for New (and soon-to-be) Parents
Text4baby
To help more pregnant women and new moms get information about caring for their health and giving their babies the best possible start in life, the National Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition (HMHB) launched text4baby, the first free health text messaging service in the U.S.Text4baby supports moms by providing accurate, text-length health information and resources in a format that is personal and timely, using a channel she knows and uses. Over 85% of Americans own a cell phone and 72% of cell users send or receive text messages.
The medical information provided is based on contributions from numerous reliable resources, including the American Academy of Pediatrics.
For more information follow this link: http://www.text4baby.org/index.php/about
Dental Health: Starts Earlier than you Think
Links to Fluoride Maps at the end of this post
Infants:
When a parent or caregiver shares utensils with a child, cleans a pacifier with the mouth, or has other close oral contact, mouth bacteria from the caregiver can harm a child’s teeth.
When the first tooth appears, use a soft baby toothbrush or wash cloth with water after meals. Keep the cloth or toothbrush handy when feeding your baby in the high chair, so it becomes part of your routine. Start now…get your infant used to this routine (toddlers like to do everything themselves!)
Never put your infant or child to bed with a bottle.
At 6 months of age, ask your pediatrician about giving your child prescription fluoride if your drinking water does not contain fluoride (see links to fluoride maps below).
Introduce a sippy cup for water at around 6 months. Avoid juice.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends first dental appointment by age one. Some parents find children are better prepared to cooperate with the exam by two. Talk about what to expect before your child’s first dental appointment. Your library has good books for this.
Toddlers:
Brush your child’s teeth at least 2 times a day (after breakfast and before bed). Use non-fluoridated children’s toothpaste or a “rice-sized” smear of children’s fluoridated paste until your child can reliably spit (usually 2-3 years of age).
Floss your child’s teeth before bedtime, unless instructed not to by dentist.
Never put your toddler to bed with a bottle (unless it contains only water).
Keep water available throughout the day. Offer milk (or limited juice) only at meals – not to sip on throughout the day.
Avoid sticky or sugary snacks (raisins, dried fruit, crackers, pretzels, cookies).
School-aged Children:
Most children need assistance with brushing teeth and flossing until they have good fine-motor skills (usually around 7-8 years of age).
Brush with fluoridated toothpaste at least twice daily: after breakfast and before bed.
Limit juice to 6 oz. per day, and only with meals.
Avoid soda and other sugar-containing drinks.
Be a good example: drink plenty of water, and see your dentist regularly.
All children and adolescents:
Get regular dental check ups and cleanings twice a year.
Fluoride makes a difference: use fluoridated toothpaste, check to see whether your drinking water is fluoridated (see links to maps below). If not, talk to your pediatrician or dentist about a prescription fluoride supplement.
More information:
If you do not have dental insurance coverage and have children under 6 years of age, find a dentist through the ABCD (Access to Baby and Child Dentistry) through this contact:
Margaret Wilson, Medical Assistance Administration, Department of Social & Health Services.
Phone: 360-725-1658. E-mail: wilsoma@dshs.wa.gov
For a list of low cost dental providers (not limited to children under 6 years):
http://www.clark.wa.gov/public-health/care/oral.html
If you are unsure if your tap water has the recommended level of fluoride find your address on one of the Clark County maps at the following links:
Vancouver: http://www.clark.wa.gov/public-health/care/documents/vancouver-water.pdf
Battle Ground: http://www.clark.wa.gov/public-health/care/documents/bg-water.pdf
Camas: http://www.clark.wa.gov/public-health/care/documents/camas-water.pdf
Clark county: http://www.clark.wa.gov/public-health/care/documents/clark-water.pdf
Portland does not have fluoridated tap water.
Online Resource for Teens focuses on Health & Positive Body Image
Excerpt from the Boston Globe Daily Dose May 11, 2011:
Ask any teen-age girl if she’s satisfied with her body, and chances are, she’ll say no. Teen-age boys also experience body dissatisfaction that’s probably rising with all those air-brushed abs and pecs gracing the covers of men’s magazines. Researchers at Northeastern University recently evaluated a new free website for teens called BodiMojo with interactive games, diaries, and chat forums to see if it could help teens deal with body image issues.
They found the site may actually work — at least among girls — to boost body image. In a new study conducted on 178 male and female high school students from Boston-area high schools, the researchers found that teen girls who were randomly selected to use the website once a week for four weeks during a health class were more likely to experience better feelings about their body than those who were selected to stay in their regular health class. For the boys, though, no body image boost was seen.
“The girls who used the site generally felt better about their bodies,” says study author Debra Franko, clinical psychologist at Northeastern. “These weren’t enormous effects, but enough to see significant improvement.”
As for the boys, they might need a different site that’s less, well, girly. The Mojo Mood Cloud where teens can click on words that describe how they’re feeling at the moment — a favorite among the girls — may not resonate with those who have a Y chromosome. Judging from the games my 13-year-old son likes, I’d say he’d rather shoot down those feeling words.
Franko says they’re going to continue to tinker with the site and are working on developing a mobile app to be launched this summer.
While BodiMojo is designed to lower the risk of eating disorders, it also includes tons of information on nutrition, exercise, alcohol, sex, and drugs, since, Franko says, all of these things can play a role in a teen’s self esteem, body image, and overall health.
Teen Issues Explored Online – Seattle Children’s Hospital-sponsored site
From the Seattle Children’s Hospital blog Teenology 101:
If you’re raising a teenager you know that, unfortunately, they don’t come with a handy user’s manual. While every adolescent is different and unique, they certainly share some common traits.
This blog is a chance for us — Jen Brown, RN and Yolanda Evans, MD (as well as some of our colleagues from the Adolescent Medicine team and peers from around the country) — to share the knowledge and experiences we’ve gained through years of working with teenagers and their families. Our goal for this blog is to give parents encouragement, and hopefully insight, into the minds of their teens and why they make the choices they make.
We’ll share useful advice on dealing with common teen issues, health problems that affect teenagers, tips for keeping your teen safe and healthy in a world with many pitfalls, and explore social and political issues affecting teenagers today. And, we hope you’ll share your own experiences as well: what’s worked, what hasn’t, and what wisdom have you’ve gained — or are you gaining — from raising a teen?
To learn more follow this link: http://teenology101.seattlechildrens.org/
Evergreen Pediatric Clinic at Healthy Kids Fair!
Come visit us at the Legacy Salmon Creek Healthy Kids Fair this Saturday, June 11, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Find more information at www.salmoncreeklive.com