Keeping the whole family healthy over this Winter Break has been a challenge. In fact, living in the state that has been on the news for having the highest rates of flu has been a challenge for weeks now. With everyone home for the holidays, however, the challenge is even greater. Lots of dishes, lots of sneezing and coughing. With two different visits to see the pediatrician you were able to confirm that two of your hour children had this year’s strain of the flu. As a result, the pediatrician recommended that the rest of the family take a preventative prescription. So far you have been able to avoid anyone else getting sick, but it has been non stop cleaning and disinfecting.
Local Pediatricians Often Have the Best Preventative Care During Cold and Fly Season
From well child visits when no one is sick to the need for more office visits during cold and flu seasons, there are many times when a family’s pediatrician can offer the best care. As a parent, there are few things more frightening than a sick child.high temperatures, labored breathing, and other signs of illness, in fact, are enough to keep any parent up at night. Knowing that you can get into see a physician, however, can put your mind at ease. When you are able to see a family physician the reassurance that everything will be alright is even more comforting.
It is good news that the flu vaccine’s effectiveness ranges between 60% and 90%. In almost all cases, in fact, a flu vaccine means that if you do get the flu it will be a much milder case than you otherwise would have experienced.
Unfortunately, there are still many children in this country who do not have access to the health care that they need. Even more worrisome is the fact that some parents opt out of some of the greatest preventative measures. A recent news story, in fact, indicated that there are some states that are changing their rules going into the new decade. In these locations, parents who cannot show documentation of proper immunizations will not be able to bring their children to school. Frightening numbers of children being diagnosed with measles have lead to more and more districts tasing concern over parents who object to immunization for personal or religious reasons.
Research indicates that in the year 2016, some 91.1% of U.S. between the age of 12 and 17 were vaccinated against measles, mumps and rubella (MMR). This means, however, that nearly one in 10 children in that age group were not. These non vaccinated children put entire communities at risk when a measles outbreak occurs.
Consider some of these other facts and figures about the many times when seeing a family physician or pediatrician can help parents monitor the health of their families:
- Cosmetics and personal care supplies caused the most poisonings in children aged five and under with approximately 138,904 reported cases in the year 2016.
- 12.9% of children aged 12 to 17 years had attention deficit hyperactivity disorder ADHD, a condition that can often be successfully treated with medication.
- Children start to get colds after about six months of age when the immunity received from their mom fades and they begin the process of building up their own immune systems.
- The latest research indicates that babies, toddlers, and preschoolers get an average of seven to eight colds a year.
- Teenagers, in comparison, reach an adult level of four colds a year, and at all ages the rate fo colds can as much as triple in the winter.
- Recommendations are that children need wellness checkups at ages two weeks, two months, four months, six months, nine months, 12 months, 15 months, 18 months, two years, two and a half years, three years, four years and five years.
In addition to the normal childhood diseases that immunizations address, pediatricians can help parents monitor overall health care concerns in children. In a time when the highest percentage of obesity prevalence among children and adolescents aged two to 19 years in the U.S. was 18.5% during the years 2015 to 2016, it is important that children are getting the best medical care and advice available.
Are you doing what you can so your children have a Happy and Healthy New Year?
