Authors: Heather Cooper
National Poison Prevention Week is a time to raise awareness about the dangers of poisons and ways to stay safe.
Medicines can do a lot of good, but they can cause harm if they get in the wrong hands or are used the wrong way. This is true for both prescription and over-the-counter medicines.
To be sure that medicines are both safe and effective, it’s crucial to follow dosing and safety rules.
On the Pulse shares important reminders and resources for parents and caregivers to help keep kids safe and healthy all year long.
Read full post »
Authors: Ashley Speller
For some parents and caregivers with school-aged children, scheduled breaks throughout the academic year are a chance to kick back and relax while enjoying quality time without being on a tight, daily schedule.
For many kids in the region, mid-winter break is here, and spring break is only a few months away. Though well-intentioned, interrupted routines can sometimes impact behaviors or cause stress in both children and adults alike.
“In general, we all do better with routines in day-to-day life,” explained Dr. Mollie Grow, a pediatrician at Seattle Children’s. “Structured routines help parents regulate the emotional and functional changes their children undergo as they develop. Routines help children know what to expect as they go through these changes.”
Dr. Grow spoke with On the Pulse to share recommendations to help maintain a sense of structure in the household ahead of the upcoming breaks.
Read full post »
Authors: Ashley Speller
With a lack of summer sunshine, the ongoing days of winter and frigid temperatures can leave families and children feeling stuck indoors. However, it’s important to get outside, no matter the weather.
Seattle Children’s Dr. Pooja Tandon encourages outdoor play, as it promotes opportunities for physical activity and motor development, boosts Vitamin D levels and improves mental health.
There are also added social interactions and sensory experiences that children experience when outdoors.
“Take advantage of the power of playing in nature—near your home or neighborhood, or wherever you feel comfortable,” shared Dr. Tandon with the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). “Remember to dress appropriately for the weather. It’s also a good idea to wash hands or use hand sanitizer during and after your adventure.”
On the Pulse spoke with the pediatrician, scientist and mother who shared her five key pieces of advice to help parents, caregivers and kids enjoy the outdoors, even during the cold weather months.
Read full post »
Authors: Ashley Speller and Johanna Sanchez-Vargas
Dr. David Wang provides care for 15-month-old Serigne at Seattle Children’s
Throughout this season’s viral surge, Seattle Children’s Urgent Care team has been hard at work caring for a high volume of patients throughout its four locations in Bellevue, Everett, Federal Way and Seattle.
The sites are open 7 days a week, including holidays, and recently expanded their reach by offering virtual urgent care services to all children across the state of Washington.
“We’re excited to be launching another way to access Seattle Children’s urgent care team, especially at this time where there’s so much demand and a need for our services,” shared Dr. Jay Santos, medical director for Urgent Care at Seattle Children’s, in an interview with KAPP News.
The Urgent Care team at the main Seattle location has also been busy with a move to a larger space within the hospital and has expanded its hours of service.
Read full post »
Authors: Casey Egan
The new service brings care closer to home and increases access to urgent care for kids and teens across the state.
Beginning today, Seattle Children’s is offering telemedicine for urgent care services for the first time.
The new Virtual Urgent Care will expand services beyond our four in-person urgent care locations in Seattle, Federal Way, Everett and Bellevue to any eligible patient in the state of Washington.
This new service will bring care even closer to home and increase access to urgent care for kids and teens across the state.
Virtual urgent care allows patients to stay at home, or in another location of their choosing within Washington state, and use technology to see, hear and talk with a provider through a computer, tablet or other digital device.
At a time when health care organizations everywhere continue to see high patient volumes, this service will provide a new option for care for families in communities across Washington state.
Read full post »
Authors: Ashley Speller and Heather Cooper
Studies consistently show that less than half of all school-age kids get enough sleep most weeknights. While the most recognized consequence of inadequate sleep is daytime sleepiness, children commonly manifest their sleepiness as irritability, behavioral problems, learning difficulties and poor academic performance.
Some sleep disruptions are normal and are connected to age-related changes. Others are symptoms of an actual sleep disorder. Whatever the reason, sleep problems can affect the entire family and should be accurately diagnosed.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children ages 6 to 12 get between 9 and 12 hours of sleep each night, and that teens get 8 to 10 hours. Quality sleep provides immense benefits and children who regularly get enough sleep have healthier immune systems and better overall mental health. Additionally, they have sharper memories and better behavior, which are key to success in school.
Read full post »
Authors: Ashley Speller and Heather Cooper
The new year is an ideal time for parents to renew their commitment to using positive reinforcement with their children.
Positive reinforcement includes specific and immediate praise when spotting a child doing something kind or helpful.
This kind of approach is also particularly beneficial if the action is the opposite of a problem behavior that a parent or caregiver is trying to reduce.
Read full post »
Authors: Casey Egan
Beginning Dec. 14, Seattle Children’s began offering updated (bivalent) COVID-19 vaccines to children aged 6 months to 5 years old at our hospital campus.
The Moderna bivalent vaccine is available as a booster to children aged 6 months to 5 who have received two doses of the monovalent Moderna COVID-19 vaccine series.
The Pfizer-BioNTech bivalent vaccine is available to children aged 6 months to 4 years as a third dose to those who have not completed their three-dose primary Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine series. The Pfizer bivalent vaccine is not yet approved for use as a booster for this age group.
Read full post »
Authors: Ashley Speller and Heather Cooper
Winter can be a blue time of year for people of all ages, particularly as the days get shorter, darker and colder. These ‘winter blues’ can include feeling seasonally sad, irritable or fatigued, and can sometimes cause a decline in mood and motivation.
While it’s normal for all children to experience emotional ups and downs, including the winter blues, at least one in five kids will have a diagnosable mental health problem that needs treatment.
“People have high expectations around the holidays,” said Dr. Elizabeth McCauley, associate director of Seattle Children’s Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine. “And sometimes those expectations are too high for what the holidays will bring. You get a mental image that things are supposed to be perfect, like in a story book. But the reality can be more down to earth.”
Here are some supportive ways that parents and caregivers can help their child or teen cope this winter, while staying alert to the signs and symptoms of mental health concerns that require expert care.
Read full post »
Authors: Heather Cooper and Ashley Speller
It’s important for parents and kids to talk about the dangers of viral ‘challenges.’
These dangerous stunts can involve ingesting things, such as biting into a liquid laundry pod or eating an intensely hot pepper. Other challenges can include dares that urge kids to get high or faint by taking several antihistamines, hyperventilating or through choking.
Some challenges circulating in schools push kids to steal items such as the restroom soap dispenser or a teacher’s coffee cup. There are also dares that involve shoplifting specific items from a grocery store.
Not surprisingly, many of these challenges are designed to create sensational social media, urging kids to capture their stunts on video and share them online. These viral moments, however, have caused serious injury among youth, school suspension or even arrest and prosecution.
Social media often glamorizes these kinds of stunts, so tweens and teens can feel the temptation to try them. Youth do not always think through the real risks or consequences, and stunts that seem silly or fun can result in injury. This is true for games like the ‘duct tape challenge,’ which boasts the goal of escaping after being bound by friends in the super-sticky, heavy-duty tape.
Read full post »
