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Greetings!
A number of long-time patients have asked why our newsletter isn't being published as often as it was in the past. When we first opened, just over three years ago, we published a newsletter every month. Back then we not only had the time to publish a monthly newsletter, but we also had a lot to say! Like today, the old newsletters are full of articles specifically relevant to our local population. To this day, we still print off old newsletters for patients when they ask for information on the many topics we covered in the past.
Times, however, have changed. Not only do we no longer have as much time, but we've run low on topics that cover specifically what you, our patients, are asking about. We currently see this quarterly newsletter as an opportunity to put into our own words recent relevant national and sometimes international news and make it specific for our community. Also, by having your e-mail address on file, we are able to quickly communicate with you when we have breaking news (i.e. when H1N1 vaccination became available this past fall).
For those families seeking more than this newsletter can provide, we highly recommend the following newsletters: - Kids Health Weekly Newsletter (KidsHealth.org; sign up at the bottom of the Parents Page)
- Thrive, the Children's Hospital Boston blog devoted to all things pediatric health care and scientific research (childrenshospitalblog.org)
Please contact us with your thoughts and suggestions. One of the best parts of being a small practice is that we can customize our practice to fit the needs of our community, even as that community grows and changes. |
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MUMPS: Number of Cases on the Rise
CDC Reported Cases of Mumps | There has been a significant rise in the number of case of Mumps in the U.S. and, while we have not seen a large number of cases in Massachusetts, we are watching the data out of the CDC and the Massachusetts Department of Health closely. Children (or adults) who have mumps have swelling along their lower jaw and upper neck on both sides as well as high fevers. If you are concerned that your child may have mumps please contact us right away. Since the summer of 2009 there have been more than 2,000 cases of Mumps reported in the Northeast United States and Canada. The majority of these cases have occurred in New York and New Jersey primarily among members of an Observant Jewish community. In 2009 there were 14 cases reported in Massachusetts, and so far in 2010 there have been 2 suspected plus 2 confirmed cases of Mumps. If you have held off on getting your child the MMR vaccine you may want to reconsider that decision. The MMR vaccine is recommended for all children at 1-year of age with a booster at 4-years of age. The MMR vaccine protects against three separate illnesses: Measles, Mumps and Rubella. As always, please contact us with any questions or concerns. |
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Sleep
 Sleeping habits are a concern for many families. A good night sleep is very important for everyone. In fact, a recent study in the Journal SLEEP found that adolescents who have a late bedtime (after midnight) were more likely to be depressed than teens who had a bed time at or before 10 pm, and adolescents who got less than 5 hours of sleep at night were more likely to be depressed than those getting 8 or more hours of sleep a night. Every child is different but there are some common guidelines about sleep requirement: - Newborns can sleep up to 18-20 hours per day
- Babies, up to age 1, will sleep 14-16 day with multiple naps during the day
- By 3-months most children should have a regular schedule for feeding and sleeping
- By 5-months most babies should be sleeping through the night with maybe one feeding
- Toddlers (1-3 years old) sleep 11-12 hours a day usually with 1 or 2 naps
- Preschoolers (3-5 years old) need 10 to 13 sleep hours a day and may or may not nap
- Kids age 5-12 should get 10 hours a day
- Adolescents need at least 9 hours of sleep daily
Young children should be put down in their crib sleepy but not asleep so they learn to comfort themselves during the last phase of falling asleep, this will help them sooth themselves back to sleep if they awaken during the night. For all children (and adults) bedtimes and wake times should be kept as consistent as possible, including over the weekends, to maintain good sleep hygiene. Sleep is a very important factor in staying healthy; please let us know if your child is having problems sleeping. |
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Let's Move
 First Lady Michelle Obama has launched a national campaign against childhood obesity called "Let's Move". It is a comprehensive and coordinated initiative to prevent childhood obesity and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has joined the White House in this initiative. Part of this initiative calls on Pediatricians to measure children's BMIs and share this information with families. We have always done this at Performance Pediatrics at every well child visit and will continue to do so. There are problems with BMI (not every child with an elevated BMI is overweight) but it does provide a good guideline and can help to identify children who are overweight. The need for good nutrition and regular exercise, however, apply to everyone regardless of their weight.There are a lot of things families can do to be healthier and it can be overwhelming trying to decide where to start. It is important to remember that small changes can make a big difference. The AAP recommends starting with just one of these behaviors: - Eat 5 fruits and vegetables a day
- Limit screen time (TV, computer, video games) to 2 hours each day
- Strive for 1 hour of physical activity a day
- Limit sugar-sweetened drinks
Over time families should add more of these behaviors and set specific goals to improve their health. Small changes in family routine also help us lead healthier, active lives. Some small changes that can make a big difference include: - Eating breakfast every day
- Eating low-fat dairy products like yogurt, milk and cheese
- Regularly eating meals together as a family
- Limiting fast food, take-out food and eating at restaurants
- Preparing foods at home as a family
- Eating a diet rich in calcium
Visit the Let's Move Web site often as they will be adding new information almost every day. |
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Sincerely,
Terence McAllister, MD FAAP
Performance Pediatrics
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