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2011 Anti-Tobacco Poster Contest
Children in grades one through six are eligible to enter the 2011 Anti-Tobacco Poster Contest. The contestant should create an original poster that ties in with the theme for his or her grade level:
- Grades 1 & 2: Tobacco is Bad for Your Body
- Grades 3 & 4: Tobacco Affects Other People
- Grades 5 & 6: Why I Won't Start Smoking
Each child should draw his or her poster on the back of the contest entry form, which must be completed with full name, age, grade and sponsorship information (Performance Pediatrics can be the sponsor). Home address and telephone number are appreciated and ease our process of contacting the winning children and their parents/caregivers.
Deadline
All entries must be received by the Massachusetts Medical Society by February 11, 2011.
Award
Four winning entries will be selected in each category. Winners will receive a $50 gift certificate and will be recognized at a formal ceremony, on the Society's website and in press releases to local news media.
Forms
Download and print the forms online here.
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Greetings!
We are still routinely administrating flu vaccination to our patients. In fact, the CDC has recently launched a new campaign to communicate to the public that it's not too late to obtain the vaccine. We encourage all of our patients to obtain a flu vaccination. To read our complete original notice click here. To schedule an appointment for flu vaccination call us at 508-747-8277. |
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Cold and Flu Season
This time of year is known for snow, Santa and sniffles. Although the viruses that cause colds are always circulating during the winter months there are more of them around and more people get sick from them. In addition to the routine colds that everyone gets, there are also more serious viral infections circulating including influenza and bronchiolitis. When you or your child gets sick it can be difficult to know if it is just a cold or something more serious. The table below outlines some of the main differences: 
Treatment
There is not much to be done for a cold or flu or bronchiolitis. Lots of fluid, acetaminophen or ibuprofen for the body aches or fever and rest are the best treatments. A humidifier in the bedroom can help relieve some of the congestion and cough. Honey has been shown to be an effective treatment for cough for children older than 1 year and for adults (some cough medicines have honey as the active ingredient but warm tea with honey works just as well). A study published in Pediatrics in December 2010 showed that Vicks vapo-rub applied to the chest at bed time was safe and relieved cold symptoms in children older than 1 year. Children older than 4 years can try other over the counter medications such as Robitussin or Pediacare cough suppressants or decongestants such as Mucinex.
When to see the doctor
If your child is having trouble breathing (he can't catch his breath, he is breathing so fast he can't talk in full sentences or feed, he is turning blue) he needs to be seen immediately in the office or in the ER. If he has had a fever greater than 102 for two days (except for infants less than 4 months who need to be seen immediately for any fever greater than 100.4) or symptoms that have been going on for more than 2 weeks and are not getting better he should be seen. Also children who have chest pain with coughing or ear pain may also need to be seen.
If you think your child needs to be seen please call me at the office. After hours or on weekends when I am not available the PMG group often covers for me, and keep in mind that children over the age of 2 can also be seen at urgent care cents like the Minute Clinic at the CVS in Plymouth. |
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Ear Infections
 Ear infections are the most common bacterial infections that children get. Every year in this country there are more than 25 million visits made to pediatricians' offices for ear infections, and about 80% of them are prescribed antibiotics. In 2004 the American Academy of Pediatrics came out with a clinical practice guideline for the treatment of ear infections, saying that for generally healthy children over the age of 6 months who don't have severe infections, it's a good idea to wait 48 to 72 hours before starting antibiotics. By then, most children will be better and won't need them anymore. When we posted this recommendation on our Facebook page we got a comment from one of our parents: "It all sounds good until you see your 2 year old hysterical and will do anything to try to make him feel better". I can certainly understand this sentiment, and am guilty of it myself. When my little boy had an ear infection I also ignored the recommendations of this study and rushed to get him anything to make him feel better. However, this spur of the moment idea is not always the best treatment. Any medication, including antibiotics, can have side effects and the more times bacteria are exposed to antibiotics the more likely they are to become resistant and harder to treat in the future. Children with a severe infections (signs of a severe infection include severe pain, temperature greater than 102.2, evidence of spread of infection to the blood stream) should be started on antibiotics immediately, but otherwise waiting a day or two to see if they improve on their own is worth considering. |
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Affording Health Care
 Over the past year many of our Performance Pediatrics families faced increased co pay, deductible and co insurance burdens due to changes in their health insurance plan. When your insurance plan processes a medical claim and communicates to us the amount the family owes, we are contractually obligated to collect that amount. We are often put in the role of the insurance company's collection agency. In Massachusetts there is help to cover out-of-pocket health expenses. Even if you are employed and have an employer-sponsored health plan, your family may still qualify for some assistance. The rules and guidelines change often, and obtaining assistance requires taking the time to speak with the correct offices and file the proper paperwork. To get this process started, we recommended contacting the Massachusetts Health Connector at 1-877-623-6765. |
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Sincerely,
Terence McAllister, MD FAAP
Performance Pediatrics
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