Author: Anderson Hills Pediatrics

The Mood-Food Connection

Nutritional psychiatry investigates the relationship of food to mood and mental health. Learn about how your diet impacts your mental health and what to eat to support your mental health, or read about what not to eat. #MentalHealthMonday@AHP

The Mood-Food Connection

In honor of #MentalHealthAwarenessMonth, we will be holding #MentalHealthMondays at the beginning of each week to share resources related to mental health. Please check back each week for our most updated links and information!

5/18/20: Meditation and Mental Health

Meditation is a great way to help you relax and refocus your energies on something positive. We are sharing with you an opportunity to tap into the power of sleep, mediation and relaxation with the Calm Challenge. Are you ready?

Share on our social media accounts which are your favorite!

Day 1 Calm Challenge:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=drkezECYec4

5/11/20: How are you feeling?

Happy, sad, angry or embarrassed, children go through the same emotions as adults do, but they don’t always know how to communicate them and may instead shut down, act out or find it more difficult to resolve negative feelings. Encouraging your child to express their feelings through emotions, you can help them talk about them more clearly and openly.

Resources for Families and Children – Feelings

5/4/20: Benefits of Physical Health on your Mental Health

Did you know that Physical Health is just as important as your Mental Health? How do you stay physically active as a family? If you are in need of some ideas, see mind.org’s suggestions how to stay active while stuck in the house.

Staying Active at Home

COVID-101 with Dr. Gordley – Please click on the link to listen

Have additional questions about COVID-19 testing? We are here for you! Call our office at 513-232-8100 and choose option 4 to speak to a nurse about your questions.

Would you like your child tested?

1. Call the office at 513-232-8100 or click HERE  to schedule a telehealth appointment for each child you are wanting to have  tested. 

2. Your physician will discuss if your child is a good candidate for either test.  Your physician will also review  the implications of these testing options.

3. The provider will then will give you an order, so you can schedule the appropriate test at select referral facilities.

4. Our office will contact you when we receive your results to discuss next steps.

We continue to encourage you to check our Facebook Page  and Instagram Account  for the most recent updates regarding COVID-19 and Anderson Hills Pediatrics. 

Thank you for choosing Anderson Hills Pediatrics, Inc. for your care!   

We have heard your requests for better access to COVID-19 testing. We have been working diligently and now, we are able to order testing for acute infection and for COVID-19 antibodies. 

The Acute Infection Diagnostic Test
This test has been referred to as the SARS CoV2 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test. For this test, a swab of the inside of the nose is used to determine if there is current infection.  If your child is tested for an active infection, we want you to know that: 

• If your child tests positive for COVID-19, we will discuss a treatment plan and protective measures for your family.
• If your child tests negative for COVID-19, we will discuss other causes of your child’s illness and develop an appropriate diagnostic and treatment plan. 

The Coronavirus Antibody Test
This is a blood test that checks for past exposure to COVID-19.  Choosing the right antibody test is important. Currently, there are several tests available, but many are still under review for accuracy. If your child is tested for antibodies, we want you to know that:  

• If your child has a positive antibody test, it means there is a possibility that they were exposed to the virus and may have developed an immune response over the past several weeks.
• It is important for you to know that a positive antibody test does not guarantee that your child had COVID-19 or that they are protected from it.

 So how can your child be tested?

1. Call the office at 513-232-8100 or click below to schedule a telehealth appointment for each child you are wanting to have tested. 
2. Your physician will discuss if your child is a good candidate for either test.  Your physician will also review  the implications of these testing options.
3. The provider will then will give you an order, so you can schedule the appropriate test at select referral facilities.
4. Our office will contact you when we receive your results to discuss next steps.
5. Click HERE for more information regarding testing for COVID-19.

We continue to encourage you to check our Facebook Page   and Instagram Account for the most recent updates regarding COVID-19 and Anderson Hills Pediatrics. 

Thank you for choosing Anderson Hills Pediatrics, Inc. for your care!

“I’m so bored, some chocolate covered pretzels should help!” Sounds familiar? I think a lot of us have been snacking more than usual while “staying at home”. With boredom and feeling blue, there is a tendency to overeat processed foods. Apart from the excess calories this can cause a sugar rush followed by a crash which can worsen our moods.

Feeling stressed can also worsen our immunity. Eating a diet rich in fruits, legumes and vegetables will help ensure you’re getting the right vitamins and minerals.

These include:

•          Vitamin A – Squash, carrots, sweet potatoes, cantaloupes, dark leafy greens.
•          Vitamin C – Citrus fruits, berries, tomatoes, bell peppers.
•          Vitamin D – Canned fish, eggs, fortified milk and sunshine  (remember to get outside when possible to exercise!)
•          Vitamin E – Whole grains, almonds, sunflower seeds.
•          Magnesium – Nuts, seeds, leafy greens, whole grains.
•          Selenium – Salmon, haddock.
•          Zinc – Chick peas, mushrooms, asparagus.

Making a meal plan which includes these foods will help you get the right nutrients and optimize your immunity. Try coming up with new and fun recipes with the kids to help beat the boredom! Doctor Yum has some great ideas and recipes to help!

Dr. Remi Lawrence Hylton

Resources & References:

Doctor Yum

Eat Right

Healthy Diet

We know staying connected during this time can be a challenge. Our physicians wanted to make sure they could stay connected to you, their patients, by sharing short video messages on key points they would like you to know during this unprecedented time. You can check out all of their messages here: Physician’s Messages

While you may be staying home a bit more during this time, we understand that children still require medical attention, and our physicians and team are still here to provide you that care may it be coronavirus-related or routine care for other illnesses or injuries. We continue to take steps to ensure every patient is cared for safety and conveniently during this pandemic. Our team can care for your child virtually through telemedicine visits or curbside from the comfort of your vehicle. We schedule ill patients at separate times from healthy child check-ups. Rest assured that we continue to follow proper procedures to disinfect our office between patient visits and routinely throughout the day.   

We are available by phone or through your patient portal for any questions or concerns regarding your child’s healthcare needs, especially during COVID-19. You may also continue to conveniently schedule routine and telemedicine appointments through the patient portal or from the link on our website. 

We are here for you!

Would we, could we please see you? 

Yes! Both of our offices still remain open during the pandemic. We are open for appointments 365 days per year! We also have our team available by phone to support you 24 hours a day. We are here for you! 

We can see you in your car! 

We are now offering curbside appointments so that your child can be cared for from the comfort of your vehicle. Curbside appointments continue as an alternative to a visit inside of our office. These visits, designed to keep your family in the vehicle are useful for ill care and testing.

In office visits are still necessary for some conditions. We ask that all patients check in for their in-office or curbside appointments from the comfort of their vehicle by calling our front desk team upon arrival to the parking lot (513-232-8100 x7). 

We can see you from afar! 

We are seeing more and more patients virtually through telehealth visits. This allows our providers to care for your child from the comfort of your home.

We will keep 6 feet of space. We will wear masks on our face. 

Keeping your child safe is our top priority! A few ways we accomplish this are by: 

• Wearing a mask during your visit. We ask our patients and their visitor do the same. 
• Well visits are scheduled in the mornings and sick visits in the afternoon at our offices.
• We follow proper procedures to disinfect our office between patient visits and routinely throughout the day.   
• For all visits to our offices, please limit the visitors to one healthy adult. 

You are the reason we do what we do. We are here for you! 

We want to ensure you are informed of all changes or COVID related information quickly! Check out this poem, our blogs and more on our website. We also continue to post relevant news and other information by social media. We encourage you to also visit and follow our accounts by clicking the links below.

Thank you for choosing Anderson Hills Pediatrics, Inc. for your care needs. 

Sincerely, 

Your Anderson Hills Pediatrics Team

Anderson Hills Pediatrics – Facebook

Anderson Hills Pediatrics – Instagram

The Covid-19 pandemic is overwhelming and frightening to adults and children alike. Children feel helpless. Their daily routines have been turned upside down. They are no longer able to see their friends, teachers, and extended family members.

Children may not have the words to express their fears and anxieties about what is going on around them. As a parent, you may see behavior changes such as them being clingy, crankiness, and poor sleep. Your child may complain of headaches and stomach aches. You may see forgetfulness, difficulties with schoolwork, or a loss of interest in their favorite activities, toys, or hobbies.

Outlined below are a few ideas of ways that you can do to help your child deal with this stressful time.

• Help your child feel like they have some control over this situation by teaching them ways to stay healthy such as hand washing, social distancing, coughing into their elbow, and not touching their face.
• Encourage routines. Daily schedules help children cope. Include time for schoolwork, exercise, creative time, family time, chores, and free time.
• Exercise and outdoor time are crucial. Go for walks, ride bikes, play outdoor games. Play the games of your childhood such as Simon Says, Mother May I, and Red Light, Green Light. Do yoga or Tai Kwan Do outside. Shoot hoops play badminton. Keep them moving.
•  Encourage your kids to talk about their feelings about what is going on. Encourage them to share their concerns and ask questions. Validate their feelings, provide reassurance, and answer their questions simply but honestly. Suggest they keep a journal, draw pictures, or help them keep a family blog about life during Covid-19 – good, bad, and funny. This is something they will appreciate having in the future.
• Help them connect with friends and family. Use FaceTime, Zoom, Skype or similar platforms to have virtual play dates. Have them play games with their friends such as Sorry, or Pictionary, or Head Bandz. Perhaps they could do a craft project “together” or have a virtual dance class. Connecting to their friends will help them feel less isolated.
• Assure your child is getting adequate sleep. Plan calming activities prior to bed. Use relaxation techniques such as Progressive Muscle Relaxation (see Relaxation Techniques) or Guided Imagery (see Relaxation Techniques). Make a worry box to help your child get their worries out of their heads before sleep (see Relaxation Techniques).
• Limit their exposure to news about Coronavirus. Constant exposure to news leads to increased anxiety. Included in this may be limiting exposure to social media as well.

Remember you are a role model for your child. How you handle stress sets an example for how they react. So, take care of yourself and well as your family.

If you feel your child is experiencing increased anxiety or depression, know that we are here to help and support you anytime! Never hesitate to call a member of our clinical team or schedule an appointment if you are needing help! 

 Additional resources:

• American Academy of Pediatrics: Healthy Children
• Ohio Crisis Text Line – text“4HOPE” to 741741 to connect with a trained counselor.
• Relaxation Techniques

Sincerely, 

Meri Schrader, MD   

Teens have special challenges during COVID-19. Brock and Belle Grubert are involved in family projects, which is one way to engage your teens. For more tips visit the Healthy Children website from the American Academy of Pediatrics and find many more tips in their article “Teens & COVID-19: Challenges and Opportunities During the Outbreak”. 

Healthy Children

Our families face new challenges now because of the Covid-19 pandemic, the stay-at-home order and subsequent home schooling. How do we care for our children while working and schooling at home and not panic during this outbreak?

First … take a deep breath. You’ve got this and we have your back. We are all in this together and together we will get through it.

The following are some tips from the AAP to help families cope during this new “normal”.

Most importantly keep a routine. Children thrive in structure, so let them help create a daily schedule and hang it in a prominent location in your home. This should include your child’s schedule and your own, so that children know when the work day is over.

Wake up, get dressed, and have breakfast at the normal time.

Provide work spaces for everyone including yourself. Decide where everyone can do their work most effectively and without distractions.

List times for learning, exercise, breaks and family time. Younger children usually work well for shorter times – maybe 20 minutes on a class assignment followed by a 10 minute break. Older children and teens can focus for longer times, but max. concentration usually only lasts for 45-50 minutes and a short break between subjects is advised.

Schedule time for lunch and snacks. Older children may want to schedule a “virtual school lunch” with the friends they usually hang out with during school hours.

Don’t forget afternoon breaks and time for exercise.

Have dinner together as a family and talk about your day or make plans for the next or the weekend.

Enjoy more family time in the evenings, playing games, reading a favorite book together – this is the time to read something above your child’s reading level and discuss the story. Some nights watch a movie, take a walk around the neighborhood or exercise together.

Stick with normal bedtime routines as much as possible. Proper sleep helps all of us cope better.

See below for a list of things that we have found for some ideas online.

Lastly don’t stress!

General Education

• Scholastic – Scholastic has launched a “Learn at Home” website that has daily courses for students from Pre-kindergarten to grades 6 and higher.
• Khan Academy  – Free YouTube instructional videos in a wide range of content areas. Parents can view and track their child’s progress.
• Khan Academy Kids  – Free interactive learning app for kids ages 2-7. Available on Apple devices.
• CK -12 Foundation– Free online learning resource for grades 1-12.
• 123 Home School 4 Me – Offers free printable worksheets for all subjects, Pre-K through high school.
• Discovery K12 – A free home-school platform with online resources for ages Pre-K through grade 12.
• Marginal Revolution University – (MRU) – Free economics courses offered at the K-12 levels.
• TED – Ed – TED‐ Ed offers a free suite of high‐ quality videos on a variety of topics for learners of all ages.
• Academic Earth – View hours of free lectures and course materials from leading universities.
• Alison– Offering a range of free online courses in all subjects.
• Codecademy – Codecademy offers free access to basic lessons, with the option to pay for more advanced courses if your child gets really into it.

Math

• Prodigy Math – An online math program that uses a fun video game‐ style interface to engage learners. Both free and paid versions available.
• Bedtime Math – A free app (iPhone and Android) offering mini math lessons for kids ages 4-9.
• Times Tables Rock Stars – Free (for up to 60 days) access to math facts tests, both printable and online.
• Dream Box– Online math lessons for kids grades K-8. Also available in Spanish. Sign up for a 90 day free trial through April 30.
• Delta Math – A free website for middle school through high school math content.

Language Arts

• Dog on a Log Books – Free downloadable learning materials including printable board games, books, and phonics flashcards.
• Reading Eggs – makes learning to read interesting and engaging for kids, with great online reading games and activities.
• Dream S cape – A free interactive literacy game for grades 2-8. Available on the Google Play or Apple App store.
• No Red Ink –  A free, online writing and grammar resource that helps learners of all ages to practice and refine their writing skills.
• Cincinnati Public Library – Kid Space web-page with various other games/resources.

History

• Bunk History – A free digital archive or American history.
• Active History –  Students ages 11-18 can learn about history through interactive simulations, games, quizzes, and worksheets. Free for one month.

Sciences

• Mystery Science –  Mystery Science is offering free memberships for up to one year, with engaging lessons in a variety of science‐ related areas.
• Vroom – Science tips and printable for kids 0-5.
• Club Sci Kidz –  Find free cooking and science activities on their blog.
• Backpack Sciences –  Free videos for hands-on, elementary science lessons.
• Biology Simulations –  Free virtual labs for biology topics.
• Chem Matters –  Magazine content available online for high school students.
• Cincinnati Zoo Facebook – Cincinnati Zoo Facebook live sessions daily at 3 pm

Foreign Language

• Duo Lingo –  Free online learning tools in 36 languages.
• Better Chinese – Mandarin – Chinese language lessons for Pre-K through college. Free one-month trial.
• Fluent Key –  Educational videos in Chinese, English, French, and Spanish. One month of professional service is being offered for free with code STAYSAFE; basic subscription is always free.

Music

• Busy Kids Do Piano at Home –  One month of free lessons with code PIANOATHOME.
• Flat – A music education platform connecting students in real-time.
• Chrome Music Lab –  Free hands-on music experiments.
• Carone Learning – Health and physical education classes for grades K-12. Free through the end of the school year.
•  Go Noodle – Video-based movement and mindfulness exercises.
• Little Twisters Yoga and Emotional Wellness – Free yoga products for kids.

Theater & Art

• Digital Theater Plus –  – A temporarily free resource offering access to theater productions, backstage insights, and interviews.
• Artrageous With Nate –  A free digital series exploring creativity around the globe.
• Creating a Masterpiece –  Fine art training for kids ages 5+. Free access for one month with code Corona2020.
• Art Tango – Free online art lessons for kindergarten through grade 5 students.

Free Online Museum Tours

• The British Museum
• The Dali Theater Museum
• The Google Art Project
• The Metropolitan Museum of Art
•  NASA – Glenn Research Center
• NASA – Langley Research Center
• National Gallery of Art
• The National Museum of the United States Air Force
• The National Women’s History Museum
• Smithsonian Institution
• Smithsonian Institution – Learning Lab
• The Vatican Museums

Leah M. Welty, MD

Anderson Hills Pediatrics                                                                                                                                            

There are several different types of tests being marketed for COVID-19 testing. The tests organized by the Ohio Department of Health are SARS CoV2 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests. This is the primary method for diagnostic testing. However, availability of this test is limited due to not enough testing supplies and the available tests are prioritized to only hospitalized patients, health care workers, or patients with known contact with another person who has tested positive for COVID-19.  You may have also heard about antibody testing. This type of testing detects two different antibodies (IgM/IgG) to the corona virus. The concern about this test is that we do not have enough data to feel confident in the interpretation of these results for the following reasons:

1. There may be crossover with other corona virus strains that could result in a false positive.
2. There can be a negative test in the first 6-7 days of symptoms, resulting in a false sense of security which may result in spreading the virus to others.
3. Even if an antibody is detected (a positive result) the results do not have clear implications in terms of contagiousness or risk of spreading illness. 

We are actively comparing options and will let you know if there is a test that is more readily available to you, our patients, in which we have confidence!  

Dr. Lori Gordley, DO