Author: Anderson Hills Pediatrics

The recent infant ibuprofen recall has been expanded to include more products.

USA Today reported on 1/30/19 that Tris Pharma has “expanded a voluntary nationwide recall of infant ibuprofen amid concerns the medication, which was destined to be sold at several major retailers, may contain a higher concentration of ibuprofen than labeled.” The company previously said that “lots sold under Walmart, CVS Pharmacy and Family Dollar brands were impacted by the recall. On Tuesday, the company added three more lots to the recall list, affecting more products that were manufactured for CVS and Walmart.”

To find out more: https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2019/01/30/infant-ibuprofen-recall-expands-walmart-cvs-pharmacy/2727558002/

It was recently reported that children receiving the rotavirus vaccine may be less likely to develop type 1 diabetes than children who don’t get this routine childhood vaccination. Currently, it is thought that the rotavirus infection may accelerate the development of type 1 diabetes, although the exact reason for this connection isn’t clear.

In a recent study, researchers compared rates of type 1 diabetes in the eight years before and the eight years after May of 2007. This is when a routine oral rotavirus vaccine was introduced for infants six weeks and older. 

After the vaccine’s debut, type 1 diabetes cases declined 14 percent among children age four and younger.

Rotavirus is a condition that often causes severe diarrhea, vomiting, fever, and abdominal pain. In some cases, the child may become extremely dehydrated and require hospitalization.

Please join us for a nutrition class with Ann Rooney, our Registered Dietitian. We will be discussing the proper nutrition techniques for those fussy, picky or choosy eaters.

When: 1/24/18 AT 6:30PM

Where: Anderson Hills Pediatrics – Amelia Location

1126 West Ohio Pike

Amelia, OH 45102

Guest Speaker: Ann Rooney, RD LD MED

Cost: $10 to be paid in cash or check at the event

Email kmeadows@ahpediatrics.com to reserve your spot today!

As of tomorrow we will no longer be accepting general refill requests via our phone/refill line. Instead, please contact your pharmacy directly when a general refill is needed. All controlled substances will still be requested via our refill line. If a refill is requested through your pharmacy, they will notify you of when the prescription is ready for pick-up. The process for requesting a controlled substance will not change. Our goal is to process your refill requests timely and efficiently. Thank you for trusting Anderson Hills Pediatrics with your care.

In the next coming days we will be updating the message when calling 513.232.8100. Please listen carefully as our menu options have changed.

Whooping Cough (Pertussis) has been on a rise in Hamilton County since early October, and has impacted some area schools.

Pertussis is a bacterial infection that is spread through direct contact of respiratory secretions.  Its symptoms often mimic a common cold initially, but then the cough worsens. Do not hesitate to contact our office if you feel your child has been exposed or is experiencing symptoms.

If you’d like to research this condition further, you may check out the following resources:

https://www.cdc.gov/pertussis/index.html

https://www.healthychildren.org/English/health-issues/conditions/chest-lungs/Pages/Whooping-Cough.aspx

Dr. Steve Feagins shared the following information on bringing home your newborn from Mercy Anderson Hospital. 

Anderson Fire Department Installs Car Seats

Before bringing the newborn home from Mercy Anderson Hospital, you need the car seat installed safely and properly.  Anderson Township Fire & EMS has four certified seat installers.  The Township covers the expense to train these individuals but it is such an important service we make it available to anyone who may need it, regardless of residency location.  Call Station 22 at 513-688-8093 and schedule a time to install the seat.  Be safe with your newborn and child of any age.   

Ohio’s Child Passenger Safety Law requires that children less than 4 years old or 40 pounds must use a child safety seat meeting federal motor vehicle safety standards.  Children less than 8 years old, unless they are at least 4 feet, 9 inches tall must use a booster seat.
 

Additional Resources on Car Seat Recommendations: 

https://www.aap.org/en-us/about-the-aap/aap-press-room/Pages/AAP-Updates-Recommendations-on-Car-Seats-for-Children.aspx

https://www.healthychildren.org/English/safety-prevention/on-the-go/Pages/Car-Safety-Seats-Information-for-Families.aspx

Acute Flaccid Myelitis or AFM, is an illness that affects the area of the spinal cord called the gray matter. This can result in weakness or paralysis and can have a sudden onset. AFM has been around for several years and usually peaks in the summer and fall months, however, there is not a known cause for the illness or a known reason for the increase in cases this year.

The telltale sign of AFM is sudden onset of weakness in the arms or legs, trouble swallowing, drooping eyelids, facial droop, or trouble talking/slurred speech.  In the cases studied, the illness starts off as a respiratory virus with a mild fever and then develops into weakness/paralysis several days later.  Most patients with a respiratory illness will NOT develop AFM.

The CDC recommends that parents take certain precautions to potentially prevent AFM including:

Good hand washing habits, avoiding close contact with people who are ill, and cleaning/disinfecting frequently touched surfaces/toys (protects from many different viruses)
Protection against mosquitoes by using repellent, removing standing water by your home, and staying indoors at dusk &  dawn (to prevent transmission of the West Nile virus)
Keep your child up to date with recommended vaccinations 

The CDC is actively working with researchers, health departments, and clinicians to find out more information about AFM.  Please visit the other websites listed below to get more information.

http://www.aappublications.org/news/2018/11/13/afm111318

https://rarediseases.info.nih.gov/diseases/13142/acute-flaccid-myelitis

https://www.cdc.gov/acute-flaccid-myelitis/infographic.html

https://www.cdc.gov/acute-flaccid-myelitis/index.html

​Are you a family with young children? Then chances are you spend a great deal of time doing laundry! Help keep young kids safe by making sure that anything little fingers may try to open, pull on, or play with in the laundry room won’t cause a poisoning injury. 

Laundry Products

Laundry detergents are poisonous. So pay close attention to how you store them before, during, and after use.

Keep laundry products in their original containers with the original label on them. Close them tightly when not in use.

Always put products away out of sight and reach of children and pets. It is best to store them in a high, locked cabinet. Do not store products on top of the washer and dryer or in storage drawers under laundry machines.

Read and follow all instructions on the product label. Know where the safety information is located on the label and what to do in case an injury occurs.

Never combine laundry detergent with ammonia or other household cleaners, because some chemical mixtures may release irritating or dangerous fumes.

If a product container is empty, throw it away properly. Do not reuse detergent buckets or bottles for other uses.

Clean up any spills immediately and wash your hands and any items you use to pour or measure products.

Close and lock the laundry room door when you are finished, so curious young children cannot get in.

Pay special attention to spray bottles. They are a common source of accidental poisoning and should be kept out of a child’s reach.

Laundry Detergent Packets: A Special Warning for Parents

Detergent in single-use laundry packets is very concentrated and toxic. If even a small amount of the detergent gets into a child’s mouth or eyes, it can cause serious breathing or stomach problems, eye irritation, and even coma and death. Because detergent packets are often brightly colored and may look similar to some candy or gummy treats, children can easily mistake them for something good to eat. Biting a packet can cause it to burst, shooting detergent into the child’s mouth and throat or eyes.

Between January 1, 2013 and December 31, 2014, the American Association of Poison Control Centers (AAPCC) reported 35,188 cases of laundry detergent exposures. Of these, almost two-thirds were from laundry packets, and three-fourths of the children affected by laundry packet exposures were less than 3 years old.

Because they are so concentrated, laundry detergent packets can cause more severe injuries than traditional non-packet laundry detergent.

Never let your children handle or play with the packets. The packets dissolve quickly when in contact with water, wet hands, or saliva.

Do not remove a packet from the original container until you are ready to put it in the washing machine. Children can get hold of the packets if they are placed in the laundry basket, on top of the washer or dryer, or on a counter before use. Young children move quickly and can often reach higher than you expect! They can grab a packet and put it in their mouth in the time it takes you to reach for a pair of socks.

Remember to seal the container and store it in a locked cabinet after each use. Make sure the container is out of sight and reach of children.

Adults should follow the instructions on the product label.

It is best to use traditional liquid or powder detergent products instead of packets until all children living in or visiting your home are at least 6 years old. Traditional laundry detergent is much less toxic than laundry detergent packets.

If your child does get the contents of one of these packets in his mouth or gets any in his eye, call Poison Help at 1-800-222-1222 immediately.

Washers & Dryers
To avoid injuries from washers and dryers:

Use child locks on front-loading washers and dryers to prevent small children from opening the doors while they are in use and also to prevent them from ever crawling in the machines.

Clean the lint trap after each use to help prevent fires. Clogged lint traps are a common cause of house fires. In fact, the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) reports that washers and dryers were involved in one out of every 22 home fires reported in 2006-2010.

Do not lean on or allow children to play or hang on the doors of washers and dryers, because this can cause them to tip over.

Vent the dryer outside the home to prevent mold and mildew build-up.

Make a rule in your house that the washer and dryer are not toys.

Laundry Chutes
Young children may want to explore this “mysterious opening” we call the laundry chute. While convenient for adults, it poses a great danger for small children. 

Make sure laundry chute doors are out of the reach of a small child (36 inches or more off the floor).

Install child locks to keep your child from opening the chute.

Tell your children that the laundry chute is meant only for clothes. Toys and people should never go in the laundry chute.

Dear Parents/Guardians,

It has recently come to the attention of the physicians of Anderson Hills Pediatrics that the West Clermont School District has now opened a School Based Health Center at West Clermont Middle School. This new development raises some concerns:

• The school based health care provider will not have access to your child’s current medical record. The school based healthcare provider will not be able to review or update your child’s medical history, medication list, allergy list, problem list and will not be able to formulate a plan based on that information.

• Medical insurance only covers one preventive health care exam per year starting at age 3. If that is done outside the medical home, the outside provider will need to fill out all medical information needed for any kind of form.

• The onsite healthcare provider will not be available 24/7 to discuss your questions or concerns regarding their recommendations and treatment. Our physicians working on weekends or those on call will not have access to the school clinic’s records, which can affect their decision making process.

• The school based healthcare provider will not be able to fill out medical forms requiring access to your full medical chart.

• Patients with asthma and other chronic illnesses have better health outcomes with fewer emergency room visits when treated by healthcare providers working as part of a team providing a Patient Centered Medical Home. Anderson Hills Pediatrics has earned the highest certification level of Patient Centered Medical Home.

See http://www.ncqa.org/programs/recognition/practices/patient-centered-medical-home-pcmh. Your child will not have this benefit when treated at school.

The physicians of Anderson Hills Pediatrics as members of the American Academy of Pediatrics specialize in providing evidence based pediatric care that has been shown to promote best healthcare outcomes for your child. We look forward to continuing to partner with you to meet your child’s healthcare needs.

Sincerely,

The Physicians at Anderson Hills Pediatrics

Student athletes enjoy benefits from exercise, socialization and competition but need to protect themselves and others from spreading common conditions and illness.

Organized sports offer many benefits to youth — but without careful attention to hygiene and sickness prevention protocol, a few infectious bugs can mark defeat for the entire team.

In its clinical report, “Infectious Diseases Associated With Organized Sports and Outbreak Control,” the American Academy of Pediatrics details the types, treatments and risk factors of infection, which are especially prevalent in close contact sports such as football and wrestling.

“Joining an athletic team is a fun, physically challenging and healthy way for kids to practice teamwork and sportsmanship, but they do need to understand the importance of good hygiene,” said H. Dele Davis, MD, lead author of the report and member of the AAP Committee on Infectious Diseases.

“Besides showering and washing hands, athletes should be discouraged from sharing their water bottles, towels, mouth guards and other personal items,” he said.

The report, to be published in the October 2017 issue of Pediatrics, and available online Sept. 25, observes the pediatrician’s role in identifying possible skin conditions and other infections during the athletes’ pre-participation physical. Student athletes also should be up to date on their vaccinations.

Most sports-related infections are spread by skin contact, contaminated food or water, respiratory droplets or airborne particles. About 10 to 15 percent of injuries that force college-level athletes to take time off from playing a sport are due to infectious disease, according to the AAP.

“Some of these germs can be picked up in weight rooms, on mats and in locker rooms,” said Mary Anne Jackson, MD, a co-author of the report and member of the AAP Committee on Infectious Diseases.

“Coaches and trainers should develop a plan for proper cleaning and maintenance of all sporting facilities and equipment.”

Common sicknesses spread by skin contact include Methicillin-resistant Staphyloccus aureus(MRSA) associated with high school football and wrestling; Group A Streptococcus; herpes simplex virus; tinea capitis (ringworm); tinea pedis (athlete’s foot); scabies and lice.

Airborne infections that can be spread during athletic participation include the varicella zoster virus (chicken pox), measles and mumps.

To minimize risks, the AAP recommends:

• Teach student athletes proper personal hygiene, including proper laundering of uniforms and avoiding sharing of drinks or personal products, such as razors.
• Develop a plan for cleaning and maintenance of sporting environment using guidelines such as those published by the American College of Sports Medicine.
• Pay special attention to proper management of blood and other bodily fluids, just as hospitals have concentrated on preventing hospital-associated infections.
• Routinely screen athletes during practices and before and after competitions

While there have been no reports of infections from blood borne pathogens, such as hepatitis B, hepatitis C or HIV during athletic competitions, the AAP provides specific detailed guidelines for management of infections spread by blood and bodily fluids in a previously published report.

“The best thing coaches can do is identify the problem early, even if it is something as benign-looking as a cold sore, so they can prevent its spread,” Stephen G. Rice, MD, PhD, MPH, and a member of the AAP Council on Sports Medicine and Fitness. “We want the students not only to participate in sports, but to have a good experience.”