spring 2009 carolinas kids - atrium health · snoring, sleep apnea: nearly 20 percent of kids...
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spring 2009
A publicAtion of levine children’s hospitAl
Bringing specialty care closer to you
carolinas kids
plAy it sAfe this spring!
help for young night owls
� >> carolinas Kids
sitting in a rear seat instead of the front seat reduces fatal injury risk by about one-third among children ages 12 and younger, says the national transportation safety board.
Fast Fact ...
>> Parents’ pages• Ask your dentist about dental
sealants.
• Make sure your child uses
protective headgear and
mouth guards when playing
sports. n
Monitor your medicine
teens can get prescription
drugs more easily than
they can get beer, accord-
ing to a new survey from the
national center on Addic-
tion and substance Abuse
at columbia university.
researchers surveying
1,002 teens nationwide
found that 34 percent of
12- to 17-year-olds get
prescription medications
from home, parents or the
medicine cabinet; others get
them from friends or class-
mates (31 percent), dealers
(9 percent) or through other
means (16 percent). nearly
half (46 percent) said they
most commonly used pain-
killers.
The Office of National
drug control policy says
more teens abuse prescrip-
tion medications than all
protect those pearly whites
february is national
children’s dental health
Month. encouraging good
dental habits when children
are young can lead to a
lifetime of healthy teeth and
gums. it’s much easier to
prevent tooth decay than it is
to treat it.
According to the u.s.
centers for disease control
and prevention, tooth decay
is one of the most common
childhood diseases—five
times as common as asthma
and seven times as com-
mon as hay fever. More than
51 million school hours are
lost each year because of
dental-related illness.
follow these tips to keep
your kids smiling:
• schedule a visit to the dentist
after baby’s first birthday, or
sooner if there’s a problem.
• put only water in baby’s
bottle at naptime or bedtime.
• protect your child’s teeth
with fluoride.
• encourage your children to
eat nutritious meals and avoid
between-meal snacks.
illicit drugs except mari-
juana, yet only 36 percent
of parents talk to kids about
the risks of these drugs. n
start young to build strong bones
preschoolers who eat
dairy products at least
twice daily will have stronger
bones as adolescents, ac-
cording to a new study from
boston university school of
Medicine. researchers found
that children who started
consuming at least two dairy
products a day between
ages 3 and 5 had higher lev-
els of bone mineral content
and bone density as teens,
compared with children who
ate fewer than two dairy
servings a day. bone mineral
content levels were even
higher when children also
ate four ounces of meat or
nondairy protein
daily. n
when is my child old enough to stay home alone?
your child’s maturity
level is more important
than his or her age. some
experts say 10-year-olds
can be left alone; others say
12-year-olds, but you know
your child best. the amount
of alone time is another
factor: running an errand
for 20 minutes is different
than leaving your youngster
unsupervised mid-afternoon
through bedtime.
prepare kids to handle
any situation. show them
how to microwave a plate
you’ve left for dinner. tell
them whether to answer the
how to keep kids safe on the playground
while playgrounds can
provide you and your
child with a great way to
get fresh air and exercise,
they also can be dangerous.
careless behavior, broken
equipment and unsafe
surfaces can put your child
in harm’s way. each year,
more than 200,000 children
are treated for playground-
related injuries.
you can make the play-
ground a safe and fun place
for your child by checking
equipment to make sure it’s
clean and well-maintained,
and teaching the rules of
safe play. here are some
basics:
• Carefully supervise children. Adults need to
be present when children
are playing on equipment.
children should be in view
at all times.
• Use equipment properly. instruct children to slide feet
first, not to climb outside of
guardrails and not to stand
on swings. equipment should
be designed for 2- to 5-year-
olds, or 5- to 12-year-olds.
• What’s on the ground?
the surface under play-
ground equipment should
be soft and thick enough
to soften the impact of
a child’s fall. look for
>> Moms want to know …
>> Milestones door, where to find flash-
lights during a power failure,
how to escape quickly
during a fire and how to tell
whether a cut requires an
adhesive bandage or a call
to emergency services.
leave emergency
numbers posted near
every phone, including
your cell phone number
and contact information for
three trusted neighbors. And
don’t make your child worry
unnecessarily by showing
up an hour later than you
promise. n
materials like
wood chips, sand,
pea gravel, rub-
ber mats or shred-
ded tires. watch for
broken glass or
trash.
• Know the rules. Make sure
your child never
pushes or rough-
houses while on
slides, swings,
seesaws or other
equipment. And
don’t dress your
child in clothing
with drawstrings—they can
get caught on equipment
and accidentally strangle
him or her. n
www.levinechildrenshospital.org << �
>> A new indoor play area sponsored by levine children’s hospital has opened at carolina place Mall in pineville. it was constructed by plAytiMe, llc, one of the largest providers of children’s soft-sculpted interactive play areas.
1000 Blythe Blvd., Charlotte, NC 28203704-446-KIDS (5437)
Carolinas Kids is published as a community service of Levine Children’s Hospital, located on the campus of Carolinas Medical Center. If you are interested in receiving an e-mail when a new issue is available, visit www.levinechildrenshospital.org.
The information contained in this publication is not intended as a substitute for professional medical advice. If you have medical concerns, please consult your healthcare provider.
Copyright © 2009 Carolinas HealthCare System
A publicAtion of levine children’s hospitAl
carolinas kids
when you have a child with special
healthcare needs, finding con-
venient access to that care can
sometimes be just as daunting as finding the best
physicians.
That is why Levine Children’s Hospital provides
a variety of specialized outpatient pediatric ser-
vices in multiple locations in our region through
our Children’s Specialty Centers.
We offer care for infants, children and adoles-
cents, focusing on the needs of patients and their
families. With centers located in Charlotte, Hickory
and Gastonia, we’re able to bring services in more
than 30 specialty areas—such as cardiology,
spring 2009
� >> carolinas Kids
coming soon!>> Susan Massengill, MD, a pediatric
nephrologist, sees patients at the Children’s
Specialty Centers in Charlotte and Hickory.
She will begin seeing patients in Gastonia in
early 2009. Call 704-381-8800 to make an
appointment.
taking family-centered carebeyond the hospital
>> Children’s Specialty Centers offer access to pediatric services throughout the region
gastroenterology and endocrinology—closer to you
and your children.
care that’s closeIt’s often difficult to find pediatric specialists outside
of urban areas. LCH addressed this situation by pro-
viding centers where specialists from Charlotte can
see patients closer to home when they need care.
“We placed our regional centers in referral areas
where there was a need,” says Vickie Hamann,
assistant vice president for Outpatient Services.
“Providing access to specialized physicians in
multiple outpatient locations allows patients and
families to stay closer to home whenever possible.”
There are many benefits to having access to
ongoing care in Hickory and Gastonia. Easier
access makes it more likely you’ll be able to keep
scheduled doctor visits, which is an important
part of maintaining good health.
Having multiple locations also allows parents
to take an hour for an appointment, rather than
missing an entire day of school or work to travel
for care. For instance, children with diabetes who
require multiple doctor visits to regulate insulin
levels benefit from having a specialty care center
that’s close by.
expert, personalized careOur pediatric specialists provide comprehensive
evaluation, treatment, education, diagnostic testing
and research services. Many of our physicians
undergo extensive clinical training to specialize
in treating a condition or aspect of pediatric care.
This training ensures the best, most personalized
care in all of our specialty centers, which have a
warm, family-friendly atmosphere.
For example, nephrology patients who have
undergone a transplant due to kidney failure can
often receive care at one of our regional centers.
“While surgery and initial care is provided at LCH,
patients can go to our specialty center in Hickory for
follow-up treatment,” says Susan Massengill, MD, a
pediatric nephrologist at LCH. n
www.levinechildrenshospital.org << �
>> children’s specialty
center outpatient
services include:
• cardiology and
cardiovascular
surgery (sanger clinic)
• eating disorders
• endocrinology
• gastroenterology
and hepatology
• general surgery
• hematology and
oncology
• infectious disease
• medical genetics
(down syndrome,
spina bifida and
others)
• neonatology
• nephrology and
hypertension
• neurology
• orthopaedics
• physical medicine
and rehabilitation
• pulmonology
• rheumatology
• sleep medicine
• transplant services
(liver, kidney, heart
and blood/marrow)
• urology (pediatric
urology Associates, p.A.)
our diagnostic and
support services
include:
• child life services
• diagnostic radiology
• nutritional services
• social work
• venipuncture
for more information,
call 704-381-8840 or visit
www.levinechildrens
hospital.org.
A host of pediatric specialties
care where you need it
>> our children’s specialty centers are
located at:*
‹ charlotte-Medical center plaza1001 Blythe Blvd., Suite 200 704-381-88408 a.m.–5 p.m., Monday–Friday
‹ pediatric hematology and oncology center1001 Blythe Blvd., Suite 600 704-381-99008 a.m.–5 p.m., Monday–Friday
‹ gastonia2550 Court Drive, Suite 203704-861-2100 or 877-821-97978 a.m.–5 p.m., Monday–Friday
‹ hickory1781 Tate Blvd., SE704-381-3950 or 866-926-02188 a.m.–5 p.m., Monday–Friday
*Some medical, diagnostic and support services are not available at all specialty centers
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n early 70 percent of children ages 10
and younger suffer sleep problems,
according to the National Sleep
Foundation. These troubles can lead to daytime
sleepiness and may even raise the risk of learn-
ing problems and attention deficit disorder. “If
something about your child’s sleep is keeping
you awake, chances are they need to be evalu-
ated,” says Thomas Stern, MD, a pediatric sleep
medicine specialist with University Pulmonary
Associates. Common disorders include:
1 Insomnia: More than 40 percent of kids
experience trouble falling or staying asleep,
poor-quality sleep or early-morning awakenings,
according to one survey.
>> How to help: A bedtime routine can help.
Teach your child to fall asleep alone so he or she
doesn’t need help to fall back asleep during the
night.
2 Snoring, sleep apnea: Nearly 20 percent of
kids snore. Enlarged tonsils may be to blame,
but snoring can also be a sign of sleep apnea, a
serious condition in which breathing is disrupted.
Sufferers often awaken, gasping for air.
>> How to help: If you suspect sleep apnea, tell
your pediatrician; he or she can arrange for a sleep
study to properly diagnose and treat your child.
3 Night terrors: If your child wakes up crying,
let him or her tell you about the dream. During
a night terror, your child may not fully awaken
and may scream uncontrollably, despite your
comforting gestures. He or she won’t remember
the incident in the morning.
>> How to help: Limit stress and irregular
bedtimes, since they can increase the likelihood of
night terrors.
4 Sleepwalking: Most juvenile sleepwalkers
are between ages 3 and 7, and the condition
sometimes runs in families.
>> How to help: Make sure your home is safe (no
unguarded stairwells or toys to trip over) and gently
guide the walker back into bed. Talk to your pedia-
trician—sleepwalking can indicate sleep apnea.
5 Bedwetting: Some children have delayed
development of the ability to wake up when
their bladder feels full. Kids should outgrow the
problem by adolescence.
>> How to help: Limit drinks before bedtime and
insist on a bathroom visit before getting under the
covers. Don’t punish your child for a situation he
or she can’t control. n
>> How to handle 5 common middle-of-the-night mishaps
� >> carolinas Kids
Recognizing sleep disorders
create a regular bedtime routine.
parentpractices
clear a path for your sleepwalker.
limit beverages after dinner.
a s more children fall victim to obesity,
doctors are noticing an increasing
number of youngsters with high blood
pressure (hypertension). “In the past, hypertension
in children and adolescents was rare and usually
secondary to surgically correctable causes. Now,
however, there’s an alarming increase in hyperten-
sion due solely to obesity,” says Donald A. Riopel, MD,
a pediatric cardiologist with Sanger Clinic. Catching
high blood pressure early is important, as it can lead
to heart failure or stroke later in life. If your teen’s
blood pressure is higher than 120/80 mm Hg, make
sure that a doctor monitors him or her regularly and
that your child follows the doctor’s advice, includ-
ing taking any prescribed medications and chang-
ing dietary habits. To lower your child’s chances of
developing hypertension, watch out for these five
triggers:
My kids get plenty of exercise when it’s nice outside, but how can i keep them active when bad weather keeps them indoors?
teens and high blood pressure
Q
House calls
Kids can still get
their recommended
60 minutes of daily physical
activity. encourage them to
use exercise videos or video
games that require them to
dance or jump around. limit
non-active screen time to
one hour or less. try taking
trips to the mall, then split
up into teams to see who
can walk to particular stores
quickest. check out com-
munity center calendars
for indoor activities, such as
volleyball, aerobics or bas-
ketball. on better days, go
hiking or head to the park.
A
www.levinechildrenshospital.org << �
Ana-Maria Temple, MD,Charlotte Pediatric Clinic-Pineville
physicians at levine children’s hospital provide an integrated and comprehensive approach to caring for children with kidney problems. board-certified nephrologists provide inpatient/outpatient evaluation and management for a variety of pediatric kidney-related problems. to further enhance our services, we will open a hypertension clinic in 2009.
>> Sleep, stress and salt raise the risk. What’s a mom to do?
1 Blood pressure booster: Excess weight.
>> Lower it: Limit high-fat foods and monitor
serving sizes. Encourage your child to eat healthy
foods like fruits, vegetables, whole grains and
low-fat dairy products.
2 Blood pressure booster: Inactivity.
>> Lower it: Regular exercise can help
regulate blood pressure and can often lower
hypertension.
3 Blood pressure booster: Lack of sleep.
>> Lower it: Teens need about 9¼ hours
of sleep a night. A shift in teens’ biological clocks
makes it difficult for them to fall asleep before
11 p.m. Encourage them to wind down for 30 to
60 minutes before bed.
4 Blood pressure booster: Salty foods.
>> Lower it: Cook with less salt, remove the salt
shaker from the table and limit packaged foods.
5 Blood pressure booster: Stress.
>> Lower it: If your teen’s schedule is truly
overloaded, suggest that he or she drop out of
an activity or two, and explain that asking for
help and practicing relaxation techniques
can help reduce stress. n did you know?
Levine Children’s Hospital. Caring for your children close to home.
Levine Children’s Hospital offers more than 30 pediatric specialties to provide the very best care for children in this region. Through our Specialty Centers in Charlotte, Gastonia and Hickory, our physicians bring this specialized care closer to your home. Services available include cardiology,
urology, gastroenterology/hepatology, endocrinology, neurology and more.
Our specialists have one focus:providing children the very best care now, for the sake of their future.
SpecialtyCenters
www.levinechildrenshospital.org
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