It’s something you would never imagine happening to your child: your little one endangered by a formerly innocuous food or object, but it happens every day. Thousands of American children are poisoned each year. Indeed, over 300 children on a daily basis are treated in an emergency department as a result of being poisoned. Two of these 300 die daily, as well. Poisoning is not only life-endangering, but even if survived can cause life-lasting damages. Part of what makes poisonings so tragic is that they are preventable—in fact, more than 90% of poisonings occur at home. Given that children are particularly curious and accident-prone creatures, it’s essential that parents always keep the possibility of poisoning in mind and prepare accordingly. Here are some of our top tips.
 
 -Read the labels. Always read the labels of any medicine you give to your child. Yes, poisonings can and do occur due to accidental overdoses. Be sure to always thoroughly read the instructions—and ingredients—of any medication before administering it to your child. Always read all the warning labels too, however obvious or silly they may seem. Do not give your child medicine intended for adults, or the adult dosage of the medication. If you are unsure about a particular medication, talk to your pharmacist or Capital Pediatric Group doctor.
 
-Keep products in their original bottles. A good idea is to keep as many products as possible in their original bottles, as well as medications. At the very least, all containers should be clearly marked with information that indicates their contents.
 
-Lock up prescription medicines. Keep medicines in a safe, dry place that cannot be accessed by children. Keep in mind curious children will try to open every shelf and container and will try put anything and everything into their mouths. Put harmful medicine somewhere they can’t get to.
 
-Put away household products. Cleaning and other household products are often toxic, and even in small doses or exposures can be harmful to children. Put away laundry detergent, dish soap, glue, and the like and make sure it stays far out of reach. While under your kitchen cabinets may be convenient, make sure those cabinets can be securely locked before allowing a small child inside.
 
-Never share prescription medication. Prescription medication should be consumed by one person only: the person it is prescribed to. Allowing your child to share your medication can have disastrous consequences, as the effects of the medicine on their body may be vastly different to its effects on yours.
 
-Be prepared. Make sure you know the CDC’s Poison Help Number: 1-800-222-1222 and keep it posted it in your home. The line is open 24/7. If poisoning occurs and your child is collapsed or is not breathing, call 911 immediately. If your child is awake and responsive, call the Poison Hotline immediately and await instructions. Lastly, do NOT throw out what was responsible for the poisoning. Having this available may help in diagnosis and treatment.
 

Ah, February, the month of love! A month bridging the post holiday season with the upcoming spring, February tends to be a flurry of activity and with just 28 days in the month, always seems to zip by! It’s a busy month for parents, and a busy month for our office!

Despite the sometimes hectic nature of this in-between month, our Capital Pediatric doctors, friends, and patients managed to keep a little family spirit going. This month we had a lot of fun hosting a Valentine’s Day contest that both parents and kids could enjoy.
 
With the help of our talented staff, we put together a Valentine’s Day photo-booth, featuring hearts, glitter, and a giant teddy bear! We invited parents to submit their pictures to us by checking in online on Facebook or directly messaging us their entry.
 
We are pleased to say we had many great entries, and reception to the contest was very positive. Our patients loved posing in front of the set-up, and we got a lot of adorable pictures out of it! Missed out on the fun this time around? Look out for our next themed contest or photo-booth! We announce all activities on our Facebook page.

What Parents Need to Know About Cedar Fever  
For parents, every season brings its parenting challenges. In winter, colder weather, flu season, snow, winter break, and other topics are on parent’s minds. But as you settle down for winter’s worst, don’t forget an oft-overlooked winter ailment: cedar fever. “Cedar fever” is the colloquial term for a seasonal allergy brought on by pollen from mountain cedar (also known as Ashe Juniper) trees. Cedar fever affects many people each year, but it is particular bad for Texas residents, especially in major cities such as Austin. Cedar fever season, which lasts from November through March, is nasty at worst and unpleasant at best, and it affects both adults and children. Don’t let your child suffer this cedar fever season. Learn about cedar fever and its common symptoms so that you can seek out treatment.
 
Cold or Allergies? Cedar Fever Symptoms
 Many parents have a difficult time distinguishing between a cold and allergies. This is understandable, as allergies are often mild enough to go unnoticed or to be excused as something else. The biggest distinguishing factor between a cold and allergies is the time it lasts. A cold lasts anywhere between 3 and 14 days, whereas allergies can last days to months. Cold symptoms begin a few days after infection with the virus, whereas allergy symptoms appear immediately on contact with the allergen or allergens. Cold symptoms include sneezing, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, cough, fatigue, and general aches and pains. Allergy symptoms include itchy, red or watery eyes, runny or stuffy nose, sneezing, and occasionally, fatigue.
 
Cedar Fever Prevention
Residents of Texas have seen the vast clouds of dust that float around major urban areas this time of year—that’s cedar pollen, and unfortunately, it’s not totally avoidable. That said, the best way to prevent cedar fever symptoms is avoiding coming into contact with cedar pollen as much as possible. Here are some quick prevention tips:
 
 -Keep doors and windows closed. Both at home and in your car. Otherwise, pollen will get in and your little one will be sneezing for the rest of the afternoon. Run the air conditioner instead.
 
-Dust often. Use a damp cloth to wipe down all surfaces in your home regularly. You’d be surprised at how much pollen and dirt manages to build up!
 
-Change your air conditioning filter. If your child’s allergies are severe, you’ll want to use a HEPA (high efficiency particular air) filter, which is much more efficient at filtering out pollen than regular filters.
 
-Have your children change clothes when coming in from outside. Don’t let your kids drag in pollen from outside. Have them take off their shoes and change their clothes when coming back inside. Another good idea is to have them shower briefly or rinse out their hair (a favorite home of pollen).
 
-Get rid of cedar trees in your yard. Do you have cedar trees anywhere on your property? You can forget about allergy relief with a cedar tree so close by. Hire a professional replace your cedar trees with a hardwood such as elm or oak that won’t cause an allergic reaction.
         
-Bathe pets often. If you have pets who go outside, make sure that you bathe them often, as pollen can be dragged inside on their coats. If you can’t rinse off their fur, at least take a brush to them before you allow them to come back inside.
 
Treatment Options - When to See Your Pediatrician
 While cedar fever is an unpleasant to deal with, don’t get discouraged. With the proper treatment and management plan, your child can live a happy and fulfilling live even with allergies. There are many treatment options for cedar fever. Over the counter remedies, appropriate for those with mild allergy symptoms, include antihistamines or decongestants in pill, spray, and drop form. Prescription medication, for those with more persistent symptoms, include stronger formulas of OTC medication, oral or nasal corticosteroids and anti-inflammatory drugs. Another, more permanent treatment option is immunotherapy, or allergy shots. Allergy shots, which are administered over the course of several months, can significantly reduce allergy symptoms and improve quality of life.
 

Chillier weather brings its own set of hazards. Between the common dangers involved in winter activities and the potential health effects of adverse weather, winter is rife with things parents should be cautious of. But now that winter weather has arrived, it’s important to not only keep your kids safe, healthy, and warm, but to instruct them in the best safety and health practices for winter. Here we’ve compiled our best tips.
 
Safety Tips
 
-Layer up. Make sure that your kids are always dressed warmly, and that their heads, necks, and hands are always covered. Remember, in winter, it’s always better to dress up than to dress down. Gloves and hats are an absolute must in snow—do not leave skin exposed to the snow. Remember that you can always peel off layers when necessary.
 
-Beware clothing hazards. While layering up is key, it’s important to keep an eye on potential choking and strangle hazards such as scarves, hood strings, etc that can be dangerous for young children.
 
-Take regular breaks. If your children enjoy playing outside, encourage them to come inside for regular breaks. Give them a warm drink and a snack to refuel. This is especially important for younger children, but you should regularly check in on older children, too.
 
-Stay hydrated. This goes off the previous tip, but its importance cannot be overstated. It is key that you encourage children to stay hydrated during winter. Dehydration is a real concern—not just in summer when the sun beats down, but in winter as well. The body loses more fluids more quickly in colder weather.
 
-Don’t let children play outside alone. The buddy system is always a good rule of thumb, especially in adverse weather. Get together with one or two of your child’s friends, and encourage them to look out for one another. Children younger than age 8 should only be permitted to play outside with adult permission.
 
-Pick safe play areas. It’s a good idea to pick ideal play spots out for your children ahead of time. In winter, opt for somewhere close that is nearby warm shelter (ex: near home or a friend’s home). Do not allow children to play on roadsides or on snow banks, where snowplow drivers and other motorists may not be able to see them.
 
-Avoid severe weather. Do not allow children outside in severe conditions such as a snowstorm, nor if the outside temperature or windchill is reported as  (-16oF) or lower. Exposed skin will begin to freeze at these temperatures.
 
-Apply sunscreen. Apply sunscreen to exposed skin, even if it’s cold or cloudy. The sun can still bite and burn in winter—it’s important to stay protected.
 
-Look out for danger signs. Know the symptoms of frostbite and keep an eye out for them. Signs of frostbite include pale, grey, or blistered skin (typically on the fingers, ears, nose, or toes). Signs of hypothermia include shivering, dizziness, fatigue, increased heart rate, confusion, difficulty or rapid breathing, difficult speaking, lack of coordination, and nausea.  If you believe that your child has contracted frostbite, bring your child inside immediately and apply warm water to the affected area.
 
Illness Prevention
 
Winter is notorious sick weather, and many children (and parents, too!) succumb to the cold or flu during this time of year.  Between harsher weather, stuffy indoor air, and shared spaces, it’s rather easy to catch something during the winter season. But no child wants to be hauled up indoors all winter long because they’re sick, and no parent wants their child to miss too much school because of said sickness, either! While things happen, and everyone gets sick once in a while, employing these illness prevention tips can help you and your kids enjoy a happier, healthier winter season.
 
-Load up on the ‘fight’amins. While it’s vital that your child get proper nutrition throughout the year, it is especially important during cold and flu season. Make sure that your child is getting enough vitamins, Vitamin D especially, as Vitamin D levels tend to dip in the winter.

-Wash hands regularly. Encourage your child to wash hands regularly throughout the day, and especially before and after touching food. Investing in a small bottle of hand sanitizer for emergencies is not a bad idea either. Buy one that can easily strap onto your child’s backpack.
 
-Stop the spread of germs. Close-quarter environments like your child’s school are petri dishes for bacteria. Teach your child the best practices for avoiding germs, such as not touching their face, not putting their hand to their mouth or nose, washing hands after interacting with bacteria-prone objects and places such as doorknobs and bathrooms, etc.
 
 -Get a flu shot. It is very important that you take your children to get a flu shot. The flu, otherwise known as influenza, is much more dangerous for children than adults—especially so for children under the age of 5. In fact, each year 20,000 children under the age of 5 are hospitalized because of complications from influenza, and there are between 40 and 180 pediatric deaths caused by it each year.   The single best way to protect your children against seasonal flu is to get them vaccinated each year. The seasonal flu vaccine provides protection against the most common influenza viruses that research predicts will be most prevalent in that given year. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that children 6 months of age and older get a seasonal flu vaccine. Contact your CapPed doctor if you have any questions about the flu vaccine.
 
Additional Information
http://www.caringforkids.cps.ca/handouts/winter_safety
https://www.cdc.gov/disasters/winter/
https://www.ready.gov/winter-weather
http://www.cdc.gov/flu/protect/children.htm
http://www.fda.gov/downloads/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/UCM143453.pdf

It’s a few months into the school year, so it’s a perfect time to evaluate what has and hasn’t been working for your child. One oft overlooked item is the backpack. This ordinary and innocuous item can actually have negative repercussions for your child later in life—particularly if it’s worn improperly or is too heavy. Selecting the right backpack for your child, and ensuring he or she always wears it properly, should be a priority through college. Here’s how you can determine what size is just right.
 
How Heavy is Too Heavy?
Have you ever picked up your child’s backpack, only to groan and ask them in surprise, “what are you carrying in there, rocks?” As your child grows older, it seems their backpack gets heavy each year! While backpacks were designed to be utilitarian, they should also be practical; packs should never cause pain, discomfort, or back and muscle problems later in life. Nor should they be used to carry around an entire locker’s worth of books or items in. School backpacks are not meant as a camping bag, they should only carry small loads over short periods of time throughout the course of the day. Granted, this can prove challenging, as children spend more and more time at school. However, health experts say that a backpack should never be more than 10 to 15% of a child’s body weight. Anything heavier than that is too heavy, and can have serious consequences later in life.
 
Side Effects of Improper Backpack Use
 Few are aware that something so simple as a backpack can have lasting repercussions. Dangers are even worse for smaller children and girls, who  are more impacted by the heavy loads relative to their smaller body weight. The force of a heavy weight such as a backpack can pull a child backwards, causing them to bend forwards to compensate. Over time, this can cause the spine to compress unnaturally, even causing growth and posture issues. Carrying a heavy bag changes the way children walk, increasing their risk of falling. Some children may develop shoulder, neck, and back pain. Backpacks with tight or sharp straps can dig into the body and cause damage to skin, circulation, and nerves, leading to tingling, numbness, and weakness in the upper limbs.
 
 Heavy or over-sized backpacks can pose additional  safety challenges. First, children who carry large bags are typically unaware of how much space they take up. They can often bump into things, or hit people with their bags while moving or turning around. A clonk from a heavy bag, especially on the head, is enough to knock any adult off their feet, let alone a small child! Carrying an over-sized bag also impacts the way a child walks, putting them off balance and increasing the risk of falling. An over-sized bag can also pose a tripping hazard, as bags left in aisles or near walking ways can cause trip-ups and other accidents.
 
Backpack Safety Tips
 Backpacks come in sizes, colors, styles, and shapes, allowing children of all ages to express themselves and their own sense of style. Today, there are more backpacks on the market than ever, and if you cannot find the ideal bag in stores, don’t hesitate to venture online, where you will often find more choices at lesser prices. But what should you look for when you buy that trendy new bag? Here’s what to look for:
         
-Double straps. Always select a backpack with two straps, not one. Though a sidestep or messenger bag may look cool, it puts all the pressure on one shoulder, and can cause back, neck, and shoulder pain. A double-strapped backpack evenly distributes the weight.
 
-Thick shoulder pads. If they’re going to be carrying it around all day, it may as well be comfy. Opt for a backpack with thick pads all over. Ideally, the entire underside of the backpack should be padded, but if not, be sure to at least secure padded shoulder straps. These padded straps help prevent chaffing and discomfort, and also stops the backpack from digging into your child’s shoulders.
 
-Lots of pockets. To help ease the weight on your child’s shoulders, you should distribute the weight of the insides of the backpack evenly. Pack for maximum comfort; heavier items should be placed towards the back of the bag, with lighter items up front. Having enough pockets will allow you to easily distribute weight while ensuring your child has everything they need to get through the day.
 
-Consider wheels. They may not be old enough to drive yet, but a backpack with wheels could be in their cars. Wheeled bags ease the burden of weight, so they’re great for your child’s spinal health. However, wheeled bags could be somewhat cumbersome in schools with lots of stairs, or in adverse weather. They are also not the “coolest” of bags these days. Also, some schools do not allow wheeled bags. Check with your child’s school before purchasing.

Our world today is buzzing and bustling. Daily, we are barraged with media—visual, auditory, and others. From our eyes to our ears, our delicate human senses can easily become overburdened, and indeed, even damaged, by this constant stimulation. In this modern life, hearing in particular has become an issue. Indeed, about 15% of American adults over the age of 18 say they have trouble hearing, and that number has doubled over the past few years. Hearing loss is a common ailment, and the way we treat our ears—through adulthood, and from the teenage years or younger on—can impact how well we hear later in life.  Parents need to be aware that the constant noise in the world of today can be detrimental to developing children. By teaching the value of hearing to your children, and encouraging methods of hearing loss prevention, you can better ensure a happy, healthy future for your child.

The Importance of Hearing
The importance of hearing cannot be understated. Hearing well is essential to many tasks in the modern world, including driving, speaking, learning, and more. Children who are hard of hearing may have a harder time in school, as they will find it more difficult than other children to learn vocabulary, grammar, word order, colloquialisms, and other important communication skills and information.
 
You must emphasize to your children the importance of hearing. It should be something that is valued and protected. Hearing loss is cumulative, but when the damage is done, its done. There is no going back, no reversal. Teach your child that loud noises can harm his or her ears over time. Also remember that children have shorter ear canals, meaning that loud noises damage their ears more easily. Teach children to value ear protection, to use ear protection methods, and to avoid loud noises whenever possible.
 
What is too loud? Sound is measured in decibels (dBs). Any sound over 80 dBs or so can result in hearing damage in adults, and even more so for children. For children, hearing damage may occur at an lower decibel rate. To give you context, the average dishwasher runs at a noise level of about 60 dB.
  
Hearing Protection Tips  
-Turn down the volume whenever possible. From the TV to the stereo, you can slowly train your family to listen to media at lower noise levels. You don’t have to blast surround system sound just because you have it, for example. Generally lowering noise levels of electronics and other objects will greatly benefit your family in the long run.
 
-Buy ear protectors. Ear plugs and other forms of ear protection are easy to use, easy to carry around, and cheap. In other words, there is no reason not to use them. Have your child wear ear protection whenever they will be exposed to loud noises, whether it’s everyday city noises or special occasions such as fireworks.
 
-React to sudden noise. Teach your children to react to sudden noise. If an unexpected sound such as a loud siren comes around, instruct them to put their fingers in their ears or cover their ears in some fashion.
 
-Get rid of or silence loud toys. Toys with sound can be fun for children, but they can get excessively noisy. Turn off the sound on toys and buy soundless ones in the future. Flashing lights and interactive components provide enough stimulation in a toy—sound is not necessary.
 
-Take ear infections seriously. Ear infections are not only uncomfortable, but can lead to ear damage. Take ear infections seriously and treat them properly. If you expect your child has an ear infection, or if they are facing any kind of irritation in their ear, bring them to your CapPed doctor right away to get it checked out.
 
-Be mindful of noise levels in the house. Warn your children when you’re vacuuming or engaging in a noisy activity, and keep them out of the room, if possible. All members of the family should wear hearing protection when engaging in activities using loud tools, machinery, etc.
 
-Limit headphone time. Kids these days seem to be plugged into their headphones. Try to limit headphone time to a maximum of a few hours a day. If your child needs to listen to music for concentration, encourage relaxing, low-volume classical or background music that can be played over a speaker.
 
-Be a role model. “Do as I do.” The best thing you can do for your child is to be a role model for them. Value your own hearing, and use the protection methods outlined above yourself. Insist that your child do the same. Smaller children especially will naturally follow in your footsteps, wanting to do what you do. Make hearing protection a priority for your family.