Blog
By Pediatrics of Central Florida
December 06, 2021
Category:
Children's Health Care
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Food Poisoning
Food poisoning isn’t just a problem that impacts adults. It can also affect children, too. While, as a parent, you may be used to dealing with vomiting or diarrhea, food poisoning is a whole new animal. Since children under five don’t have a fully developed immune system they are often most susceptible to food poisoning. When germs or bacteria get into the foods and drinks we consume, these bacteria and germs cause toxins that result in food poisoning.What are the warning signs of food poisoning?
Food poisoning can be confused with other health issues and infections such as the “stomach bug”, so it’s important to recognize the symptoms and to call your child’s pediatrician if you are concerned. How quickly symptoms appear will depend on the germ or bacteria that your child has ingested. Some children may develop symptoms as quickly as 1-2 hours after consuming the contaminated food or beverage, while it may take weeks for symptoms to develop in other children.
The most common symptoms of food poisoning in children include:
- Stomach cramping and pain
- Nausea and vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Malaise
- Fever
- Headache
What are the most common types of food poisoning?
Some of the bacteria that are most responsible for food poisoning include,
- Salmonella
- Ecoli
- Campylobacter
- Listeria
- Staphylococcus aureus
While germs are most often found in animal-based products, unwashed fruits and vegetables can also carry germs. Even water can be contaminated. Children with weakened immune systems, as well as those with chronic health problems, are more at risk for foodborne-related illnesses.
How is food poisoning treated?
In many cases, food poisoning will simply run its course and your child will feel better after a few days. Make sure that they are resting and staying hydrated. If your child is dealing with a more severe form of food poisoning your pediatrician may prescribe antibiotics. If your child is also showing signs of dehydration, it’s important that you call your pediatrician right away.
If your child is displaying symptoms of food poisoning it’s important that you talk with your pediatrician to find out if your child should come in for a visit. While food poisoning will often just run its course and go away on its own, your child may require antibiotics if they are dealing with a severe bacterial bout of food poisoning.
Diabetes is on the rise, and not just in adults. More and more children in the US are being diagnosed with type 2 diabetes. Type 2 diabetes used to be referred to as adult-onset diabetes, but today children are more at risk for prediabetes and types 2 diabetes than ever before. Fortunately, there are ways to prevent your child from developing diabetes.Why is prediabetes a concern?
Okay, so prediabetes isn’t considered full-blown diabetes, so why should parents be worried? Well, being prediabetic will eventually lead to diabetes if the issue isn’t addressed by a pediatrician. A pediatrician will be able to spot prediabetes through a simple blood test to check blood sugar levels. After all, blood sugar levels will be elevated even before your child develops type 2 diabetes. By catching elevated blood sugar levels early, your pediatrician can provide you and your child with simple lifestyle changes to see if that lowers their blood glucose naturally.
Are there warning signs?
The problem is that elevated blood sugar often doesn’t cause symptoms until a child develops type 2 diabetes. So, your child could be prediabetic and not even know it. That’s why it’s a good idea to speak with your pediatrician if your child has risk factors. Your pediatrician will decide if blood tests are necessary to check glucose levels. If prediabetes isn’t checked and your child develops type 2 diabetes you may begin to notice these symptoms,
- Wounds and injuries that are slow to heal
- Blurry vision
- Frequent urination
- Increased hunger or thirst
- Fatigue
What are the risk factors?
It’s important to recognize whether your child may be at risk for prediabetes. Some risk factors include,
- A family history of type 2 diabetes
- Eating an ultra-processed diet
- A sedentary lifestyle/lack of exercise (children should get at least one hour of aerobic exercise a day)
- Obesity or being overweight
- A mother with gestational diabetes (diabetes that develops during pregnancy)
If you are concerned about your child’s risk for prediabetes or developing type 2 diabetes, it’s important that you speak to your pediatrician. A pediatrician will be able to provide screening tools to monitor your child’s blood glucose, as well as lifestyle recommendations
A concussion is a traumatic brain injury that occurs as a result of a blow to the head. Since concussions can be serious, it’s important that you’re able to recognize the telltale signs of a concussion so you can seek immediate treatment. While your pediatrician may be able to provide you with immediate treatment, any serious symptoms should be addressed right away at your nearest emergency room.What can cause a concussion?
The majority of concussions in children occur while playing sports; however, a traumatic injury or accident such as a car accident or bad fall can also leave your child dealing with a head injury. Some concussions may lead to a loss of consciousness, but most of the time this isn’t the case.
What are the warning signs?
Some of the most common symptoms of a concussion include:
- Headaches
- Tinnitus (ringing in the ears)
- Nausea and vomiting
- Fatigue
- Dizziness or lightheadedness
- Drowsiness
- Loss of balance or unsteadiness
- Trouble with cognition, particularly attention, focus, and memory
A child may look dazed or slur their speech. They may also be more irritable and fussy, as well as sensitive to certain lights or noises.
If your child is alert and responds and acts normally these are often signs that the head injury is mild and probably won’t require emergency care; however, even if your child doesn’t require urgent care you should schedule an appointment to see your child’s pediatrician within the next 48 hours.
When is a concussion considered an emergency?
You should take your child to the ER right away if they develop these symptoms after a head injury:
- Persistent nausea or vomiting
- Loss of consciousness for more than 30 seconds
- A worsening headache
- Fluid draining from the eyes or ears
- Vision problems including dilated pupils
- Persistent tinnitus
- Weakness in the arms or legs
- Changes in behavior
- Slurred speech
- Trouble with coordination such as stumbling or falling
- Seizures
- Persistent dizziness or lightheadedness
- Disorientation
If your child is showing signs of a concussion, we understand how scary this can be. Don’t hesitate to call your pediatrician right away, who can advise you as to what next steps to take.
If your child is dealing with asthma, it can be really difficult for them to participate in physical activities without struggling or dealing with an asthma attack. There are many things that cause your child to have an asthma attack and it’s important that you and your child understand how to manage their asthma. Your child’s pediatricians at Pediatrics of Central Florida with offices in Kissimmee, Orlando, and St. Cloud, FL, can help you understand how to manage your child’s asthma and help them have the best quality of life.
Managing Your Child’s Asthma
Asthma is a chronic disease that affects the airways and causes the inner lining of the airways to become inflamed and causes the muscles to tighten, making it hard to breathe comfortably. Asthma is one of the most common chronic diseases that can affect someone in childhood. Luckily, there are ways to manage and treat your child’s asthma. Your child’s pediatrician at Pediatrics of Central Florida in Kissimmee, Orlando, and St. Cloud, FL, can go over ways that you can help manage your child’s asthma.
You can help make sure that your child can avoid asthma triggers, such as allergens, and be sure that your child is provided their asthma medication. It’s important to monitor how often your child is having asthma attacks and to see their pediatrician if it occurs more than twice a week.
Some other common triggers to be aware of include:
- Dust and pet hair
- Viral or bacterial infections
- Environmental allergens, like pollution or smoke
- Exercise
- Emotional stress
Contact Your Child’s Pediatrician Today!
Help your child live the best life they possibly can! Contact your child’s pediatricians at Pediatrics of Central Florida with offices in Kissimmee, Orlando, and St. Cloud, FL, today to learn more about managing your child’s asthma. Call today at (407) 846-3455 for the office on Oak Street in Kissimmee, FL, (407) 857-2816 for the office in Orlando, FL, (407) 933-5985 for the office on Cypress Parkway in Kissimmee, FL, and (407) 891-0479 for the office in St. Cloud, FL.
Just like responsible parents, our pediatricians are interested in keeping your children well – this includes helping your kids stay safe while riding their bikes. The National Safety Council reports a 6% increase in bike accidents in recent years, likely due to increased traffic, population density in urban areas, and a variety of other causes. There are 80 million bicyclists now sharing the road with motorized vehicles, and your children are among them. How to Keep Kids Safe When Biking
There are a few ways that your pediatrician recommends for teaching bicycle safety to your children:
- Help your kids stay visible to drivers: There are a few factors that can cause a driver not to view your child on a road, aside from texting while driving. Children are usually lower in a driver's sightlines, and they are also vying for a driver’s attention among many other road distractions such as traffic signals, construction, and more. By clothing your children in bright colors, or even having them wear a brightly colored safety vest while riding, you can call a driver’s attention to their presence, thus avoiding an accident. Also, be sure that your child’s bike has reflectors on the rear and front of the pedals and possibly on the seat and handlebars.
- Encourage your child to wear a bike helmet. Helmets can protect the brain and reduce head injuries should they accidentally be hit by a driver. A properly fitting helmet should be buckled under the chin, and shouldn’t wiggle more than an inch when worn.
- Teach your kids to be proactive cyclists. When riding, teach your children to watch out for parked cars that might open their doors, road hazards, common traffic flows, and rules that motorists usually follow. This can be a precursor to their learning to drive and will equip them with a sense of what drivers are most likely to do so that they can act accordingly while bicycling.
You can talk to your pediatrician about additional ways to keep your children safe when out riding their bikes. There is nothing more important than keeping your children safe, and bicycle safety is an important way to do it.
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