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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.
By Pediatrics of Central Florida
October 01, 2021
Category:
Children's Health Care
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Potty Training
Potty training is a big moment for your child and is something that may challenge them in many ways. Unfortunately, many young ones do struggle during this process and may find it very hard to understand. Is your child struggling, and you're at your wit's end? If so, a pediatrician can help you and your child overcome this frustrating situation with relative ease and understanding.Reasons Why Some Children Struggle With Potty Training
Most children after the age of 18 months or so should have little trouble acclimating to potty training. But if your child is struggling, and you aren't sure why there are many potential reasons. Let's take a look at a few of the most common causes of potty training difficulties with children:
- Their Bodies are Just Not Ready — Before 18 months, your child may not have the ability to control when they "go." So putting pressure on them too early may just frustrate them.
- They May Not Have the Developmental Abilities — Some children just progress slower than others and may need more time in a diaper before they're ready to potty train.
- The Idea of Potty Training is Boring or Scary — Many children find potty training boring or even scary and may struggle to get used to the idea of "going" outside their diaper.
- Fear of Accidents May Develop Early — Your child wants to make you happy, and if they have accidents or fear them, they might struggle with potty training.
You may also run into situations where a child just doesn't want to learn and refuses. Even though the child knows what you want them to do and could do it, they just don't want to listen. Any of these situations are very frustrating. As a result, you might need to work with a pediatrician who understands this situation and who can help your child start "going" when the time is right. They can help:
- Assess while your child is struggling
- Talk with the child to understand their concerns
- Find a solution that makes sense for them
- Work with you and your child to get great results
- Adjust their care methods, as they need
Give Your Child a Helping Hand
If you think you need help getting your child to use the potty, it might be time to reach out to a professional you can trust to help. A great pediatrician and medical team can provide you and your child with a better understanding of why they don't want to use the potty. And it can also take some of the load off your back as a parent. Frankly, you deserve some rest and relaxation.
By Pediatrics of Central Florida
September 21, 2021
Category:
Children's Health
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Cleft Lips
Cleft Palate
The day your child is born is one of the most exciting moments in a parent’s life. Of course, finding out your precious newborn has a cleft lip or palate can make things a little more complicated. Luckily, a pediatrician can help you determine the best way to treat your child’s cleft lip or cleft palate to put your mind at ease.Why should a cleft lip or cleft palate be treated?
A cleft lip and palate can present many challenges if left untreated including serious hearing, speech, and swallowing problems. As you can imagine, a cleft lip or palate can affect a child’s speech. Children born with these birth defects are also more likely to deal with recurring ear infections and even hearing loss. By repairing this birth defect as soon as possible we can minimize these issues.
Most children will undergo a cleft lip repair between 3-6 months old, while children will often get a cleft palate repair within the first 12 months. Consequent surgeries may be required later on depending on a variety of factors, including the severity of the defect.
How is a cleft lip and palate treated?
Surgery is the only way to correct a cleft lip or palate. The goal of this surgery is to not only improve your child’s appearance but also make it easier for them to speak, chew, or hear. This surgery is performed under general anesthesia, so your child will be asleep throughout the procedure.
To repair a cleft lip, a surgeon will make incisions on both sides of the defect and then stitch the two pieces of tissue together to close the gap, which will greatly improve the shape and appearance of your child’s lip. A cleft palate repair is also performed under general anesthesia and involves making incisions on both sides of the palate to restructure and rebuild the roof of the mouth.
If your child is born with a cleft lip or cleft palate and you want to talk to us about their treatment options, then turn to your pediatrician to learn more. Your pediatrician is always here to provide you and your little one with the best care possible.
By Pediatrics of Central Florida
September 02, 2021
Category:
Child Safety
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HFMD
Hand-Foot-Mouth Disease
Hand, foot and mouth disease isn’t a childhood infection that’s often discussed but should be. After all, this communicable viral infection is more common in young children than most people realize. If you are concerned about hand, foot and mouth disease, or would simply like to know more, your pediatrician can certainly provide you with the information you need. In the meantime, here are some FAQS that can help you get the facts on this contagious infection.Is hand, foot and mouth disease dangerous?
While the name might make this condition sound rather frightening, the truth is that many kids under the age of five develop this illness. This is because these viruses are quite contagious. Even though this most often impacts young children, this infection can also present in older children, teens, and even adults.
What are the symptoms?
The incubation period for hand, foot and mouth disease is about 3-6 days from exposure. At first, symptoms may appear mild and look similar to the common cold (e.g. runny nose, fever, and sore throat); however, blisters will then start to develop within the mouth and on the body (often the palms of the hands and soles of the feet).
How is it diagnosed?
A diagnosis is often made by a pediatrician through a simple physical evaluation. They will go through your child’s medical history, examine the blisters and ask questions about your child’s symptoms to determine whether this could be hand, foot and mouth disease. Some testing may be performed to rule out other conditions.
How is hand, foot and mouth disease treated?
Unfortunately, there isn’t a medication that will get rid of hand, foot and mouth disease. Like most viral infections, the infection just has to run its course; however, there are certain things your pediatrician may prescribe or recommend that you do to ease your child’s symptoms. For example, ibuprofen may be recommended to help ease the pain as well as your child’s fever. Of course, it’s always a good idea to speak with your pediatrician before you start your child on any medication, even over-the-counter medications.
If your child develops symptoms of hand, foot and mouth disease it’s important that you see your pediatrician as soon as possible for an evaluation, as they will want to make sure that this is truly what’s causing their symptoms.
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