| Pediatric News and Updates |
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| American Academy of Pediatrics Car Seat Recommendation |
| The American Academy of Pediatrics now recommends that all infants and toddlers ride rear-facing in either an infant car seat or convertible car seat until they have reached the maximum height and weight recommended for the model, or at least until age two. This recommendation is based on research which supports that infants and toddlers are safer, and better protected in the event of an automobile accident when riding rear-facing in a car seat. Many parents have concerns about their toddlers legs being cramped, and over the potential for lower extremity injuries while rear facing in the event of an accident. Rear facing toddlers, however, are less likely to sustain injuries to the back, neck, head, or pelvis in the event of a crash when rear-facing. Forward-facing toddlers are more prone to these potentially serious and life altering head and neck injuries. The Pediatric Center has your child's safety in mind, and encourages all parents to follow these new guidelines.
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| For more information, please visit www.aapnews.org |
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| Vitamin D
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| Recent studies show that most children aren't getting enough vitamin D. This essential vitamin helps ensure the body absorbs and retains calcium and phosphorus, both of which are critical for forming bone. Additionally, there is some evidence suggesting that vitamin D may play a role in preventing some chronic diseases later in life, including those involving the immune and cardiovascular systems.
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| Defficiency can lead to rickets, a bone-softening disease. At greatest risk are infants exclusively breastfed who do not receive a daily vitmain D supplement. In response to these studies, the American Academy of Pediatrics has increased recommendations of vitamin D intake to 400 IU per day beginning in the first days of life. For breast or bottle fed babies, liquid supplements are available over the counter. Chewable multivitamin supplements for kids containing 400 IU are also available over the counter. |
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| KidsDoc app for iPhone and Android Phones |
| A new app for iPone and Android phones has been developed by the American Academy of Pediatrics. This app is designed to help parents make decisions on what level of medical care is needed and how to provide symptom relief for minor illnesses and injuries at home. Symptoms are broken down into categories such as definition of illness/injury, when to call your pediatrician, care advice, and a summary. Additionally, there is an Exposure category which displays a table showing the incubation and contagious period for many common illnesses, as well as a dosing chart for a few common medications. The app even allows the user to click on 'find the nearest ER' and Google maps will search for the closest ER. The app costs $1.99 to download. |
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Download by clicking on www.healthychildren.org/English/tips-tools/Symptom-Checker/Pages/KidsDoc-Symptom-Checker-App.aspx
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