by Mindy Calandro | Dec 30, 2017 | Kid's Health
Nope..this is not a political post. Instead this is all about the flu! As you can see by the map below, much of the United States is quickly becoming red which indicates the highest level of flu activity. I can assure you that here in South Louisiana, my office has been inundated with kiddos with the flu over the past 2 weeks. So let’s talk about this year’s flu season so far. Flu is bad this year…there is no way around that! At this time the Center for Disease Control (CDC) reports that the most common circulating strain of the flu virus is an influenza A (H3N2) strain. There are also influenza A (H1N1) and some influenza B strains circulating as well, but just not as commonly as the H3N2 strain. So why is an H3N2 flu season a bad thing? Well, H3N2 viruses are more likely than their H1N1 and influenza B counterparts to make small changes to their structure that can allow them to evade the protection offered by the flu vaccine. The CDC estimates that in prior flu seasons, the flu vaccine has been 50-60% effective against H1N1 and influenza B strains while only about 30% effective against H3N2 strains. However, we will not know how effective the flu vaccine really is until much later in the flu season after more testing can be done. About a week ago, I saw several news headlines stating that the flu vaccine this year is only 10% effective. While that makes a great news headline, there is some fine print that comes along with that statement. The CDC...
by Mindy Calandro | Sep 22, 2017 | Kid's Health, The Safety Files, WBRZ
The big 3…mistakes that is! I had the opportunity to visit the 4 oclock newscast this week to talk with Brittany Weiss about the 3 biggest errors when it comes to children and car seats. Click on the link above to make sure you are sidestepping those pitfalls. And as for that new sign I have hanging in my office, here are two of my favorite “models” showing it...
by Mindy Calandro | Sep 21, 2017 | Kid's Health
It is something that parents do on an almost daily basis, and you probably don’t think twice about it. Putting your kiddos into their car seat when you head out on the road. But did you know that studies estimate that 75% of car seats are installed or used incorrectly?!! Car crashes are the leading cause of death in children 1 to 13 years of age. Since this week is National Child Passenger Safety Week, over the next few posts, I hope to answer some of the most important questions parents may have about car seats. Today, we will focus on perhaps the biggest “error” I see parents making…turning their child forward facing too soon. For the past 6 years, the American Academy of Pediatrics along with every car safety organization have recommended that ALL children remain rear-facing until AT LEAST 2 years of age. In fact, children can remain rear-facing until they reach the height and weight limit for the specific car seat in the rear-facing position. For many rear-facing convertible car seats, the weight limit will be between 35-40 pounds (some even up to 45 pounds), and the height limit is the same for all car seats- the top of the child’s head should be 1 inch below the top of the car seat. Most state laws are lagging when it comes to catching up to this most recent car seat recommendation. Only 8 states- California, Connecticut, New Jersey, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and South Carolina- have laws that require children to remain rear-facing until 2 years of age. So what is the big deal...
by Mindy Calandro | Jun 11, 2017 | In The News, The Safety Files
As if the idea of drowning didn’t strike enough fear into the heart of every parent, recent news headlines and social media posts have brought a new term to the forefront…”dry drowning.” You might be thinking, “Well of course my kiddo has had a cough a time or two after their face inadvertently went into the water. Is this something to worry about?” Here is what parents need to know about so called “dry drowning.” What is “dry drowning”? To get scientific, there are actually two entities here: Dry drowning- This occurs when a small amount of water gets into the nose or mouth, and this water causes a sudden spasm of the airway where it shuts close. It is almost like the airway is “over protecting” itself from the water that isn’t supposed to be there. With dry drowning, there is no water in the lungs. In these cases, you will see symptoms almost immediately after the water gets into the airway (the airway will not spasm if the water isn’t there). Delayed or Secondary drowning- In delayed drowning, a child inhales a bit of water through their nose or mouth, and the water actually does make it down into their lungs. Once in the lungs, the water begins to cause significant irritation and inflammation (after all, water is not supposed to be in our lungs) which leads to something called pulmonary edema. This can occur anywhere from 1-24 hours after the initial inhaling of the water. You can see that while these two terms mean something different from a medical standpoint, the term “dry drowning” is often...
by Mindy Calandro | May 29, 2017 | Kid's Health
You may have heard that the American Academy of Pediatrics published new “recommendations” in regards to juice consumption in children. I put the word recommendations in quotes mainly because, as a pediatrician, I RARELY recommend or encourage a parent to give juice to their child (some types of juice can do wonders for short term issues with constipation). Now, I have nothing against the juice industry! However, I am all about helping parents understand ways to keep their kiddos healthy and growing, and in my mind, fruit juice does not have a place in the daily diet of children. But let’s get back to those new “recommendations” for just a second. Children under 1 year of age should not be given juice unless instructed to do so by your child’s pediatrician. For children 1-3 years of age, up to 4 oz of juice can be offered while 6oz can be offered to those 4-6 years of age. And finally, for children 7 and older, up to 8oz of juice per day can be offered. Let’s put those amounts in perspective…a regular Capri Sun pouch is 6oz. Your typical fruit juice box is 6-8oz, and those fruit juice bottles sold near the checkout counter at your local grocery store come in at almost 16oz. So you can see that none of these options are “appropriate” for the recommended juice amount for toddlers. Juices really do not add anything nutritionally for kiddos, especially if your child is eating fruits. Fruit juices do not give more vitamins than eating “real” fruits and in fact, the bottled version of your favorite fruit likely...
by Mindy Calandro | May 25, 2017 | Kid's Health
After reading my post from earlier this week, you know what to look for on the front of that bottle of sunscreen (click here in case you missed it). As you head out to the store to stock up on your broad spectrum, SPF 30, water resistant sunscreen before your weekend trip to the pool/beach/T-ball tournament, you happen to stumble across a headline on your Facebook news feed that reads something like “Sunscreens can be dangerous for your children.” Geeze! As a parent who is just trying to protect their child from those harmful UV rays from the sun, now you read a story proclaiming that the exact thing recommended to keep them safe, can in fact, cause them harm. What is a parent to do? Well, first let’s try to understand what these headlines are really about, and this time, we will go to the back of the sunscreen bottle. There are two main classes of ingredients used in sunscreens- mineral and chemical filters. Mineral based sunscreens contain either zinc oxide or titanium dioxide which provide a physical barrier on the skin to protect it from the sun’s rays…they literally make the UV rays bounce off the skin. These provide protection from both UV A and B rays. These are probably my favorite kind of sunscreens especially for sensitive skin kiddos since these are not absorbed into the skin. The downside to mineral based sunscreens?? They can be difficult to rub in leaving a lovely white film covering the skin (or hot pink or blue if you remember those zinc noses that lifeguards had in the 90’s). Here are a...
