Stay up-to-date on the most current news at Brandywine Pediatrics. We will post office closings, vaccine availability, and more as news is available.
Lactation Consultant Available at Brandwyine Pediatrics
Karin DiSanto, IBCLC is happy to offer free prenatal visits to expectant Moms who would like to learn more about breastfeeding. Karin also meets with any new baby and family, who are patients of Brandywine Pediatrics, for help with breastfeeding. Karin can also help the mom who is looking for information on returning to work or school and maintaining breastfeeding, or information on pumping and introduction of bottles of pumped milk, or the mom who might just want to fine tune things or see if everything is going ok! She carries breastpumps for rent or sale as well, nursing bras and other breastfeeding essentials. Just give her a call at 302-478-8854.
2012 Physical Exams
2/28/12
Call now to schedule your child's 2012 physical exams. Spring sports and summer camps are coming soon! Call Michele at 302-478-2604 as soon as possible.
New Infant Acetaminophen Doses
Exp 12/12
Acetaminophen products for infants will now be sold with a dosing syringe instead of a dropper. The new concentration is 160mg/5ml. For this product the dose is as follows:
6-11 lbs/0-3 mos 1.25ml
12-17lbs/4-11mos 2.50ml
18-23lbs/12-23mos 3.75ml
24-35lbs/2-3yrs 5.00ml
Flu Vaccine Available
Flu vaccine is now available for children from 6 months to 18 years. Call your triage nurse to obtain an appointment.
Infant Tylenol Recalled
Exp 3/30/12
Johnson & Johnson recalled its entire U.S. supply of infants' Tylenol—about 574,000 bottles—due to a design flaw that hasn't caused harm. The move Friday involved bottles of grape-flavored infants' Tylenol.
With this new recall, J&J's McNeil Consumer Healthcare unit said the popular over-the-counter cold and pain remedy was safe and that it hadn't received any side-effect reports, but it acted after receiving a "small number of complaints" about a new bottle cap and dose syringe. The cap is meant to help parents draw the right dose for babies to 2-year-olds by inserting a syringe through the cap and into the bottle. In some instances, a part of the cap intended to restrict the flow of liquid can fall into the bottle, McNeil said in a message to parents posted on the Tylenol.com website. Parents shouldn't use the medicine if that happens, the company said.
duPont Hosp for Children Workshop for Athletes
Exp 3/15/12
Free workshop for parents and coaches of young athletes. First workshop on Jan 24th at 630pm. Registration required. Contact Erin McLaughlin at 298-7278 to register or info on upcoming workshops.
Children Car Safety Seat Inspection In Pennsylvania
No Exp
Parents/caregivers can schedule an appointment for a free inspection by calling any Pennsylvania State Police station. Inspection dates and contact info can be found by going to the safety education link at the state police website, www.psp.state.pa.us.
Taken from Garnet Valley Press, 8/3/11
Where Can Delaware Families Get Car Seat Checked?
No Expiration
New Castle County:
OHS Fitting Station, at Wilmington DMV. 302-434-3234
Chistiana Care's SAFE KIDS Fitting Station, 302-733-2472
AI duPont Fitting Station, 302-651-5437
Kent County:
OHS Fitting Station, at Dover DMV. 302-744-2749
Sussex County:
Delaware State Police Troop 7, 302-853-1014
OHS Fitting Station, at U of D Cooperative Extension Office. 302-856-7303
Getting Dad More Involved with Baby
3/1/12
By Dr Richard C. Woolfson
He loves Baby, he provides for her and he is interested in hearing about her everyday progress. But your husband isn’t helping out as much as you would like. You are left with the day-to-day care of the little one. It leaves you feeling like there’s nobody to share the work. This can be extremely frustrating.
It’s time to act on it! First, consider why your spouse isn’t spending more time with Baby, and then take action to improve the situation.
WHAT’S WRONG He’s uneasy around Baby. Some men are still very wary of carrying, bathing, changing or feeding a one-year-old. A previous bad experience – perhaps when his then newborn was fragile and vulnerable – could have dent Dad’s confidence.
WHAT TO DO Encourage Hubby to play his part in caring for Baby, even if he is afraid he won’t get it right. Reassure him that it doesn’t matter if, say, his cutie’s blouse isn’t buttoned up properly. Hands-on experience is the only way to boost his confidence that he can handle a young child.
WHAT’S WRONG He doesn’t understand the importance of bonding – that is, of forming a strong, emotional attachment between him and Baby.
WHAT TO DO Explain that Baby needs Dad’s love just as much as Mum’s. Each relationship adds a new dimension to her world, so he needs one-on-one time with her. It will be emotionally rewarding for him, too.
WHAT’S WRONG He may be convinced that he doesn’t have a clue how to calm a screaming child or play with her. He stands back because he doesn’t know where to start when it comes to managing her.
WHAT TO DO Offer suggestions. For example, Dad could soothe his crying cherub by rocking her gently, stroking her face, singing softly to her or carrying her close to him as he walks around the room. Suggest that he tries each technique for, say, 10 minutes before changing to an alternative. Give him lots of positive encouragement and assure him, too, that he can care for Baby in his own way.
WHAT’S WRONG He works full-time and is exhausted when he arrives home late at the end of the day. Besides, Baby is usually fast asleep when he is back. There just doesn’t seem to be enough time.
WHAT TO DO Can your spouse negotiate a flexible, family-friendly work schedule? Perhaps he can set off half an hour later on some mornings, or come home earlier once or twice a week. Maybe he can use his lunch hour, or some of his annual leave, to spend more time with Baby. Remind him to take his infant care leave, too.
WHAT’S WRONG It’s possible Hubby considers the raising of Baby to be “women’s work” and that he simply isn’t interested in childcare matters. Perhaps he only values those activities traditionally associated with men.
WHAT TO DO Have a chat with him. If you find that he does hold this view, arrange for activities that will fire his enthusiasm. For instance, the family can go to the park for a picnic or a walk during the weekend. You’ll both be surprised to find that he enjoys these leisure programmes and feels closer to the little one as a result.
Making Comparisons: A Parenting Hazard
4/1/12
Making comparisons: a parenting hazard
By Dr Richard C. Woolfson
Your little one is developing normally and hitting milestones on time – you know this for a fact. It pleases you when your family tell you how wonderful he is progressing.
Still, you can’t help but feel insecure when you notice that a friend’s baby of the same age is crawling a little earlier and making babbling sounds ahead of yours. You tell yourself you don’t care about these differences... but, deep down inside, maybe you do. It’s hard not to get caught up in the competition trap.
Here are suggestions to help you avoid this parenting hazard.
• Remind yourself that Baby is doing well Comparisons are only natural, as you watch him grow. But make sure you’re measuring him against an “average” infant, not a super-advanced child! In other words, you can assess your baby’s development milestone against the expected progress for that stage – your family doctor or nurse will guide you on this. But don’t compare him to a precocious infant whose progress is unusually rapid. If you are satisfied your baby is achieving the expected milestones, tell yourself that’s what matters.
• Recognise his achievements Every single day, your mini-me makes progress in one way or another. For instance, he can now follow you with his eyes as you walk slowly around the room, unlike a few weeks ago. Today, he can grip a toy in his hand that he couldn’t last week.
• Watch all aspects of his development – such as movement, speech and hand control – and make a mental note each time he moves to a new skill level. This keeps your attention more focused on your little one and less on your friend’s child. It also ensures you are aware of the wonderful improvements that regularly occur.
• Delight in Baby’s progress When he does, for example, start to walk or make a new sound when he babbles, let him see how pleased you are with him. Give him a big hug and tell him that he is terrific. Brag about your cherub’s progress to your friends and relatives – you can be sure his grandparents, in particular, will never tire of hearing about each new stage in his development! All these actions ensure that you are thinking about your baby, not someone else’s. And even if you do discover that your friend’s infant is developing ahead of yours, you are less likely to feel competitive about it.
• Learn to accept differences No matter how smart and alert your baby is, there will always be another infant who can do more than him. That is the nature of individual differences; no two kids progress at exactly the same rate – not even identical twins. Try to accept that such contrasts are normal. You have nothing to worry about because you know your baby’s development is completely normal.
• Be honest about your feelings Sometimes, no matter how hard you try, how much you love your child and admire his progress, you may still get caught up in the competition trap.
Share your feelings to your husband or your best friend. Be honest with them. Admit that you can’t help comparing your baby to another, even though you wish you didn’t. You’ll find that the very act of discussing these thoughts with someone you trust makes you feel better already. Although you don’t need their reassurance, you’ll feel very comfortable when they point out that his progress is fantastic.
Bicycle Helmet Recalls
3/1/12
BICYCLE HELMETS
DETAILS: Bicycle helmets imported from China by Triple Eight Distribution of Port Washington, N.Y., sold at bicycle and sports stores and other retailers nationwide and online from August 2006 through November 2011 for about $40. Little Tricky helmets are marketed for children and youth and feature a large Little Tricky logo on both sides of the helmet.
WHY: Product testing demonstrated the helmets do not comply with Consumer Product Safety Commission safety standards for impact resistance, meaning a rider could suffer head injuries in a fall.
INCIDENTS: None reported.
HOW MANY: About 30,400.
FOR MORE: Contact Triple Eight toll free at 888-548-8518 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. EST Monday through Friday or visit the company's website at http://www.triple8.com
Are Parents Obsessed With Their Kids' Popularity?
3/1/12
Are Parents Obsessed With Their Kids' Popularity?
Posted: 1/11/12 07:07 AM ET
Recently, a friend of mine told me about her daughter's friends -- two teenage girls who are touting beer cans in their Facebook profile photos. These are under-aged kids. 14-year-olds.
"Why are their parents letting them put pictures of themselves with beer on the Internet?" I said.
"I think a lot of these parents are more concerned about their kids' popularity than they are with anything else," she said.
What does this mean? Is it a bullying backlash?
Newspaper headlines point to relentless bullying stories that end in suicide -- Phoebe Prince's 2010 suicide which stemmed from slut-shaming, and most recently, Tennessee teen Jacob Rogers's suicide due to severe anti-gay torments, come to mind.
Has the quest for popularity become so anxiety-provoking that parents, who are otherwise involved in their children's lives -- sports, arts, grades, clothing -- would allow their child to pose drunk with a beer can on the Internet? Of course there is the idea that the parents don't know what's happening in their kids' lives, but I don't believe this. Experts have been drilling parents about monitoring Internet activity for at least a decade, so sheer ignorance can't be to blame.
So I asked a friend in another town who generally takes a stand-offish approach with her 13-year-old, "I don't care where she fits in with the social pool, as long as she feels secure," she says. She mentioned a mother who is on Facebook every single day "friending" girls for her not-so-much-of-a-social-butterfly daughter. This woman is an anomaly my friend says in one breath, and then quickly admitted, "There are people who are on top of who's who in their child's life for safety reasons, but I think some people are doing it to see where their kid falls on the social ladder."
Rosalind Wiseman, author of "Queen Bees and Wannabes", who has studied tens of thousands of children and their social navigation, suggests that parents shouldn't confuse what we think is good for our children "and what we're just reacting to through anxiety."
If anxiety (you also know this as helicopter parenting) is the root cause of over-meddling in our children's lives, then a flurry of confusing boundaries have erupted as a result, provoking all sorts of open-ended questions like: how much should I be involved in my child's social life? Am I doing great harm to them if I rear my ugly adult head? And am I doing harm if I don't?
But friendships present different rules. Kids are always going to struggle with some form of social difficulty. What's changed is our level of unease around our kids' discomfort.
Alyssa, another friend of mine and a mother of two boys, admits to a similar experience. "My son might be happy one night to just watch a movie, and I say, 'Why don't you invite friends over?' I'm a 40-year-old woman, but I would feel bad if my son wasn't invited somewhere," she says. "We don't always let our kids fall where they may socially. We're pushing them into the direction of where the party is at."
So what's the answer? I'd like to think that there's a boundary that we can establish with our children that allows them to be individuals and be accepted by their peers without crossing that creepy line. There are always going to be kids who want attention and they'll do it in anyway possible -- holding beers on Facebook, being the class clown, or bullying someone because it makes them look powerful. But it's our job as parent to say: It's not your popularity that's most important. It's your friendships. It's your self-worth. It's your kindness. It's your intelligence. This should be your focus.
Follow Hayley Krischer on Twitter: www.twitter.com/hayleykrischer
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