Radio spots for the week of 07/11/10 Broadcast on KKOY, KALN, KKOY, KINZ and KIND

Topic #1

Tick, tock, tick tock; and the pendulum swings, as time goes by.  Well, the times may be a-changing, back that is, when it comes to alternating acetaminophen and ibuprofen.  We used to do this a lot, until a few years ago when it was felt that it might not be that helpful.  There were concerns about overdosing, because tired, blurry-eyed parents might give the medications too soon.  Then we learned that fever was the body’s way to fight infection, and so may help us get better faster.  So, it was thought that alternating ibuprofen and acetaminophen was not the best policy.  But the pendulum might be swinging back, according to an article in the journal, Pediatrics, where kids treated with alternating does of the two, a dose given every 3 hours, had much less fever, than if given ibuprofen alone.  So, the acetaminophen would be given at noon, say, then the ibuprofen at 3 PM, then the acetaminophen at 6 PM, then the ibuprofen at 9 PM.  But there are several things to consider before you merrily decide to do this.  First, it is very important to write down which medication is given and the time it is given.  It is very easy to get these mixed up, and giving either medication too soon and thus possibly overdosing, can have bad results.  Second, you want to be sure it is appropriate to keep the fever down in the first place.  It is good to visit with your doctor about your specific child and this specific illness, before happily starting any anti-fever medication.  The age and the specific symptoms will determine what is right for your child.  You need to know how long it is safe to do this, before checking back with your doctor.  Swinging pendulums? Sometimes we don’t know when to swing with the flow, so to speak, or try to jump out of the way.  But I do know that with each tick, there is one less tock to give that kid a hug.  So give that hug now.  I’m Dr. Greta McFarland.

Topic #2

The ants go marching one by one, Hoorah! Hoorah!  And then there are the mosquitoes, the ticks, the fleas, and other varmints, and they all are enjoying the summertime, as much if not more than we are!  Here are a few suggestions from the American Academy of Pediatrics for bug safety, or maybe we should say human safety from the bugs.  Don’t use scented soaps, perfumes or hair sprays.  Avoid areas where insects nest or congregate, such as stagnant pools, uncovered foods and blooming flowers.  Avoid clothing with bright colors or flowery prints.  To remove a visible stinger from skin, gently back it out by scraping it off horizontally with a credit card or your fingernail.  Combination sunscreen/insect repellent products should be avoided since sunscreen needs to be reapplied often, but the insect repellent should not be reapplied.  Use insect repellents containing DEET to prevent tick diseases like Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, Lyme Disease, and tularemia, and mosquito-born illnesses like West Nile Virus.  Use DEET in a concentration of 10 to 30% in children over 2 months of age.  A concentration of DEET at 10% will give protection for 2 hours, whereas 30% DEET will give about 5 hours of protection.  Use the lowest concentration that will provide the required length of coverage.  The concentration of DEET varies from product to product, so read the label carefully.  Children should wash off the repellants when they get back inside.  If the bug repellant is sprayed on the back of the clothing, put the clothing in the wash when returning.  The kids who seem to have major reactions to bug bites, may do best with wearing long sleeved shirts and long pants, and socks.  So no matter how the insect menagerie comes to visit your child, be sure you’re ready, and give that kid a hug.  I’m Dr. Greta McFarland.

Topic #3

What do you have planned this summer with your kids?  I hope there’s a lot of good physical activity, adequate rest time, and activities to exercise that brain, like reading and math, or maybe recalling other things learned, like history or science concepts.  In other words, maybe trips to the library would be in order.  Well, as we’ve mentioned before, reading or sharing books, starting in infancy is a way of increasing brain development, especially in language.  An article in the July issue of Pediatrics tells of a study of language delays in the first 5 years of life.  There are two types of language, expressive and receptive.  Expressive language is when we let others know what we are thinking, by either talking, or somehow gesturing, or getting our point across.  Receptive language is when we understand an idea from someone else, like listening to someone talk, or reading.  Receptive language comes into us, and expressive language goes out of us.  So, this 29 year study looked at almost 7000 kids at age 5 years, and then looked at what kind of concerns these kids had at age 34.  The kids who had receptive language delays, meaning they had a hard time understanding information, were more likely to have delays in learning in school, which lead to many other problems as adults.  What can parents do?  First is to share books and things that have writing on them, with your infant, so the child gets the idea that reading and writing are very important.  Have developmental evaluations done very often, such as with the Well Child visits, so if there is a beginning communication problem, it is found early.  Know how your child is developing, and don’t just think, “He’ll outgrow this.”  He’ll have the very best chance if you are with him every step of the way.  And it all starts with that hug…on the way to the library.  I’m Dr. Greta McFarland.