2 week well child exam

So what do we do for the two week well child exam you ask?  After all, wasn't my child just there 2 weeks ago?

Well, first and foremost we check the child's weight.  At this time your child should be back to or above his or her birth weight.  If they have not regained their birthweight there is potential for several serious problems to be present.

Next we will address any concerns that the parents may have for the child.  By now many children have dry skin and the parents wonder what to do about this.  Many children are also spitting up and this raises many parental questions.

Finally we do a complete physical.  The artery pressures in the lungs have finally dropped to their normal adult levels making many murmurs not heard at birth now audible.  We check for liver and kidney size and recheck the hips since dysplastic hips can show up any time in the first 18 months of life.

We end with some safety recommendations for parents and set up the next visit.

I hope that this has helped to demistify what we do.

Kevin M. Windisch MD, FAAP
www.facebook.com/sparkspeds.nv

Whooping cough

This is why I'm so strict about children being up to date on vaccines.  (warning this is very graphic and disturbing)  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wuvn-vp5InE  There is a large whooping cough epidemic in Sacramento coming to a child near you.  We need to protect our children and vaccination is the only way.

Flu shots

Flu shots will be arriving shortly, stay tuned for updated on our Facebook page www.facebook.com/sparkspeds.nv  we will let you know when they are here.

Who should get the flu shot?  It is now recommened for all children.  We give 2 doses the first year or 2 doses to any child who did not complete the 2 dose series of swine flu vaccines last year.

Kevin M. Windisch MD FAAP
Sparks Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine
775-359-7111

Infant Hip Exam

Ever wonder what we are doing when we examine an infant's hips?  Ever wonder what we are looking for.  Here is your chance to learn how and why we do what we do.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPPkrS8ktp8

I hope that this is enlightening.
Kevin M. Windisch MD, FAAP
Sparks Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine
www.facebook.com/sparkspeds.nv
775-359-7111

Dosing liquid medications

When giving your child oral medications that come in liquid form, always use the eyedropper that came with the medication a calibrated oral syringe.  In a pinch a measuring spoon can be used.  Never, ever, ever just guess at the dose of medication.  The risks of over or underdosing your child on medication is too long to list here.

You wouldn't use a regular spoon from the kitchen table to measure the salt for your Nestle's Tollhouse cookies because this might make the cookies taste bad, so don't use a regular spoon to dose medications because this could have deadly results.  I know that this recommendation sounds very basic but you would be surprised how often I run across this.

I hope that this helps to keep your children safe.

Kevin M. Windisch MD, FAAP
Sparks Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine
http://www.sparkspeds.com/
www.facebook.com/sparkspeds.nv
775-359-7111

Smashed Fingernails

How many times did I smash my fingers in a car door as a child? Too many to count. These injuries, while usually mild, can result in amputation of the finger tip or destruction of the bone. If there is obvious deformity, please see your doctor.




What I really wanted to talk about, though, was what to do for the bruise that then results under the finger nail. First is to ice the finger to reduce the swelling. You can give motrin as well for pain. Finally, if you bring in your child to see your doctor, we can drill some small holes in the nail to relieve the pressure and thus protect the underlying nail bed. The small holes will also help to decrease the pain by getting the pressure down.



I hope that this helps. Stay safe.

Kevin M. Windisch MD, FAAP

Sparks Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine



www.facebook.com/sparkspeds.nv

Boat and boater safety

Here are some tips for boating with children.

http://sparkspeds.wordpress.com/2010/08/04/boats-and-kids/