Author Archive
Feb 3, 12 | Posted by: Bayshore Pediatrics
Saying Good Luck to Meg
If you’ve been to Bayshore Pediatrics in the past three years, you have been met with boisterous laughter from Meg, one of our receptionist. She usually checks in patients on Dr. Paley and Dr. Linsmeier’s side and sits to the side.
Today, February 3rd, is her last day with us. Meg is joining another facility to be more integrally involved in direct patient care. Although we will miss her, we are excited for this opportunity for her and wish her luck in her new adventure. Thank you Meg!
This means that you will be seeing new faces at the front again. We look forward to introducing you to our new team member soon. Although we know this is unsettling, especially to our patients that look for familiar faces, it will be familiar soon with a warm welcome. Promise.
Dec 1, 11 | Posted by: Bayshore Pediatrics
Pertussis – Just in time for the Holidays
Pertussis or “whooping cough” has reemerged in our community. There are now five confirmed cases of pertussis in Mequon area. We have blogged about this in the past and it seems time again.
Pertussis is highly contagious and can be dangerous for those who are not vaccinated. Surprisingly, even students that are vaccinated can acquire pertussis. Vaccinations are not 100 percent effective, and efficacy is different for each individual vaccine.
Part of why vaccines work so well is something called “herd immunity,” which means if enough people are vaccinated, they prevent the disease from reoccurring even if the vaccine itself is not completely effective. Due to the concerns with vaccine safety, fewer people are vaccinating. This allows diseases that were nearly eradicated to reemerge and infect patients.
Pertussis look like a cold at the beginning, with a runny nose, possible fever and a mild but irritating cough for 1-2 weeks. What separates pertussis from a cold is the explosive coughing that can interrupt breathing, eating and sleeping and is commonly followed by vomiting and exhaustion. Pertussis, otherwise known as whooping cough, gets its name from the loud loud crowing or “whooping” sound that patients make as they struggle to inhale air. The coughing spells can last for several weeks or longer. In younger children, the symptoms are usually milder and without the typical whoop.
There is no “cure” for pertussis, antibiotics can shorten the time someone is contagious and can prevent the transmission to other people.
Click here for more information about pertussis.
Please call us if you are concerned about your child’s health and pertussis.
Jun 30, 11 | Posted by: Bayshore Pediatrics
Pertussis protection for newborns
At Bayshore Pediatrics, we love to see new babies. They always invoke the “ooooos” and “ahhhs” from everyone that works here. When we see a new baby, we look forward to sharing in the joys of parenthood and in safeguarding the health of these new little ones. As part of our ongoing effort to keep these children healthy as possible, we are now recommending that all close contacts in the home who have not been previously vaccinated with the pertussis vaccine receive it as soon as possible. This includes mothers, fathers, grandparents and other relatives who will be caring for the new baby , as well as siblings who are not current with their DTaP vaccines or siblings age 10 or older who have not received a TDaP which stands for T: tetanus, D: diphtheria, aP: acellular pertussis.
Why vaccinate with Tdap?: Pertussis is whooping cough and has risen to epidemic proportions throughout the U.S. Neither the pertussis vaccine nor natural infection gives a person life-long immunity to whooping cough since immunity decreases with time. Over 90% of deaths from pertussis occur in infants less than three months of age, before they can be protected by vaccination. California alone had 10 deaths in infants in 2010. Pertussis cases in infants are usually acquired from a close household contact. In fact, over 50% of the time they acquire it from a parent who has cold symptoms and doesn’t even know they have pertussis. The best protection against pertussis is vaccination of the entire family, commonly referred to as the cocooning strategy.
About Pertussis: Pertussis is caused by a bacterium (Bordetella pertussis) that is highly contagious and spread through the air by infectious droplets. Pertussis can be a severe illness, causing prolonged coughing spells that can persist for weeks. The coughing spells can make it difficult for a person to eat, drink and breathe. In infants, it can also cause pneumonia and lead to brain damage, seizures mental retardation, and even death.
For moms and dads, Bayshore Pediatrics can provide the TDaP vaccine at their first newborn appointment. For others that will be caring for the baby , the TDaP vaccine can be received from their primary care physician or the local health department.
We are continuing to make every effort to safeguard the health of all the children we serve.
Jun 27, 11 | Posted by: Bayshore Pediatrics
New concussion services
Have you ever scrunched your face and thought “wow, that hurt” when watching an athlete take a hit? Have you been at a sporting event that your child is in and hoped that there were no head injuries that day? Many of us have been in that situation. At Bayshore Pediatrics, many of us have children that participate in football, hockey, soccer, snowboarding, and other “at-risk” sports. We encourage our own children to be active and participate in these sports. Concussions are a concern for us all. In the past year, concussions awareness has received national attention with the NFL, NHL, and MLB joining ranks to better understand and protect against concussions.
Starting on Monday, June 27th, Bayshore Pediatrics is implementing a new service to assist in the evaluation and “return – to – play” treatment plan of our patient – athletes. We are now offering the ImPACT baseline concussion testing at Bayshore Pediatrics clinic. ImPACT stands for Immediate Post-concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing. ImPACT testing is used throughout professional and amateur sports including 24 NFL teams, professional hockey, international rugby, professional baseball teams, 300+ colleges, and over 1000 high schools. ImPACT was developed by the University of Pittsburgh concussion program and is the most scientifically validated computerized concussion tool.
ImPACT is a computerized, neuro-cognitive test that measures brain function such as attention span, working memory, sustained and selective attention time, response variability, non-verbal problem solving, and reaction time Bayshore Pediatrics is offering patients 12 years and older the ability to take the ImPACT test as a baseline test. In the event that an athlete is injured and concerned about the possibility of a concussion, the test can then be retaken and the post-injury results are compared to the pre-injury results. Because ImPACT measures brain function pre- and post-injury, this can be a useful tool in seeing what is going on with a patients brain function and help determine when it is appropriate to return to play, preventing any second concussion possibilities. Studies have shown that even though an athlete may feel okay physically to return to practice or play, their brain function may not be. This can cause the athlete to return to play prematurely, not allowing timeand not healing properly.
Facts about taking the Baseline test:
- Plan for 30-40 minutes to take the test
- The test costs $20.00, is payable at the time of the test, and is not billable to insurance. The cost may be a flexible spending account eligible expense.
- Results are not provided at the time of taking the test. The results are stored in a secure database that can be accessed by ImPACT trained physicians for evaluation.
To scheduled a baseline test for your child, please call our office at 414-228-0099.
Because Bayshore Pediatrics is committed to not only the health of the patients we serve in our clinic but also the health of the children in the community, we can provide ImPACT baseline testing for teams. If you are interested in your child’s sport team having baseline tests before practice starts, please call our office at 414-228-0099 and ask to speak with the Clinic Manager.
Jun 7, 11 | Posted by: Bayshore Pediatrics
Active Tuberculosis at Whitefish Bay Middle School
Today we are receiving calls from parents with students at Whitefish Bay Middle School regarding tuberculosis. The public health department sent home a letter stating that children at Whitefish Bay middle school may have been exposed to another student in 7th grade that has active tuberculosis (TB).
The Shorewood / Whitefish Bay Health department has scheduled a TB skin test clinic for students of Whitefish Bay Middle school on Wednesday, June 8th and follow up reading on Friday, June 10th. If your child attends Whitefish Bay Middle school, the pediatricians of Bayshore Pediatrics strongly recommend that your child is tested at the TB skin test clinic on Wednesday, June 8th. Due to the way students move within the school, we recommend testing regardless of your child’s grade. More »
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