Sep 12, 11 | Posted by: Sharyl Paley, M.D.
Change – the turning of another year
In July I turned 44. It was also the month that I start my 16th year of practice. It is hard to believe that I finished my residency at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin that long ago, even though it seems like it was just yesterday. The changes are starting to happen. Several of my mentors are leaving their positions at Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin. I salute my mentors. They are the people who have made me the pediatrician that I am today. They continue to be the people I rely on when I am stumped, when I need a pick me up, or when I just need to discuss the changing face of medicine. My mentors taught me more then just medicine. Every day I am reminded that each child is an individual and everyone responds differently to illness. It is my mentors that taught me the importance of looking at each person and not just read the books. Children do not read the books. I am still amazed how some physicians are quick to jump and predict the future for a child. I take care of one child that when she was born was told(by another physician) she would never do more then a six month old could do. Today she is reading, playing, and being a child. It was a mentor who taught me to give hope; children are amazing and often respond better then we think they will. Everyday I learn new things and apply them to my practice of pediatrics. This was also impressed upon me by my mentors. They reminded me medicine is always evolving and we need to keep striving to be better. I hope that I have influenced some residents and medical students and have been mentors to them. Changes always happen. We might not agree with them or like them, but as mentor continues to remind me even today, change can bring about good.
Sep 8, 11 | Posted by: Kristin Bencik Boudreau, D.O.
Measles in Milwaukee
There has been a confirmed case of measles in a Milwaukee resident today. The patient is a child with a history of international travel. So what is measles and what does it mean for us? Measles is a highly contagious virus that is spread by respiratory droplets. The only host of the virus are humans. The disease presents with a fever, cough, runny nose, conjunctivitis, and three to four days later, a rash. The rash is a very red, small raised bumps that spreads from the face down to the rest of the body. There can be characteristic lesions in the mouth of 1 to 3 mm diameter blueish white bumps surrounded by a red halo. Measles can have serious complications including encephalitis, or brain infection causing permanent brain damage in 1 out of every 1000 cases. It can also cause death in 1 to 3 out of every 1000 cases.
Patients are contagious for 1 to 2 days before symptoms occur until 4 days after the rash appears (around ten days). The incubation period is around 8 to 12 days. Measles is diagnosed by a blood test, as well as nose and throat swabs. Treatment is supportive, and tailored to the age of the patient and severity of the illness.
The best protection against measles in VACCINATION!!! Children are vaccinated between 12-15 months and again at 4 years. If you have opted not to vaccinated your child, we would strongly recommend that they come in and receive their MMR vaccine. Measles has clearly been shown to be very dangerous for children, the vaccine has not. Numerous reputable medical studies have shown that there is NO LINK between the MMR vaccine and autism. Please call your physicians if you have further questions regarding the vaccinations.
If you have any concerns that your child may have measles or been exposed, please call immediately.
Jul 28, 11 | Posted by: Kristin Bencik Boudreau, D.O.
A Summer of Fun!
I recently was in a physical exam and when I asked the child what he had been doing all summer, the mom said he was having a “summer of fun.” Of course, I then had to ask what a summer of fun was. The mom said the kids were allowed to do whatever they wanted (within safety reasons). They could play video games for hours, watch TV, etc. She said they decided to do it this year because their life during the school year was so stressful with homework, activities, and sports that she really wanted to let them have a vacation. She said at first they watched screen time for hours, but now they are reading for fun, going outside more, and the struggle over forced activities has really lessoned. She stated they were having one of their best summers ever.
The summer of fun idea really stirred some personal reflection. My oldest loves video games, and I know if he had a carte blanche to play nonstop I probably wouldn’t see him for weeks. Recent studies have also shown that American kids are actually getting fatter in the summer, because they are even less active than they were in the school year watching TV and playing video games. On the other hand, I think its a wonderful idea to let the kids really be in control for some of their vacation. As this mom found, she got the results she wanted without the struggle.
Food for thought as we enter the last month of summer before the school year winds up again. While I can’t see myself ever doing a summer of fun, I think a “day of fun” might be in my kids future! Happy Summer!
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.
