Utah Valley Pediatrics strives to keep parents up to date on the latest health topics and advisories. Our newsletter covers medicine changes and news, pediatric news, seasonal and age specific topics and what’s new at Utah Valley Pediatrics.
Archives
Spring 2008
Vol. 2 Issue 1
Medicine Changes
and News
Allergy Advice Changed for Infants
Pediatric News
Seasonal and Age Specific
What's New
at UVP
Dr. Nielsen is Moving to our Provo Office!
New Electronic Medical Record Will Cause Delays Starting April 14th
Contacts
Kevin Moffitt
Administrator
801-373-8930
Allison Arnold
Manager
801-373-8930
Quick Links
Medicine Changes and News
Allergy Advice Changed for Infants
New research may change the advice given to mothers regarding infants and food allergies. In August 2000, the AAP stated mothers should avoid certain foods like cow’s milk, eggs, and nuts while breast-feeding. It also released a schedule for introducing these foods into a child’s diet.
However, the January 2008 issue of the journal, Pediatrics, printed a report suggesting a revision of these recommendations. It stated there is no reliable evidence that women who avoid certain foods during pregnancy or breast-feeding lower their child’s risk of having a food allergy, and there is no evidence that delaying the introduction of solid foods like fish, peanut butter or eggs beyond six months prevents food allergies.
Utah’s laws regarding child car seat laws have recently changed. After May 5th, 2008, any child who is under eight years old is required to use a car seat or booster seat. Once children reach age eight or are 4’9,” they are allowed to use a seat belt. Booster seats are relatively easy to use—you just set the child on the booster seat and buckle the seat belt as you normally would. With smaller children, booster seats help the seat belt hit them at the right place on their neck and chest. In case of a collision, the booster seat also prevents injury to abdominal organs by positioning the seat belt over the hip bones rather than the abdomen.
Pediatric News
Many of the popular new toys for young children involve electronics like TV and computers and claim to help them learn. Videos like Baby Einstein are now a staple in many homes, but are they really helping children learn?
According to research, babies don’t comprehend what they see on screen until they are 18 to 24 months old. Studies have shown that early television viewing is associated with a variety of long-term problems, such as slower development of reading and math skills. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that children under the age of 2 not have any screen time including television, video and computer (AAP news release (PDF)). It also states that children older than two should have no more than one or two hours of screen time a day.
Nearly one third of children nationwide are overweight and many parents are in denial about their child’s weight problem. Parents may think their child will “grow out of it” or that it’s in their genes. However, parents should take the health risks of being overweight seriously. There are even simple things they can do to help their child be healthier.
Overweight children have a greater tendency to develop Type II diabetes, high cholesterol, heart disease, high blood pressure, and sleep apnea. Being overweight can also damage their self-esteem and limit the activities they enjoy because their breathing and energy level is affected.
Seasonal and Age Specific
Seasonal allergic rhinitis, also called hay fever, is caused by common outdoor allergens such as mold, trees, or grass and weed pollens. Allergic rhinitis may also be triggered by allergens that are in your house like animal dander (tiny skin flakes and saliva), indoor mold, or droppings from cockroaches or dust mites.
Now that the weather is getting warm, it’s important to think about keeping your kids safe in the sun. A good way to do this is to make sure they have adequate clothing to protect their skin. This includes a hat with a brim to shade the face, sunglasses and clothing made of tightly woven fabric. It also helps to keep your children out of the sun during peak sun intensity hours (10 a.m. to 4 p.m.).
Children should never be left alone near a pool. They should always be supervised by an adult who knows CPR. The AAP recommends that you surround your pool with a 5-foot fence that separates it from your house and play areas. Make sure pool gates self-latch at a point too high for children to reach. "Floaties" or other inflatable swimming aids can give children a false sense of security, so an approved life vest is a better choice.
Even if your children know how to swim, they are not safe from drowning. Children under five should always have an adult within an arm’s length whenever they are in the pool. AAP Tips for Pool safety
What's New at UVP
Dr. Nielsen is Moving to our Provo Office!
Dr. Nielsen is moving from the Cherry Tree office to our Provo office at the end of March. His patients will enjoy his new location because they will find ample parking and be closer to UVRMC in case they need lab work. Dr. Nielsen is excited to work with the doctors at the Provo clinic.
New Electronic Medical Record Will Cause Delays
Starting April 14th
Utah Valley Pediatrics will implement a new scheduling and billing computer system April 14th. This will initially cause delays in scheduling, check-in, check-out, and billing as we verify patient information that has been transferred to the new system. When you check in, you may be asked to fill out some paperwork verifying your information. Coming a little early to your appointment will help speed up the process. We thank you for your patience as we make this transition.
During the months of May and June, the physicians will transition to a new Electronic Medical Record or EMR. The new EMR will give us greater capability and help us serve our patients better. For example, we will be able to automatically fax prescriptions (except schedule II medications, the law still requires those be carried into the pharmacy) to your pharmacy making it so that you longer have to come in to pick up prescriptions. During the transition, we ask for your patience as our physicians become accustomed to the new system.
We believe the new computer system will give us better information about our care and be a valuable tool in helping us provide better quality care to you and your children.
During the transition and as our staff becomes more proficient using the new system, we thank you for your patience.
If your child is injured, please give us a call before going to the Emergency Room or Urgent Care. Most often, we can take care of the injury and you can avoid incurring the high charges at Urgent Care or the ER. A pediatrician is available each evening, weekend and holiday. In the evenings, a pediatrician is available until 9:00 pm in our American Fork office and 10:00 pm for our Provo, Plaza, Orem, and Timpanogos offices. Please call your pediatrician’s office to arrange to be seen.
For more information, visit http://www.uvpediatrics.com/offices/after-hours.php
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