PEDIATRIC HEALTH ASSOCIATES

From the desk of Shelly Flais, MD:  Shelly Flais, MD  Food allergies are on the rise; if your family is not affected by a food allergy, it is likely that your kids have a friend or classmate who is. Food allergy is a serious medical condition affecting up to 15 million people in the United States , including 1 in 13 children- roughly two in every classroom. The most common food allergies for kids are milk, egg, peanut, tree nut, wheat, soy, fish, and shellfish. A friendly reminder as our kids return to school this month: if your child has a food allergy, make sure your home and school both have a current autoinjectable epinephrine device (examples include EpiPen and AuviQ) on hand in case of emergency, and that all caregivers are properly trained in its use. Your school should have a current Food Allergy Action Plan form on file for your child. Double check that your autoinjectable epinephrine device has not yet expired; yearly updated prescriptions are required. If your family ne...

 

Many children are socially awkward today.   The lack of face to face interaction can hamper a child’s ability to know how to handle situations.    While texting is a form of interaction, it does not allow our children to learn important skills in life such as teamwork, learning to share, reading body language or holding a conversation. While on vacation, are your kids so busy texting that they are missing the experience?   You’ve spent lots of money and your available time off for this family time---have the kids leave their phones behind so they can take in the scenery, enjoy time with the family and experience a different part of the world. While most schools require that phones are put away during class time, many children are receiving texts from us parents during class time.    While it may not seem like much interruption, it takes away your child’s focus on what’s being taught in the classroom.    We all want the very best for our kids so ...