PEDIATRIC HEALTH ASSOCIATES

The robins are back so spring must be coming! You’ve survived a long, hard winter and we’re sure you’re looking forward to summertime activities. Why not get your school and sports physicals out of the way now so that you can just have fun with the kids this summer? PHA has added the following     benefits for our families! 1)  Often we find that families want to share with expectant parents or new neighbors information about our practice. We now have a video on the website which will give them an overview about the practice. Feel free to direct your friends/family to our website or you can view the video at: http://www.pedhealth.net/News-Articles/News-Item-Title.aspx . When you recommend PHA, you are giving them access to pediatric MD’s and NP’s who are available 7 days a week! 2)    Our new smartphone app is now available at: http://mobile-pediatrichealth.pediatricweb.com . This is especially convenient in the middle of the night when your child s...

Announcing   the newest members of our family!   Congratulations to Nurse Practitioner Kim Gubbins who welcomed her first child, Rosie, into the world on March 1 st .    Mom and baby are doing very well and we can’t help but oooh and aaah over this little adorable one! Congrats are also in order to Julian Tang MD on the birth of his little sweetie, Emilia!   Born on St. Patrick’s Day, she was welcomed home by twins Ian and Jia.   Dr. Tang has a knack for having his kids on holidays since the twins were born on Valentine’s Day 2012!   Welcome to the world, sweet little one!

From the desk of Nurse Practitioner Romina Gieseman  Romina Gieseman, CPNP According to the New York Times, federal authorities reported a 43 percent drop in the obesity rate among 2-to 5-year-old children over the past decade.   This is a significant finding that has given some researchers hope that policy changes, may positively affect health behavior. The behaviors cited that are believed to have contributed to the decline are: 1.      Children now consume less calories from sugary beverages than they did in 1999 and consume 4-7% less calories than they did ten years ago (down 7% for boys; down 4% for girls). 2.     More women are breastfeeding, which can lead to healthier weight gain for younger children. 3.     Families with children have been buying lower-calorie foods over the past decade. Children ages 2 to 5 years old from low-income families have a 6% decrease in obesity from 2004-2012. (New York Times; 2/26/14) B...

    As parents, we are our child's first teacher.   That teaching begins at birth.   Baby and toddler brains are like sponges that soak up all the language we direct at them.    T he earlier you start explaining the world to your baby, the better.   Talking, singing and   reading to your baby is essential, even before they can respond .   Research has shown that how much and how well you talk with your babies and toddlers directly effect how well they learn to speak.   Parents need to have conversations with their little ones.   Don't just say, "Doggie", but elaborate and say, "Look at that Doggie run across the grass! "   More complex sentences are essential for your babies and toddlers to process new words and better their language now as well as in the future.     In addition, if you are more fluent in another language, babies and toddlers benefit from you speaking to them in that language.   Tips: ...