Diagnosis | Pediatric Surgery

Avoiding Some Surgeries

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It is always a sad occasion when a child has to have a surgical operation performed. After all, children are young enough that everything in their bodies should still work very well. Unfortunately, there are ample occasions in which this is just not the case.

While there are all manner of childhood diseases, including a suite of different cancers that can afflict a child, one of the most common causes of a child needing to have surgery done occurs when the child is in some type of accident. According to statistics, a very large number of Americans are hurt in auto accidents every year.

Most people are so busy trying to find some discount car insurance that they forget auto accidents can injure people. While saving some money is great, it may not provide enough compensation if you improperly install a child seat. That can be extremely dangerous for your child, and it is a major cause of the injuries that children tend to sustain in auto accidents. Another cause of injuries is just the normal issues that cause any kind of accident. You want to make sure that your car is in good repair, which can help reduce the potential for maintenance-related accidents.

Are your brakes good? How about your tires? Those are the parts of your car that are most likely to wear out and that will end up needing replacement before they inadvertently cause an accident. Also, most drivers with children in the car need to be more cautious. Kids are more sensitive to whiplash than adults are, since their necks are not as strong. And, while this advice will not eliminate the possibility that an accident might one day injure your kids, it will certainly reduce this likelihood. Sometimes reducing your risks is the best possible outcome.

Filed Under: Child Care, Cord blood, Diagnosis, General Tagged With: Accident, Injury, Medicine, Surgery, Sweden, Traffic collision, United States, Vehicle insurance

Pediatric Brain Surgery

It’s almost something that any parent doesn’t even want to imagine. Your precious child is sick and it is not just a cold or the flu. If you are a parent that has just received news that your child has a brain tumor or lesions on the brain that need to be removed it can be quite distressing.

Although it can be hard to imagine that there is any good news when something like this happens, there is a light at the end of the tunnel. The good news is that medical advancements have come so far that the treatment and removal of a tumor or lesion is an almost routine surgery that a surgeon performs regularly.

If you are facing having a child who needs this type of surgery here are a few things to consider when choosing a doctor that is right for you and your child.

- Research. Research is the number one key to making sure that you are going with the right doctor. Look into how many surgeries this doctor has performed, how often he performs this type of surgery and a number of other factors. This will help you decide which doctor is the best for you based off of statistics.

- See how your child reacts. Your child is the one that has to deal with the doctor directly. If they are uncomfortable it will not help in the healing process. Consider seeing how your child reacts to the doctor when you introduce them. Your child’s instincts might just be the best way to determine which doctor to choose.

No matter what you do don’t allow a diagnosis like this get you down. Remember that there are hundreds of cases of this surgery being performed and before you know it you’re child will be healed, heading off to college and taking the gmat test prep before you know!

Filed Under: Diagnosis, Health Tagged With: BrainTumor

Three Games to Help Fight Childhood Obesity

Helping children loose weight is a constant struggle for parents, the pediatric society, and Healthcare administrators. With fast food, pre-packaged meals, and junk food it can be difficult to turn children to a healthier lifestyle. Convincing children to exercise, however, may be easier for many parents thanks to plug and play and console fitness games. These games are affordable and will keep children interested while loosing weight and staying active.

There are three very popular styles of home fitness games. The first is the widely played DDR or Dance Dance Revolution. This game has been chosen by several Healthcare professionals as a wonderful way to get children off the sofa and moving. The game is offered in plug and play PC, television, and gaming console options. All the child needs is a dance mat and the game. Free options of the game are available for legal download online and parents can even adjust the settings to fit their child’s needs.

Another immensily popular home fitness games are plug and play sports packages like the Zone. The Zone is an all in one gaming console that costs less than $50. Parents can set the console up just like any other gaming console and children can begin playing immediately. The games range from yoga to running and keep the children moving all the time. Many Healthcare practitioners offer this option to parents who may have limited budgets or have children enrolled in homeschool programs that still need a fitness regimen.

A final option for home fitness games is the Wii Fit. The Wii Fit is incredibly popular, however, it is a bit expensive. This gaming system and the fitness packages offered within the system are a favorite of many Pediatrics professionals as they have set goal systems, team play, solo play, and can get the entrie family involved in the fitness program. All three of these options offer affordable and easy ways to get children moving and help them to find childhood obesity.

Filed Under: Child Care, Diagnosis, Health Tagged With: Child, Health, Wii

Get Ready! It’s Immunization Time

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As summer rolls to an end, parents should think about getting kids ready to go back to school. This may include getting immunizations and vaccines according to state regulations. Exactly what you need varies depending on the state where you live and the risks for certain diseases. If you don’t know what shots your child needs, talk with your school district or pediatrician. Most doctors stay abreast of the requirements in order to provide the best care. You’ll want to consider whether to get shots that schools recommend but don’t require. If you have a teenage daughter, you may want to look into the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, which helps prevent cervical cancer. Like many vaccines, controversy surrounds this one. The HPV vaccine helps protect against conditions caused by sexually transmitted diseases. Some parents think it’s better to teach children abstinence than rely on a vaccine.

While most pediatricians recommend vaccinations, there are some medical professionals who believe children no longer need them. Officials in areas that have experienced recent outbreaks of illnesses, like whooping cough and chicken pox, disagree. The Health Department in Washington is keeping tabs on outbreaks occurring in Canada and warning parents to take preventive measures. If you can’t afford to pay out-of-pocket for shots, check with your practitioner. Many states have programs to cover the expense. You’ll have to pay a portion of the bill, but it’ll cost less than paying full price. Many insurance companies cover shots as part of the standard coverage for children under 19. Health Department officials also remind people that some illnesses have no cure but are preventable with vaccines and immunizations.

If you don’t want to get your children immunized or vaccinated, check with your childcare provider or your school district to determine what you need to do to satisfy the health requirements. In some cases, an alternative medical practitioner, like a chiropractor, can write you a note exempting your child. If you decide to opt out of immunization, your child may be more susceptible to illness, especially if she’s around kids who have just gotten shots.

Filed Under: Child Care, Conditions and Diseases, Diagnosis, Health Tagged With: Health, Human papillomavirus, Immunization, Vaccine

Discover the Best Children’s Hospitals for Your Loved One

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Illness is hard on a family, especially when the person suffering is a child. When you’re under stress form an illness, you don’t need to add any more by worrying about the hospital where your child gets treatment. Working with a top-ranked facility can help alleviate the stress, and you’ll have peace of mind knowing your child is getting the best care possible.

Each year, U.S. News surveys pediatric centers across the United States. Thousands of doctors responded to the survey and indicated where they would send the sickest children depending on illness. Special areas of care included cancer, kidney, neonatology, gastroenterology, orthopedics, pulmonology, diabetes and endocrinology, heart and heart surgery, urology, and neurology and neurosurgery.

Overall, 62 of the 170 children’s health facilities surveyed ranked in the top 10 for at least one category, but eight hospitals ranked in the top 10 for each category. These eight hospitals are Children’s Hospital Boston, Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston, Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC, St. Louis Children’s Hospital-Washington University, Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, New York-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley-Komansky Children’s Hospital, and Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

While any top-ten ranked children’s hospital is sure to give you the best care possible, you may want to consider treatment options at one of the top three facilities for the specific illness your child has. These hospitals are on the cutting edge of research and have the latest treatment options, including experimental ones. From the list of the top-ranked facilities, the following hospitals hold the top three spots for at least four of the 10 categories.

Children’s Hospital Boston ranks first for heart and heart surgery, kidney disorders, neurology and neurosurgery, orthopedics, and urology; second for diabetes and endocrinology and neonatology; and third for cancer, gastroenterology, and pulmonology.

Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia ranks first for diabetes and endocrinology, neonatology, and pulmonology; second for urology, cancer, gastroenterology, and heart and heart surgery; and third for neurology and neurosurgery and orthopedics.

Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center ranks first for gastroenterology, second for pulmonology, and third for kidney disorders and neonatology.

Filed Under: Child Care, Diagnosis, Pediatrics Tagged With: Health, Medicine, Orthopedics, Pediatric

Did Your Child’s Doctor Make the Wrong Diagnosis?

Since 1990, the number of children diagnosed with food allergies has dramatically increased. Now, doctors estimate eight percent of children have some type of allergy to foods. Because of the sharp increase, watchdog organizations doubt whether children are receiving the correct diagnosis. At the heart of the debate is self-diagnosis testing kits, but some critics are extending their doubt to practitioners who use testing methods like skin prick tests. The watchdog group NICE, or the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence, claims 1/5 of self-diagnoses tests return inaccurate results.

Testing for food allergies isn’t the only indication food allergies are on the rise. Hospitals in Northern Ireland, Wales, and England are reporting a 500 percent increase over the last 20 years in the number of children admitted because of an allergic reaction to food.

To help ensure doctors get the correct diagnosis, NICE has put together guidelines to determine whether a child has a food allergy. In some cases, patients may need additional testing to confirm whether a condition or symptom is the result of a true allergy. According to the watchdog group, improper use of the word allergy may contribute to an incorrect diagnosis.

The guidelines call for general practitioners to test any child with a severe reaction, such as anaphylaxis. As part of testing, parents should remove a suspected food from the diet for a period of time and then reintroduce it. If the child is in allergic, he will have another reaction once he tries to reintegrate the food.

Typical food allergies for children include shellfish, eggs, nuts, cow’s milk, gluten, and kiwi. Some doctors think the statistics for food allergies in children are lower than the actual amount because parents may miss the symptoms of the allergy. As doctors find new ways to determine whether a child has an allergy, the numbers may continue to increase.

Filed Under: Child Care, Conditions and Diseases, Diagnosis, Health Tagged With: Allergy, Conditions and Diseases, Health