Medicine | Pediatric Surgery

Preparing Your Child for Surgery

How you mentally prepare your child for surgery will largely depend on the age of the child. Some children are too small to understand what will be taking place. Others are older and mature enough to have everything explained to them. Many children who have surgery every year fall somewhere in the middle of that spectrum. These children are old enough to understand that something’s taking place, but they might not be ready for full disclosure – especially where the risks of surgery are concerned. If that’s the case with your child, it’s important to give him age-appropriate information.

Children are smarter and more intuitive than most people think. With that in mind, they are also still very young and they may be frightened about the prospect of surgery. After all, many adults are nervous and apprehensive when they know that they must have surgery – even if the problem is a relatively minor one. It’s better to avoid discussing the risks of surgery with young children. Answer their questions honestly, but with an upbeat attitude that minimizes worry. A child doesn’t really need to know that he could die from surgery, unless the child is old enough to truly understand what that means and why the surgery is still necessary.

If you aren’t sure how to best talk to your child about his upcoming surgery, it may be better to talk with the doctor so that your child’s questions can be answered. You’ll get a better idea of how to present things to your child that way, and the doctor can answer the harder questions. Pediatric surgeons are well-versed in how to help a child work through the anxiety that he’ll be facing when surgery is getting closer. Don’t underestimate how helpful the doctor and his staff can be in making your child feel better.

Filed Under: Child Care, Health Tagged With: Health, Medicine, 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

Preparing for Pediatric Surgery

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The idea that your child will have to have surgery is scary because it can be difficult if not impossible to work up the courage to speak to a young child about the pending surgery. Preparing your child for surgery, however, is one of the most important things that you can do when your child has to have a procedure. There is a level of both physical and mental preparation that your child needs to undergo. Your child needs to understand what will happen prior to and during the procedure.

Your surgeon may be willing to participate in helping you explain the surgery to your child, but ultimately, you are going to be the person who is responsible for explaining to your child what is happening. You will have to convey this information in such a way that he or she will not be terrified by the road ahead. Children will generally require far more physical and mental preparation before surgical procedures than adults. This is because children tend to be more easily confused when it comes to the information that they receive. Don’t be surprised if your child has lots of questions and even asks the same questions repeatedly.

On top of needing to explain the procedure to your child, you should also walk your child through the basics. Tell your young son or daughter that you have packed his or her baby clothing, favorite toys, favorite foods, and whatever else will set the child’s mind at ease. Discuss the fact that the child will “go to sleep” and that upon waking, you will be there. Explain things in terms that your child understands, and try to be soothing and supportive above all else. Your child needs to know that everything is going to be okay and that you are willing to answer any questions about the surgery.

Filed Under: Health, Pediatrics Tagged With: Health, Medicine, Surgery, University of Washington

Pediatrics and Vaccinations

A growing controversy in the area of pediatrics are vaccinations. Vaccinations became widely used during the 1800s smallpox outbreak. Over the years the number of vaccinations grew in accordance with the number of fatal childhood illnesses. There is an argument among parents that the number of vaccinations children are receiving is unnecessary and causing more illnesses than they prevent. A growing community has emerged to educate parents and to stop the number of vaccinations and in some cases stop vaccinations altogether.

So, what is a vaccine? What vaccinations should children have and by what age? What is the success rate of vaccinations in preventing illness in the world’s children? Vaccines are simply medications or mixtures of medications with small amounts of a virus that are injected or ingested by a patient. These medications are designed to build immunity to the virus they are treating. They have progressed over the years from five vaccinations to over fifteen vaccinations. An increase in fatal illnesses is cited for the increase in pediatric vaccinations.

There is a general consensus among within pediatrics that children should be vaccinated for Tdap, HPV, Meningococcus, and Influenza. These vaccines should be followed up, over a scheduled amount of time from infancy to eleven, with MMR, Hepatitis B, Varcella, Polio, Hepatitis A, and Pneumococcus. Parents opposed to vaccinations claim that all but two or three of these vaccinations are needed. Some even argue that none are needed and that their parental rights supersedes the rights of the medical community and government to administer the vaccines.

The success rate of vaccinations in preventing illnesses speaks for itself in the bodies of healthy children across the world. Though there have been isolated cases of the vaccinations not working or of children being allergic to the vaccinations there is no scientific evidence that they harm the children they are designed to help. As with any medical issue there will be opposition. When it comes to a child’s health and safety it is natural to be cautious but it is also natural to obtain the knowledge before making a choice.

Filed Under: Medical Research, Pediatrics Tagged With: Child Health, Health, Medicine, Vaccination

Food Management Magazine Honors Texas Children’s Hospital

Each year, Food Management magazine awards noncommercial foodservice providers for exceptional accomplishments or innovation in the industry. The competition considers a variety of areas within foodservice, such as planning for special events, wellness initiatives, convenience retailing, facility design, and new menu items. In 2010, the editorial staff at the magazine evaluated more than 150 entries according to predetermined criteria for the competition. Judges looked at the impact of the achievement, evaluated the effectiveness of it, considered its impact on other organizations or areas, and examined the innovation in comparison to standard practices. After judging the entries, the magazine award Texas Children’s Hospital with the 2010 Best Concept award for the hospital’s Beanie Club program.

The Beanie Club program helps staff members at the hospital teach patients about food nutrition and its relation to health. As part of its initiative, the program helps families and patients pick more nutritious items from the menu through a reward program. When families purchase seven Beanie Club selections from the menu, the hospital rewards their healthy decisions with a free meal. To advertise the program, the hospital designed a green bean mascot, featured on promotional materials throughout the facility. The judges felt the program was, “especially appropriate in a juvenile acute care setting.” The magazine recognized the hospital for offering better choices for patients who often have to stay at the hospital for long periods of time due to serious childhood health issues.

The latest award only helps to confirm Texas Children’s Hospital as the exceptional facility that it is. The nationally recognized hospital is one of the top 10 facilities for children’s medical needs, according to U.S. News and World Report. It offers one of the largest pediatric care networks in the nation and has branches throughout the Houston area. In 2010, the hospital embarked on a $1.5 billion project, called Vision 2010, through which the hospital will add a neurological research institute, a suburban-based hospital, and a high-risk-birth obstetrics facility.

Filed Under: Child Care, Health, Nutrition, Pediatrics Tagged With: Facilities, Health, Medicine, United States

Learn How to Survive Giving Birth at a New Hospital

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When a hospital announces it’s moving to a new location or opening a new facility, most people view the change as something positive. But if you have a due date around the scheduled transition, you could walk into trouble. When a hospital changes facilities, there are several things that can go wrong. Nurses may have to sign into the new operating system and receive clearance before they can administer medications. This can result in patients not receiving medication on time.

Employees may not know where the new storage areas are for supplies, leading to delays in care. One woman who delivered at a new hospital had to have her family bring towels from home because nurses couldn’t locate the linens. Doctors may not have basic equipment at the new location. A patient who happened to be the first person to have a c-section in a new facility helped the doctors make a list of everything missing from the room (during her c-section), including a clock to time the birth and and special lights.

If you’ll be giving birth at a new facility, here are some tips:

~ Talk with your doctor about your time frame. The first 48 hours are the toughest ones because that’s when the staff’s discovering issues.

~ Pack extra supplies, including toiletries and towels, in case the nurses can’t find supplies.

~ Ask your doctor to walk through the rooms she’ll be using during your delivery to determine whether items are missing before your scheduled due date. This is a good time to make sure she has anything she might need during an emergency and to learn the layout of the facility.

~ Prepare yourself to be flexible. Transitioning to a new facility can be stressful for patients and staff, and there may be something beyond your doctor’s or the nurses control. Do your best to stay calm. When possible, have a family member of friend with you who can go talk to nurses, find your doctor, or track down the food you ordered an hour ago while you’re stuck in bed.

Filed Under: Child Care, Conditions and Diseases, Pediatrics Tagged With: Caesarean section, Health, Hospital, Medicine

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