Children's Health - Prevention is the Key!
Contributed by Mark Lackey
School is in full swing and so is the season of coughs and colds. We all know when kids go back to school, they not only bring home the knowledge they have learned but germs that cause illness. Parents may think their child getting sick is inevitable, but there are preventative measures that can be taken.
One of the best things to do is to take your child in for the well child exam with their primary care provider. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends multiple visits in the first three years of a child’s life then yearly well child visits from age 4 to 18 years of age. A well child visit is a regularly scheduled visit where your medical provider and health care team make sure a child is growing and developing well, address any concerns you may have, and do a full head to toe exam. They will also discuss upcoming changes to expect as your child develops, educate about proper nutrition, sleep, exercise, and safety. Well child visits include screening for developmental delays, vision or hearing impairment, autism spectrum disorder, and exposure to toxins. Chronic medical conditions such as asthma and diabetes will be addressed. Making sure these diseases are well controlled will make the respiratory season a lot smoother and much less missed school or daycare.
Childhood vaccinations will be updated at the well child visit. There are vaccinations to prevent some of the circulating respiratory illnesses that coincide with back to school season. One of those vaccines is for pertussis which causes whooping cough, an illness that starts out with cold symptoms but becomes a persistent cough for 6 or more weeks. It can lead to hospitalization and sometimes death in babies. Unfortunately, there has been a pertussis outbreak in Alaska starting this summer. Children get multiple vaccinations for this disease during their childhood including a booster at age 4 to 5 years of age and again at 11 to 12 years old then every 10 years after that. Yearly influenza and COVID vaccines are recommended for anyone 6 months or older. RSV or respiratory syncytial virus is another virus you may have heard of that causes significant respiratory illness each winter. This is the second year we have an option to help prevent it. It is called Beyfortus (nirsevimab-alip) and it is a single dose, long-acting antibody that prevents serious RSV infections. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), RSV is the most common cause of bronchiolitis (inflammation of the small airways of the lungs) and pneumonia (infection of the lungs) in infants less than age one. Beyfortus is given as an injection for infants less than 8 months in their first RSV season and some toddlers up to 24 months with chronic medical conditions that put them at higher risk of severe disease.
Well child visits also include congratulating parents on their own accomplishments. There is nothing better than hearing about a child who is now sleeping through the night or another that has not had any asthma symptoms because parents have been keeping up with daily medications. We work together with parents to help keep their child healthy and thriving. It is the most important partnership when it comes to health and the parents are always the ones who make all the decisions about any medical testing, vaccinations or medications.
There are other partners in our community and the child’s life that help keep them healthy as well. Childcare centers and schools help to make sure your child is up to date on vaccinations and to some regular screening for vision and hearing loss. CCS Early Learning is one particular partner that does a great job to make sure a child gets their yearly well child exam, screen their vision, monitor growth, and screen for anemia and lead exposure. They are also trauma informed and work with the child’s family to educate about healthy eating, safety, dental care, and building resilient brains. CCS operates the Early Head Start (pregnancy to age 3) and Head Start (age 3 to school entry) programs. Both of these programs are free of charge for families that are eligible. The primary eligibility criteria include child in foster care, families who are homeless, and family income. They work in partnership with families to give both the child and the family a “head start” on success in school and in life. There are locations in Palmer, Wasilla, and Fairview.
Please go to www.ccsalaska.org to find out more and to enroll now or you can call 907-373-7000. They are currently enrolling new students in both programs.
Our children are the future and preventative care can make that future much brighter for them. Call your child’s primary care provider for an appointment today!
Dr. Therese Tomasoski is a pediatrician that has been serving the Mat-Su Valley since 2004. She is currently working at Ptarmigan Pediatrics. Dr. Tomasoski also serves as the physician advisor for the Mat-Su Borough School District and has served on the Board of Directors for CCS Early Learning for 11 years.