Author : Eva Alessia, D.O.

Eva Alessia, D.O.

At some point, every child is going to vomit. Here are some tips to help you and your child at home and help prevent him from getting dehydrated.

Less than 12 months of age and formula fed
Give 5 ml of Pedialyte (preferred) or water every 10 minutes. After one hour, if baby does not vomit, then you can increase to 7.5 ml every 10 minutes. Then,  increase by 2.5 ml every hour. After 8 hours, your baby can return to formula. If your baby is older than 4 to 6 months of age, they also return to cereal, bananas, etc. After 24 to 48 hours with no vomiting, they can return to their regular diet.

Less than 12 months of age and breastfed
After two episodes of vomiting, nurse only on one breast every 1 to 2 hours. If your baby has more than two episode of vomiting, then nurse for 4 to 5 minutes every 30 to 60 minutes. If baby has not vomited in 8 hours, you can return them to their usual breastfeeding pattern.

Older than 12 months of age
Give your child 15 ml Pedialyte, water/ice chips, flat Sierra Mist (or other lemon-lime soda) or Ginger Ale, or popsicles every 10 minutes. Gatorade is not recommended for rehydration of vomiting and diarrhea due to a virus/”stomach flu.” Gatorade is only good for rehydrating after sports/work done in the heat for many hours. If your child is having multiple/severe vomiting, then rest their stomach for an hour before starting to offer liquids. You can increase the amount by 2.5 ml every hour, as long as your child does not vomit. After 8 hours without vomiting, start BRAT (bananas, applesauce, rice, toast) diet. These are essentially bland foods. After 24 to 48 hours with no vomiting, it is ok to return your child to their regular diet.

Sleep is one of the best things any child can do to help resolve vomiting. Try not to give Tylenol, etc; it can make vomiting worse. Do not let child “swig” fluid; they will be more likely to vomit it right back up. Slow and steady wins the race. Vomiting should be over in 24 hours. Sometimes it may last 48 hours. Call your pediatrician if you see any signs of dehydration: decreased urine output, sunken soft spot, inside of mouth/tongue looks “dull”, not shiny or glistening.

Eva Alessia, D.O.

Kids get rashes all the time. Some rashes can be tricky to figure out; some are straightforward. Roseola is one of those rashes.

Roseola is caused by a virus. It generally happens in children less than two years of age, but the range is six months to three years of age. The child has a fever for three to five days. After the fever breaks (which happens rapidly), the rash appears within 24 hours.

The rash is pink in color, consisting of flat or bumpy lesions, mainly on the chest, stomach and back. During the fever, the child is acting fine and besides possibly having “puffy/swollen” eyes, is otherwise not sick in any other way.

The rash lasts about one to two days. It is contagious until the rash is gone. Most older children and adults are immune.

Learn more about Roseola at http://kidshealth.org.

Eva Alessia, D.O.

Although winter officially begins today, it currently isn’t feeling very much like winter (though I am not complaining!. But, being Illinois, our weather can go from 60 to 0 at the drop of a hat. So, in preparation for the inevitable cold, here are some winter weather tips to help you safely enjoy the snowy outdoors:

• Dress in breathable layers. Sweating makes one more likely to get chilled.
• Make sure gloves and socks are dry.
• Wear a hat.
• If skin is pale, red or numb, or if your child is shivering, change into dry/warm clothes and run warm (not hot) water on affected skin. Do not rub the skin.

If you are going sledding:

• Make sure the area is clear of trees, stumps, holes and fences; some of these may be buried under the snow.
• Face forward and sit up, its easier to steer this way.
• Do not sled by ponds, parking lots or roads.

If you are going ice skating:

• Skate only on specially prepared areas where the ice can bear your child’s weight.
• Check for cracks, holes and debris.
• Never skate alone.

Enjoy this time of the year!

Eva Alessia, D.O.

And now for something completely different.

We have talked a lot about different diseases, situations, development and expectations. We have also discussed safety.

How many times has your child slid across your slippery floor and fell while wearing socks?  Probably too many times to count.  You can make your child his own non-skid socks using puffy paint.

Just buy some socks and puffy paint and get creative.  Write your child’s name, draw flowers, or keep it simple with squiggly lines. Hopefully no more falls or bonks of the head!

Eva Alessia, D.O.

Tomorrow is National Seat Check Saturday.  More than 80 percent of car seats are installed incorrectly.  Some of the most common questions pediatricians get during an office visit are about car seats.  Here are some tips to help you understand the basics of keeping kids safe in the car.

• The safest place for car seat safety is in the back seat for all children less than 13 years of age
• NEVER place a rear-facing seat in the front seat of a car
• All children less than 2 years of age should be in a rear-facing seat or until the child reaches the maximum height and weight requirement recommended by the car seat’s manufacturer
• If the child has outgrown the rear-facing seat, the child should move to a forward-facing seat with a harness
• If the child has outgrown the forward-facing seat with a harness, the child should move to a booster seat with a lap and shoulder belt
• A child outgrows the booster seat with lap and shoulder belt when he/she is 4’9” tall and between 8 and 12 years of age
• There are special car seats for preemies and other populations
• A car seat should not be used if: there are visible cracks, no label with date of manufacture and model number, missing parts or instructions, recalled seats, or involved in a car crash
• Most car seats expire after six yeas from the date of manufacture

Helpful resources for car seat safety:

Certified Passenger Safety Technician (CPST)
877-366-8154 or http://cert.safekids.org/

Car seat inspection stations
866-732-8243

NHTSA vehicle safety hotline
888-327-4236

www.buckleupillinois.org

www.healthychildren.org