Fall 2022 – Healthy Kids Start Here
Did you know...
* We now have COVID vaccines available for children ages six months to 5 years. Both Moderna and Pfizer. Appointment only. Call or text 603-547-9557. Include your name, your child’s name and age and which vaccine you’d prefer. Also, let others know COVID vaccines are available to all littles, not just members.​
* Skip walk-ins, urgent care or the emergency department – unless it’s a true emergency. Members have access to same-day sick visits, texting, telehealth and 24/7 phone communication when you need us!
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Fall Tips
What About Fevers? (100.4 or higher)
Fevers in children are usually caused by infections such as a cold, the flu or strep throat. Fevers are rarely harmful in children. They are actually a sign the body’s immune system is working to fight off the infection. Unless your child is a newborn, a fever is almost never dangerous. A fever from infection will not hurt your child's brain or cause a seizure. But if your newborn is younger than two months and develops a fever, you should call us immediately.
I always recommend to patients that we treat the symptoms and not the temperature number. If your child needs help sleeping better or drink better to stay hydrated, then treating a fever can help with that. Acetaminophen (Tylenol) or Ibuprofen (Motrin and Advil) can be used to treat pain or a fever. Do not use Ibuprofen with infants younger than six months old.
Facts about RSV (Respiratory Syncytial Virus)
RSV is a common virus in children that has been getting a lot of (sometimes scary) media attention recently. Yet RSV has been around for a long time. In fact, it’s one of the most common viral infections in kids. Most children will have had it by the time they are two years old.
RSV causes symptoms that are similar to a common cold including fever, cough and a runny nose.
RSV can cause severe illness in people who are immunocompromised and infants under one year old. In adults and older children, the symptoms are mild and just like a cold.
We suggest supportive care with lots of sleep, humidification, nasal suction, honey for a cough if child is older than one year and acetaminophen/ibuprofen, if needed.
Call us if you have any concerns.
How to Handle a Tick Bite
Living in northern New England, ticks are unavoidable. Lyme Disease is only one of the infections that ticks can spread. If you find an embedded tick on your child, remove it by applying gentle traction, close to the head of the tick. You can save and send the dead tick to a lab for testing, if you would like to know if the tick potentially had any diseases. (Tickreport.com is one lab option.)
If a piece of the tick remains in your child, do not attempt to dig it out! Wash the area with soap and water.
We don’t recommend one dose of antibiotics as prophylaxis for a tick bite. This can cover up symptoms of an infection and not fully treat an infection if present.
Monitor the site of the tick bite for three to 30 days, looking for a bull’s eye rash. Call us to discuss other concerns and signs to look for.
This newsletter is for informational and educational purposes only and is not intended as personal medical advice. Always seek treatment recommendations from your healthcare provider.
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