News – Important Updates For Our Families

Can You Trust Any Internet Advice?

You open your Facebook app and scroll down to your parenting group. At midnight, someone posted a picture of their baby’s thigh, covered with red spots and said, “He’s had a fever of 102 for three days now. Does anyone know what this could be?” You see the comments following, recommending an ice bath, essential oils, baking soda, hydrocortisone ointment and perhaps, chicken soup.

At New Canaan Pediatrics, we understand that making good health choices for your child depends on knowing where to get the most reliable and safest answers in a world that’s constantly learning new things about human health and development. Because old treatments and recommendations get updated or replaced when new evidence backed by solid, verifiable research indicates better solutions, it can be difficult to tell what health advice is best for your child.

When it comes to pediatric health, the very best place to ask your question is with your New Canaan Pediatrics healthcare provider. While we are on call 24/7, we know you may sometimes turn to other resources.

While there are many qualified medical professionals on social media and websites, the reliable, science-backed voices can be difficult to find in the vast scream that is the internet. Instead, a teeming stew of influencers, “advocates,” and bad faith actors offer inaccurate information under the guise of “natural,” “organic,” “traditional,” and “home remedy” buzzwords that appeal to concerned, caring parents.

To sort the good information from the outdated or misleading information, ask yourself these three questions about the information you’re consuming:

Who’s saying it?
Where are they saying it?
Who are they saying it with?

Who’s Saying It?
Anyone can put information on the internet, across a variety of platforms and formats. While a lot of influencers and advocates profess to have data for their claims, you’ll find most of it is anecdotal, without research studies or peer-reviewed results. You’ll also find it exists in a small closed vacuum, with the same unproven statements being circulated and cited again and again. Scientists, however, have a higher bar for proving the effectiveness of treatments. Not surprisingly, research shows that content developed by healthcare providers is much more trustworthy than content developed by those who are not trained and educated providers.

When you look for the most updated information, make sure you’re getting it from someone with credible education and credible citations. Does the person have the proper accreditations? Are there external factors that might motivate the information – are they selling a book, formulas, ointments or supplements? Are they telling you to ignore evidence-based medications and treatments to purchase their solution that “doctors don’t want you to know about”?

Where Are They Saying It?
When you want high quality information and your New Canaan Pediatrics provider isn’t available, consider using sources we ourselves might use. The American Academy of Pediatrics collects and curates new information for pediatricians and parents, and they have an easy-to-use website with a Search bar to answer your health concerns across all ages and stages. We might turn to research-driven medical schools like Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. Other valuable sources include innovative health institutions like the Mayo Clinic and Cleveland Clinic, all with search bars for your convenience.

Who Are They Saying It With?
The easiest way to see if a piece of information is scientifically sound is to check their cited sources. No sources? That’s a sign that your content might be interesting, but it isn’t scientific and there’s a significant risk that it could be harmful and expensive. Evidence-based scientific research has sources, usually a lot of them, and those sources are all from credible people and organizations.

Unfamiliar or alarmist sources? Sources that are associated with solutions that promise quick and thorough results? Sources are the company an author keeps, so if your author is relying on sources associated with supplements or products, “best-selling” books, or classes, understand that they are using fear and suspicion to drive people away from evidence-based, trusted and proven treatments and towards costly products and services that can cause real harm to children and to the adults that love them.

So when you see a parent asking perfect strangers for medical advice, comment, “Call your pediatrician” – or post a link to this blog. You’ll help a family get accurate, evidence-based, trusted information to care for their child.

What Should My Teen Be Eating?

Does your teen dash (or perhaps slouch) out of the door in the morning without eating any breakfast? A recent study shows that nearly 75% of teens do!

At New Canaan Pediatrics, we know that as children grow, they also gain more and more freedom to make their own food choices. Unfortunately, sometimes it’s difficult to tune into what they are actually eating. How can we help our teens make healthier food choices to enhance their wellbeing, help prevent chronic disease and eliminate obesity? [Read more…] about What Should My Teen Be Eating?

Is it a cold or pneumonia?

It’s fall and everyone seems to have a bit of a cough or sore throat. It could be just a cold – or could it be walking pneumonia, which has been surging here in Connecticut?

New Canaan Pediatrics has seen an increase in pneumonia diagnoses since school began this fall, mostly in elementary school-aged children. It’s called “walking pneumonia” because it’s a mild infection and may not affect your child’s behavior or activity level. [Read more…] about Is it a cold or pneumonia?

What To Give Them Instead of A Screen

We know parent are lectured about the dangers of screens and social media ad nauseam. Studies show that kids who use screens excessively are more likely to be obese or overweight. They have trouble falling asleep and staying asleep, leading to poor physical health. Screen-using children are more aggressive and more likely to be anxious or depressed and have poor emotional coping skills and higher levels of frustration. They also have poorer academic performance.

However, while all the experts are feeding parents the latest news about the negative effects of screens, very few are giving them tools to radically limit screens. New Canaan Pediatrics is here to actually help by laying out strategies – giving you ideas of what you can offer your children that isn’t a screen. [Read more…] about What To Give Them Instead of A Screen

Bright Red Cheeks and Fifth Disease

Here at New Canaan Pediatrics, Dr. Flynn knows that there are lots of funny names for flowers; pig’s squeak, lamb’s ear and donkey tail spurge are just a few. Your New Canaan Pediatrics providers know that funny names exist for illness too, such as “slapped cheek” rash, an absolutely accurate descriptor. Also called Fifth Disease, a child who is experiencing this viral infection will have bright red cheeks, like someone has slapped them on both sides of the face.

Summer Safety For Your Family

As summer approaches, we parents begin thinking about all the ways we can tempt kids to get outside, move, breathe fresh air and use their imagination. Your family may opt for a backyard pool to lure kids outside. You might build a miniature park with opportunities for play and exercise. The humble backyard fire pit is always an attraction, especially if a s’more and storytelling are involved.

At New Canaan Pediatrics, we know the best way to enjoy summer is to enjoy it safely. Proper hydration and clothing, sunscreen amply and frequently applied, and cooling breaks are important regardless of what you’re doing in your backyard. Depending upon your backyard, we have additional safety protocols to keep your kids healthy and well. [Read more…] about Summer Safety For Your Family

Ear Infections Are A Real Pain.

By the time your child is three years old, they will have most likely experienced an ear infection. Five out of 6 kids will have one by their first birthday. Ear infections are one of the most common reasons kids visit New Canaan Pediatrics.

Otitis Media, Middle Ear Infection
While there are several types of ear infections, the most common is a middle ear infection, Otitis Media.

When the Eustachian tube in your child’s middle ear traps fluid infected with a bacteria or virus, the eardrum swells and causes painful pressure. Your child will feel more discomfort in the middle ear when laying down.

Ear infections are more common when your child is young because their Eustachian tubes are tiny, just 18mm, and positioned horizontally, making drainage more difficult and increasing the likelihood of infection. As your child grows, the tubes get bigger, up to 35mm in adults, and move to a 45˚ angle, improving drainage.

Your child may experience trouble balancing and walking when they have a middle ear infection. They may also have muffled hearing and may not respond to sound. Because pain increases when lying down, your child may have difficulty sleeping. They could also run a fever over 100° F.

Sometimes, after a cold or sore throat, your child may have non-infected fluid in the ear, known as an effusion. We may treat the effusion with over-the-counter nasal spray and continue to monitor your child to make sure an infection does not develop.

If there is drainage, other than ear wax, from your child’s ear, call our office immediately. Your child will need to be examined to determine if an eardrum has ruptured. This can be treated to heal completely.

Will My Child Get Antibiotics?
Some middle ear infections are caused by viruses and will resolve on their own without antibiotics. Your New Canaan Pediatrics provider may ask you to monitor your child at home for several days before we recommend antibiotics. However, infants younger than 6 months of age are almost always treated with antibiotics for middle ear infections.

Never use an oil, especially a hot oil, as this can permanently damage the eardrum.

Give your child the appropriate and recommended doses of acetaminophen or ibuprofen for treating pain or fever. If your child runs a fever for more than two days, call our office at 203-972-4250 or message us through your patient portal.

My Child Gets Ear Infections All The Time!
We may diagnose chronic ear infections if your child:

Has three or more ear infections in 3 months
Has four or more infections within a year
Does not respond to antibiotics
Has a hearing loss
Has a tear or hole in the eardrum

Chronic ear infections can cause delays in speech development and social skills because of hearing loss. We may discuss ear “tubes” being placed into the tympanic membrane of the ears to help drain fluid. These tiny tubes are surgically inserted into the eardrum by an ear, nose and throat specialist (ENT). The tubes allow air into the middle ear to stabilize air pressure and drain fluid.

How Can I Prevent Ear Infections?
Infants and toddlers should never be put to bed with a bottle as this increases the risk for middle ear infections. Use a saline nasal spray and nasal aspirator or bulb to help release and clean out congestion. Encourage older children to blow their nose frequently when they have a runny nose or congestion.

While many middle ear infections cannot be prevented, there is good news; children typically outgrow these infections by their fifth birthday.

Important! You must fill out the first page of the CT School Health form or your school will not accept the form.

News – Important Updates For Our Families