'parents' Parentelligence posts

This is one of the most common questions that I get asked in the office. Allergic diseases are certainly becoming more and more prevalent in the developed world. General pediatricians and specialists are on ‘high-alert’ for this when evaluating a child that may be sick. Within the realm of intestinal diseases, however, a true allergy is actually not very common. To understand this, we must first understand what ‘allergy’ means.

An allergy is a biologic response from our body’s immune system. When our body senses a foreign invader, our army of immune cells attacks it. It does this by releasing chemicals into the blood stream and/or in to the organs where the threat may lie. Those chemicals are meant to destroy the invader, but often hurt our healthy organs as well. For example, airborn pollen may land in your eye, the immune system senses that pollen, releases those chemicals, and as a consequence we get itchy, puffy, watery eyes. The same thing can happen in the bowel if we ingest food that we are allergic to.

Intestinal manifestations of food allergies

One of the more common sites of an allergic response to food is in the esophagus—the food pipe. When the esophagus gets inflamed, it can manifest in a few different ways: heartburn symptoms, chest pain, chronic dry cough, upper abdominal pain, frequent regurgitation, or food that is stuck the chest. The name of this is Eosinophilic Esophagitis. Food allergies lower in the bowels can cause diarrhea, blood in the stool, abdominal pain, weight loss, anemia, and fatigue.

There are usually other red flags

One of the most important things to remember is ....

Many parents don’t realize how much eating meals together as a family helps their children’s development and well-being in addition to being known to reduce the risk of obesity and improve the nutrition of children. Eating meals together is a valuable lesson and practice in sharing. By eating the same foods, hearing about someone else’s day, and telling stories, kids learn to compromise and show respect. Sitting around the table with the family is a great setting for children to see how they are a part of something bigger than just themselves.

When you have young children, it is a key time to start eating meals as a family and develop this lifetime habit. Even babies old enough to sit in a high chair but not old enough to eat everything everyone else is eating will benefit from joining the family at the table.

Here are some tips to make mealtimes more pleasant with young ones:

Surgery can be a stress and anxiety producing event for anyone, let alone a child. At Swedish, Child Life Specialists help children and families cope with the surgery process. Child Life Specialists are available to help educate and prepare children and families prior to surgery in our outpatient surgery center.

There are some things you can do as a parent to help better prepare yourself and your child for surgery before coming to the hospital:

• Talk to your healthcare provider to educate yourself about the surgery process and what to expect.
• Talk to your child in advance about their surgery in an honest, matter-of-fact manner. Younger children need to start hearing about their upcoming surgery 2-3 days prior to their visit. School age and teenage children can handle talking about their surgery a few weeks in advance. Using books and similar resources can be helpful in talking to your child about their surgery.
• Offer children some control wherever possible. Have your child ....

“It takes a village to raise a child” but as a new or expectant parent or “village member,” preparing for a new baby can be daunting. From siblings, to grandparents, to aunts, uncles, cousins, and family friends, all of these people feel the ripple effect of having a baby. However, unlike parents, this larger social network may not have had the chance, motivation, or tailored resources to prepare for this change. So how can new or expectant parents help prepare non-parents for the birth of a child? Though the answer depends on the person’s age and their relationship to baby, here are some general tips to prepare your “village.”

• Involve friends and family in preparing for the baby: Depending on your comfort level and your audience, involve your loved ones in preparations from going to doctor’s appointments, to packing your bag for the hospital, to deciding on a layout or paint color for the nursery. Inviting people to help you prepare...

“Cough, cough!” “Achooooo!” “Wheeeeeeze!” The sounds of spring are all around us and the woes of allergy season are plaguing many of us. With the weather warming, you and your loved ones are likely spending a lot of time outside. Though the stuffy nose, dry throat and scratchy eyes may seem like a seasonal nuisance you and your family just have to get through, there are solutions. Here are some tips to keep you from suffering through this beautiful but allergy-ridden time of year (to watch the video click here).

Seasonal allergies, often called hay fever or allergic rhinitis (swelling of the nasal passages) vary season to season but can be brought on by pollens, grasses, molds and dust. Right now, in Western Washington the culprit is likely pollen from the trees that have exploded with fresh foliage. Of course, there are many other allergens and the only true way to know what is causing your, your partner’s or your children’s sniffles and sneezes is to talk to a health-care provider. However, if hay fever is getting the best of you this spring, you may find some relief from the following:

I am a pediatric hospitalist. That is, I am a pediatrician who takes care of children sick enough to be hospitalized. So my writing about the importance of children spending time outdoors and enjoying nature might be surprising. Even though I may only take care of a child for the worst few days of their life, I am still quite passionate about the fundamental role of outdoor play in a child’s health and well-being.

Even during acute illness, I find that children often heal faster when they are given more opportunities to be playful and (illness-allowing) go outdoors to allow Mother Nature to heal them from within. So needless to say, I am often amazed at how little exposure many of these children have had, even prior to becoming ill, to spend time playing outdoors and getting to know their environment.

Now especially, as the days begin to get longer, and the refreshing spring air returns to our beautiful Pacific Northwest, I start thinking about all the wonderful outdoor fun I used to have as a child, and the importance such activities had on my own health and overall sense of well-being.

I worry that children of today encounter ....

No matter how many times you’ve been through it, expecting, having, and raising a baby are truly some of life’s biggest challenges. Making that adventure a little less stressful is what The Lytle Center for Pregnancy & Newborns will be all about when it opens in July 2013 at Swedish/First Hill.

It will be the “go-to” place for moms and dads (and brothers and sisters and grandmas and grandpas) expecting a new baby. In this warm, welcoming space, new families will take classes, gather support from each other, get help with lactation, purchase necessities, and take advantage of a new mom and well-baby exam a few days after birth to make sure everything’s going just right.

Here are just a few of the services that will be available at The Lytle Center: