Trick or Treat, Safe and Neat

 

 

Halloween brings a holiday filled with candy, costumes and chaos. It can also bring a variety of safety hazards for the unprepared. Before embarking on your evening of adventure, review these safety tips from OCH pediatrician Christopher Spinelli, DO, FAAP. With a little preparation, you can guarantee your family’s favorite spooky holiday goes off without a hitch:

With Halloween coming up, it’s important to remember a few safety tips for your children when trick-or-treating or consuming their treasure chest of candy post-trip:

1. Costume Fit & Safety: When choosing a costume, make sure the costume fits your child well enough so he or she can see out of any masks. It is also important to make sure the costume is short enough to prevent tripping and to double check that the item is non-flammable.  Please make sure that there is some sort of reflective or other visible device so your child can be seen by cars at nighttime.

2. Parental Supervision: Always have an adult with your child. As an added bonus, it is good to have some sort of communication device such as a cell phone or walkie-talkie so you can get help if needed.

3. Watch out for Allergies : If your child does have food allergies, inspect the candy prior to consumption in order to avoid any adverse reactions.  If your child has anaphylaxis to certain foods such as peanuts, it may be wise to carry an EpiPen with you during trick-or-treating.  If any candy packages are already opened,  discard prior to consumption.

4. Hidden Choking Hazards: Avoid hard candies, suckers, or other choking hazards for smaller children.  Remember, not all candy is created equal from a dental standpoint!  Gummies and caramel can stick between the teeth and cause increased risk for cavities.  Receiving and distributing packages of pretzels (or other less sugary items) is also better for teeth.

5. Overconsumption of Candy: Consuming too much candy can cause a stomach-ache.  Parents may consider regulating how much candy children to consume or freeze the rest for later use. Families may also donate to local groups which can distribute the candy to less fortunate children.  

The Halloween Industry Association does have some additional safety tips listed online, to view click the following link:  http://www.hiaonline.org/index.php?module=Pagesetter&func=printpub&tid=3&pid=3

From all of us at Ozarks Community Hospital, we hope you have a safe and happy Halloween!

This post was originally published on October 9, 2012; but as Dr. Spinelli offered such useful tips, we wanted to re-share as a reminder this year for all trick-or-treaters! 

Christopher Spinelli DO, FAAP, is a pediatrician at the OCH Northside Clinic in Springfield, MO. Dr. Spinelli is  a Major in the United States Air Force Reserve. After completing an undergraduate degree from Truman State University, Dr. Spinelli graduated from Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine and completed his Pediatric residency at Keesler Medical Center in Biloxi, MS.

5 healthy habits to start at home with baby

OCH pediatrician Christopher Spinelli, DO, FAAP shares five baby basic essentials to help parents establish healthy habits at home: 

1. Keep offering healthy foods. It may take up to ten times offering a new food before your baby takes it. Don’t give up! Crying does not always mean your baby is hungry. Pick up your baby, check their diaper, and/or try soothing movements or music to comfort before feeding.

2.  The taste for healthy foods starts in infancy. Offer babies different choices of fruits and vegetables daily. No fruit juices until at least 6 month old. Limit fruit juices to 1/2 cup per day.

3. No television for baby (this includes video games, equipment or computers in a baby’s room). When your infant is in the room, turning off the television is ideal.

4. Babies need free movement to develop their muscles. Place your child on a clean blanket and allow free movement of arms and legs. Babies should not be in walkers. Babies should not be kept in cribs, play yards, or swings for long periods of time.

5. Breast feeding is the best source of nutrition for the first year of life and may decrease the risk for overweight children. Here are a few tips on breast-feeding:

• Only breast milk or formula for the first year. Cow’s milk starts after 1-year-old.
• Continue to breast feed as long as you are able. Any amount is better than none during the first year.
• Stop feeding when he/she acts full by pulling away from the breast or bottle.
• No bottles in bed.

Dr. Spinelli says now is the best time to teach your child healthy habits that will last a lifetime!

For more baby basics tips, attend OCH’s reoccurring baby basics on the second Tuesday of each month from 2 to 4 pm! Parents and caretakers are invited to take the course to brush up on swaddling, crib safety, vaccine information, breast-feeding, car seat safety, and other essential infant and toddler health basics. To sign up for a class, call (417) 837-4147 or email ewhite@ochonline.com.

8 steps to help parents prep for baby

This post was originally published on the OCH Pediatrics blog.

OCH pediatrician Dr. Christopher Spinelli recommends following these 8 essential steps to help moms & dads master the transition from “parents-to-be” to #1 mom or dad:

• STEP 1: Stock up on diapers, bottles, wipes and trash bags.
• STEP 2: Prepare your child’s sleep area (or nursery).
• STEP 3: Purchase a car seat and make sure you know how to use it before the baby needs it.
• STEP 4: Prepare meals ahead of time (for you) and freeze them so you don’t have to cook much the first week of arriving home from the hospital.
• STEP 5: If expecting a boy, start saving money for circumcisions (if you are going to have one).
• STEP 6: If there are siblings, let them know ahead of time about the changes that will occur when you arrive back home.
• STEP 7: Review baby basics (see details below)!
• STEP 8: Call Dr. Spinelli’s office to schedule a FREE prenatal personal visit, by phone (417) 837-4003 or fax (417) 875-4782.

For more baby basics tips, attend our reoccurring baby basics on the second Tuesday of each month from 2 to 4 pm! Parents and caretakers are invited to take the course to brush up on swaddling, crib safety, vaccine information, breast feeding, car seat safety, and other essential infant and toddler health basics. To sign up for a class, call (417) 837-4147 or email ewhite@ochonline.com.

Asthma Rises as Fall Begins

As we transition into fall and the temperatures start dropping, asthma always seems to start flaring up again.  The kids are back-to-school and now are exposed to allergens that they may have been free from during the summer months, viruses start being shared at school, and with all the pressures of getting everyone together sometimes maintenance medications may be missed or forgotten.

September is classically one of the worst months for asthmatics based on all of these factors, so it is even more important at this time that you make sure you have visited your doctor for your child’s routine asthma visit to go over your plan for the fall and winter parts of the school year.

• Don’t forget to take your maintenance medications such as inhaled corticosteroids and allergy medications, and make sure you have enough refills on your albuterol inhalers.
• Have up-to-date albuterol inhalers in as many places as possible so when they are needed, children don’t have to go searching for them.
• Make sure that when possible you can use your spacer with your inhaler as this enhances delivery of the medication into the lung.

Also this season don’t forget to get your flu vaccine for your asthmatics and their families.  Everyone getting vaccinated for the flu is a vital part to keeping our asthmatic children healthy.

Remember that of all things in life breathing is the first thing we have to do so let’s make sure our children with asthma are not restricted in this basic function.

Chris Spinelli D.O., FAAP

Dr. Spinelli is a pediatrician at the OCH Northside Clinic in Springfield, MO.  Spinelli is also currently a Major in the United States Air Force Reserve. After completing an undergraduate degree from Truman State University, Dr. Spinelli graduated from Kirksville College of Osteopathic Medicine and completed his Pediatric residency at Keesler Medical Center in Biloxi, MS.