Pediatric Associates of Medford

PAM Newsletter

Volume 6, Issue 8 Fall /Winter 2016

Annual physicals

The American Academy of both the child and the fam- Well-child visits are a great Pediatrics (AAP) recom- ily. way to make sure your mends that babies visit child's immunizations are Well-child visits are also a their pediatrician for a well current. Studies show that key time for parent-doctor -child check-up as a new- children who are not vacci- communication. Make the born, by one month; at two, nated are at a much higher most of these visits by writ- four, six, nine, twelve, fif- risk for getting sick. A ing down important ques- teen, eighteen, and twenty- study by the (CDC) showed Inside this issue: tions and concerns and four months of age; and that the implementation of take them with you. Sleep then once a year from age's routine childhood immuni- Well Visits & Flu Shots 1 patterns and nutrition are three to six. zations has caused the a few topics parents can largest ever decline of some During a well-child visit, inquire about. Halloween Safety 2 of the most devastating your child's pediatrician Your child's doctor will also diseases. will provide preventive care assess their age- Guess how many pump- 2 by assessing and tracking a appropriate body mass in- kins child's physical, behavioral, dex (BMI) to make sure P.A.M new hires 2 developmental and emo- that they are in a healthy tional status as they grow. percentile range for their A well-child visit is a criti- height and weight. You will Recipes 3 cal opportunity to detect a likely be asked questions possible developmental about your child's exercise Alternative Halloween 3 delay or disability, early habits to ensure that they treats treatment of which can are getting the recom- lessen the future impact on mended physical activity.

Flu mist option not being offered this year.

People who prefer to get ing on a number of fac- the nasal spray version of tors, including which flu the flu vaccine, as op- viruses are circulating posed to the flu shot, will and how well the viruses not have that option next in the flu vaccine match season: Health officials those that are circulating, say the nasal spray It's important to note that should not be used this the new recommendation coming fall and winter against using the flu na- The effectiveness of the sal spray is only for the flu vaccine can vary from upcoming 2016 to 2017 flu season to season depend- season. Page 2

Guess how many pumpkins!!

Join us for some October fun. For the stop by the front desk to ask for a raffle month of October, we will be having ticket so you can fill out your name, some Halloween fun by guessing how phone number & the amount of pump- many candy pumpkins are in a jar. kins you think are in the jar. Whoever guesses the closest to the ac- We will pick a winner on 10/31/16 and tual amount will win a Barnes & Noble you will notified by one of our office staff gift card. (Not the actual candy pump- Happy Halloween & Good luck! kins) The next time you are in the office,

Halloween Safety

For young children, Halloween  Avoid masks and use non toxic night is one of the best of the make up instead as masks can be year. But trick-or-treating can hard to breathe through. be dangerous if kids and parents aren't careful. …  Use flexible props made of rub- ber or plastic Choose a prop that  Plan a route in advance. won’t cause injury to your child or  Wear comfy shoes. their friends.  Stay in well-lit areas.  Wear short costumes as long Always have a parent/guardian costumes can be dangerous if check your child's candy!!! they are dragging.

P.A.M New Employees: Ashley Stone,Timarra Warren & Ihsane Akib

Ashley is one of our RN’s & earned her Timarra is the proud mother of two chil- degree in nursing from Salve Regina dren and loves nothing more than University in 2015 and Before working spending quality time with them. She at PAM, she worked as a nurse at a sub- also is an avid basketball fan. acute rehabilitation center for seven Ihsane “Izzy “ is our administrative months. In her free time, she enjoys floater who works at the front desk but baking, crafting, and reading. Ashley will also be learning referrals & assist- loves all things Disney and her favorite ing in collections related matters. Izzy is place to go on vacation is Disney World. a personable and kind person who en- Timarra is also one of our RN’s & joys traveling, looking at art and mostly earned her degree in nursing from La- spending time with her family. bourne College and comes to us from They all joined P.A.M in July 2016 . We Mount Auburn Hospital where she was feel they have been a tremendous addi- a Clinical/Administrative Floater. tion to the P.A.M family. Page 3

Pumpkin Pancakes By Dr. Jeanne Clifford

Trying to find a new way to incorpo-  1 tsp salt Heat a lightly oiled griddle over low/medium rate more vegetables into your family's diet? heat. Drop batter by large spoonfuls onto the Well, it is pumpkin season, and who doesn't like  2—1/2 cups of milk griddle and cook until bubbles form and pancakes? These are easy to prepare, and extras edges are dry, about 2-3 minutes. Flip and can be frozen for future  1 cup pumpkin puree cook until browned on other side, then re- snacks or meals. move from pan. Repeat until all of the batter  2 eggs, beaten INGREDIENTS is used.  2 Tbsp vegetable oil  2 -1/2 cups all purpose or whole wheat flour Makes about 10 pancakes, depending on Mix all the dry ingredients their size.  1/2 cup white or brown together in a large bowl. In a sugar separate bowl, whisk to-  4 tsp baking powder gether the milk, pumpkin, Variation: For a real treat, serve these pan- Delicious homemade pumpkin pan- eggs and oil. Pour the milk cakes for dinner! Omit the sugar and instead mixture into the flour mix-  1 tsp ground cinnamon cakes. add 1/2 cup of finely ground or finely chopped ture and stir until mois- COOKED chicken or ham.  1/2 tsp ground nutmeg tened. (the batter will be lumpy)

Alternative Halloween Treats for Kids

Don't get stuck handing out just  Crayons & coloring books  Rasins (or any dried fruits) candy to trick-or-treaters. Pre-  Puzzles  Small bags of unsalted pret- vent the sugar overload with zels these Halloween treat ideas.  Trading cards  Trailmix  Halloween themed temporary  Air-popped popcorn tattoos or stickers You don't need a doctor to tell you  Spooky themed school sup- that all the candy corn, chocolate, and  Pure fruit & veggie strip plies such as pencils, pens, other high-calorie goodies your kids chews notepads & pencil cases. collect at Halloween aren't healthy !!

Developmental Screening

Developmental screening is a short how he or she plays, learns, speaks,  18 months test to tell if a child is learning basic behaves, and moves. A delay in any  24 or 30 months skills when he or she should, or if of these areas could be a sign of a there are delays. Developmental problem. Additional screening might be needed if a child is at high risk for screening can also be done by other The American Academy of Pediat- developmental problems due professionals in health care, commu- rics recommends that all children be to preterm birth, low birth, or other nity, or school settings. screened for developmental delays reasons. The doctor might ask you some and disabilities during regular well- questions or talk and play with the child doctor visits at: Visit www.cdc.gov/ncbddd.html child during an examination to see  9 months At Pediatric Associates of Medford, P.C., we offer a full Pediatric Associates of range of pediatric care including prenatal visits for expecting Medford parents, well–child check–ups, immunizations and sick appoint- 101 Main Street, Suite 201 ments. Our caring team is committed to providing quality Medford MA 02155 service in a comfortable, safe office setting where children and parents can feel at ease. We also set aside time to equip parents with the tools and resources necessary for the www.medfordpedi.com development of healthy children from birth to adolescence. We are open 7 days a week, including Saturdays and Sundays. We are open 364 days a year (except Christmas)!

We now schedule yearly physicals a year ahead to ensure continuity of care for our patients and to offer flexibility in booking ahead of time. If your child does not have his/her next physical booked already, please call (781) 396-1288 today!