Spring Time and Children's Health

Spring time is now here. For most children, this means more outdoor activities (swimming, camping, bike riding, etc.). For all parents, this means being extra vigilant to keep your child safe and healthy.

· Avoiding and Treating Spring Allergies, which can cause your child to have a lot of sneezing, plus a clear runny or stuffy nose, itchy and watery eyes and a cough, especially when he has spent a lot of time outside.

· Water Safety to protect your children when they are swimming or boating. Most importantly, always supervise your children around the water.

· Sun Safety to prevent damage from too much exposure to the sun. Regular use of sunscreen in children can lower their risk of skin cancer by almost 78%. But remember that sunscreen only works if you use it correctly and it does not substitute for limiting too much sun exposure. Many parents make the mistake of using sunscreen and then allowing unlimited sun exposure.

· Using Insect Repellents Safely to prevent bites from mosquitoes, etc. which can make your child miserable.

Spring Time Seasonal Allergies and Children:

Allergic rhinitis, or hay fever, is a common problem in infants and children. The most common symptoms include a stuffy or runny nose with clear drainage, sneezing, itchy eyes and nose, sore throat, throat clearing and a cough that may be worse at night and in the morning. These symptoms usually occur during certain times of the year for people with seasonal allergies, corresponding to being exposed to outdoor allergens, such as tree pollens, grasses and weeds. Other people may have perennial allergies, with problems occurring year round from exposure to indoor allergens, such as dust mites, pets, second hand smoke and molds.

Other signs of having allergic rhinitis include the 'allergic salute,' a common habit of children which consists of rubbing their nose upward. This is usually because the nose is itchy and this practice can lead to a small crease in the skin of the lower part of the nose. Children with allergic rhinitis also commonly have 'allergic shiners,' which are dark circles under the eyes caused by nasal congestion.

Allergic rhinitis does run in certain families and are more common in children that have asthma or eczema. It is also more common in children that are exposed to second hand smoke, air pollution and pets.

Having uncontrolled allergies can put your child at risk for getting a secondary sinus infection, ear infections, and for having poor concentration at school. It can also make asthma symptoms worse.

The best treatment for allergic rhinitis is to avoid what your child is allergic to by following prevention and environmental controls. For seasonal allergies, this includes keeping windows closed in the car and at home to avoid exposure to pollens and limit outdoor activities when pollen counts are highest (early morning for tree pollen in the spring, afternoon and early evening for grasses in the summer, and midday for ragweed in the fall).

Water Safety and your Children

To ensure that your children are safe, never leave them unsupervised around water. Here are some tips to keep your child safe around water:

· Teach your child to swim, but remember that younger children shouldn't be left unsupervised around water even if they know how to swim. The AAP recommends that children under age four not be given formal swimming lessons, especially as a primary means to prevent the risk of drowning.

· Always wear a safety approved life jacket when on a lake, river or ocean while boating, water skiing, jet skiing or tubing.

· Warn your children about playing in canals or other fast moving water.

· Do not let your child play around any water (lake, pool, ocean, etc.) without adult supervision (even if he is a good swimmer).

· Don't allow running or rough play around the water.

· Childproof your swimming pool with a fence around your backyard and a fence (at least 4 feet high) around the pool, with a self-closing, self-latching gate. Also consider having a phone poolside and learning CPR in case of emergencies.

Sun Safety for your Children

It is now well known that exposure to sun puts people at risk for skin cancer and premature aging and that most of that exposure comes during childhood (80% of a person's lifetime sun exposure occurs before they are 21). Regular use of sunscreen in children can lower their risk of skin cancer by almost 78%.

There are many sunscreens available for safe use in children over six months old. Pick one that offers UVA and UVB protection and that has a SPF of 15 or higher (especially if your child has light skin). Apply the sunscreen in a thick coat at least 30-45 minutes before going outside and reapply every two hours (or more often in he is swimming or perspiring heavily).

Here are some other tips to protect your child from the damaging effects of the sun.

· Wear protective clothing, including a hat and long sleeve shirt and long pants. Keep in mind that most clothing only has a SPF of 5-9, so you can still get sun damage with a shirt on.

· Limit exposure to the sun when it is at its strongest (10am-4pm).

· Protect your child's eyes with sunglasses that protect against UVA and UVB radiation.

· Use sunscreen daily, even if it is cloudy, since most of the sun's radiation penetrates clouds and can still cause sunburn.

· Consider using a sunscreen with ingredients (such as zinc oxide or titanium dioxide) that physically block the sun's radiation if your child has sensitive skin.

· Deet lowers the effectiveness of sunscreens, so use a higher SPF if you are using a combination product that has both a sunscreen and an insect repellant.

Insect Repellents for Children

Insects (mosquitoes, gnats, chiggers, ticks, etc.) commonly bite children and can make them miserable. There are many safe and effective insect repellents that you can use to protect your child, including those that use deet, citronella, or soybean oil. Remember to only use products that are approved for children, follow the manufacturer's instructions and wash off the insect repellents when you return indoors.

Insect repellents with deet are probably the best and most commonly used. Although it is absorbed through your child's skin, it is generally safe as long as the product has less than 10% deet. You should apply the deet product to all exposed skin, except near the eyes, mouth, open cuts or hands of small children (who may rub their eyes or put their fingers in their mouth). Deet is absorbed through the skin, so you may want to limit how much you put on younger children, wash it off as soon as possible, and apply it more to clothing than skin.

Although deet insect repellents are effective for several hours, they do wash off with water and sweat, and you may have to reapply them to be most effective (follow the product's instructions to be safe).

Other insect repellents that are generally safe in children include those made with Citronella (Avon's Skin-So-Soft) and soybean oil (Bite Blocker).

Remember that insect repellents do not protect against most stinging insects, including wasps, bees and fire ants.

To keep your children safe from insect bites, you can also:

· Make sure to keep as much of her skin covered with clothing as possible, including long sleeve shirt, long pants, socks, and a hat.

· Wear light colored clothing, so as not to attract bugs.

· Avoid using any scented soaps or other products on your baby, since the fragrances can also attract insects.

· Apply insect repellents to clothing instead of to skin so that it won't be absorbed.

· Wash off insect repellents as soon as possible.

· Avoid areas with insects nest.

· Follow the instructions, including age restrictions on any insect repellent you are considering using.

MEDICATIONS

1.    Please remember that all medications, prescription and over the  counter, including cough drops, must be brought to the nurses office at the beginning of the school day.  They must be in the original container with a note from the physician if a prescription, or from a parent if the medication is over the counter, stating how the medication is to be given, i.e. for what reason or at a certain time of the day.

3.  It would be helpful to the nurses if you can send a note in with your child if you gave him/her any medication, not routine meds, such as Tylenol (Acetaminophen), Motrin or Advil (Ibuprofen) or cold medications which contain acetaminophen or ibuprofen.  This is especially true with children in the lower grades.  This can be very helpful, for example, if your child came to the nurse’s office complaining of a headache before noon and we knew that they had received medication for this before school as we would not want to medicate again before the recommended time. 

**Please continue to encourage your child to eat a nutritious breakfast to help enhance their learning and minimize the possibility of weakness and faintness.  This is especially important on the days we attend Mass and go on field trips.