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Making Kids Feel Like Kids: What it’s like to be a Child Life Specialist
Most kids don’t want to step foot inside of a hospital. Luckily for the children treated at Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children, the Child Life staff improves the hospital experience. And for the kids being treated at the Center for Children's Cancer and Blood Disorders, Child Life Specialist Lauren Hamed and team focus on making extended stays and routine visits full of therapeutic interactions.
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Why the outbreak of measles at Disneyland is important to your family
Over the Christmas holiday, a person who was carrying the measles virus visited Disneyland. Five park employees and dozens of visitors then became ill. The outbreak has ballooned to include not only people who visited Disneyland but also people who came into contact with those individuals. So far this year, 84 people in 14 states have been infected with measles, and this number continues to rise.
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What You Need to Know to Keep Your Child Safe This Summer
Parents and children alike are breathing a collective sigh of relief that the lazy days of summer are finally here. However, along with the lovely warm weather come some risks.
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The EASE app gives parents a glimpse inside the operating room
When a child is in surgery, one of the most stressful times a parent may experience is in the waiting room. The minutes that go by oftentimes feel like hours, as a child’s loved ones anxiously wait to hear from the medical team inside the operating room. The time spent waiting for the next update can be excruciating, despite every effort by the medical team to continually communicate with the family on the condition of their child and the status of the surgery.
A solution to help better comfort families while they wait: The EASE app
Dr. Kevin de la Roza and Dr. Hamish Munro, anesthesiologists at Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children, saw a need to provide a better experience to families while they wait during their child’s surgery. Dr. de la Roza says, “No matter how much we tried to reassure parents before surgery, we always got the same look of fear in their eyes as we took their child into the OR. We thought there’s got to be a better way to communicate with them through the process.” -
What you need to know about head lice
The new school year has begun. Chances are that if you have school-aged children, at some point in time you’ll hear those two dirty, little words: head lice. And if your family has had head lice, you aren’t alone- millions of kids in the United States get head lice every year.
What are head lice?
Head lice are tiny insects, roughly the size of a sesame seed. They are one of three different types of lice that can live on humans- head lice, body lice and pubic lice. Although they can be quite a nuisance, head lice do not transmit diseases. They feed on human blood, and are usually found close to the scalp. Head lice are most commonly spread by direct contact with the hair of an infected person. Although sharing personal items such as hats or hairbrushes can transmit head lice, it is much more likely to spread by direct head-to-head contact. Head-to-head contact is common during play, sports activities, camps, and sleepovers. -
Have you talked to your teen about the drug called "Molly?"
You may have seen the recent news reports detailing the hospitalization of 12 people (10 students and 2 visitors) at Wesleyan University due to the popular drug called, “Molly.” If it’s been a few years since your college days, the name ecstasy or “X” may sound more familiar to you. Each of these nicknames, however, are referring to the same drug: a chemical substance known as 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine or MDMA.
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The gift that keeps on giving: Noah’s birthday wish
From a very young age, Noah has had a heart for giving back to his community. Two years ago, he began asking for a birthday gift that not many kids would ask for – money from friends and family to go towards the local charity of his choice. Since that time, he has raised over $3,000 to help those who need it most.
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What about me? Providing support to siblings during a hospitalization
March is National Child Life Month. As a Certified Child Life Specialist in the NICU, I find this month quite exciting. It is a time for Specialists to continue to spread awareness of the need for patient education and support during trying times in the hospital, and most importantly, we celebrate the importance of play! But, patients are not the only family members that Child Life Specialists serve. We also provide education and support to siblings. Regardless of age, siblings can struggle throughout a child’s hospitalization for various reasons, and it is important to recognize ways that they can feel supported and have an understanding of what is going on with their brother or sister in a way that makes sense to them.
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Could cyberbullying be the cause of depression in your teen?
Nearly everyone is familiar these days with the terms "cyberbullying" or "online bullying". This is a form of bullying where someone is harassed, threatened, or humiliated through the internet, usually through various social media networks. It is becoming increasingly common; statistics say about 58% of kids admit someone has said mean or hurtful things to them online. More than 4 out of 10 say it has happened more than once. These figures sound about right to me. At Teen Xpress, I have several students every week tell me that they are dealing with some sort of online bullying.
Cyberbullying can lead to depression in teens
Being intimidated, verbally abused, or harassed online can wreak havoc on a young person’s psyche, causing a multitude of issues, especially depression. When looking specifically at depression, it’s hard to know the exact numbers or relationship between the two because bullying is usually underreported (with an average of only 1 out of 10 young people telling an adult). -
Can tea tree oil prevent head lice?
For parents of school-aged children, the mere mention of that four-letter word L-I-C-E can send us into a panic and fast!
