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How to talk to your kids about death
Written by Jaya Jagmohan, DO
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If your child has had a concussion or brain injury, you may not see the full effects for years to come
As an occupational therapist, one of the things that I do in my job is assist children who are recovering from a traumatic brain injury. I help them work through the new challenges they face because of their injury in hopes that they can fulfill their full potential. As a medical community, we are still working to fully understand how a brain injury affects a child’s long-term growth and development, but what recent research has shown us is that it may be long after the initial recovery period from a traumatic brain injury (even years later) before we see the full effects the injury will have on their growth and development.
What parents need to know
When we talk about brain injuries, it’s important to understand that we aren’t only talking about major injuries; we are also talking about relatively minor brain injuries, such as a concussion. Whether they have had a severe injury or a relatively minor one, children may experience long-lasting effects that can affect their development. A child may sustain a brain injury and experience a significant decrease in social, emotional, behavioral or cognitive abilities at the time of injury. (Cognitive abilities refers to a child’s capacity for learning and understanding, acquiring knowledge). Years later, they may then experience a “stall” where they fail to develop their cognitive, social, emotional or behavioral skills. -
Blankets can kill your baby
Putting your baby to sleep in unsafe bedding could cost your child his life, but according to a study from the American Academy of Pediatrics, half of parents are doing just that.
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Kids with Autism are at Higher Risk to Go Missing from Safe Places
Panic strikes in that moment when you look down to notice your child has vanished. How could it happen so fast? For most, it’s the mischievous toddler who plays a spontaneous game of hide-and-seek in the middle of the busy superstore or decides to run the opposite way when Dad announces it’s time to go home from the park. But if your child is affected by an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), the situation can be even more unexpected and more dangerous. Keeping your child safe can be quite a daunting challenge for every parent, but recent research sheds light on how difficult this can be for parents of kiddos with ASD. According to research out of the Kennedy Krieger Institute, children with ASD are at a much higher risk of bolting than their typical siblings, are likely to disappear for longer periods of time, and the risk of this happening continues long past the age that parents would expect.
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What does Florida’s new booster seat law mean for your family?
On January 1st, 2015 a new law became effective in Florida requiring children under the age of six years old to be restrained either in a child safety seat or booster seat while riding in a vehicle. Previously, Florida law mandated only that children under three years of age be restrained in a car seat, allowing parents to use seat belts for older children. Until this law took effect, Florida was one of only two states that did not require these safety measures for children under five years of age.
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Want to save a life today? How about three? You can do just that by donating blood.
It’s easy to overlook the importance of donating blood because most of us just don’t think about it until it applies to us. However when the unthinkable happens- an unexpected surgery, a cancer diagnosis, a premature baby is born- donated blood can make the difference between life and death. One out of every three people in the United States will need donated blood at some time in their lives. And for some, that time is now.
I’d like you to meet Ethan.
Ethan is 14 years old. In May of 2013, Ethan was diagnosed with Ewing’s sarcoma, a rare form of bone cancer. After undergoing 14 rounds of chemotherapy treatment, he was cancer-free and ready to go back to life as a normal teenager. However, a few months later during a routine follow-up, doctors diagnosed Ethan with a blood disorder called myelodisplastic syndrome (MDS), which then progressed to acute myeloid leukemia (AML), likely an unwanted side effect of his previous chemotherapy. He underwent another round of chemotherapy treatment and a bone marrow transplant that required him to spend 67 consecutive days in the hospital. He made it home just in time to spend Christmas with his family. He’s looking forward to finishing his treatment so that he can go back to school, play video games with his friends and enjoy his favorite sports like soccer and baseball. -
What to do if you think your child has the flu
This year has been a particularly difficult flu season, and it’s not over yet. Experts estimate that we’re about halfway through the season (although the flu virus can often be unpredictable), and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has reported an alarming number of hospitalizations and flu-related deaths. Especially concerning is the number of pediatric deaths related to the flu; 26 children have died this year from flu-related illnesses, and we know from previous experience that there are likely more that haven’t been reported.
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What we can learn from Leelah Alcorn’s suicide
*this photo was posted on Leelah Alcorn's tumblr site
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Let's give children's teeth a biting chance!
Written by Ha Vo, pediatric resident at Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children
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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.
