Treatments

The PICU is the section of the hospital that provides sick children with the highest level of medical care. It differs from other parts of the hospital, like the general medical floors. In the PICU, kids get intensive nursing care and close monitoring of things like heart rate, breathing, and blood pressure. The PICU also lets medical staff provide therapies that might not be available in other parts of the hospital. These can include ventilators (breathing machines) and medicines that are used only under close medical supervision. Who's Sent to the PICU? Kids go to the PICU if they are seriously ill, need intensive care, and have medical needs that can't be met on the hospital's main medical floors. This might include kids with severe breathing problems from asthma, serious infections, some complications of diabetes, or those involved in a serious automobile accident or near-drowning. Sometimes, kids who were stable enough to be cared for on the hospital's medical-surgical floors move to the PICU if they become more acutely ill. After major surgery, many children get care in the PICU for several days. How long kids stay in the PICU depends on their condition. Some might stay a single day, while others stay for weeks or even months. As always, ask the doctor or nurse caring for your child if you have questions. Who Takes Care of Kids in the PICU? The PICU has many highly skilled people who care for kids. But not knowing who everyone is and what they do can be confusing and a little overwhelming at first. Most people will introduce themselves and tell you how they're involved in your child's care. If they don't, feel free to ask. At all times, you should feel comfortable asking the doctors and nurses questions about your child and the care being given. The nurses who work in the PICU are experienced in caring for the sickest children in the hospital. They're the people most closely involved with the minute-to-minute care of the kids. The PICU also tends to have a higher nurse-to-patient ratio than other parts of the hospital (in other words, each nurse cares for fewer patients, which gives them more time with your child). Many doctors may care for your child, but the attending physicians are in charge. Your child might be cared for by a pediatric intensivist. This is a doctor who did a 3-year residency in pediatrics after medical school, followed by 3 more years of subspecialty fellowship training in intensive care. The PICU team may include residents (doctors who've completed medical school and are training to be pediatricians) and PICU fellows (pediatricians training to be attending intensivists). Many other subspecialists, such as cardiologists (heart doctors) or neurosurgeons (brain surgeons), might be involved, depending on your child's needs. Respiratory therapists are experienced with ventilators and other breathing equipment, and are often involved in the care of PICU patients with breathing problems. Also, physical therapists, occupational therapists, dietitians, and pharmacists may play a role in your child's care. You also might meet social workers who help families cope with the emotional burdens of having a critically ill child. They can arrange temporary housing for families (through organizations like Ronald McDonald House), help with insurance issues, or coordinate discharge planning when your child is ready to go home. You may want to ask if the hospital has Child Life specialists. Trained in fields like development, education, psychology, and counseling, they help kids understand and manage being in the hospital. For example, they'll listen when a child needs to talk, calm fears about what's happening, or provide distractions like books and games. The medical team meets every day, usually in the morning, to discuss each patient's case in detail. These discussions are known as rounds. You may see a group of doctors, nurses, and others walking from patient to patient, planning the medical care for each patient. During rounds, you may be asked to stay in your child's room or to not enter or exit the PICU. This is to protect the privacy of other patients. Family-centered patient care might be practiced in the PICU. If this is the case, you'll be asked to join in your child's daily rounds. If you're not there during rounds or don't want to join, the attending physician will talk with you about the daily goals for your child by phone or in person.

After your premature baby is moved to the NICU, he or she may undergo a number of tests. Some are ongoing, while others may be performed only if the NICU staff suspects a particular complication. Possible tests for your premature baby may include: Breathing & Heart Rate Monitor: Your baby's breathing and heart rate are monitored on a continuous basis. Blood pressure readings are done frequently, too. Fluid Input & Output: The NICU team carefully tracks how much fluid your baby takes in through feedings and intravenous fluids and how much fluid your baby loses through wet or soiled diapers. Blood Tests: Blood samples are collected through a heel stick or a needle inserted into a vein to monitor a number of critical substances, including calcium, glucose and bilirubin levels in your baby's blood. A blood sample may also be analyzed to measure the red blood cell count and check for anemia or assess for an infection. If your baby's doctor anticipates that several blood samples will be needed, the NICU staff may insert a central umbilical intravenous (IV) line, to avoid having to stick your baby with a needle each time blood is needed. Echocardiogram: This test is an ultrasound of the heart to check for problems with your baby's heart function. Much like a fetal ultrasound, an electrocardiogram uses sound waves to produce moving images on a display monitor. Ultrasound Scan: Ultrasound scans may be done to check the brain for bleeding or fluid buildup or to examine the abdominal organs for problems in the gastrointestinal tract, liver or kidneys. Eye Exam: An ophthalmologist (eye doctor) may examine your baby's eyes and vision to check for problems with the retina (retinopathy of prematurity).

Breastfeed is a wonderful decision for you and your baby. Breast milk provides complete nutrition for your infant and helps to prevent illness. Babies who do not breastfeed have more ear infections and diarrhea than breastfed babies. Breastfed babies have fewer trips to the pediatrician for common childhood illnesses, have fewer allergies, a lower risk of obesity and diabetes, reduced risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), and higher IQ’s than formula-fed babies. There are also benefits for the mother who breastfeeds. There is less ovarian and breast cancer and osteoporosis in breastfeeding mothers compared to formula-feeding mothers. Breastfeeding helps with postpartum weight loss, delays fertility, increases a mother’s self-confidence and promotes bonding. With breast milk, there is no wasted formula and no cost. Breastfeeding is convenient because the milk is always ready and at the right temperature. Breast milk is different from formula because it changes to meet the nutritional needs of your child as he grows. Breast milk contains all the vitamins and minerals your baby needs and is easy to digest. For all of these reasons, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that infants be fed only breast milk for the first six months of life. Babies do not need water, juice or formula. At six months you may offer your baby solid foods, but you should continue to breastfeed until your baby is at least a year old. Babies who switch to table food and whole cow’s milk when they are a year old will never need infant formula. How do I get started? The first few weeks of breastfeeding, your baby needs to breastfeed frequently to establish your milk supply. Most babies will breastfeed at least eight times in a 24-hour period. Recent research shows that babies usually have 11 breastfeeding sessions per day if you count feedings on each breast separately. The actual number can range from 7 to 19 sessions daily when each breast is counted as a feeding. The key to successful breastfeeding is the way you position and latch your baby onto the breast. You should hold the baby “tummy to tummy” so that there is no space between your body and your baby. The baby needs to be facing the breast. Please make sure not to press on the back of the baby’s head. For correct latch-on, your baby needs to open his mouth wide enough to take both the nipple and some of the areola (the dark area around the nipple) into his mouth. The corners of the baby’s mouth should be at a wide angle and both his upper and lower lips should be outside his mouth. Support your breast with your hand during the feeding. Make sure that your fingers are way back behind the areola and make sure not to press inward on your breast. This position will help your baby to get the most milk and you will be less likely to have sore nipples. Signs of a poor latch: Your nipples are sore during the whole feeding, or are cracked or bleeding Your nipples are creased or slanted when the baby comes off the breast When the baby sucks you hear clicking or smacking sounds The baby is coming off the breast repeatedly after only a few sucks The baby’s cheeks are dimpling in with each suck The baby acts hungry all the time after nursing The baby has less than 6-8 wet diapers

Caring for your newborn baby is undoubtedly an overwhelming task for a new mother and the family. But, when you have a caring pediatrician on your side, they take out all the guesswork.Our pediatrician makes sure you learn everything you need to know about newborn care. Call ou clinic or use the convenient online booking tool to schedule your baby's first visit. Feeding the Newborn The neonate should be breastfed on demand, usually every 2-3 hourly. The newborn will feed on the breast around 8-12 times in a day, each feed lasting around 10-15 minutes. The interval between two feeds should not be more than 4-5 hours in the first 2-3 weeks of life. A rigid feeding schedule is not required, as a routine will be established naturally with time. Can solids be started at 4 months of age? It is recommended to continue exclusive breastfeeding until 6 months of age. Weaning is recommended after completion of 6 months. Breast milk has all the nutrients needed to maintain the optimum growth of a newborn for the first 6 months. The antibodies in breastmilk protect the baby from respiratory infections and diarrheal illnesses. Research has proven that exclusively breastfed infants are less likely to develop allergies, asthma, high cholesterol and diabetes. The mothers are also benefitted due to the lesser risk of breast and ovarian cancers. Nursing helps to burn calories that help to shed the extra weight gained during pregnancy. Can a bath be given to the newborn immediately after birth? The bath is usually delayed for 12-24 hours after birth. The full-term baby’s skin has a natural moisturizer and cleanser called vernix caseosa that also protects against infections. A bath given immediately after birth may remove this natural infection barrier, may predispose to hypothermia and interfere with breastfeeding and mother-infant bonding. Rubbing with a clean, warm towel is recommended at birth to remove amniotic fluid, blood and meconium. Should an antibiotic powder be applied on the umbilical cord area in the first week of life? There is no need to apply antibiotic powder, gentian violet or other chemicals over the umbilical stump area. However, it is important to keep the cord clean and dry by keeping it exposed to air or loosely covered with a clean cloth. Cord care is very important to prevent colonization with bacteria like staphylococcus aureus and gram-negative bacilli that may then lead to an infection of the umbilical cord called omphalitis. Application of traditional substances like ash, herbal products, human milk or cow dung may significantly increase the chances of omphalitis and dangerous infections like neonatal tetanus.

Disease prevention is an important part of maintaining your child's overall good health. Many preventive strategies are so simple, safe, and effective, allowing you to guard against a variety of potentially serious illnesses, from food-borne diseases to infections caused by ticks and animal bites. Cleaners, Sanitizers & Disinfectants Housecleaning may not be the most enjoyable activity in your day, but a few minutes killing germs can go a long way toward keeping your family healthy. Routine cleaning with detergent or soap and water removes dirt and grime from surfaces (ex: floors, walls, carpet, windows). Sanitizing removes dirt and small amounts of germs. Some items and surfaces are cleaned to remove dirt then sanitized (ex: bathrooms, counters, toys, dishes, silverware). Some items and surfaces require the added step of disinfecting after cleaning to kill germs on a surface (ex: changing tables, sinks, counters, toys). Food-Borne Illnesses Prevention An estimated one in six Americans get sick each year after eating contaminated food. Anyone can get food poisoning, but children are more likely to be affected and have more serious illness.The good news is that most food-borne illness can be prevented by follow these safety guidelines. Cleanliness Food selection Food preparation and serving Germ Prevention Strategies When your child or another family member has a cold or cough, there are extremely important steps in addition to frequent hand washing that can lower the risk of spreading the infection to others. Some experts call these strategies respiratory hygiene, and they can be very effective if followed carefully. For example, to keep your sick child from blowing secretions into the air, where they can land on other people or on toys and other objects: Encourage her to cough or sneeze into a tissue or, if a tissue isn’t available, onto her sleeve. Discourage your child from covering her mouth with her hands while coughing or sneezing because this will leave germs on the hands that can be spread by touching other people or objects. Most often, germs are spread by the hands, not through the air. Throw away tissues immediately after each use, putting them in a nearby wastebasket or other container. Once your child is old enough, teach her how to blow her nose into a tissue. Don’t allow your child to share pacifiers, drinking cups, eating utensils, towels, or toothbrushes whether she is sick. Hand Washing: A Powerful Antidote to Illness How many times have you and your child washed your hands today? You might not have given it much thought. It’s either part of your routine, done frequently without thinking, or maybe you don’t do it much at all. But as your pediatrician may have told you, hand washing may be the single most important act you and your child have for disease prevention. Precautions for International Travel: Information for Parents When you and your c​hild are traveling abroad, you want the experience to be fun, educational, and disease free. Talk to Your Pediatrician Before Your Trip Prevent Bite Wounds Each year, many parents rush their children to the pediatrician’s office or the emergency department after their youngsters have been bitten by animals or other humans. Consider the following statistics: there are about 4.5 million dog bites reported annually in the United States, along with 400,000 cat bites and 250,000 human bites. It is likely that the actual number of bites is much higher. While many of these bites cause only minor injuries, others are much more serious. In many cases, these bites produce infections. This occurs in more than 50% of cat bites and 15% to 20% of dog or human bites. Reducing the Spread of Illness in Child Care Whenever children are together, there is a chance of spreading infections. This is especially true among infants and toddlers who are likely to use their hands to wipe their noses or rub their eyes and then handle toys or touch other children. These children then touch their noses and rub their eyes so the virus goes from the nose or eyes of one child by way of hands or toys to the next child who then rubs his own eyes or nose. And children get sick a lot in the first several years of life as their bodies are building immunity to infections. In many child care facilities, the staff simply cannot care for a sick child due to space or staff limitations, although in others, the child can be kept comfortable and allowed to rest as needed in a separate area of the room where they have already exposed the other children.

Childhood vaccines or immunizations can seem overwhelming when you are a new parent. Vaccine schedules recommended by agencies and organizations, such as the CDC, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the American Academy of Family Physicians cover about 14 different diseases. Vaccinations not only protect your child from deadly diseases, such as polio, tetanus, and diphtheria, but they also keep other children safe by eliminating or greatly decreasing dangerous diseases that used to spread from child to child. A vaccine is a dead, or weakened version, or part of the germ that causes the disease in question. When children are exposed to a disease in vaccine form, their immune system, which is the body's germ-fighting machine, is able to build up antibodies that protect them from contracting the disease if and when they are exposed to the actual disease. Over the years, vaccines have generated some controversy over safety, but no convincing evidence of harm has been found. And although children can have a reaction to any vaccine, the important thing to know is that the benefits of vaccinations far outweigh the possible side effects.