Family Hospice and Palliative Care recently held its annual Camp Healing Hearts for grieving children at The Center for Compassionate Care in Mt. Lebanon. The annual free day camp is open to any child in the community coping with loss. A variety of activities throughout the day – including pet therapy – are designed to help children deal with their grief. Fourteen children attended Camp Healing Hearts, along with parents/guardians. For more information, please call 412-572-8800 or visit www.FamilyHospice.com.

 

Childwise is a medical advice column for parents of children ages birth to 21. 

By Kathleen Ganster

It sounds cliché, but what happened with Andy Winzen is something no parent wants to see happen to her child.

At only 18-months old, soon after Andy ate some peanut butter, his lips and eyes began to swell and his face covered in hives. When he began to vomit, his mother, Addie, called 911 and he was rushed to Children’s Hospital.

Fortunately, Andy survived his first allergic reaction to peanuts (he is also allergic to all tree nuts), but according to Winzen she and her husband, Uwe, must be ever-vigilant about exposure for Andy.

“There is no cure for food allergies, so the dangers that exist for our son is that he may be accidentally exposed to one his allergens,” she said.

So how do you know if your child has allergies?

According to Todd Green, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, and allergist/immunologist and director of UPMC fellowship in allergy/immunology, there are numerous types of adverse reactions to foods, but it also important to know that there can different adverse reactions to food.

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By Kathleen Ganster

School has been underway for a couple of weeks now, but what if your child is still anxious about going to school and her new routine?

“By this point, your child should be definitely settled in and if they aren’t, you should talk to the teacher,” said Marilyn Adams, a teacher with 25 years’ experience in the classroom.

Adams, a teacher at Poff Elementary School in Hampton Township School District, has a bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Penn State University and a master’s degree in elementary education with reading certification from Slippery Rock University.  She is also the mother of two children, Melissa, a sophomore at Penn State, and Ed, a senior at Hampton High School.

It is normal for a child to be a bit anxious before classes start, said Adams.

“There are new teachers, new friends, a new setting, a new routine,” she explained, “But that should only last a week, two at the most.”

If your child seems to be suffering from school-related anxiety, it is better to deal with it right away. First, discuss the issue with your child’s teacher and the school counselor.

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By P., Piero DDS

Obesity and periodontal disease often appear to be tethered to one another. In children, that link requires parents and health care providers to monitor each variable in an effort to maintain the overall health of those they care for.

One explanation is the change in eating and drinking habits of children. More sugared sodas, power drinks and fruit juice substitutes make up our young adults beverages of choice. Ironically milk and “healthy”- 100% juices given to children in bottles and sippy cups also contributes to the problem. The array of snack food available is overwhelming. The low fat variety, although at first glance may appear healthy, actually contains more sugar than the high fat variety. A lot less vitamin C and calcium are ingested per calories by children today. All of these factors add to the total number of empty calories consumed by children.

This change in diet along with less physical activity adds weight to children, particularly those predisposed to obesity. The average number of hours in front of a television set or computer grows each year.

[Read more…]

Childwise is a medical advice column for parents of children ages birth to 21. 

How do you know if your child is adapting to college life and when do you intervene?

By Kathleen Ganster

Starting college is not only stressful for the students, but it is a time of adjustment for their parents as well. Part of the parental stress is knowing that your child will be out there on her own – how do you know she is ready for that big step? What are signals that she may not be adjusting? When do you intervene and what contact/outreach is too much?

Going away to college, even for commuters, is a huge life change, and like every life change, it is normal to be nervous.

“I tell our students, everyone is nervous. They may look calm on the outside, but on the inside, they are nervous,” said Lori Arend, LSW, director of counseling and health services at La Roche College.

Arend works with incoming freshmen and their parents at La Roche and said the parents are nervous as well.

[Read more…]

Childwise is a medical advice column for parents of children ages birth to 21. 

By Kathleen Ganster

One of the most difficult issues for a parent to help her children deal with is death – death of a grandparent, parent, or even a pet can be overwhelming for anyone and when you are dealing with your own grief, helping a child with his grief can be challenging.

The Highmark Caring Place is an organization dedicated to assisting children with loss. With four locations including Pittsburgh, Cranberry, Harrisburg and Erie, they offer support groups, telephone support, resource referrals, and programming to families who have faced a loss.

Terese Vorsheck, director, said the best thing a parent can do is to be honest and caring.

[Read more…]

By Cherie River, MS-CCC-SLP

Did you ever wish you could follow your child to school? Do you find yourself longing to be nestled on their shoulder so you can quietly nudge them to say “hi” to a friend or ask for a turn on the swings?

Don’t you wish you could whisper in his ear the best “comeback” in the world when a mean spirited peer laughs at him? Your every instinct as a parent is to protect and help. This instinct is magnified when you have a child with Autism or a child with limited social skills. You are not alone.

As a Speech Language Pathologist I often find myself ending a session by telling the parent “If only I could be there on the playground…”  When we are engaged in the natural turns and twists in life as adults we rely on our social language skills to get us out. We rely on the subtle facial gestures and body cues by the listener to know if they are interested in our story or checking out the conversation across the room. We rely heavily on social language skills at work to get new contracts or promotions by simply being likable and friendly.

[Read more…]