Pediatrics After Hours

Protecting Pediatric Health: Resources for Further Reading

While all children are susceptible to cuts, scrapes, and the occasional accident, certain lifestyle choices can protect them from further health complications that could impact their development and long-term health. Talk to your pediatrician about the healthy habits that can protect your young patient, and read more about the importance of diet and exercise to your child in the resources below.

• Between developing immune systems and constant contact with other children, young patients can contract a number of childhood illnesses. WebMD provides more information about common sicknesses and their causes, including those you may not have heard of but have experienced.
• With obesity becoming a greater threat to younger children, childhood exercise is more important than ever in controlling weight, promoting healthy development, and protecting overall health. This government guide to children and exercise provides parents with more information about the value of exercise and tips for encouraging your children to be more active.
• To help with proper development, children need different amounts of necessary nutrients at different stages of growth. Learn more about what a healthy diet looks like for children from toddler to teenage years with this Mayo Clinic guide.

An urgent care facility established by pediatricians, Pediatrics After Hours provides convenient and high-level pediatric care after regular business hours. Each of our Dallas, Plano and Garland facilities charges normal office co-pay rates and follows up with a patient’s regular pediatrician. Visit us online or call one our locations today: Dallas at (214) 363-7242, Plano at (972) 618-2493, and Garland at (214) 919-3170.

Helping Kids to Eat Healthier: A How-To Guide

Between busy family schedules and still-developing tastes, getting your children to sit through a meal may be enough of a challenge without wanting them to finish healthy foods. While other food choices may seem easier or more appealing, though, a balanced diet is a crucial component of your child’s development and overall health. Talk to your pediatrician about what a healthy diet looks like, and learn more about making healthy choices as a family in the video below.

To make a significant and sustainable impact, involve the whole family in eating and making healthy choices. In addition to removing some elements from your diet, like sugary drinks and snacks, make it easy to add nutritious choices to each meal and throughout the day. Pre-cut healthy snacks like carrots and apples for a fast snack, and pack additional fruit in your child’s lunchbox to help them avoid the vending machine. To equip your children with the knowledge to make their own choices, teach them how to read food labels for nutrition facts and serving size information, and involve them during meal preparation for a better understanding of ingredients. By setting an example themselves, parents can encourage children to make healthy habits to protect their health and prolong their life. 

An urgent care facility established by pediatricians, Pediatrics After Hours provides convenient and high-level pediatric care after regular business hours. Each of our Dallas, Plano and Garland facilities charges normal office co-pay rates and follows up with a patient’s regular pediatrician. Visit us online or call one our locations today: Dallas at (214) 363-7242, Plano at (972) 618-2493, and Garland at (214) 919-3170.

The Types of Tests Performed at a Pediatric Urgent Care Clinic

In addition to providing your child with convenient after-hours medical care, a pediatric urgent care clinic can also perform a variety of tests to make an accurate diagnosis of your child’s condition. If your regular pediatric is unavailable, talk to your after-hours pediatrician for more information about these tests and what they do to facilitate prompt and thorough care. Read more below about commonly-performed pediatric tests and what your child can expect from the experience.

• X-Rays: Sprains and fractures can present similar symptoms but do require different treatments. Your pediatrician may order an X-ray not only to make an accurate diagnosis but also to assess the extent of injury. An X-ray may also be used to diagnosis respiratory conditions or infections. All types of X-rays are painless, but some children may have difficulty staying still for the duration of the test.
• Blood Test: A blood draw can reveal a variety of medical concerns, including infection, low blood sugar, and anemia. These tests can help your pediatrician make a diagnosis and inform himself or herself of any possible complications that could interfere with treatment. During a blood draw, a small amount of blood is obtained by pricking the finger, and parents will be there to calm the nervous child. The results are available in 15 minutes. 
• Rapid Influenza Test: Strep (streptococcal) infection can cause sore throat, fever, abdominal pain, and rash during the acute infection, and untreated strep throat may progress in the future to rheumatic fever, which involves the heart and joints. A rapid strep test entails a swab of the throat, and in ten minutes the treating physician will know whether or not antibiotics are indicated. All negative rapid strep tests are sent to the lab for traditional culture, which takes two to three days, to insure no strep throats are missed. The family will be called when the results are back.
• Urinalysis: A urine test may be required for a diagnosis when a non-blood-borne condition is suspected. This test helps to detect abnormalities in the urine that may indicate the presence of infection, kidney stone, diabetes or dehydration. If you are scheduled for a urinalysis, have your child drink plenty of fluids beforehand to ensure that an adequate sample can be gathered.

An urgent care facility established by pediatricians, Pediatrics After Hours provides convenient and high-level pediatric care after regular business hours. Each of our Dallas, Plano and Garland facilities charges normal office co-pay rates and follows up with a patient’s regular pediatrician. Visit us online or call one our locations today: Dallas at (214) 363-7242, Plano at (972) 618-2493, and Garland at (214) 919-3170.

Encouraging Healthy Childhood Habits

In addition to preventative measures and proper hygiene, healthy lifestyle habits can keep your child active and out of your pediatrician’s office. By encouraging your children to embrace healthy foods and physical activity, you can help them to develop habits and a healthy outlook that will benefit them into adulthood. Talk to your pediatrician about lifestyle habits that can affect your child’s health, and learn more about what you can do to develop these habits at home.

• Make Exercise Fun: With obesity increasingly common in young people, physical activity is an important component of both childhood development and long-term health. To make exercise fun and an integral part of your child’s routine, designate daily playtime and incorporate activities like walking into weekend outings to the park. Instead of spending sedentary time in front of the television, take your break outdoors or use the television to play dance video games that keep everyone active.
• Participate in Meal Preparation: In addition to enhancing your child’s physical and developmental growth, preparing a balanced diet can be an opportunity to teach your family about healthy food habits. Invite your children to participate in meal preparation; this can not only make them more excited about eating nutritious foods but also help to cultivate an awareness of the foods they eat. If you are worried about your child’s weight, talk to your pediatrician. Different children will develop at different rates, and only your healthcare provider can diagnose whether your child requires special dietary needs.
• Set a Positive Example: When your child sees you eating healthy foods and staying active, he or she will be more likely to participate in and value these things themselves. In addition to eliminating junk food from the pantry or turning off the TV, try to be an active example of leading a healthy lifestyle. Involve your children in daily tasks like walking the dog, and sign the entire family up for a fun fitness class or outdoor activities. 

An urgent care facility established by pediatricians, Pediatrics After Hours provides convenient and high-level pediatric care after regular business hours. Each of our Dallas, Plano and Garland facilities charges normal office co-pay rates and follows up with a patient’s regular pediatrician. Visit us online or call one our locations today: Dallas at (214) 363-7242, Plano at (972) 618-2493, and Garland at (214) 919-3170.

Treating the Ears and Lungs: Pediatric Resources for Further Reading

From a common head cold to a breath full of bad air, a variety of triggers can cause problems with your child’s breathing, hearing and overall comfort. If your child complains of difficulty eating, sleeping, or breathing, schedule an appointment with your pediatrician for further diagnosis. He or she can recommend treatments to relieve immediate symptoms and to control chronic conditions. If your child experiences a ruptured ear drum or asthma attack after regular business hours, your local pediatric urgent care clinic may also be able to help.

• A blocking or narrowing of the airways, childhood asthma can make breathing more difficult and can even result in hospitalization. To help your child control his or her asthma, learn more about common causes and triggers of the condition from the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America.
• Although childhood asthma cannot be cured, it can be controlled with the help of an experienced and caring pediatrician. Find out more about asthma treatment and management with this guide from the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute.
• Extremely common in children, a middle ear infection can cause ear pain, temporary hearing loss, and even a ruptured eardrum. This article on children’s health provides more information about the causes and symptoms of, and treatment for a childhood ear infection.

An urgent care facility established by pediatricians, Pediatrics After Hours provides convenient and high-level pediatric care after regular business hours. Each of our Dallas, Plano and Garland facilities charges normal office co-pay rates and follows up with a patient’s regular pediatrician. Visit us online or call one our locations today: Dallas at (214) 363-7242, Plano at (972) 618-2493, and Garland at (214) 919-3170.