June 24, 2024 Dear Amazing Centennial Valley Pediatrics Patients and Caregivers, We hope this email finds you all healthy and well! Summer is in full swing, and hopefully you are having lots of fun--swimming, vacations, and just overall down-time! We currently have openings for physicals! There is always a huge crunch for school and sports physicals in August--so don't wait! Bring your kids in today! Safety Corner Water Safety Summer is the time for the pool, beaches, lakes, and all kinds of water fun. We want our children safe in these environments. But water safety is something to think about year-round--we go on vacations in the winter; if you have small children at home, don't forget about the water sources in your own home (think bathtub, toilet, kiddie pool, even buckets of water). Read on for safety tips to keep your children safe around all water sources: Sobering facts: Drowning is the leading cause of injury death in children 1-4. Young children can drown in as little as an inch or two of water, and it can happen quickly and silently. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends using "layers of protection" to help kids be safe around water. Barriers--prevent children's access to bodies of water when they are not being directly supervised--use gates, locking doors, alarms, pool/hot tub covers, etc. Supervision--use "touch supervision" for non-swimmers, whether it's bathtime or swim time--be within arm's reach. Assign a "water watcher"--an adult who is not being distracted by others, who is not on their phone, etc. Eyes on the children at all times. Swim lessons/water survival skills--The AAP recommends swim lessons for all children, (and their parents). Recent studies suggest that water survival skills training and swim lessons can help reduce drowning risk for all children, including those 1 to 4 years. Life jackets--should be used whenever around lakes, rivers, or the ocean. Adults should wear one, too. Be prepared--learn basic CPR, and hopefully you'll never need it Click here for more tips from the AAP on drowning prevention at home and away--remember: drowning can happen anywhere, anytime, to anyone. To all the dads, and those who act as dads, we hope you had an amazing Father's Day! We love and appreciate our patients and families! Stay safe and healthy! Love, Centennial Valley Pediatrics Providers and Staff

January 2, 2025 Dear Amazing Centennial Valley Pediatrics Patients and Parents, Happy New Year!! We hope this email finds you all healthy and well, and enjoying some holiday time with your families. In this newsletter, we have information on the new Colorado Child Passenger Safety Law, which went into effect January 1st. We also have some office updates, and a new recurring segment on vaccines. So read on! Child Passenger Safety Did you know that Colorado has new laws regarding your children riding safely in the car? Colorado's new Child Passenger Safety Law went into effect on January 1. Check if your child is in the correct seat: Infants up to age 2 What Colorado law says: Infants who are under 2 and less than 40 pounds must ride in a rear-facing car seat. Their car seat must be installed in the rear seat of the vehicle if one is available. Safest practice: The American Academy of Pediatrics advises parents and caregivers to keep their children rear facing as long as possible, up to the weight or height limits of their car seat. Many convertible car seats can be rear facing until your child weighs 40 to 50 pounds. This will include virtually all children under age 2 and most children up to age 4. Never put a rear-facing car seat in the front seat of a vehicle with an active airbag. Reasoning: Infants are less skeletally mature and have heavy heads, fragile necks and stretchy ligaments, making them particularly vulnerable during a car crash. When a baby is riding in a rear-facing car seat, the whole body (head, neck and torso) is cradled by the back of the safety seat — providing much better protection. A rear-facing car seat also protects the baby better in other types of crashes, particularly side impact crashes Children between the ages of 2 and 4 What Colorado law says: Children who are under 2 but weigh more than 40 pounds or between 2 and 4 who weigh at least 20 pounds may use a forward-facing car seat. They must be positioned in the back seat of the vehicle if available. Safest practice: Children should ride in a rear-facing convertible car seat as long as possible, up to the seat's limits. This will include virtually all children under 2 years old and most children up to 4 years old. Once they have been turned around, children should remain in a forward-facing car seat up to that seat's weight or height limits. Most seats can accommodate children up to 65 pounds. Restrain your 2- to 4-year-old child in a car seat with a five-point harness system, which features two shoulder straps, two hip straps and a buckle strap at the chest. A five-point harness system has more places to distribute crash forces and offers better protection than a lap and shoulder belt, so keep your child in this type of seat for as long as possible. Keep your children in the back seat. Always use the top tether strap (the long piece of webbing with a clip on the end located on the top back of a forward-facing car seat) according to the vehicle owner's manual and child restraint manufacturer's instructions. Children between the ages of 4 and 9 What Colorado law says: Children between the ages of 4 and 9 years old, who weigh at least 40 pounds must continue to ride in a child restraint in the back seat of the vehicle. This can be a five-point-harness car seat or a booster seat that uses the vehicle's lap and shoulder seat belt as kids get older and bigger. Safest practice : If your child has outgrown their rear-facing car seat, they should then be in a booster seat in the back seat until your car's seat belt fits correctly. This usually occurs when children are 9-10 yrs old, but do not go by age alone--check the requirements below. Studies have shown the use of booster seats can reduce the risk of injury by 59% compared to seat belts alone. Keep your child in a booster until: The shoulder belt of the car's seat belt crosses their collarbone and chest (not their neck). The lap belt crosses their upper thighs (not their abdomen). Their knees bend at the edge of the back seat They can stay seated like this for the entire trip Depending on your car, most children reach this milestone when they are 4'5" or so--but each car is different, so you will need to check. Children between the ages of 9 and 18 What Colorado law says: Children between the ages of 9 and 18 must use a seat belt or child restraint. Safest practice: Your child should remain in a booster seat until they are tall enough to safely use the car's seat belt system. This will depend on your car. The child needs to achieve the guidelines for safe seat belt fitting--see those under the 4-9 yr olds above. Keep your child in the back seat as long as possible, until at least age 13. Your child is growing up fast, but don't rush them into using the regular seat belt if it doesn't fit properly; it won't protect them in a crash and could actually cause serious injuries. Office updates Our website has gotten an update ! Check it out! No show fee: Due to the frequency of patients not showing for appointments, and us not being able to see patients during the lost appointment time, we are instituting this no-show policy, like most other practices in the area. Starting January 1, 2025, we will be implementing a $75 charge for missed appointments. You must contact us before the day of your appointment to cancel/change the appointment to not incur this charge. Vaccine Corner Due to increasing concerns about vaccines lately, we will be starting a recurring information section, focusing on different vaccines. We want you, as parents, to know what these vaccines are for, why your child gets them at particular times, and answer your questions about safety. We are fully in agreement with the American Academy of Pediatrics and CDC recommendations on the childhood immunization schedule, and will always encourage you to stick with this. Of course, we will work with you if you choose to vaccinate differently, but the schedule was created to be safe for your child, and to give them protection from terrible childhood illnesses when they need it most. When you have questions, please reference trusted vaccine information sources, like: Your pediatricians! :) Voices for Vaccines--a website meant for lay people, gives Information on vaccine preventable diseases, how vaccines work, and why to vaccinate Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) Vaccine Education Center (VEC)--The Vaccine Education Center (VEC) was launched to provide accurate, comprehensive and up-to-date information about vaccines and the diseases they prevent. The VEC is funded by Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and through philanthropic donations, and does not receive support from vaccine manufacturers. Talking about Vaccines with Dr. Paul Offitt--Paul A. Offit, MD, is Director of the Vaccine Education Center and professor of pediatrics in the Division of Infectious Diseases at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Dr. Offit is an internationally recognized expert in the fields of virology and immunology, He has created a very watchable, parent friendly video series all about vaccines, how they work, what's in them, etc. Shot by Shot--stories of vaccine preventable illnesses from people who suffered them, or the families who had to watch. Shows the real life effect of these illnesses, that they do still exist, and that they can be devastating This month, let's look at the influenza vaccine, since it is that time of year. Please watch this video from Shot by Shot for 3 families' experiences with severe influenza. Severe influenza does occur, and it can occur in perfectly healthy children of all ages. What is influenza (flu)? Isn’t the flu just a bad cold? It's not that serious, right? Influenza is frequently much worse than a bad cold. Some children who have influenza get so sick they can’t go to childcare or school, often for a week or more. This is a hardship for the child and the family. Symptoms of the flu include: high fever, often over 104, sometimes leading to seizures body aches, headaches-- often severe cough vomiting and diarrhea sore throat fatigue Complications of influenza include: ear infections dehydration pneumonia myocarditis (heart inflammation) rhabdomyolysis (muscle breakdown that can lead to kidney failure) encephalitis--brain inflammation Every year, thousands of children end up hospitalized from influenza or its complications, and 100-200 children die. This may seem like a small number, but imagine it is your child in the hospital, or worse. Do influenza vaccines actually work? It seems like even if I got a flu shot, I still got the flu? It is true that getting the vaccine does not prevent all illness, but it does decrease your chances of contracting influenza by about 50%. And it is very good at protecting against severe illness, which is the most important thing. The vaccine isn't more effective because the virus changes from year to year, and the vaccines have to be updated. This is also why you have to get one every year. Before influenza season, experts gather information from around the world to work out which influenza viruses are most likely to circulate. It can be hard to predict, so some year's protection rate is lower than others. But influenza vaccines still give very good protection from severe illness, even if they aren’t perfect. Could my child get influenza from the vaccine? I got a flu shot, and 3 days later I had the flu? No, you can’t get influenza from an influenza vaccine. Influenza vaccines contain either pieces of influenza virus (not the whole virus), or inactivated (dead) virus. These things can't produce the illness in your body. The vaccine isn't fully protecting you until about two weeks after you get it. So if you caught the virus before you were vaccinated (but weren't feeling sick yet), or in that two weeks after getting the vaccine, it might seem like the vaccine gave you the flu, but it didn't. It’s normal for children to be fussy, tired, sore, or even feverish for a day or two after any vaccination. This might seem like the vaccine gave them the flu. But these symptoms are a sign that your child’s immune system is responding to the vaccine. It is perfectly normal, not harmful, and usually short lived (1-2 days). What's in this vaccine? Isn't it full of dangerous chemicals? Whether something is dangerous is often about amounts. Even water is dangerous if ingested in large amounts. The influenza vaccine contains: Pieces of influenza virus, or inactivated (dead) virus (discussed above) Formaldehyde Formaldehyde’s role in a flu shot is to inactivate toxins from viruses and bacteria that may contaminate the vaccine during production. Did you know formaldehyde is naturally present in the human body. It is essential in human metabolism and is required for the synthesis of DNA and amino acids (the building blocks of protein). Therefore, all humans have detectable quantities of natural formaldehyde in their circulation (about 2.5 ug of formaldehyde per ml of blood). In high doses, formaldehyde is toxic and potentially lethal. However, the tiny amount present in a flu vaccine is less than what is found naturally in your body, and is harmless. Click here for more information on formaldehyde in vaccines. Aluminum salts Aluminum salts are adjuvants — they help the body develop a stronger immune response against the virus in the vaccine. This allows scientists to include smaller amounts of the virus in vaccines, and for us to need fewer doses. As with formaldehyde, the amount of aluminum present in a vaccine is extremely small. We already come into contact with aluminum salts--they are found in drinking water, foods, even in breast milk, and in various health products, such as antacids and antiperspirants. We ingest far more aluminum every day, than we get from a vaccine. Click here for more information about aluminum salts in vaccines. Thimerosal Thimerosal is a preservative, and it keeps vaccines from becoming contaminated. This ingredient is only present in multi-dose vials, which contain more than one dose. Without it, the growth of bacteria and fungi are common in these vials. Single-dose vials, prefilled syringes, and nasal sprays do not need a preservative, because the risk of contamination is so low. Thimerosal has been safely included in vaccines since the 1930s. It comes from an organic form of mercury called ethylmercury, a safe compound that — unlike other forms of mercury — does not remain in the body. Ethylmercury is different from the standard form of mercury that can cause illness in large doses, and it is also different from the mercury found in seafood, called methylmercury, which can stay in the body for years. Click here to learn more about thimerosal in vaccines. Chicken egg proteins These proteins help the viruses grow before they go into the vaccine. The inactivated influenza viruses present in vaccines are usually grown inside fertilized chicken eggs, where the virus replicates. Then, the manufacturers separate the virus from the egg and include it in the vaccine. As a result, the finished vaccine may contain small amounts of egg proteins. People with egg allergies can receive the standard flu vaccine, because the amount of egg protein present is extremely tiny. Antibiotics Antibiotics in flu vaccines keep bacteria from growing during the production and storage of the products. Vaccines do not contain antibiotics that can cause severe reactions, such as penicillin. Instead, they contain other forms, such as gentamicin or neomycin, which is also an ingredient in many topical medications, such as lotions, ointments, and eye drops. Click here to learn more about antibiotics in vaccines. How do we know this vaccine is safe? I've heard of lots of complications from people getting a flu shot. No vaccine is 100% safe. Indeed, nothing in life is. Getting in our car and driving somewhere is not 100% safe, but we do it because we feel the risk of driving is pretty low, and we need to get somewhere. We choose to do things based on risk vs benefit. The risk of a severe reaction or life threatening complication from a vaccine is extremely rare--on the order of 1/1,000,000 or less. Millions and millions of children have received influenza vaccines, with only extremely rare complications known. Your child has a higher risk of a severe illness or death from getting influenza than from getting the vaccine. Doing the math: Getting the vaccine: 1/1,000,000 have severe reactions, and there are 73,000,000 children in the US = 73 severe reactions, no known deaths Getting influenza: around 20,000 children are hospitalized due to severe influenza, and 100-200 die. The risk of getting influenza is far greater than the risk of getting the vaccine. The FDA and the CDC are continually monitoring vaccine safety. Vaccine side effects are monitored through the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS), Vaccine Safety Datalink (VSD), and Clinical Immunization Safety Assessment Project (CISA). None of these groups work for pharmacy companies, so they have no incentive to lie or hide adverse events. It is still flu season. So get your flu shot right away if you haven't done it already! We love and appreciate our patients and families! Stay safe and healthy! Love, Centennial Valley Pediatrics Providers and Staff

8/23/2024 Dear Amazing Centennial Valley Pediatrics Patients and Families, We hope this email finds you all healthy and well! School has resumed for many of you, and hopefully you're starting to settle in to the swing of things. In this email, you'll find some tips to help have a great year! You will also find information on pertussis, or whooping cough. We also have Safety Corner, Gentle Reminders, and more, so..... Read on! Back to School!