Coughs, Colds, the Flu...Oh My!

Dear Tutus & Turtles Readers,

Happy New Year!

The start of a new year provides time to reflect on future goals and ideas. Now is a great time to think about your child's health in addition to your own. Perhaps a healthier diet with more fruits & vegetables and less sugar is the goal, or increasing the level of activity for all members in the home. In any case, making healthy choices can be made into a fun activity for all children.

A new year also brings with it the middle of the Winter Season. Younger children can experience up to 12 "common colds" a year or more - most of the episodes are found during the in-door cold season. Although cold weather itself does not cause this, the viruses that cause the ordinary colds tend to be more common in the Winter. Since children are in closer contact with each other while in-doors, the spread of these viruses occurs more easily. Frequent hand washing and teaching your child to sneeze or cough into their arm or a tissue will help to reduce the spread of the virus-causing colds. In addition, the The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children between the ages of 6 and 59 months receive the Influenza vaccine to reduce their risk of catching "The Flu" which is a specific virus causing significant respiratory illness in children and some adults. Visit with your child's health-care provider for specific questions related to your child's individual care.

For information on the Common Cold including prevention and symptomatic treatment, follow the link to an article from the American Academy of Pediatrics entitled " My child seems to get a lot of colds. Is this normal?"

As always, I welcome any questions; I wish you and your child a Healthy and Happy New Year!

Sincerely,
MD in NYC

If you have any health-related questions you would like addressed, email us at tutusandturtles@gmail.com with "t&t MD" in the subject line.