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Pediatricians Sound Off
What Doctors Wish Parents of Small Children Would Worry About
By Katherine Bontrager
So what are some of the "small stuff" that parents bring to pediatricians' attention? An all-too-often freak out for parents pertains to stooling questions, says Dr. Carol Steltenkamp, an associate professor of pediatrics at the University of Kentucky and Kentucky Children's Hospital, and a mother of three.
"A disproportionate amount of attention is placed on headlines of the moment like toxins such as lead/BPA/Phthalates and other things that may be out of a parent's control and for which there is little definitive information," Dr. Shu says.
The concerns over vaccines and autism are something that Dr. Rucoba says he hears all the time. "For the record, there is no evidence that vaccines cause autism," he says. "I can certainly understand why parents are concerned about autism and autistic spectrum disorder. However, vaccines are not the cause of autism."
Parents are always very concerned with fever, Dr. Lennon says. "But it's a body's natural response to infection, so I educate families on that and teach them when they need to worry and when they don't."
Dr. Rucoba agrees that fevers aren't necessarily a bad thing. "Parents often call very worried about a fever," he says. "In fact, I've had parents frantically call me about a 'fever' of 99.5. For the record, fever is the body's way of getting rid of excess heat or energy generated by an illness. Lowering the fever isn't always the best thing to do. A fever can cause a child to be uncomfortable, so if the fever is higher than 101.5 and the child is uncomfortable, then treating with acetaminophen or ibuprofen (depending on the age) is reasonable, though not necessary."
Parents often call wondering what temperature is so high that tey need to go to the ER, Dr. Rucoba says. "My response is this: Don't look at the thermometer; look at your child. If the child is acting fine with a fever of 104, then keep her home. If the child is acting sick (truly lethargic, difficulty breathing, unable to recognize psarents, weak or has other symptoms like cough or dehydration), then that child needs to be seen regardless of the temperature. Remember: Look at your child, not the thermometer."