According to Coastal Care Partners Pediatrician Dr. Kelsey Alexander: “It’s smart for all parents to know in emergency situations. That’s why we consider this such an incredibly important service to offer to our community.”
The Pediatric CPR classes are 30-minute classes offered once a week at 11:45AM on Thursdays at Coastal Care Partners’ office, located at 4B Skidaway Village Walk.
These classes offer one-on-one instruction with Shelley Fields, who serves as Medical Assistant for Coastal Care Partners’ pediatric clinic and has 24 years of experience as a paramedic.
“These 30-minute classes are a great opportunity for parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles, and babysitters to learn practical tips and ask questions in a comforting environment,” said Dr. Alexander.
These classes – which are open to the public – are not certification courses.
Pre-registration is required, and interested participants are able to sign up by calling the Coastal Care Partners office @ 912.598.6312 or register online here.
Cost: $55 for members of Coastal Care Partners’ Pediatric and/or Adult Primary Care practices, and $65 for nonmembers.
Pediatric Associates of Savannah has been the local baby experts since 1971. They offer three convenient locations in Savannah to ensure your baby’s health needs are always met 365 days a year.
Pediatric Associates has offices in Savannah, the Islands and Pooler.
School’s out, and with the warm, sunny days ahead, boat rides and trips to the beach or pool are likely in your future! As you plan for your family’s summer fun, it’s important to keep water safety in mind.
As the leading cause of death in children ages 1-4 years old and the second leading cause of death for children ages 5-14, drowning accidents affect nearly 1,000 children per year, mostly between the months of May and August. So this summer, stay prepared with the below water safety tips!
Start Swim Lessons Early
Swimming is a life-saving skill that we need to teach our children and it is never too early to start. Children can start ISR (Infant Swimming Resource) swim lessons as early as six months old to learn how to float on their backs. Standard classes usually start at 18 months and teach small children how to swim to a pool ledge or short distances. Older children should learn different swim strokes to equip them for situations like fighting currents.
We do not recommend using swim floaties to teach children to swim properly. Floaties hold a child upright, encouraging them to bob up and down instead of swimming horizontally. However, families with multiple children or children that have no fear may need to use swim floaties for certain children. If your child wears swim floaties, make sure they do not take them off the entire time you are in the gated area of the pool and continue to keep them within arm’s reach.
Never Swim Alone
When kids are around water, make sure they are never left alone, including during bath time. Adults should know how to swim themselves and should never be less than an arm’s length away from kids who are not strong swimmers. For older children, make sure they always have a swimming partner. If your child is attending a camp with a pool, ensure the area is fenced and that life jackets will be provided for open water activities. While lifeguards on duty are a wonderful resource, do not rely on lifeguards alone to watch your children.
Know the Signs of Drowning & How to React
It is smart for all parents and kids to know what to do in emergency situations. Teach your children that if another child pulls them under water, even if that child cannot swim, they need to
kick that child off of them and yell for help from an adult. Limit distractions while watching your child swim because drowning is silent as opposed to what you see in the movies where kids make noise and flail their arms. Most start with their head bobbing above water, but their mouth and nose are underwater. We recommend that all parents take a CPR course in the event of an emergency, and we offer 30-minute one-on-one instruction in our office for anyone who is interested. Call 912-598-6312 for more information!
Pool Tips
If you have children or grandchildren that are not strong swimmers, it is incredibly important to install a fence around all four sides of your backyard pool. If one side of the fence is open to the house, it is just as dangerous as not having a fence. The fence should be at least four-feet high and non-climbable with a self-closing, self-locking gate. Until you can install a fence, we recommend installing locks at the top of the door and utilizing door alarms so that children cannot access the pool. When hosting families with children that are not strong swimmers, the pool should be fully enclosed, locked, and/or monitored even if children are not ‘supposed’ to be swimming. If hosting a pool party, consider hiring a lifeguard or designating “Water Watchers” to watch the pool for 15-minute increments, and avoid using large floats in the pool to improve visibility.
Open Water Tips
Open water is unpredictable and susceptible to several dangers like currents, rip tides, limited visibility, depth, and uneven surfaces. If your backyard leads to open water, consider fencing off access. Children should have Coast Guard-approved life jackets for all boat rides and recreational activities on the water. Teach children best practices, like only swimming in designated areas, always entering feet first, and avoiding cold water that can cause shock.
Latch helps those who are looking to find success with pumping when returning to work, exclusively pump, or those who just want to occasionally feed their baby pumped milk for whatever the reason!
Effingham Pediatrics is now open and seeing patients at the new location: 520 West 3rd St. in Springfield.
Join Effingham Pediatrics to celebrate the Grand Opening, meet their practitioners, and tour the new Effingham Pediatrics Center, located at the intersection of Hwy 21 & West 3rd St. in Springfield.
Annual wellness exams are critical in maintaining the health and happiness of your child, and knocking these out at the beginning of the summer versus at the end avoids many potential problems.
“Our offices become so hectic at the end of the summer when school is about to begin again. Because of this we always encourage parents to bring their kids in at the beginning of the summer to avoid the back-to-school rush,” SouthCoast Health pediatrician Dr. David Mozer said. “This also ensures the child and parent have more quality time with their pediatrician and gives parents peace of mind through summer months usually filled with lots of travel.”
Latch Breastfeeding Support is a trusted name in the Savannah community. Latch has a history of working closely with families, physicians, and a variety of other health and wellness practitioners in seeking optimal outcomes for their clients.
Effingham Pediatrics is now open and seeing patients at the new location: 520 West 3rd St. in Springfield.
Join Effingham Pediatrics to celebrate the Grand Opening, meet their practitioners, and tour the new Effingham Pediatrics Center, located at the intersection of Hwy 21 & West 3rd St. in Springfield.
Ophthalmologist Stephanie Croll, M.D., along with Optometrist Edward Sammons, of SouthCoast Health’s Eye Care Department share here how diabetes can affect your eye health health.
If you are unsure about your need for a regular eye exam, talk with your primary care physician. Learn more about the SouthCoast Health Diabetic Self-Management Training program and Eye Care department here.
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Despite the fact that mental health disorders are one of the most common diseases among children, the idea of mental health advocacy for our children is still pretty rare.
Read here how Dr. Keith Seibert and his wife, Dr. Heather Seibert, both pediatric advocates at SouthCoast Health in Richmond Hill, helped one 11-year-old girl who was struggling with mental illness including anxiety and ADHD.
Are you having trouble motivating your kids (and yourself) to get outside and spend less time in front of a screen? It’s so easy to fall into the usual routine, but why not choose one or two of these ideas to change things up this spring?
Getting a daily dose of fresh air, sunshine, and movement is great for our mental, physical, and emotional health. According to Healthychildren.org, spending time outside can help children and teens promote curiosity, creativity, and critical thinking; lower stress, depression, and anger; improve impulse control and motor development; and lower rates of obesity. All this while helping our bodies produce vitamin D to stay healthy and strong!
Gardening:
Gardening can help give your children a sense of responsibility and accomplishment, all while sparking some interest in eating different herbs, vegetables, or fruit. And you don’t need a green thumb to help get them started! Start with one or two small pots so that it is not a chore for either of you and also to make it easier to measure and track the plants’ growth. Then, try different lighting and watering as needed.
*For smaller pots, herbs (basil, parsley, rosemary, mint, cilantro) work best. Have your kids use the basil and parsley for pesto or pasta, and use rosemary on chicken or potatoes. They can also put mint and cucumber in their water and cilantro in guacamole or tacos!
*For larger pots or garden beds, try lettuce, cucumbers, bell peppers, tomatoes, strawberries, celery, green beans, okra, zucchini, and summer squash!
Other Ways to Play:
As the weather continues to warm up, there are plenty of ways to get your kids (and your entire family!) outdoors!
Stop by the park, playground, or basketball or tennis court on the way home from school. Going immediately after school prevents everyone from getting comfortable inside at home before working up the energy to get outside again. You can also bike or walk with your kids while they scooter, just don’t forget helmets!
There are also plenty of opportunities to play in the water, even if you don’t have access to a pool! Try water balloons, a sprinkler, or slip ‘n slides for water fun! You can even find reusable water balloons online to avoid picking up all the small plastic pieces afterward.
It’s important to keep in mind that you don’t have to be active the entire time you’re outdoors. Painting, writing, or reading outside can be extremely relaxing! Grab a beach chair, picnic blanket, or even a hammock to enjoy the fresh air, sunlight, and scenery.
From birth, people in the United States are fortunate to have vaccines against more than 20 other life-threatening illnesses available, which allow them to build immunity.
SouthCoast Health provides a closer look here into the CDC’s recommended vaccine schedule for every age.
See the guide to recommended vaccines for children here.
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SouthCoast Health is a SouthernMamas.com advertiser
SouthCoast Health experts share here four tips to help your graduate navigate the unavoidable stress that commences with commencement — and keep it from impacting your health.
“It’s understandably tempting to let busy schedules and demands get in the way of healthy sleep and eating, especially when you know the season of stressors may be temporary,” said SouthCoast Nurse Practioner Amanda Jones, FNP-BC. “But that’s often when you need them most.”
SouthCoast Health team includes more than 120 healthcare professionals encompassing more than 20 specialties and services. Find one that meets your needs online here, or call 912-691-3600 to schedule an appointment.
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SouthCoast Health is a SouthernMamas.com advertiser
To show their appreciation, they’re giving away a $100 gift card to one of the cutest shops around, @thehorseshoecrab!
Here’s how to enter to win: *Make sure you’re following @kelseyalexandermd on Instagram *Tag a friend in the comments (1 tag = 1 entry, so feel free to tag a few friends who would love this gift card!) *For a bonus entry, share their Instagram giveaway post to your story.
Enter to win by the end of the day on March 6 2023. One lucky winner will be announced on Dr. Kelsey Alexander’s Instagram page on Tuesday, March 7, so stay tuned!
*No purchase necessary. Winner must live/around the Savannah area.
This giveaway is in no way sponsored or associated with Instagram. Winner must be 18 years or older.
Latch Breastfeeding Support offers a monthly prenatal breastfeeding class as an informative introduction to breastfeeding that builds on the instinctive behaviors that your baby possesses from birth.
Let me preface this by saying that I am not a nutritionist. However, I do want to teach my kids to have a healthy relationship with food. As parents, the goal is to help kids balance their food choices even when we are not with them. To do this, allow your kids a safe space to learn and make healthy food decisions at home.
While there is no perfect way to talk to kids about food, it’s best to keep things fun and positive. I’d like to share a few evidence-based ideas that I am currently working on with my children!
Neutralize Food
Food is food. Instead of categorizing foods as “good” or “bad,” change the conversation to talking about foods that make them strong or give them the energy to do their favorite things. Conversations about the color, shape, smell, taste, and texture of foods can also help make kids more comfortable with different kinds of food.
Taking food out of wrappers recognizable to children can also help neutralize foods. Giving snacks to your kids out of the packaging and in smaller portions with other foods allows them to enjoy the food while saving room for other food.
Allowing all types of food rather than restricting certain food groups is also helpful. Consider serving “bad” foods with the meal instead of afterward. At the start, your child may only eat the “bad” food, but with time the excitement around that food will fade, leading them to explore other food on their plate.
Food should never be “earned.” Pushing children to eat more “good” foods to earn “bad” foods can do three things:
It makes the “bad” foods seem more enticing.
It can make children dread the “good” food.
It makes kids eat when they aren’t necessarily hungry instead of listening to their bodies when they are full.
Talk About What Different Foods Can Do for Their Body
All foods give us energy, just some more than others. Discuss macronutrients in a simplistic way with your children. For example, protein helps build strong muscles and helps fix our body when it’s hurt. Carbohydrates include starches, grains, and sugars; starches and grains are our body’s main energy sources. Sugars, on the other hand, can give us energy quickly, but it does not last as long. Fats absorb vitamins, build cells, and provide long-term energy; plant-based and fish fats help keep our hearts healthy.
Eating the colors of the rainbow is also a great way to introduce the functions of different foods for the body and encourage eating a variety of foods. Explain that we need to eat a lot of different foods to do the things we love. For example, red foods support a healthy heart and improved memory. Orange and yellow foods help us not get sick and support our eyes and heart. Green foods are great for the eyes, bones, and teeth. Blue and purple foods can improve memory and help us not get sick.
Encourage Kids to Listen to Their Bodies
Teaching children to listen to their bodies is essential. Ensure they eat only when they are hungry and stop eating when they are full. It’s also important to remember that eating habits are not the same for everyone. While some eat more, others eat less, and that is okay!
Rather than encouraging “Clean Plate Clubs,” it helps to give the same reaction no matter how much food your kids eat. One way to plan meals is to give a 30-minute window for eating. Then, when the meal is over, any leftovers can be put in the fridge for the next day—no need to make a new meal or give liquid calories if they didn’t eat.
Consider allowing kids to serve portions for themselves. Giving them autonomy to make their own decisions and decide what they eat can be empowering. While you should encourage them to try new foods, you should not force them.
Kids can often seem fixated on certain foods. Make sure to acknowledge that desire and make that food seem available instead of restricted. To do this, try saying things like, “I know you love (favorite treat). Let’s leave the rest, so there is more for tomorrow,” or “Let’s add that to the grocery list to enjoy soon.”
As you eat with your children and guide their relationship with different foods, you’ll help give them the knowledge and confidence they need to make healthy decisions for themselves. Making these conversations normal, fun, positive, and informative is a great way to start!
Pediatrician searching? The team at Coastal Pediatrics does so much more than your regular office visit. They’re there for you to make sure you’ve got all the answers.
Every year in the United States, 33,700 women and men are diagnosed with cancer caused by HPV infection. The good news? The HPV vaccination can help prevent these diseases with a success rate as high as 90% in some cases.
“The age recommended for children to get their HPV vaccine has been getting younger and younger,” said SouthCoast Health Nurse Practitioner Carisa Elmore (pictured) “With its incredible success rate of preventing such awful diseases, it’s really a must for any child.”
Learn more about the HPV vaccine and how it affects your children here.
If you have any more questions about the HPV vaccine, schedule an appointment with an expert SouthCoast Health Pediatrician by calling us at 912-691-3600.
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