Category: Parenting Tips

Sore throats are no fun for kids, especially when they develop into a nasty case of strep throat. Characterized by aches, pains and often the inability to speak without flinching, strep throat can force children to stay bundled up on the couch for days and can impact the overall health of your family.

According to a recent study, which was presented at the Pediatric Academic Societies annual meeting in Washington, D.C., on May 4, some methods that parents may use to reduce the spread and exposure children have to the condition may not be correct.

Researchers from University of Texas Medical Branch revealed that, while streptococcus – the bacteria that primarily causes strep throat – grew on the toothbrushes of kids who hadn’t been exposed to it previously, the bacteria failed to grow on the toothbrushes of youngsters with the ailment.

“This study supports that it is probably unnecessary to throw away your toothbrush after a diagnosis of strep throat,” said co-author Judith Rowen, M.D., associate professor of pediatrics in the Department of Pediatrics at UTMB.

Is it strep throat?
How can you tell if it’s strep throat? According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, strep throat – which in addition to Group A streptococcus, as well as dry air and pollution – is considered a more severe form of sore throat.

If your child has been struggling with a sore throat for more than a week, has difficulty breathing, swallowing, has a temperature exceeding 104 degrees and pus coming from the back of his or her throat, it’s time to consult with a primary care provider.

He or she can help determine how negatively your child’s health has been impacted, and also offer great treatment options for alleviating a youngster’s discomfort.

The benefits of custom flavoring
For healthcare providers, including doctors and nurse practitioners, custom flavoring for medications to treat something like strep throat or cold and flu season can be an essential way to ensure children’s health and wellness.

By recommending flavoring on electronic prescriptions, medical professionals may be able to promote improving medicinal compliance, not to mention make it easier for parents to give kids the liquid treatments they need to boost their overall physical conditions.

Prescribers can reach out to a commercial or independent pharmacy for more details on how to add custom flavoring to the liquid medications they use to treat patients.

The summer months are here at last, and with them comes the opportunity for kids to get out all of that extra energy they’ve been bottling up throughout the winter and spring months. Whether it involves getting in a few laps at the local swimming pool and playing a game of soccer outside with friends, summer offers many opportunities for kids to have a great time.

Unfortunately, the more active children are outdoors, the more likely they are to be exposed to different bacteria and stimuli that could cause health issues. With these three children’s health and wellness tips, you can ensure that your son or daughter stays in great shape all summer long.

1. Get vaccines
Do you plan on sending your child to a sleepaway camp? If so, you should make sure that he or she is up to date on all vaccinations, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. From pertussis – better known as whooping cough – to tetanus, there are many serious health conditions that may impact your kid’s health.

2. Swimming lessons
Backyard pools are among the leading causes of drowning among children, and in many cases this is due to a child’s inability to swim. If your son or daughter has never had any formal lessons, you may want to consider signing him or her up today.

3. Focus on prevention
Bug bites, poison ivy and sunburns are all very common during the summer months, but if you make sure your child never leaves the house without sunscreen and bug repellents, you can make sure he or she stays in good health.

If your child gets under the weather at any point during the summer, you may have to head to your local pharmacy to pick up medications prescribed by a healthcare professional. Making medicine taste better is an important part of getting children to take liquid forms of it easily, which is why custom flavoring can be great if you have a son or daughter who is sick.

Have you noticed your little boy or girl has been tugging on his or her ear recently and just won’t stop? While this can seem like a random occurrence – or even an adorable quirk – the truth is, it can actually be a sign that your child is affected by a serious health issue: An ear infection!

“Next to the common cold, ear infections are the most common disorder in children,” Margaretha Casselbrant, M.D., Ph.D., chief of the division of pediatric otolaryngology at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh, told Parents magazine.

If you’re concerned that your little one may have an ear infection but you’re not quite certain, consider these three signs. Don’t hesitate to contact your healthcare provider if your child has one or more of these symptoms.

1. A fever
One of the best ways to determine if your son or daughter is feeling under the weather is to take his or her temperature. Anything over 102 degrees can be an indication that your child has an ear infection or similar serious health issue. If your little one is shy or nonverbal, start by taking his or her temperature.

2. Pus or fluid from the ear
While most medical professionals will tell you that ear tugging is common among kids with ear infections, you wouldn’t want to base your assumption on this habit alone. If you notice your child’s ears are filled with fluid or dripping a pus-like substance, this is a sign that it may be an ear infection.

3. Trouble sleeping
Say the word “bedtime” and most kids are likely to fold their arms over their chests and start pouting. However, if you’ve seen that your child can’t get to bed and is a restless sleeper, this could be the result of problems with his or her ears.

When it comes to children’s health and wellness, parents understand the importance of making sure kids get the proper treatments in case conditions like ear infections develop. Unfortunately, certain kinds of medicine – especially those that come in liquid form – can be tough and bitter for youngsters to swallow, which can leave parents in search of better tips for giving medicine to children.

With FLAVORx, your kids can choose the flavor of their medicines, making it easier for moms and dads to treat everything from colds to flus to ear infections and more. Custom flavoring can be a great option that helps children feel better faster!

Learn four tricks for giving children a dose of medicine
By Madonna Behen Posted January 14, 2010 from Woman’s Day; February 17, 2010

The only thing worse than a sick child is trying to give her medicine when she doesn’t like to take it. As most parents know, it’s not as easy as Mary Poppins makes it out to be–and frankly, a spoonful of sugar is probably the last thing they need. Luckily, we found four tricks that also help the medicine go down.

1. Make it “rocket medicine.” Use a dropper to give liquid meds (no spills) and let your child fill it himself.
2. Ask your pharmacist if she can add a kid-friendly flavor, like FLAVORx, to bitter-tasting liquid medicines.
3. Crush the pill and mix it with applesauce or flavored yogurt.
4. Look for chewables in flavors he likes, such as grape or bubble gum.

Unfortunately for many dogs, cats, and other furry, feathered and scaled friends, the unpleasant tastes and textures of their veterinary medications prevent them from getting the recommended dosage they need in order to get better.

Our scientifically tested FLAVORx Veterinary System is available at your local vet’s office and behind the counter at pharmacies nationwide and can easily turn most pills, capsules, and liquid medications into a tasty liquid treat.

With dozens of flavors to choose from, you can customize your pet’s medicine to suit their individual tastes. That means you will eliminate the daily struggle of medicating your pet and ensure they take the medicine they need without them even knowing it.

The FLAVORx Pediatric System is used in over 35,000 pharmacies nationwide to customize the flavor of prescription and over-the-counter medicines.  With our special Bitterness Suppressor, Sweetening Enhancer and a blend of natural and artificial flavors, Pharmacists add a little fun to the process of getting better while masking the unpleasant taste that normally discourages you or your child from taking medicine.

One important thing to keep in mind.  While our child-approved flavors will help the medicine go down, there’s no mistaking them for candy.  That means you’ll have peace of mind knowing your child will still understand the difference between better-tasting FLAVORx-enhanced medicines and real sweet treats.

What do snowflakes and tongues have in common? For starters, they’re both kinda wet. But more importantly, no two are alike. Everyone has a different sense of taste and we all know what flavors we like the most. This is especially true with kids, whose sense of taste is pretty sensitive. That’s the beauty of FLAVORx. The pharmacist can custom-flavor liquid medications to a child’s favorite flavor.