Toddlers and Tantrums

Posted on April 8, 2015 by Sage Robinson

Your child is throwing a temper tantrum. It’s every parent’s nightmare, especially if it happens in a public place like a store or restaurant. What is the best way to deal with the situation?

Tantrums are most common when your child is a toddler, around ages two to three. During this time your child is becoming independent and developing ideas on what they want and need. Most toddlers aren’t able to express these feelings with words and they haven’t yet learned to share. They test rules over and over by saying “No!” and “Mine!” to see how parents will react.

It is often easier to prevent tantrums than to deal with them after they get going. Try these tips:

Stick to a daily routine that balances fun activities with enough rest and healthful food.
Anticipate when your child will be disappointed, and give your child a choice in small matters. (“We won’t be buying cookies, but you can help me pick out some fruit for later.”)
Praise your child when he or she shows self-control and expresses feelings with words.

If you can’t prevent a tantrum, here are some tips for dealing with one:

Direct your child’s attention to something else. (“Wow, look at that fire engine!”)
Say what you expect from your child and have confidence that your child will behave.
Remain calm. Resist overreacting to tantrums, and try to keep your sense of humor. You are a role model for your child.
Holding your child during a tantrum may help a younger child feel more secure and calm them down more quickly.
Take your child to a quiet place where he or she can calm down safely. Speak softly or play soft music.
Some children throw tantrums to seek attention. Try ignoring the tantrum, but pay attention to your child after he or she calms down.

Despite your best efforts, you still might have to deal with a few tantrums. The most important thing you can do is remain calm and wait it out. Do not let your child’s behavior cause you to lose control.

April is National Child Abuse Prevention month. #NCAPM

All content of this newsletter is intended for general information purposes only and is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Please consult a medical professional before adopting any of the suggestions on this page. You must never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking medical treatment based upon any content of this newsletter. PROMPTLY CONSULT YOUR PHYSICIAN OR CALL 911 IF YOU BELIEVE YOU HAVE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY.

Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Lactation Cookies

Posted on April 8, 2015 by Sage Robinson

Are you a breastfeeding mom who needs a little help boosting your milk supply? Try this healthy, easy and delicious lactation cookie recipe. The addition of Brewer’s Yeast, which contains B vitamins, may help increase milk production.

Recipe courtesy of Food.com.

Ingredients:

1 cup butter

1 cup sugar

1 cup firmly packed brown sugar

4 tablespoons water

2 tablespoons flaxseed meal or ground flaxseeds

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

3 cups oats

1 cup chocolate chips

2-4 tablespoons Brewer’s Yeast

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350°.
Mix the flaxseed meal and water and let sit for 3-5 minutes.
Beat butter, sugar, and brown sugar well.
Add eggs and mix well.
Add flaxseed mix and vanilla, beat well.
Sift together flour, brewers yeast, baking soda, and salt.
Add dry ingredients to butter mix.
Stir in oats and chips.
Scoop onto baking sheet.
Bake for 12 minutes.
Let set for a couple minutes then remove from tray.

Makes 4 1/2 dozen cookies

Breastfeeding and Going Back to Work

Posted on March 30, 2015 by Sage Robinson

If you’re breastfeeding your newborn and returning to work, you may be wondering how you are going to do both. With a little discipline and some planning, breastfeeding and working is a challenge you can overcome.

Here are some suggestions designed to make nursing your child and transitioning back to work easier:

1. Before going back to work, speak with your supervisor about your plans to breastfeed. Discuss different types of schedules, such as starting back part-time at first or taking split shifts.

2. Many Lactation Consultants recommend that breastfeeding moms join a breastfeeding support group to talk with other mothers about breastfeeding after your baby is born and how they transitioned back into the workplace.

3. Ask if your company provides a lactation support program for employees. If your company does not, ask about private areas where you can comfortably and safely express milk. The Affordable Care Act supports work-based efforts to assist nursing mothers.

4. Ask the lactation program director, your supervisor, wellness program director, employee human resources office, or other co-workers if they know of other women at your company who have breastfed after returning to work.

If you have any questions regarding breastfeeding your baby, please contact Flushing Hospital Medical Center’s Pediatric Ambulatory Care department at 718-670-5486.

Are Gummy Vitamins Good for my Child?

Posted on March 26, 2015 by Sage Robinson

Gummy vitamins contain important nutrients to maintain a child’s health, but they can be damaging to your child’s teeth. Similar to candy, gummy vitamins stick to the grooves of your child’s teeth and can cause cavities.

Although your child may brush their teeth the recommended two times per day, toothbrush bristles cannot reach the deepest grooves of the back molars. Sticky sugar particles can remain embedded in the grooves, causing cavities when not brushed properly.

Try switching to traditional chewable tablets if you’re giving your child gummy vitamins. Before the age of two years, speak with your children’s pediatrician or pediatric dentist about a liquid vitamin.

If you believe your child has developed a cavity, ask at your child’s next dental visit or call The Dental Department at Flushing Hospital Medical Center at 718-670-5521 to schedule an appointment.

Flushing Hospital Adds Pediatric Surgery to its List of Services

Posted on October 15, 2012 by Natifia Mullings

When your child needs an operation, it’s important that they receive the very best care available, and that means finding a hospital with surgeons who specialize in operating on children. Flushing Hospital Medical Center is now proud to announce the addition of its Pediatric Surgical Service.

Led by Dr. Steven Stylianos, this team of seven, highly-trained, Board-Certified pediatric surgeons brings many years of experience to Flushing Hospital. Specially trained to work with children and understand their specific needs, the pediatric surgical team’s primary concern is diagnosing conditions that require surgical intervention in children and managing their preoperative, operative, and postoperative surgical issues. They also provide a wide variety of specialized procedures on fetuses, infants, children, adolescents, and young adults.

Using the latest technology and working in Flushing Hospital’s newly renovated and modernized operative suites, the pediatric surgical group provides the latest, most minimally invasive procedures on their patients. Performing most procedures either laparoscopically or thoracoscopically, Flushing Hospital’s pediatric surgical patients benefit by experiencing less pain, shorter recovery time, and fewer complications as a result of this specialized care.

The pediatric surgical group regularly treats patients in Flushing Hospital’s Ambulatory Care Center. They also perform in-patient consultation services and evaluate patients in the Emergency Department.

For more information about Flushing Hospital’s Pediatric Surgical Service or to schedule an appointment, please call 718-670-3007.