Summer Slide...

How do you prevent the summer slide at your house?

By Artaxerxes (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0), via Wikimedia Commons

No, not a fun water slide.

You know, the one where all the great information and skills your child learned during the school year dwindles and is forgotten in the months of no brain stimulation?

Some ideas that my family's done or that I wish we would have done...

Read

I am a big believer that kids should read every day. I don't care if it is a comic book or a 1000 page novel. As long as it is age appropriate, kids should read.

• You can have them read signs along the road or the map at the zoo. 
• Kids can read below their reading level to work on speed and just enjoy the story. 
• They can read at their level (or one a little challenging) to work on increasing their reading abilities. 
• Visit the library often. 
• Take turns in the evening with the family reading out loud together - like people did before television. This builds family bonds and is an inexpensive fun activity that can become a fun family tradition.
• Ask about what your kids are reading. Can they summarize what they've read? What do they think will happen next? How would they have ended the story differently?
• Gather a group of friends and start a summer book club. Pick a few good books, and meet once a week to talk about them.
• Check out the many places that offer summer reading rewards, such as your local library, bookstore, or school.

Games

Games and puzzles are another great way to build thinking skills.

• Board games can work on colors and counting for young children, and problem solving and strategy building for older kids. They also work on social skills (such as waiting your turn and being a gracious winner or loser). 
• Computer games can be great learning opportunities, despite all the warnings to limit screen time. Too much of anything is not healthy - we need balance in our lives. Monitor screen use for age appropriate activities and limit times, but allow intellectually stimulating games sometimes. Many computer games allow kids to learn from their mistakes and master skills in fun ways.
• Age appropriate puzzles, sudoku, cards, and word games are a great way to learn critical thinking, build vocabulary, and keep math skills sharp. 

Question

• Throughout the day you can ask your kids questions that require thinking before answering. Instead of letting them give just a simple factual answer, ask how they came up with it or how they feel about something. 
• Let them help you pick out meals for the week, taking into consideration the nutritional components of a healthy meal. Ask how they would like the broccoli to be served.
• If they help cook, you can have them convert a recipe to double it for a neighborhood picnic.
• Describe the weather forecast and plans for the day and ask what clothes would be appropriate with that in mind. 
• Ask kids how they feel in response to things that happen throughout the day. 
• Play a game of what if? How would something that happened have turned out if they did or said something differently at any given moment? (One rule: you can't change what others do or say in real life, so you can only change what you would do or say in the game.) Think about the response other people would have had (such as "What could you have said that would have changed the outcome when Billy cut in line at the slide?" Or "What Sally would have said if you said ___ instead?) or ask about what physical events would have changed (such as if they threw the ball to Bob at first base instead of to the pitcher or if they jumped into the cold pool instead of entering slowly).
• Ask if there's another way to do something, since there are usually many options to get to the same place or conclusion. Maybe there's an alternate route to take to the zoo since there's an accident on the road you usually take. (This also works well if they get the wrong answer, such as on a math problem.)

Play and explore

• Outdoor play is amazing for kids and their development. As they climb, roll down hills, build forts, or do whatever, they are working on motor skills.
• Playing with other children helps develop healthy social skills. When kids are always told what to do (school, sports, other scheduled activities) they never learn how to be independent, which can harm them in the long run.
• Play school. Kids love to be the teacher and teach others!
• Visit a museum, zoo, or historical site.

Music and dance

• Kids love to put on shows for friends and family with acting, singing, dancing and playing instruments. This can be impromptu fun or a more organized neighborhood event where they make posters to announce the show and even make tickets to give out. 
• Older kids will love to shoot videos of themselves and share online. Be sure parents review what is posted and it is appropriate for the type of posting (public vs private). 

Create

• Coloring, chalk art, painting, building with blocks or Legos ... so many options!
• Design a "dream" bedroom and show how even small changes can update the room.
• Make a map of your town of all your favorite spots: home, parks, grocery store, the zoo...
• Have kids make up their own game, complete with game pieces and rules.
• Design new outfits from dress up clothes (or actual sewing for older kids) and put on a fashion show for friends and family.
• Build an art gallery over the summer. Make paintings, paper mache, clay models, whatever suits you! Put it all out for display at the end of summer and invite friends and family to see the art!

Volunteer and give to charities

Volunteering not only helps others and makes our world a better place, but it also fosters a humble heart and can help develop skills we might not know we have. It puts us outside our comfort zone sometimes, which builds us into a better person. By focusing on helping others, we become happier.

• Kids, tweens and teens can find many opportunities to volunteer during the summer months. 
• It can be as simple as playing with young neighbors while their parents do yard work or run to the store, help with a neighbor's pet and newspaper while they are out of town, or pick up trash on a family walk. 
• Teens can find volunteer positions in many places. In my community that may be with their church or synagogue, at Deanna Rose Farmstead, hospitals, animal shelters, Harvester's Food Bank, and many more.
• Kids can write letters to soldiers, make blankets for sick or foster kids, pick up trash at a park, plant a tree, make a care package for a soldier, and many more.
• Anyone with long hair can donate hair to kids in need through ChildrenWithHairLoss or WigsForKids.
• If your family wants to financially help a sponsored child in another country, check out Unbound. Your child can help write letters to that child and learn about that child and his/her life from letters received.
• As a family: go through closets and dressers to find clothes, games, books, and toys that are appropriate to give to your favorite charity. To see how charities rank, check out CharityNavigator and CharityWatch.
• For more ideas, check out DoSomething.org.

Science

The internet makes doing science experiments easy! Check out my Pinterest Science board for ideas.

Make a bucket list of things to do and start doing them!

How can we introduce peanut products to infants without increasing choking risks?

For years I have been recommending peanut products to infants who are low risk for peanut allergy. A recent study has really highlighted the benefit of early introduction of peanut product decreasing peanut allergy risk, so more parents are wanting to know exactly how to give a baby peanut products without increasing the choking risk.

Bamba. Photo source: Wikimedia

The study was done using a product similar to Cheetos, made with peanut butter instead of cheese. Bamba is a snack food sold in Israel. You can get it online, but some of the reviews suggest that it may be a different product.

Since there is nothing similar in the US, how can you safely give peanut to your baby on a routine basis to help prevent peanut allergy once they are cleared by their doctor to start peanut products? (And even when there are products like these, don't limit your baby to pre-packaged foods... they are generally less healthy because of all the added ingredients.) It is important that your baby does not get too much peanut butter or a chunk of nut itself because these are choking risks, so a nice thick slab of peanut butter just won't work.

Some ideas of introducing peanut butter:

• Look for peanut butter that doesn't have added sugar - babies don't need the sugar! 
• Most kids love Cheerios (or other brand oat circle cereal). They do make a peanut butter flavor, made with real peanut butter.
• Add peanut butter powder or peanut butter to oatmeal - check the texture to be sure it isn't too thick for your baby, add water, breast milk, or formula to thin it as needed.
• Peanut butter smoothie (There are many recipes online, but be sure yours doesn't have honey if baby is under 12 months! If the recipe calls for milk, you should use your breast milk or formula. Find one that is made with real foods, such as banana + milk + peanut butter. Babies don't need chocolate or added sugars. If your baby doesn't like it cold, use water instead of ice and don't use frozen fruits.)
• Peanut butter cookies (I like this recipe because it doesn't have added sugar. You can leave out the raisins if your baby would choke on that texture.)
• Peanut butter muffins (Look for one without too much sugar and no honey. I couldn't find one without any added sugar -- if you do, please share below!)
• Thin layer of peanut butter on bread, cracker, or even your finger. You can add a little water to the peanut butter to thin it out if needed.
• Chinese chicken with peanut sauce and other foods made with peanut butter sauces. The whole family can enjoy these meals!
• Share your favorite recipes that can be adapted for babies and toddlers below.

Toe Walking...They don’t always grow out of it!

Today's blog is from a pair of guest bloggers, Jessica Edwards-Perrin and Tina Borchers. They are both physical therapists at Preferred Physical Therapy and have helpful tips on toe walking. (Note: Any views or opinions expressed are solely those of the author(s).)

 

Toe Walking...They don’t always grow out of it!

Toe walking is a common gait pattern in children who are learning to walk.  They are trying different patterns to find an easy way to get around. It is not common for children to continue to toe walk after the age of two however. This will create strength issues down the road.  Toe walking commonly is associated with children who have weak core and weak hip musculature.  This will create tightness in their calf and hamstring muscles at the same time. This gait pattern will continue to cause abnormalities as they get older.

If you notice this in your child, it is important to have your physician evaluate the child first to rule out any other problems the child may have. Once these are ruled out, typically, the diagnosis of Idiopathic Toe Walking is made.  (Idiopathic meaning "of unknown origin".)

Common Patterns seen:

• The "W" sitting position is common in these children as they do not have to use their core while playing on the floor in this position.
  
• Running pattern:  Usually, the child does not flex their hip as high and they use their hamstrings more.  This may cause difficulty when they are trying to run for prolonged period of time or running on unsteady surfaces. There are other compensation patterns when the hip does not flex like his should, such as rotating their leg and foot out to the side to clear the floor. 
• Falling often:  The child may appear to be clumsy and uncoordinated.  They trip often due to their limited hip flexion.
• Tightness:  The child begins to develop tightness in the hamstrings and calves at an early age.  Then, when they go through a growth spurt, they seem to have more gait problems and an increase in tightness/pain 
• Struggle to keep up:  Due to their poor gait and running pattern the child may struggle to be able to keep up speed and demonstrate the same patterns as their peers. Due to the muscle tightness and weakness they fatigue quicker.  Compensation patterns may become worse as they try to increase their speed.

What is the treatment?

As stated before, toe walking can lead to a loss of ankle range of motion and tightness of the calves and Achilles tendon. Sometimes, bracing, or casting in severe cases, will be indicated, which would be discussed with your physician. Like any habit, the longer it persists, the harder it is to break. That is why it’s very important to have the child evaluated by his/her physician and a skilled Physical Therapist to start intervention as soon as possible.

It should be noted that there may be other contributing factors to the toe walking, such as an increased or decreased sensitivity of the feet, poor tolerance to tight clothing, disliking certain foods/textures, or even language delays. If these are seen as well, comprehensive evaluation by an Occupational Therapist and a Speech Language Pathologist is also recommended.

In Physical Therapy (PT), the child will be started on a stretching and strengthening program. PT will work on the walking pattern, balance, and posture. PT should always include a home exercise program that the parent and child can do on their own in between PT sessions.

Some examples of PT activities/exercises for Toe Walkers:

1. Stretching exercises

• Calf stretching
• Hamstring stretching
  

2. Abdominal Strengthening

• Sit-ups
• Planks
• Superman's

3. Balance Activities

• Standing on one lower extremity
• Standing on uneven surfaces
• Sitting on a ball

4. Postural Exercises

• Avoid "W" sitting
• Sitting and standing with correct posture
• Abdominal and shoulder blade strengthening will help with posture as well

**These are some common exercises, but as always, it is important to have your child evaluated so that exercises can be given that are specific to the child’s needs. No child is the exact same.

About the authors:

Jessica has worked in a variety of pediatric settings including clinic, school, home and daycare. She enjoys working with infants all the way to up to teenagers. She has worked the last 4 years with birth to 3 year olds with Missouri First Steps. She focuses on developmental delay, torticollis, gait abnormalities and orthotics. She enjoys learning more about disorders such as autism, cerebral palsy, downs syndrome, and many more unique diagnoses.

Tina has worked in the outpatient PT setting for 4 years. She has a special interest in Craniosacral Therapy for infants and young children dealing with sensitivities of the nervous system, spastic muscles, and/or chronic pain. She has treated children and adolescents of all ages for torticollis, gait abnormalities, and athletic injuries.

Peanut allergy prevention

For years pediatricians told parents to avoid peanuts for the first years of life to help prevent peanut allergies. 

It appears we were wrong.

Studies for the past several years have supported giving infants peanut products as early as 4 months of age as long as there was no increased risk of allergy to peanuts. This seemed to help prevent them from becoming allergic to peanuts. I know I was nervous for at least a year every time I told parents it was okay to start peanut products during that first year of life since I had preached caution for 10 years in practice. Not only was it an allergy risk, but also a choking risk for infants. In the years that I've recommended it, I do think the number of kids I see with peanut allergy has dropped and I haven't heard of any problems with early introduction.

And it gets better...

A newer study shows that even in children at high risk for peanut allergy, giving peanut products starting at 4 months might prevent them from developing allergy. Of course if there is a family history of peanut allergy or if the child has significant eczema or egg allergy, parents should use caution and talk with their pediatrician to see if skin prick testing should be done before starting peanut products. Skin prick testing can be done to show if they are allergic before introducing peanuts. If they are allergic, they must avoid peanuts and carry an epinephrine device at all times in case of accidental exposure until they are desensitized and given clearance by an allergist. But if they aren't yet allergic, giving peanut product regularly seems to prevent the allergy from developing in 86% of the high risk children by age 5 years. They even show a 70% reduction in peanut allergy among those who were sensitized to peanut (positive skin prick test) at the beginning of the study. In the study, a group of children ate a peanut-containing snack at least three times a week while the other group did not eat any foods containing peanut. By the age of 5, just 3% of the children who ate the snack developed peanut allergy, while 17% in the avoidance group developed peanut allergy. Future studies will be done with those children who were high risk but without allergy to peanuts stop the peanuts for a year to see if they develop allergies later in childhood.

Families of allergic children live in fear of accidental exposure and must change lifestyles to prevent deadly exposures. It can even be difficult for families without allergic children because they must avoid a list of foods that cannot be served at school parties. This new research showing that there's a way to prevent this potentially deadly allergy is very exciting!

Take away points:

• If your child is high risk of having a peanut allergy due to moderate to severe eczema, egg allergy, or family history of peanut allergy, talk to your pediatrician before your baby starts peanuts to decide if allergy testing is recommended.
• If there are no risk factors for peanut allergy, it is okay to begin peanut products (such as peanut flour, thin peanut butter, peanut butter in baked goods) when other foods are introduced, between 4 and 6 months of age. Offer peanut products several times each week.
• Do not give any texture of food that increases choking risk to your baby, such as a thick layer of peanut butter or hard nuts.
• I'm waiting for the US food industry to start making baby peanut products... I'm sure they'll see money in it. The study from Israel mentioned above used Bamba. I'm waiting for those to enter our market!
• Talk to your pediatrician with any questions!

No co pay for well visits! But then there's the small print...

It is recommended that at least once a year children be seen for a well visit. It is important that your child's doctor see him regularly when well and not just when sick so we have time to get to know him better and keep up with how he's doing. It might seem time consuming and wasteful, but well visits help track growth, development, safety issues, and much more. Your kids need to come in even if the school doesn't require shots or a form. Now that well visits usually don't involve a co pay, they can be free (or included in the cost of your insurance premium), so there is one more reason for you to bring your child in for well care.

For years we have had the poster below in our exam rooms. It explains what it covered in a well visit and what insurance companies might define as extra services that families must pay.

We have a lot of insurance information on our website. We also send a pre-visit email to all patients who have registered on our website portal. This email contains a lot of important information, including billing and insurance issues that commonly come up at well checks. Our parent handbook that is available in each room includes common billing codes and the amount we charge for each. I have blogged about insurance time and time again. 

Sometimes parents are upset to learn that we can't go over the laundry list of problems that day due to limited time. Well visits have a number of things to cover, and there is limited time for any given appointment. We want to spend adequate time on each concern.

If we do have time to address some or all of the additional issues, parents are usually happy for the convenience. But many are surprised that their Explanation of Benefit (EOB) from their insurance company includes a bill to the family.

Why is this?

Insurance has agreed that preventative well visits promote overall good health and save them money in the long run, so they are willing to have their clients have free well care in order to encourage them to go to those visits.

Insurance is also smart and in the game to make money. They know that many people save up questions to ask at the yearly visit to avoid going in at other times. They are fine with that, but they don't think they should foot the bill for it. If you ask about acne, warts, asthma, and more at a well visit, they know those aren't well topics. They want you to pay the same co pay that would have been expected if you made a separate visit for each issue. Makes sense from a business perspective, right? People often call insurance to complain, and get some version of "your doctor's office billed it wrong" and ask us to change the code.

We didn't bill wrong! We coded for work done. Period. What they are saying is that we billed for some "sick" codes that were addressed at that visit and they don't include "sick" codes in free well care. Or maybe the recommended screening test (such as for autism or depression) is something they don't cover. (This is happening less since the ACA mandates, thankfully.)

Some of the issues that have sick codes are easy to separate from the well visit. To me it is easy if there is a new prescription, that could be a stand alone visit. If your child has an ear infection or if we decide to start a prescription for acne, those easily could have been appointments you schedule separately, but got the convenience of covering it at your well visit.

It is more of a grey area when the prescription is simply a refill and we don't spend a lot of time going over risks of the medicine, how to use it, when to follow up, and all the other "stuff" we do with a new prescription or diagnosis. My EHR (Electronic Health Record) just sees that there was a note or prescription linked to that diagnosis and picks up the code to send to the insurance company along with the other codes from the visit. Some refills really are just a formality, such as for an allergy medicine. Others, such as for asthma, depression, or ADHD, really require assessment to be sure it is the right prescription and proper documentation of that information every time there is is a refill. Those that require school paperwork to authorize a nurse to give medicine at school take more time than a normal well visit. Sometimes there's a fine line between the two.

Some issues are very difficult to say are separate from the well visit. For instance, if a child is overweight, there is a code that gets sent to insurance when we document in the EHR (electronic health record) the assessment of overweight or obese (or some version of a growth issue). We must pick this assessment this to properly document our conversation and advice. Maybe this even leads to extra labs to check on cholesterol or diabetes risks. Growth and nutrition should be discussed at every well visit, so this is part of the well visit, but when the growth is abnormal we might spend more time on it. Does it deserve a sick code and separate charge? This is an often debated topic among pediatricians (and with their patient families when parents get billed). I don't know the answer. If we were lawyers and billed on time, I suspect the bill would be higher than a straight forward well check. But we don't bill on time for these type of visits. People expect that a visit is a visit and it's all-inclusive. It's just not that simple.

I sometimes make the decision to simply not document something we discuss. Typically is is a minor issue that I don't think will need follow up, or I presume if it needs follow up it will get documented at that follow up. This can cause frustration though if a parent calls later and the phone nurse has no idea what advice I gave because there's no indication in the chart it was discussed. And it can be embarrassing when the parent comes in to talk to me about it and I've completely forgotten the previous discussion. There are consequences to trying to be nice when I know the family doesn't want to get charged for something...

Common constipation treatment studies worrying you?

Headlines recently have announced that a common treatment used for constipation is being studied for safety in children. Several parents have asked me about it, and I know many more are probably worried but just haven't asked yet, so I thought I'd share my thoughts on the subject.

This common treatment, polyethylene glycol 3350 or PEG 3350 (brand name Miralax), has been used by many kids over many years -- often for long periods of time. It works well and is my first choice of medical treatments if dietary and habit changes don't help a child's constipation, and while they're working on dietary and habit changes. It is well tolerated by kids, unlike most other medical treatments. It has been used since 2000, and since I finished by pediatric residency in 1999, I can remember the alternatives we used previously. Many of them were difficult to get kids to take due to poor taste or grittiness. When Miralax was first available, treatment of constipation improved significantly due to the tolerance and acceptance by kids. 

Constipation is common. 

Very common. It causes pain, poor eating habits, fear of toileting, and sometimes even ER trips and CT scans. It can last months to years in some kids, so it is not a minor issue when kids suffer from it. I encourage first changing the diet, but if that fails, or if it is too significant of a problem, PEG 3350 is my go to medicine. I have recommended it for years without any known side effects or complications, other than the kids who have too loose of stools on it, which usually responds to continuing the medicine to release the large stool mass that has built up. 

I was quite surprised to see that researchers are starting a study on the drug. It surprised me not only because I've never heard valid concerns about the safety or efficacy of the medicine (I have seen some really weird stuff online, but nothing that is valid), but also because I've never seen headlines that a study is starting. Usually headlines report results of studies. Why is this hitting the press now? I have no idea. 

What does the research show?

I have recommended PEG 3350 for many years without concerns for safety -- first as a prescription medicine and now as an over the counter recommendation. As a pediatrician I know that many (if not most) of the medicines we use in children are not tested in children before they come to market. This is due to many reasons, but I suspect the biggest is cost. If a drug company spends money getting a medicine tested in adults and then again in kids, it doubles their cost. Historically once something is approved in adults, physicians start to use them in children. New rules encourage pediatric testing, but all the drugs previously used in children will not need to undergo this testing.

Many of the news articles say that studies have not been done in children, but this isn't true. This 2014 research article reviews the history of PEG 3350 and compares to other medicines used in pediatric constipation in addition to showing safe blood electrolyte levels while on PEG 3350 long term. In 2001 a study was published showing safe and effective pediatric dosing. A 2003 study showed safety and better tolerance than previously used medications for constipation. A study specifically looking in children under 18 months of age showed safety. A 2009 Canadian study shows its safety in children. If you look at the references of any of these studies, you will find more. The only side effects noted are related to diarrhea, cramping, bloating -- all things that would be expected with a large stool mass blocking the new, softer, water filled stools from coming out. Once the large stool mass is out, these symptoms resolve.  

So, what is PEG 3350 anyway? 

It's a water-soluble, inactive ingredient that is not absorbed from the gut in measurable amounts. It binds to water, which keeps water in the stool, softening the stool. From what I know, it is non-toxic and has no effect on the body. The first branded product, MiraLax, was somewhat misnamed because it is not a stimulant laxative. It does not interact with the muscular propulsion of the gut. It is an osmotic laxative, keeping water in the stool, which makes it softer and easier to pass. 

PEG is used in many products, not just stool softeners. It is found in ointments and pills to allow them to be more easily dissolved in water. PEG can also be found in common household products such as certain brands of skin creams and tooth paste. 

What is the FDA approved use of PEG?

PEG 3350 is approved for treatment of constipation in adults for up to 7 days. Approval is based on studies available at the time a medicine is approved. Companies generally don't invest money in studies to expand uses after approval because they know that the products will be used in broader ways without the specific indication. They don't want to spend money they don't need to spend, which makes sense from a business perspective. Many commonly used medications are not specifically FDA approved for use in children less than 16 years due to difficulties and expense in testing drugs on minors.

How do we know it works?

There have been several studies in children and the collective experience of pediatricians around the world showing improved tolerability over other treatments for constipation because PEG 3350 has no taste, odor, or texture. It has been shown to be either as effective or more effective than other constipation treatments. See the links to these studies above. Until children can keep stools soft with adequate amounts of water, fruits, vegetables, and fiber, long term use of PEG is well tolerated. 

How long can PEG be used in children?

This is a very difficult thing to study because the longer a study follows their subjects, the more subjects are lost to follow up. There have been studies of up to 30 months that showed safe use. Blood electrolytes, liver and kidney tests were all reassuring that PEG is safe during the study. Pediatric gastroenterologists and general pediatricians have often recommended even longer periods of time without any known side effects.

What is the new study looking at?

The FDA is looking at the safety of other molecules in the PEG 3350. PEG 3350 is a very large molecule that ins't absorbed by the gut, but there are concerns that smaller compounds could be found as impurities in the manufacturing process of PEG 3350 or formed when PEG 3350 is broken down within the body. The FDA is investigating if these smaller compounds are absorbed by the gut and accumulated in the bodies of children taking PEG 3350. Some families have reported concerns to the FDA that some neurologic or behavioral symptoms in children may be related to taking PEG 3350. It is unclear whether these side-effects are due to PEG 3350. This study is the first step towards trying to determine if there is truly a link.

If my child is on PEG 3350, should I stop?

I cannot stress enough that the studies are not completed yet, so it is much too soon to say if there will be a link or not. I have years of experience with many children, and I have not seen any neurologic or behavioral problems caused by PEG 3350. It is important to note that many children with neurologic or behavioral problems are more likely to become constipated, so are more likely to need a medical treatment for constipation. This is an issue that pre-dates the medicine, so it is not caused by the medicine. Generally if the stools are softer, you can more easily work with the behavioral issues causing the constipation, such as loss of appetite/poor diet and failure to sit on the toilet long enough to empty the stool from the rectum. If you decide it is time to stop the medicine, be sure to discuss this with your child's doctor to keep them in the loop about how things are going!

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Note: Originally published 1/26/15 and edited 2/19/17 to fix broken image link.

Addendum 3/11/17: 

Thank you to a Facebook post by Dr. Johns, a pediatric GI fellow (in training to be a pediatric gastroenterologist) for sharing this link to the 2014 guideline for constipation diagnosis and management from the European Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition and the North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition: Evaluation and Treatment of Functional Constipation in Infants and Children: Evidence-Based Recommendations From ESPGHAN and NASPGHAN. In short: not many studies are required to diagnose functional constipation after a thorough history and exam. The common things we recommend (fiber, water, probiotics) don't have any proof that they work. There is evidence that PEG works. 

Why does the school nurse say the vaccines don't count?

Every once in awhile we see a child who needs vaccines because previous doses don't count. This can be due to many things, especially if they were on alternate vaccine schedules and the dosing wasn't spread out correctly, or if they got the vaccines in a state that has a larger window of time allowable than we do. 

From the back of the Kansas Immunization Requirements form

Our office only gives the MMR, Varicella, and Hepatitis A vaccines on or after the birthday (except for travel exceptions as explained below) for this reason. We are also very careful to not give the second Hepatitis A vaccine if it hasnt been 6 months since the first dose. We have about 1-2 kids a year who move in from out of state and are told they got a vaccine too soon and it needs to be repeated. In Kansas there is a 4 day window before the first birthday that allows the "1 year vaccines", but some states allow for earlier vaccines and others don't have a window. I included this in a blog a couple years ago, which briefly discusses why early vaccines don't work. Since this issue comes up often enough, I'd like to discuss why some vaccines are spaced they way they are.

Vaccines are made in different ways and the body responds to them in different ways. 

• Live attenuated vaccines are made from weakened virus that teaches the body to recognize the real virus but doesn't cause the symptoms of the virus. Examples of this type are the measles, mumps, rubella, and varicella. Many people respond to the first dose of these, but a second dose is given to help those who missed the response the first time. The second dose doesn't boost the first, but it gives a person a second chance at making immunity. 
• Inactivated virus vaccines are made by killing the virus and using it to make the vaccine. Several doses are needed to build immunity to these. An example of this is the inactivated polio vaccine. 
• Toxoid vaccines prevent diseases caused by bacteria that produce toxins in the body. The toxins are weakened into toxoids so they cannot cause illness and put into the vaccine. When the immune system receives a vaccine containing a toxoid, it learns how to fight off the natural toxin. The diphtheria and tetanus portions of the DTaP vaccine is an example of toxoid vaccine. Several shots are needed to build and continue immunity over time.
• Subunit vaccines include only parts of the virus or bacteria (subunits) in the vaccine. Because these vaccines contain only the essential antigens and not all the other molecules that make up the germ, side effects are less common. The pertussis (whooping cough) component of the DTaP vaccine is an example of a subunit vaccine.
• Conjugate vaccines fight a type of bacteria that have antigens with an outer coating of sugar-like substances called polysaccharides. This type of coating disguises the antigen, making it hard for a young child’s immature immune system to recognize it and respond to it. Conjugate vaccines are effective for these types of bacteria because they connect (or conjugate) the polysaccharides to antigens that the immune system responds to very well. This linkage helps the immature immune system react to the coating and develop an immune response. An example of this type of vaccine is the Haemophilus influenzae type B (Hib) vaccine.
• Passive immunization is a bit different than any of the above. Either catching a disease or getting any of the above vaccines stimulates your immune system to make memory cells to fight of that specific germ if it comes in contact with it. Passive immunity results when a person is given someone else’s antibodies. The protection offered by passive immunization is short-lived, usually lasting only a few weeks or months, but it helps protect right away. The Synagis (RSV) vaccine given to high risk infants is one of these vaccines. 

Why are vaccines repeatedly given?

Vaccines interact with the T and B cells of our immune system to make memory cells. If you want to learn more, see How Vaccines Work for a really cool slide show from The College of Physicians of Philadelphia.

Some vaccines, such as the DTaP, need several doses to help the body develop a strong immunity against the germs, and later boosters are required to maintain that level of protection. Other vaccines, such as the MMR, require more than one dose to insure that most people develop the protection. 

We're traveling Internationally and my 6 month old got an MMR that "doesn't count" -- Why?

It is recommended for infants 6-11 months to get an early MMR if they travel internationally due to high measles risk. These kids all need another MMR at 12+ months and again at 4-6 years, just like everyone else. If a baby gets an MMR at 11 months and not again until pre-K, they still need another one at least 28 days from the 2nd MMR because the ones between 6 and 11 months aren't reliable.

Sometimes maternal antibodies (fighter cells from mom that got into baby during pregnancy) inhibit the body from being able to build its own antibodies well against a vaccine. (But they are good because as long as they're in the baby's body, they fight off those germs!) If a disease has a low incidence, it is acceptable to let the maternal antibodies do their job for the first year. By the first birthday most maternal antibodies have left the infant, so a vaccine can be used to build the baby's immunity. If there is a high risk of exposure, as there is for measles in many parts of the world, it is recommended to give the vaccine as early as 6 months in case the maternal antibodies are already too low for infant protection. If the levels are still high, the vaccine won't work, but the baby should still be protected against the disease from mom's antibodies. At some point the maternal antibodies go away, we just don't know when, so the baby who gets the MMR early needs another dose after his birthday to be sure he's making his own antibodies once mom's go away. The second dose can be anytime at least 28 days after the first, but we traditionally give it between 4-6 years, with the kindergarten shots. (And yes, I realize there are some measles outbreaks in the US, but the experts have not said to start giving that extra dose to babies who are staying here yet. If you are worried, talk to your doctor.)