Whether your child will be attending school remotely or in-person, the school day will be very different for everyone. Our pediatric health experts are here to help you and your family through the transition back to school and throughout the school year. At Brenner Children's we're here to support you and your child’s physical or mental well being.
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Our family medicine providers and pediatricians provide exceptional care, focusing on the unique and complex needs of children's physical, emotional and social development.
Our comprehensive pediatric and adolescent care includes routine well check exams, immunizations, sick visits, as well as preventative, developmental and access to pediatric specialty care.
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Stress and Anxiety Management During COVID-19
While it’s understandable that many children will be anxious about this school year, parents can help alleviate some of the concern by preparing their kids for what’s to come and allowing them to talk about their feelings.
“We encourage parents to be open and honest with their children and to be watching for changes in behavior or mood that could signal that a child is having difficulty adjusting,” said Linda Nicolotti, PhD, a pediatric psychologist with Brenner Children’s. “Many children are anxious right now and they will miss all the social aspects of school, so we’re encouraging them to spend extra time with their family and to take advantage of staying connected with their friends virtually.”
Parents should remind children and teens that there are important steps they can take to help control the situation, such as washing their hands, social distancing and maintaining a healthy diet.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Fears and concerns for their health and their loved ones
- Changes in sleep and eating habits (e.g. eating/sleeping more or less than usual)
- Changes in behaviors (e.g. crying too much, aggressive behavior, isolation, lack of motivation)
- Concentration problems or easily distracted
- Mood changes (e.g. irritability, fears, sadness, anger)
- Physical symptoms (e.g. stomach ache, headaches, nauseas or vomiting, etc.)
It is natural for children and adolescents to be concerned. Please provide space to share their fears, feelings, and concerns. Explore what stressors are present and normalize the current situation by providing security, asking questions and offering information. Help them to feel in control of the situation and share with them how they can fight the virus (e.g. hand wash, physical distance, good nutrition).
- Ask them: What do you are worry about? How do you feel? What they need?
- If your child asks a question you don’t know, use it as a learning opportunity and search for information (e.g. search the internet together and share how the community is helping).
- Keep the routine as normal as possible. Be accessible to your child both physically and emotionally.
- Promote activities to express and regulate emotions (e.g. art, dance, music, sports)
- Promote physical activity, a healthy diet and good sleep.
- Avoid too much exposure to the media, talk to them according to their age.
- Model coping behaviors (e.g. speaking calmly, being honest, validating feelings)
- Use your support group, connect by phone calls or video calls.
- Consider professional help if necessary (e.g. psychological therapy).
- Relaxation or meditation exercises (e.g. deep breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, etc.)
- Mindfulness Exercises (e.g. connecting with nature, feeling the breeze on your face, etc.)
- STOP strategy (e.g. stop, take a deep breath, observe your surroundings and proceed mindfully)
Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C)
Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children (MIS-C) is a very rare and relatively new disease that is not yet completely understood, but at this time, health experts believe it is a complication of a delayed inflammatory response to a COVID-19 infection.
Right now, the average age of patients appears to be around 8 years of age and the disease seems to be more common in Black or Hispanic children, with a survival rate of around 98%.
“This is a new disease but we are constantly learning more about how various organs can be affected, including the heart,” said Kacy Ramirez, M.D., a pediatric infectious disease expert with Brenner Children’s. “Initial symptoms often include a high fever, vomiting, diarrhea, rash, confusion, sleepiness or a headache, so if a child experiences these symptoms, we urge parents to contact their pediatrician right away. For more serious issues such as difficulty breathing or seizures, children should be brought immediately to the nearest emergency department.”
Experts recommend the best way to avoid contracting MIS-C is to reduce the risk of exposure to COVID-19. Steps parents and children can take include limiting nonessential activities, gatherings and events, social distancing, washing hands and avoiding touching the face.
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