What parent doesn’t want to protect their child from getting injured or sick? While it will happen at some point, there are certainly ways that both you and your pediatrician can work together to ensure that your child doesn’t have to deal with completely avoidable injuries or illnesses. One way to do that is through regular wellness visits with your pediatrician.

• Recording your child’s height and weight
• Providing a detailed medical history of your child
• Checking vital signs
• Hearing and vision screenings (depending on the age)
• A full physical examination (painless and non-invasive)
• Additional testing or blood work, if necessary
• Vaccinations, as needed
• Answer any questions that the parent may have about their child’s health and provide information and advice on ways to keep your child healthy

• Providing parents with support, peace of mind, and advice regarding everything from sleep schedules and diet to medications and behavioral concerns.
• Catch problems early on, whether physical, mental or behavioral, when they can easily be managed and treated through simpler and less invasive treatment options
• Having a doctor that becomes an important part of your family; someone you can trust and rely on to always be there for your child. After all, knowing that you have a doctor that you can turn to in an emergency is invaluable.

While we may not love it, all kids are going to act up, throw tantrums and be irritable at times; however, if your child is displaying negative actions and behaviors regularly, you may be concerned that there is something more going on. Is your child just “going through a phase” or is this a sign of a more serious problem?

• Being defiant
• Lying
• Whining
• Impulsivity
• Issues around bedtime
• Issues around food (being a “picky eater” or refusing to eat)
• Anger
• Temper tantrums

• Are still occurring regardless of discipline or punishment
• Are affecting their schoolwork and/or social interactions
• Aren’t appropriate for their age (e.g. throwing temper tantrums as an older child)

• Aggressive or violent behavior
• Harm to self, others, or animals
• Hearing or seeing things that aren’t there
• Breaking the rules or skipping school
• Sudden or extreme behavioral changes
• Showing no remorse

Could your little one be dealing with an ear infection?

Your child may not be old enough to tell you that their ear hurts, but you may suddenly notice that they are pulling or tugging at one of their ears, or that they cry whenever they lie down. These are all warning signs of an earache. Of course, does this mean that you should see our Edison, NJ, area’s top pediatricians or wait it out? Here’s how to handle an ear infection in your little one,

If In Doubt, Call Your Doctor

Our office understands that any symptoms your child is experiencing is a serious concern; however, you don’t want to rush right to the office to have a pediatrician tell you to “wait and see”. Therefore, if you are concerned about your child’s ear infection but not sure if it warrants seeing one of our top pediatricians here in Edison, NJ, we also offer telemedicine appointments so you can talk to us about your child’s symptoms over your computer or smartphone before deciding whether or not to come in.

In most instances where your child doesn’t have a fever and isn’t dealing with significant ear pain, our pediatrician will most likely say to wait it out to see if the problem gets better on its own; however, if symptoms get worse or don’t go away then you should definitely come into our office within 48 hours.

If your child is dealing with severe pain, has a fever that’s over 102 degrees F, or has fluid in the ear canal then your doctor will most likely prescribe antibiotics. Once your child starts taking antibiotics, they should start to experience some relief from their symptoms within the first day.

Along with the symptoms we mentioned earlier, here are some other signs to look for that might tip you off to the fact that your child has an ear infection,

• Fluid draining from the ear
• Trouble sleeping (this is because there is more pressure placed on the eardrum when lying down)
• Poor appetite (yes, even chewing can make ear pain worse)
• Redness or swelling of the outer ear
• Changes in your child’s hearing (they may have trouble hearing quieter sounds)
• Increased fussiness, clinginess and irritability

7 Days Pediatrics provide top pediatricians and the highest quality pediatric care to children and teens in Edison and South Plainfield, NJ. If your child is dealing with an ear infection call our office at (732) 548-3210 to schedule an in-office or telemedicine visit.

The Importance of Regular Wellness Checkups

Your child’s wellness checkups are important for several reasons, but the main purpose is to let your pediatrician examine your child to ensure that they are growing and developing as they should for their age. Caching any delays in development early on means that your child can get the treatment they need to grow into a healthy adult. The team of pediatricians at 7 Days Pediatrics in Edison can provide your child with regular wellness check-ups.

The Important Factors to Wellness Checkups

Edison parents like to book regular wellness checkups for their children so that they can protect their children in the following ways:

• Prevention: Preventive care means that your child always gets their immunizations at the appropriate time in their life. It also means that they can have regular hearing and vision checks and you can ask your pediatrician for nutritional advice.
• Growth and development: At each visit, you and your pediatrician will be able to see how your child has developed since your last appointment. This will allow you to learn if your child is meeting healthy developmental milestones.
• Help and advice: Your child’s wellness check gives you an opportunity to raise any concerns or ask any questions about your child’s health. If you prepare a list of questions or topics before your appointment, you can be sure that you will not forget to discuss them. Some topics you may like to discuss include your child’s diet, sleep patterns, school development, relationships with siblings, and how to break habits such as thumb sucking or bedwetting.

If you would like to find out more about the benefits of regular wellness check-ups for your child, call 7 Day Pediatrics at our Edison office on (732) 548-3210, South Plainfield on (732) 548-3210, and Amboy on (732) 548-3210.