pediatric housecalls Robert R. Jarrett M.D. M.B.A. FAAP

Showing posts from: January 2012

Emergency Medical System (EMS) – Prevention

Just ask anybody. With all the gadgets and technology we have now, most children are saved in emergencies, right? All the television shows prove it, right? Now days, just call 911 and paramedics save most children… right?

WRONG! It is true that, for adults, the EMS system has dramatically improved survival; but, for children the survival rates in out-of-hospital cardio-pulmonaryarrest are abysmal. (more…)

Infant Circumcision

When I speak at a prenatal childbirth class, I usually talk about "little things."

The things which sometimes seem insignificant, but which in reality really do make a great deal of difference.

Things like: fluoride drops, car seats, feeding the right foods, etc.

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Dental ID of Children

The first time a physician is faced with an unconscious patient of unknown cause, he becomes “sold” on the idea of Med Alert bracelets.

For years, most of us have encouraged diabetic patients to wear these type of bracelets or carry an I.D. card in their wallet.
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Do You Take Your Body For Granted

In younger years, I was in a play in which a very interesting song was sung.

“Did you ever think in the middle of a wink what your eyes are doing for you? Your nose when it blows, your hair when it grows, consider what a job they do” went the lyrics.

There are many things (in fact most things) about the human body that we do, in fact, take for granted.

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Amblyopia and Developmental Dysplasia of the Hip

There are two things which a trained pediatrician usually checks for more frequently than other physicians who see children: Developmental Dysplasia of the Hip(DDH) and Amblyopia (lazy eye).

Developmental Dysplasia of the Hip, or DDH (formerly CDH), occurs when the hips of a new born infant are either inadequately or inappropriately developed at birth. The acetabulum (socket) of the pelvis is too shallow to allow the head (ball) of the femur (large leg bone) seat well, so it continually pops out.

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Cost Effective Medicine – why can’t we seem to find it?

There is a lot more discussed these days in medical meetings than medicine!

The new topics include computers, credentialing, new governmental rules, insurance company policies to control medical costs, and political maneuverings. Now these topics are neither particularly new nor worrisome, but the list just doesn’t stop there.
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Grandma’s Who Haven’t Seen Measles

Boy hugging grandmaA major problem we have in pediatrics, I was told one time, is that: we have raised a generation of grandmothers who have never even seen measles.”

I was speaking with a pediatric colleague of mine, and we were discussing the way grandparents provide a great deal of teaching to new parents as they raise their first few children. And a grandma who has actually seen a case of measles is a rare find.

I believe what my colleague said is true! Medicine has changed a great deal in even the past few years. Rubella and other diseases are not seen as much anymore.

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