Bedwetting is a common childhood problem. Many children who master toilet training during the day, usually between the ages of two and four, continue to experience episodes of bedwetting through the night. In many cases, the nighttime bedwetting incidents will gradually decrease until they have completely ceased around the age of five or six.

So, when should parents worry about their child’s bedwetting behaviors? Most pediatricians agree that it’s quite normal for children to experience occasional “accidents” and that most children will outgrow it on their own.

When to Visit Your Pediatrician

Bedwetting is rarely a serious problem. In fact, wetting up to a year after the child has successfully been toilet trained is normal. Children gain bladder control at different ages, and while most kids quit wetting at night by the age of 6, others may take a little longer. In the majority of cases, wetting does not have a medical cause.

According to the AAP, you should contact your pediatrician if your child continues to have frequent “accidents” or if you notice any of the following signs:

• Wet clothing and bed linens, even when the child uses the toilet frequently
• Unusual straining during urination, a very small or narrow stream of urine, or dribbling after urination
• Cloudy or pink urine
• Abnormal redness or rash in the genital area
• Trying to conceal wetting by hiding clothes or underwear
• Daytime wetting in addition to nighttime accidents

Parents should remember to be sensitive to their child’s wetting behavior so not to cause additional embarrassment or discomfort. Never punish the child for bedwetting. Instead, show support and encouragement by reassuring the child that it is not his or her fault and that the problem will get better.

Remember, even though childhood wetting is frustrating, it is very normal. Talk to your pediatrician if you have concerns about your child’s bedwetting behaviors. 

How a sports physical from your pediatrician in Jacksonville, FL, can help your child

Does your child want to play sports? If so, your child will need to have a sports physical. Being checked out by a doctor beforehand can potentially help avoid injuries or medical problems by identifying whether your child is healthy enough for sports. Dr. Alexandra Kostur at Jacksonville Kids Pediatrics in Jacksonville, FL, offers a wide range of pediatric services including sports physicals to help your active child stay healthy.

A sports physical is required if your child wants to participate in sports. A sports physical helps to identify any medical concerns related to playing sports. When your child plays a sport, important body functions like heart rate and breathing are pushed to the limit. A sports physical helps determine whether these and other important body functions could be taxed too much by physical activity.

During your child’s appointment, a full medical history will be recorded. It’s important for your doctor to know any allergies, recent illnesses, hospitalizations, current medications, and other important medical information. Your pediatrician will also want to know about your family's medical history. Knowing this information can help your doctor determine the medical risks your child may be facing.

The sports physical also includes a complete physical examination. Your pediatrician will evaluate your child’s heart sounds and heart rate, blood pressure, breathing, reflexes, and muscle tone to determine overall wellness. Your child’s height and weight will be measured and vision and hearing may also be checked.

Jacksonville Kids Pediatrics offers a screening EKG (electrocardiogram) to make sure that your child's heart is healthy enough for rigorous sports activity and to detect any abnormalities of the heart that could seriously affect their cardiac health and sports performance. The EKG screening only takes a few minutes, is painless, and involves placing leads (stickers) on the chest wall, arms and legs to record the electrical activity of the heart. Sudden cardiac events are rare in children, but JK Peds offers this important screening. If your child's EKG is abnormal, they will be referred to a pediatric cardiologist for evaluation and diagnosis.

It’s also a perfect time for you to discuss any potential concerns or ask any questions you have about your child’s medical status. Your pediatrician may also use the sports physical appointment to make sure your child is up-to-date on immunizations.

A sports physical can help protect your active child, and give you peace of mind. To find out more about sports physicals and other pediatric services, call Dr. Alexandra Kostur at Jacksonville Kids Pediatrics in Jacksonville, FL. Call now and schedule an appointment for your child’s sports physical!

Truth is, anyone with an appendix can get appendicitis—even our children. Appendicitis is a painful inflammation of the hollow, finger-shaped organ attached to the end of the large intestine. If left untreated, an inflamed appendix can rupture, leading to a lengthy hospital stay for complications including abdominal infection and bowel obstruction.  

When your child complains of stomach pain, consult your pediatrician for proper diagnosis and to ensure the health of your child. Since appendicitis is potentially life-threatening, it is important to understand the symptoms so that you can spot appendicitis in your child. In order of appearance, the symptoms include:

• Abdominal pain

• Vomiting

• Loss of appetite

• Fever

Unfortunately, symptoms of appendicitis might also be hidden by a viral or bacterial infection that preceded it. Diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and fever may appear before the typical pain of appendicitis, which makes the diagnosis much more difficult.

Your child’s discomfort might also disappear, which will persuade you that they are better. However, this disappearance of pain could also mean that the appendix has just broken open or ruptured. The pain might leave for several hours, but this is the moment when appendicitis becomes dangerous, making it more important than ever to visit your pediatrician for immediate care for your child.

Treatment

When your pediatrician diagnoses your child with appendicitis, surgery is usually needed as soon as possible. Surgically removing the appendix is usually the treatment of choice, as it is important to eliminate the inflamed appendix before it bursts.  

While most children with abdominal pain do not have appendicitis, you can never be too safe when it comes to the health of your child. Visit your pediatrician for further diagnosis of this serious problem and to take the next steps toward a healthy child.

In infants, toddlers and preschoolers, the most frequent cause of sore throats is a viral infection. No specific medicine is required when a virus is responsible, and the child should get better over a seven to ten day period. During this period, your child may develop a fever, but they generally are not very sick. 

It is not uncommon to experience a sore throat when your child has a cold or the flu. Unfortunately, there are other reasons for sore throats to develop that may be symptomatic of more serious problems.  Children tend to have sore throats more often than adolescents or adults, with sore throats being the most common during the winter months when upper respiratory infections are more frequent. 

The major cause of a sore throat is an infection, whether it is viral or bacterial, and can also be caused by allergies and environmental conditions. If your child has a sore throat that lasts longer than the typical five to seven day duration of a cold or flu, and is not associated with an avoidable allergy or irritation, it is important to contact your local pediatrician. The following are signs and symptoms to alert you to take your child to the pediatrician:

• Severe and prolonged sore throat
• Difficulty breathing
• Difficulty swallowing
• Difficulty opening the mouth
• Joint pain
• Earache
• Rash
• Fever that is over 101 degrees
• Frequent recurring sore throat
• Lump in the neck
• Hoarseness lasting over two weeks

At the first onset of a sore throat it is always important to monitor the progress and recognize any other symptoms that may accompany the sore throat, which could cause it to worsen into strep throat, inflamed tonsils, or laryngitis. Contact your pediatrician if your child is experiencing a sore throat that won’t go away. Your pediatrician will help diagnose and treat your child’s symptoms. 

A hit to the head during a soccer game or a hard fall from skateboarding may result in a serious head injury and even a concussion. The American Academy of Pediatrics describes a concussion as any injury to the brain that disrupts normal brain function on a temporary or permanent basis. These injuries are typically caused by a blow to the head, most often occurring while playing contact sports such as football, hockey, soccer, wrestling or skateboarding.

For some children, concussions only last for a short while. Other times, a person can have symptoms of a concussion that last for several days or weeks following the injury. Not all symptoms of concussions will be obvious, and in some cases take several hours to set in. Look for these signs of a concussion if your child suffers a head injury:

• Headaches
• Nausea or vomiting
• Dizziness or loss of balance
• Memory loss or confusion
• Poor concentration
• Vision problems
• Fatigue
• Irritability or changes in mood
• Sensitivity to light or noise

Seek Medical Attention

If your child injures his head or you believe he may have a concussion, it is important that the child discontinues play immediately and visits a healthcare provider for an evaluation. All concussions are serious and should be monitored right away. A pediatrician can properly diagnose the concussion and its severity, and then make appropriate treatment recommendations.

Rest from all activities is the best treatment for concussions. Your pediatrician can make appropriate recommendations for when the child should return to future play. Recovery time depends on the child and the severity of the concussion.

Preventing Head Injuries

Not all head injuries can be avoided, but you can do a few important things to prevent them.

• Buckle Up. Make sure your child is properly buckled up in a seat belt, car seat or booster seat.  
• Safety Gear. If your child plays sports, make sure he wears appropriate headgear and other safety equipment.
• Awareness. Children should be taught how to play safe and understand the importance of reporting any type of head injury to their parent or coach.

All head injuries should be taken seriously.  Early detection and treatment is the best way to prevent serious complications. It’s never a bad idea to contact your pediatrician when you have questions or concerns about your child’s head injury.