Shots, Physicals & Allergies - Oh My!

The Fourth of July has come and gone (with beautiful weather I might add). There are a few, short weeks to prepare for the next school year. For pediatricians, this is a very busy time of year. For pediatric nurses, it is even busier! School physicals and dreaded SHOTS!

When coming in for the four and five year old visit, bring the shot record. Documentation of vaccines is essential for enrolling in school. It is normal for some anxiety. It will be up to you to decide whether to prepare them ahead of time or leave it as a surprise, but I would suggest an honest discussion and a reward for bravery after. I always tell my patients that it will hurt a little and it is important to stay still so it will hurt less. I then tell them that they can cry if they want, but they can’t punch my nurse!

Also at that visit, your child may need to have their vision and hearing assessed. This may require leaving mom and dad for an evaluation. When preparing our kids for these visits, Doc McStuffins says always check your eyes, and checks your ears… are you singing that song now? Describing the vision and hearing exam and practicing at home may help some.

To participate in school sports there is a lengthy questionnaire and sports physical form that needs to be completed. This requires a full physical and review that all the vaccines are up to date. As a pediatrician, full completion of the questionnaire is very important. It includes information about family history, patient history and interval history. With one look, I can easily see what further questions that I may need to ask to assess your kiddo’s health. Some teenagers have to have this form completed multiple times a year. It is a good idea to have copies of the blank form at home, on-file. For my own children, I find it helpful to complete all the historical information and then make copies. Later, when it is time for sports, I just add any new history; add name, date and sport and I am good to go. In addition, if this form gets lost in a backpack there are always extras at home.

This is also a helpful suggestion for school medication forms. At the start of every school year it is important to update any medications at school. Check if the school supply has expired. Also, review dosing instructions for your growing child. Most children’s medications are dosed by weight and not age.

For those children with a peanut allergy, it is now recommended that every caregiver who keeps an allergic child has two epinephrine pens available at each location of care. Check to see if the old pens have expired and check Benadryl doses too. (I use old expired pens to teach babysitters how to inject the medication by having them inject into an orange).

For daily medications at home, keep a week’s worth aside in a second, well-labeled, child-proof medication bottle. When you are out of medication in the main container, it is time to call for refills. This avoids “emergency medication refills.”

The start of a new school year is also a good time to start new household routines. Whether it is your first grader picking out their clothes the night before school, or your tenth grader packing their own lunch and putting away a load of laundry, daily responsibilities are important in establishing a sense of family teamwork, daily organizational skills and self-confidence. If we do not teach them how to run a house, they will never learn. My pre-kindergartener does not know it yet but she will start picking out her clothes and start picking up her room before bed. I am getting ready for the huffs, puffs and eye rolls now. I also have prizes already picked out for a job well-done.

By Dr. Tara Pedigo