Start Line Pediatrics

07/24/2025

Start Line Families,

Hope everyone is having a fun and safe summer! Sharing this important swimming pool recall.

All of us at Start Line Pediatrics

Approximately 5 million above-ground swimming pools have been recalled after nine children between the ages of 22 months and 3 years drowned after climbing into the pools.

07/03/2025

Start Line Families,

We will be closed Friday, July 4th, in observance of Independence Day. Our after hours Nurse Practitioner Service will be available for any questions or concerns. A provider is on call as well. We will be open for our regular office hours on Saturday (8:00 until noon).

Reminder, our Summer Hours from July 4th weekend through Labor Day weekend are: Monday through Friday 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, and Saturday mornings from 8:00 am to noon (for urgent care only).

Have a safe and happy July 4th weekend, and summer.

Be well,

All of us at Start Line Pediatrics
www.startlinepediatrics.com

06/15/2025

Happy Father's Day from Start Line Pediatrics!

Today we celebrate all the amazing dads, grandpas, and father figures who are guiding, supporting, and inspiring the children of all ages in their lives. Your strength, love, and presence make a world of difference—thank you for being their heroes and role models.

Wishing you a day filled with joy, laughter, and time with those who love you most.

05/25/2025

On Memorial Day we pause to honor and remember the fallen service members, men and women, who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country. Let us not forget we are the land of the free because of the brave who answered the call to serve and defend our country with courage and selflessness, knowing the risk was great, but the cause was greater. 🇺🇸

We hope you all have a safe and healthy weekend.

The office will be closed Monday in observance of Memorial Day.

All of us at Start Line Pediatrics

05/11/2025

MOM (Noun):

(1) Someone who sees the best in her kids everyday.
(2) Unconditional love

See also: Superwoman

Wishing all of our moms your version of a perfect Mother's Day! 💐

All of us at Start Line Pediatrics

www.startlinepediatrics.com

05/06/2025

Treat Every Patient Like They Are Family ✅ and Be The Nurse You Want To Work With ✅. How lucky are we to have the best nurses at Start Line Pediatrics! Happy Nurses Week, ladies! We appreciate all that you do! (Missing from picture is Meghan)

04/23/2025

Start Line Families,

Tick season is in full swing! We’ve received many phone calls with concerns about tick bites. The best prevention of Lyme disease, which is caused by the deer tick, is doing a good tick check at the end of the day, after your child has been outdoors, especially in tall grass or wooded areas. Wearing long-sleeved shirts, using insect repellants, and tucking pant legs under socks when going for hikes in wooded areas can be helpful as well. But, four-legged family members can bring ticks home too, so important to check pets for ticks as well.

University of Rhode Island has a website which is a great resource for everything you’d ever want to know about a tick and tick bites. You can also upload a picture of the tick and they can confirm what type of tick it is.

https://web.uri.edu/tickencounter
https://web.uri.edu/tickencounter/tickspotters/

Ticks can hide in easily missed areas, such as under the hairline, armpits, and groin area. It is thought that a deer tick must be attached at least 36 hours before it can transmit Lyme, so removing them as soon as possible will help minimize the risk of Lyme disease. Best way to remove the tick is using tweezers and grasping the tick’s head as close to the skin as possible and pulling it straight out; do not apply any oils or lotions on the tick.

There is benefit in a one-time dose of antibiotics after a tick bite to prevent Lyme disease after a tick bite ONLY if it’s known that the tick was attached for at least 72 hours, tick was engorged, and the dose is given within 72 hours of removing the tick. Signs and symptoms of Lyme can include fever, rash, joint pain, and fatigue. Not all tick bites require antibiotic treatment.

As always, please call the office if you have any questions!

All of us at Start Line Pediatrics

04/19/2025

Start Line Families,

Office hours for Marathon Monday.

Good luck to all of the participants of the 2025 Boston Marathon!

Due to road closures around the office, we will delay opening until 1:30 pm. While the office will be closed, our phones will be open as usual at 8:00 am, and we will be able to schedule Telehealth visits in the morning if needed.



All of us at Start Line Pediatrics
www.startlinepediatrics.com

03/09/2025

Important Update: Measles Outbreak & MMR Vaccine Guidance

Dear Start Line Families,

We want to keep you informed about the ongoing measles outbreak in some parts of our country and emphasize the importance of protecting your child and family through vaccination. As of today, there are no changes to the routine recommendations for MMR vaccination for children in Massachusetts.

Measles is a highly contagious virus that can lead to serious complications, especially in young children and those with weakened immune systems. Symptoms include fever, cough, runny nose, red eyes, and a rash that spreads across the body. The best protection against measles is the Measles, Mumps, and Rubella (MMR) vaccine, which is safe, effective, and recommended by the CDC and the American Academy of Pediatrics.

What You Need to Know:

• MMR Vaccine: Children should receive their 1st dose of the MMR vaccine between 12-15 months of age and the 2nd dose at 4-6 years of age. The 1st dose gives 93% protection from Measles infection, and after the 2nd dose a child has 97% protection.

• At Start Line, we administer the 1st MMR vaccine at the 1-year well visit, and the 2nd dose at the 5-year well visit. If your child is behind on vaccinations, now is the time to catch up.

• The 1st dose can be given before 1 year of age (6 months of age is the youngest) and the 2nd dose can be given before 4 years of age only if the child is at high risk for exposure: mainly if there will be any travel to current high-risk regions in the country or any international travel.

• As of March 6, 2025, a total of 222 measles cases were reported by 12 states: Alaska, California, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York City, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Texas, and Washington. 94% of those were in unvaccinated individuals (or vaccine status was unknown). 34% were under 5 years of age, and 45% were between 5 and 19 years of age. So the majority of cases were unfortunately in unvaccinated younger children.

We will continue to closely monitor the situation and will provide updates if there are any changes to the current recommendations and are here to answer any questions or concerns you may have.

Thank you for partnering with us to keep our community safe and healthy by making sure your children are fully vaccinated.

Sincerely,

All of us at Start Line Pediatrics

12/24/2024

Start Line Families,

From our Start Line Pediatrics family to you and your families, we wish you a joyous Holiday Season, and a happy and healthy New Year!

Holiday office hours:

Tuesday December 24th, 8:00 am to 12:00.
Wednesday December 25th, Closed, Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah!

Tuesday December 31st, regular hours of 8:00 am to 5:00 pm
Wednesday January 1st, 2025, Closed, Happy New Year!

Our after-hours Nurse Practitioner on-call service is available for advice when the office is closed. You will automatically be transferred to our answering service when you call the office, they will relay your questions and concerns to the Nurse Practitioner who will call you back.

Happy Holidays!

Start Line Pediatrics

11/18/2024

We may be late in recognizing Medical Assistant's Day and the two best MAs ever, (plus one in training 😉), but as the saying goes, better late than never. Not sure what we would do without you, Jen and Cheryl. Thanks for all you do! ☺️

11/11/2024

A Veteran's Day salute from all of us at Start Line Pediatrics. A sincere thank you to all Veterans and their families for your service!