Reston Pediatrics

Winter Car Seat Safety Tips from the AAP

Winter is a tricky time for car seats. As a general rule, bulky clothing, including winter coats and snowsuits, should not be worn underneath the harness of a car seat.

In a car crash, fluffy padding immediately flattens out from the force, leaving extra space under the harness. A child can then slip through the straps and be thrown from the seat.

These tips from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) will help parents strike that perfect balance between keeping little ones warm as well as safely buckled in their car seats.

healthychildren.org ​As a general rule, bulky clothing, including winter coats and snowsuits, should not be worn underneath the harness of a car seat.

Thank you for your votes! We have made the finalist round for Best of Loudoun 2019! Help us to win by voting for your favorite pediatrician (remember your first round of votes do not count for this round.)

Thank you for helping us to be great.

https://www.loudountimes.com/best/#/gallery?group=300884

[12/10/18]   We are closed 11:45 am - 2:00 pm today for our Holiday Party. Please leave a message

Best of Loudoun

It's time to vote for your favorite pediatrician for Best of Loudoun 2019!

Here's How it Works:
Click on the link - This year, voting will take place in two rounds. The nomination round runs to December 2 - this SUNDAY - so be sure to vote.
The ballot is initially populated with last year's winner and runner up in each category. As nominations are received, entries with a minimum number of write-ins will be added to the ballot. If your favorite is already on the ballot, you must still vote for them to help them move to the finals.
Up to ten finalists in each category will be selected by popular vote and the final voting round runs from December 10 to December 31. Votes do not carry over from the nomination round.

https://www.loudountimes.com/best/#//

loudountimes.com Vote for your favorite people, places, and business in Loudoun County!

Town of Leesburg, Virginia

And the holiday fun begins!

The display will include approximately 1,400 lights that will be synchronized to four festive holiday themed songs.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING! Reminder: we are closed today but you can reach the doctor on call 703-450-8660

[11/21/18]   Holiday Hours:
We close at 1pm today
Closed for Thanksgiving.

Healthy Children

November is #DiabetesAwarenessMonth. Both forms of #diabetes can occur at any age. Developing good diabetes management habits when your child is young can set them up for a healthy future as they become more independent.

Quick reminder to our families: Only children over 12 months should be given honey.

ALERT! Several babies in Texas have become ill with infant botulism after using honey pacifiers. Because honey can contain germs that cause infant botulism, never give honey or products made with honey to children younger than 1 year. https://go.usa.gov/xPGmf

[11/15/18]   Yes, we are open today :-)

It’s U.S. Antibiotic Awareness Week! Antibiotics save lives and are critical tools for treating infections, like those that can lead to sepsis. When antibiotics aren’t needed – like for a cold – they won’t help you, and the side effects could still hurt you. Serious side effects can include Clostridioides difficile, or C. difficile, infection, which can cause deadly diarrhea. Talk to your healthcare provider about the best way to treat your or your loved ones’ illness.

It’s U.S. Antibiotic Awareness Week! Antibiotics save lives and are critical tools for treating infections, like those that can lead to sepsis. When antibiotics aren’t needed – like for a cold – they won’t help you, and the side effects could still hurt you. Serious side effects can include Clostridioides difficile, or C. difficile, infection, which can cause deadly diarrhea. Talk to your healthcare provider about the best way to treat your or your loved ones’ illness. http://bit.ly/2AEuUHV

[11/12/18]   Still available - flu shot appointments for tomorrow's Flu Clinic. Call to schedule.

Hepatitis B Vaccine

Protect your baby. Ensure your baby gets the hepatitis B vaccine shortly after birth.

cdc.gov What do you need to know? Babies with hepatitis B have a 90% chance of developing chronic hepatitis B, a lifelong disease. Protect your baby against this serious disease with the hepatitis B vaccine a

Wishing our young adult patients voting for the first time a happy voting day! Your voice matters.

More #HalloweenFun #pediatricnurses

A little late, but still worth posting! Check out RPA's Halloween fun...

Which Flu Vaccine Should My Children Get This Year?

Which flu vaccine should my kids get this year?
The AAP recommends the flu shot as the best choice for children for 2018-2019.

healthychildren.org ​Flu season just is around the corner! While you can catch the flu any time of the year, the virus is most common in the US between October and May and usually peaks around January or February.

We heard you! You need to get a flu shot for your child and you can't wait. So, great news - we now have openings for Flu Shots on Monday Oct 29th and Monday Nov 5th! Call in to schedule 703-450-8660 opt 2

Avoid a Food Allergy Scare on Halloween

Halloween is one of the trickiest days of the year for children with food allergies. Kids often haul home pounds of treats, and even small amounts of an ingredient they are allergic to can cause a potentially life-threatening reaction.
Here are some tips from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) to help ensure Halloween's frights stay festive and don't involve a medical emergency.

healthychildren.org ​Here are some tips from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) to help ensure Halloween's frights stay festive and don't involve a medical emergency.

Nightmares and Night Terrors in Preschoolers

How to Help Kids with Nightmares and Night Terrors - and how to know the difference

healthychildren.org ​There are many things that can cause a child to wake up during the night. Keeping your child on a regular sleep schedule may help prevent many of these problems. Learn more.

Due to popular demand we will host a SECOND FLU CLINIC on November 13th.
Please call to schedule.
Appointments start at 5:15pm.
Patients must be up-to-date on their well checks.

[10/13/18]   Reminder: We are CLOSED TODAY due to building maintenance. For urgent assistance please call the on-call doctor on 703-450-8660.

My child is receiving special education in school. What role should his pediatrician play?

The pediatrician's office often is the first stop for families seeking help with school issues. Navigating the special education system, understanding your rights and collaborating with school officials to come up with a plan can be confusing and intimidating.

Your pediatrician play a big role in advocating for your child throughout his or her education. Developmental-behavioral pediatricians, for example, advocate for their patients with developmental and behavioral problems by working closely with schools, preschools, and other agencies involved with developmental care and education. When all parties work together―as a team―in sharing information and expertise, your child will receive optimal health care and educational services.

healthychildren.org ​Your pediatrician and/or pediatric specialists play a big role in advocating for your child throughout his or her education. Here's how. 

[10/12/18]   We will be CLOSED tomorrow due to building maintenance. For urgent assistance please call the on-call doctor on 703-450-8660.

[10/11/18]   We will be CLOSED SATURDAY due to building maintenance. Please call 703-450-8660 on the day for urgent advice.

Due to the Flu Clinic our regular office hours close at 5pm today, and phones will switch to close. The on-call doctor will be available for urgent assistance. 703-450-8660 opt 2

[10/08/18]   Our Flu Clinic for tomorrow is fully booked!
(But we still have daytime flu shot appointments available Tuesday - Fridays.)

Chickenpox Can Be Serious

Most children who get chickenpox recover completely. But chickenpox can be serious, even deadly, especially for babies, adolescents, adults, pregnant women, and people with a weakened immune system. Make sure everyone in your family is up to date on their chickenpox vaccine.

cdc.gov Make sure everyone in your family is up to date on their chickenpox vaccine.

Car Safety Technology: Designed to Keep Teen Drivers Safe

Built-in Car Safety Technology - Designed to Keep Teen Drivers Safe
Many newer-model vehicles have built-in driver assistance safety features available, including:

Electronic stability control (ESC). When a vehicle begins skidding on curvy or slippery roads, this computerized technology automatically applies the brakes to help drivers regain control of the steering. This technology is widely considered the most important vehicle safety advance since the introduction of seat belts and cuts the risk of a fatal single-vehicle crash by 50%. ESC has been required in most vehicles since 2012. Have an earlier model? Check for ESC availability here.

Rear vision cameras. As of May 1, 2018, all but the heaviest new vehicles sold in the United States must have rear vision cameras to help drivers back up safely. The law came about after pediatrician Greg Gulbransen, whose son died after a vehicle backed over him, helped promote awareness about the dangerous blind spot directly behind most vehicles.

Automatic braking. These systems use lasers, radar, or even video to gauge if the speed of the vehicle is greater than the speed of objects in front of it. If there's a big speed difference, signaling a potential crash, the system automatically slows or stops the vehicle.

Blind spot threat detection. This technology alerts drivers when vehicles are near—approaching in the next lane, for example—but not yet visible, making lane changes safer.

Lane-maintenance alerts. Using video, laser or infrared sensors, a lane departure warning system alerts the driver if the vehicle drifts over the lane mark.

Teen-specific driver safety technology. Automakers may soon offer built-in advanced driver assistance technology that can be tailored to new drivers. Some vehicles already have smart key fobs and other features that limit speed and block certain electronic distractions. Also, some insurance companies provide families with in-vehicle monitoring and feedback devices for new teen drivers.

healthychildren.org ​​When it comes to driving, teens and technology have a dangerous track record. The car safety technologies―listed in this article―are available in more and more cars and are helping keep young drivers safer. 

Reston Pediatrics

Our flu clinic is filling up. Appointments now start at 6pm on October 9th. Call now to avoid disappointment. 703-450-8660.

We are having a FLU CLINIC for all established patients that are up to date on their well check exams.
One day only, October 9 from 5:15pm. Call to schedule: 703-450-8660 (option 2).
Appointments will be booked consecutively.
Note: The flu shot can be given to patients 6 months and older.

Get a Flu Vaccine

The best way to prevent flu and its potentially serious complications is getting a flu vaccine.

Fall brings cooler temperatures, colorful leaves, and football games. It also means another flu season is upon us. Last year’s was rough. The CDC classified 2017-2018 a high severity season with high levels of outpatient clinic and emergency department visits for influenza-like illness, high influenza-related hospitalization rates, and widespread influenza activity across the United States for an extended period. The CDC estimates the flu caused between 140,000 and 710,000 hospitalizations and between 12,000 and 56,000 deaths annually in the U.S. since 2010. While estimates for last season won’t be available until later in the fall, it’s likely that last season was record-breaking across both of these key indicators used to track severity. It’s not possible to predict how severe the upcoming season will be, but we know that the best way to prevent flu and its potentially serious complications is a flu vaccine.

https://www.cdc.gov/features/flu/index.html

cdc.gov CDC recommends a yearly flu vaccine as the first and most important step in prevent the flu.

We are excited to welcome Dr. Joel Madrid to our RPA family! Dr Madrid has 22 years of pediatric experience and we are thrilled to have him on our team.
If you'd like to meet Dr. Madrid, please call 703-450-8660 to schedule a meet and greet with him.
He will start seeing patients from October 3rd.
For more please visit
https://restonpediatrics.com/joel-d-r-s-madrid-m-d/

Helping Children Handle Stress

Many parents believe that their school-age children are unaware of the stresses around them and are somehow immune to them. After all, their children not only have all their basic needs met, but perhaps they also have a roomful of toys, friends to share them with, plenty of playtime, and a full schedule of extracurricular activities.

Yet children are very sensitive to the changes around them, especially to the feelings and reactions of their parents, even if those feelings are not communicated directly in words. If a parent loses a job, children will have to adjust to their family's financial crisis; they must deal not only with the obvious family budgetary changes but also with the changes in their parents' emotional states. Children may have to cope with a bully on the playground, a move to a new neighborhood, a parent's serious illness or the disappointment of a poor sports performance. They might feel a constant, nagging pressure to dress the "right" way, or to achieve the high grades that can put them on the fast track toward the "right" college.

healthychildren.org Demands or stresses are a part of children's daily existence. Pressures may come from a number of sources - from within the child herself, as well as from parents, teachers, peers and the larger society in which the child lives.

We are having a FLU CLINIC for all established patients that are up to date on their well check exams.
One day only, October 9 from 5:15pm. Call to schedule: 703-450-8660 (option 2).
Appointments will be booked consecutively.
Note: The flu shot can be given to patients 6 months and older.

Which Flu Vaccine Should My Children Get This Year?

Flu shots are now available!. Please call 703-450-8660 (opt 2) to schedule an appointment. The nurse schedule is open Tuesdays - Fridays.

Reminders:
Patients need to be six months or older and up to date on their well checks to receive a flu shot.
Patients receiving the flu shot for the first time will need to receive a second shot 28 days later (unless over 8 years old, then only one shot is needed.)
Please call the nurse advise line on 7013-450-8660 (opt 3) with any questions.

healthychildren.org ​Flu season just is around the corner! While you can catch the flu any time of the year, the virus is most common in the US between October and May and usually peaks around January or February.

Pregnancy & Whooping Cough

Pregnant? Get Tdap in your third trimester.
Only you can give your baby protection against whooping cough before your little one is even born. Talk to your doctor or midwife about getting the whooping cough vaccine (called Tdap) during your third trimester.
Whooping cough is a serious disease that can be deadly for babies. Unfortunately, babies don’t get vaccinated and start building protection against whooping cough until they are two months old. Avoid this gap in protection by getting the whooping cough vaccine during the third trimester of your pregnancy. By doing so, you pass antibodies to your baby before birth. These antibodies help protect your baby in the first few months of life.

cdc.gov Pregnant? Talk to your doctor or midwife about the whooping cough vaccine.

Reston Pediatric Associates Ltd reviews | Healthcare at 44160 Scholar Plaza - Leesburg VA

Excellent review by Anonymous , via Healthgrades

Great pediatrician. Always has time to engage with my kids and make them feel comfortable. Spends time answering questions and we never feel rushed. Great bedside manner!

birdeye.com 114 reviews of Reston Pediatric Associates Ltd from Leesburg, VA Great pediatrician. Always has time to engage with my kids and make them feel comfortable. Spends time answering questions and we never feel rushed. Great bedside manner!

Today, we remember all who lost their lives in the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks and those lives forever changed. #Remembering911 #NeverForget🗽

Today, we remember all who lost their lives in the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks and those lives forever changed. #Remembering911 #NeverForget🗽

How long should my child ride rear-facing?

UPDATED recommendations from The AAP...
Question - How long should my child ride rear-facing?
Answer - Rear facing is not just for babies! The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has long recommended that―infants ride in rear-facing car seats, and in 2018 the AAP updated that recommendation to encourage rear facing for as long as possible, until a child reaches the highest weight or height allowed by the manufacturer. Most convertible car safety seats have limits that will permit children to ride rear-facing past the second birthday.

healthychildren.org The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has long recommended that―infants ride in rear-facing car seats, and in 2018 the AAP updated that recommendation to encourage rear facing for as long as possible, until a child reaches the highest weight or height allowed by the manufacturer. Most conve...