Heart Of Ohio Pediatrics

11/25/2025

Happy Thanksgiving from Heart of Ohio Pediatrics!

11/07/2025

Look for the 📦 in the front entrance of Heart Of Ohio Pediatrics to drop of your donation or take what is needed!
Happy Holidays!

10/24/2025

Next flu vaccine clinic!

09/29/2025

💉 😷 🤧 🤒 💉

09/15/2025

😷 🤧 🤒 🤢

08/08/2025

Do you want to join our team? 👩‍💼👨‍💻👩‍💻

06/18/2025

Pardon our dust over the next week or 2 as the office goes through some renovations for new flooring! You may notice a different flow coming in and out of the office for a bit but we are so excited to see the final product soon!

06/05/2025

Tick season is here!

From the Heart ❤️

Finally summer time is here☀️☀️ which means playing outdoors and enjoying the beautiful fresh air! Outdoors also means bugs, especially ticks 🥴 🪳 🐞

Since we haven’t had a very cold winter the tick population has increased throughout Ohio…so here is everything you need to know about ticks when they are found on our kids!

If you find a tick on your child, please remove it ASAP with fine-tipped tweezers.
•First grab the tick as close to the skin’s surface as possible at the head of the tick.
•Pull up with a steady motion, do not jerk or shake the tick when removing.
•Once removed, clean the area with soap and water or rubbing alcohol.
•Make sure to also kill the tick by putting it in a bowl of rubbing alcohol, in a sealed plastic bag or flushing it down the toilet.

*Please note that a small bump or redness at the site of the bite can occur and resembles a mosquito bite. This is common and DOES NOT mean Lyme Disease (the bump should go away in a few days).

*No need to save tick to send out for testing. Testing is contraindicated as many labs that test ticks do not follow proper standards of quality control used in clinical labs. Also, positive results showing that the tick does carry disease does NOT mean your child will have it.

⭐️Ticks MUST be attached for longer than 24 hours to transmit Lyme Disease.

Signs and symptoms of Lyme Disease usually begin a couple weeks after tick exposure. We ask that you monitor your child for any fevers (>100.4), a rash that resembles a bulls eye, and/or flu like symptoms. Once symptoms present, please seek care for treatment/assessment by a health care professional ❤️

PREVENTION IS KEY☝🏼
So far we have seen less cases of Lyme in Licking County than last year. Here are some tips to follow to prevent Tick bites
• Wearing bug spray containing 30% DEET on expose skin and on top of clothing for 5 hours of protection. Safe for 2 months and up
• Make sure to bathe your child before bed after playing outside. Ticks love hairy areas, such as behind the ear, scalp, lower limbs, armpits, and groin regions.
• Avoid playing in tall grassy ears and the woods…even though they still will 😉 then make sure to triple check their skin after playing!

The chance of getting Lyme disease depends on the type of tick and how long the tick is attached to the body. Blacklegged and western blacklegged ticks are the only ticks that carry the bacteria that causes Lyme disease.

Questions? Let us know!

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2024). How Lyme Disease Spreads. https://www.cdc.gov/lyme/causes/index .html

National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners. (2024). NapNapKnowsLyme.org

04/25/2025

From the Heart 💙

Phew we are back!! 😅
That was one busy sick season! We hope everyone is ready for warm weather and sunshine like we are!

We have been seeing a significant amount of rashes in the office lately and the large culprit seems to be the lovely Fifth Disease 🦠

Fifth Disease (Erythema Infectiosum)
•Is a common viral infection in children caused by parvovirus B19. It is characterized by a distinctive "slapped-cheek" rash on the face, which may spread to the body as a lacy, red rash that may get worse when outside/warm. The infection is usually mild and self-limiting in healthy children. It can also be accompanied by mild cold-like symptoms such as fever and runny nose

•Parvovirus B19 is highly contagious and spreads through respiratory droplets. By the time the rash appears, the individual is typically no longer infectious.

•Good news is, treatment is generally supportive, focusing on relieving symptoms if necessary. Most children experience mild symptoms and can be monitored at home. If worsening symptoms of high fevers, significant joint pain, or signs of secondary bacterial infection (ear pain, sinus infection, or breathing difficulty) notify the office 👍🏼

⭐️Considerations in Pregnancy 🤰🏼

Pregnant women exposed to parvovirus B19 should be evaluated by their OBGYN for immunity


References
1. Clinical Presentations of Parvovirus B19 Infection. Servey JT, Reamy BV, Hodge J. American Family Physician. 2007;75(3):373-6.
2. Generalized Petechial Rashes in Children During a Parvovirus B19 Outbreak. Edmonson MB, Riedesel EL, Williams GP, Demuri GP. Pediatrics. 2010;125(4):e787-92. doi:10.1542/peds.2009-1488.
3. Fifth Disease and Other Parvovirus B19 Infections. Gurevich I. Heart & Lung : The Journal of Critical Care. 1991;20(4):342-4.
4. Erythema Infectiosum (Fifth Disease) and Pregnancy. Mankuta D, Bar-Oz B, Koren G. Canadian Family Physician Medecin De Famille Canadien. 1999;45:603-5.
5. Exposure to Fifth Disease in Pregnancy. Staroselsky A, Klieger-Grossmann C, Garcia-Bournissen F, Koren G. Canadian Family Physician Medecin De Famille Canadien. 2009;55(12):1195-8

03/20/2025

Heart of Ohio Pediatrics appointment cancellation policy.

03/04/2025

🔵 Please bring your insurance card to every visit

🔵 Call to schedule your yearly physical or sports physical- summer schedule is now open!

🔵 Please allow the office 72hrs to complete forms

03/03/2025

🧑‍⚕️ 👩🏼‍⚕️