Searcy Children's Clinic

04/18/2025

Did you know?

Even if we are not in the office we have someone on call.

501.279.1472

04/17/2025

04/15/2025

02/19/2025

Sorry, we will be closed today due to inclement weather.

02/17/2025

Measles was once thought to be eliminated from the United States. Due to decreased vaccinations, there is a current measles outbreak in Texas. The most effective way to prevent this illness is through vaccination.

Notably, all persons who have contracted this virus were unvaccinated. If you haven’t received vaccination, I strongly recommend it.

This is not a virus to be taken lightly:
🦠 1 out of every 5 people who get the illness are hospitalized,
🦠 1 in 20 develop pneumonia, and
🦠 1 in 1000 contract a severe brain infection called encephalitis.

https://www.cdc.gov/measles/signs-symptoms/index.html

02/17/2025

February is National Children’s Dental Health Month! Good oral health starts at a young age, and you should start cleaning your kid’s teeth twice a day with fluoride toothpaste as soon as the first tooth appears to help prevent the formation of cavities. Learn more: https://www.healthychildren.org/English/healthy-living/oral-health/Pages/Brushing-Up-on-Oral-Health-Never-Too-Early-to-Start.aspx

01/09/2025

Sorry, we will be closed tomorrow in preparation for the upcoming weather.

A provider will be available on call at 501.279.1472

12/17/2024

Cough — Cough may affect the child's sleep, school performance, and ability to play; it also may disturb the sleep of other family members and be disruptive in the classroom. Although caregivers frequently seek interventions to suppress cough, they should understand that cough clears secretions from the respiratory tract and suppression of cough may result in retention of secretions and potentially harmful airway obstruction.

We suggest that airway irritation contributing to cough be relieved with oral hydration, warm fluids (eg, tea, chicken soup), honey (in children older than one year), or cough lozenges or hard candy (in children in whom they are not an aspiration risk) rather than OTC or prescription antitussives, antihistamines, expectorants, or mucolytics. Fluids, honey, cough lozenges, and hard candy are inexpensive and unlikely to be harmful, although they may provide only placebo effect.

●Oral hydration and warm fluids are discussed above.
●Honey – We suggest honey as an option for treating cough in children ≥1 year with the common cold. The honey (2.5 to 5 mL [0.5 to 1 teaspoon]) can be given straight or diluted in liquid (eg, tea, juice.) Corn syrup may be substituted if honey is not available. Honey has a modest beneficial effect on nocturnal cough and is unlikely to be harmful in children older than one year of age. Honey should be avoided in children younger than one year because of the risk of botulism.

A meta-analysis of 14 randomized trials comparing honey with other interventions in children and adults with upper respiratory tract infections concluded that honey was superior to usual care (eg, placebo, diphenhydramine, dextromethorphan). Honey reduced cough frequency (standard mean difference [SMD] -0.36, 95% CI -0.50 to -0.21; eight trials, 832 participants) and cough severity (SMD -0. 44, 95% CI -0.64 to -0.25; five trials, 598 participants). In direct comparisons, honey was more effective than diphenhydramine and similarly effective to dextromethorphan in reducing cough frequency and severity. Adverse effects were uncommon and mild (eg, nausea).

Given the relative safety and low cost of honey, the World Health Organization (WHO) and American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) suggest it as a potential treatment for URI in young children who are older than one year. The American College of Chest Physicians suggests that honey is more effective than placebo for cough due to the common cold

-up to date research

12/09/2024

Parents hear all the time that it’s important to read to kids. But why exactly is that? The benefits of reading together go far beyond learning to read.

Reading to young children is an important way to help them build language skills. It exposes them to new words and ways of using language. It also helps them learn general information about the world, which makes it easier for them to learn about new subjects once they get to school.

Books also help children build empathy and learn how to handle challenging feelings. Parents can use reading time as a chance to talk about emotions and how to cope with them.

12/09/2024

Isn't a nose draining yellow or green mucus a sign of a bacterial infection?

Yellow or green mucus in the nose does not automatically mean that antibiotics are needed. During a common cold, it is normal for mucus from the nose to get thick and to change from clear to yellow or green. This is most often from viral infection, which can last for up to 10 days.

-HealthyChildren