Pedsmomlife

01/22/2024

One of the things no one every tells you when you have a new baby is prepare for the hair loss!! With #1 I lost hair by the handful and had a pretty visible bald spot for months. With #2 my hair didn’t really thin and I was so hopeful that I would avoid it with #3. No such luck!

So lets talk post partum hair loss!

First of all, this is not true hair loss. You are not going bald. Dermatologist call it excessive hair shedding and is a result of shifts in estrogen post partum. During pregnancy, high levels of estrogen slow down our hair growth cycle and hair follicles spend more time in the growing phase. We lose less hair and that is why a lot of pregnant women feel like their hair is thicker. After we deliver there is a drop in estrogen and that returns our hair growth cycle to normal. All those hairs that had been in the growing phase move onto the next phase (resting). They spend 2-4 months in that phase and then fall off. Usually new moms lose up to 300 hairs per day, much more than the usual 100 hairs.

Good news is that it is not permanent. There is nothing we can do to prevent it; it is a normal for the post partum period, but usually new moms note their hair is back to its pre pregnancy fullness by their baby's first birthday. Unfortunately there are no products that can speed up regrowth.

If you are bothered by your post partum hair loss, I totally understand. Given mine is mostly along my hair line, and I tend to wear my hair pulled back, I swear its all that anyone notices. While only time will truly resolve post partum hair loss, you can try thickening shampoos and conditioners for thin hair to make your hair appear fuller. Avoid heavy or intense conditioners as they can be too heavy for new fine hair.
If your hair has not returned to your pre pragnancy hair growth by your babys first birthday, I recommend seeing a dermatologist to rule out other causes of hair loss. And of course if you are concerned, talk to your doctor!!

Did you have post partum hair loss? How did you feel about it?

01/16/2024

Flash back.

2 weeks in and #3 got sick from her siblings in daycare cause...well, that's life and their noses are a constant drip.

As we continue to see tons of flu (and COVID and RSV and lots of other things), I thought it'd be a good time to talk about keeping our babies healthy when their siblings are in daycare/school.

🤧Prevention is key. Vaccinate your kids against vaccine preventable diseases. Minimize exposure by limiting who is having contact with your baby. If family or friends want to visit, make sure they're not sick. Encourage them to get vaccinated to protect themselves and your little one from diseases like flu, whooping cough and COVID. Don't hesitate to insist they wear masks if that makes you feel more comfortable. If your older kids are in daycare or school, know what their sick policy is.

🤧Educate your older kids about how best NOT to spread illness. Make sure they are washing their hands. Teach them it's best to cover their mouths with coughing or sneezing and remind them to clean their hands after. Show them to use a tissue and not their hands to wipe their nose. Consider changing their clothes when they come home. Make sure they clean up before touching the baby and know not to breath or sneeze (or cough) on the baby.

🤧Remember some viruses and bacteria can live on surfaces. Consider disinfecting high traffic surfaces (like door k***s, refrigerator handles, kitchen counters, favorite toys) a couple times a day to limit spread.

👶Your baby's immune system is still developing. They're born with some of mom's antibodies that offer some protection but this wanes over the first few weeks to months. Breastfeeding, if you can, even 1 time a day for a few days/weeks, can help boost your baby's immune system. Wipe down toys they may put in their mouth. Limit unnecessary outings and exposure. And, of course, when old enough, vaccinate your baby according to the AAP/CDC schedule, which is safe and effective in preventing life threatening illnesses.

Even with all these precautions, kids get sick. Always talk to your doctor if your baby is sick.

What do you do to keep everyone healthy?

11/13/2023

11/13/2023

Hello beautiful community,

I have decided to take a pause from social media for the rest of the year.

I will be on periodically, checking DMs and sharing stories but there will (likely) be no new content.

I will (hopefully) be back in 2024 with lots of new content and some fun new projects!!

❤️,
Dr. Elena

10/08/2023

Spreading kindness one small act at a time.

10/06/2023

Why did #3 need her tongue tie clipped?

Here's what happened. I took our baby to her 1 mo visit and she had not gained any weight since her last visit. We had previously noted her tongue tie but, with a ni**le shield, she was nursing great....or so I thought. She was working really hard to feed and getting in just enough to survive. It was not a good situation. Before we started a whole work up for her poor weight gain, we decided it was best to revise (clip) her tongue tie and see if that helps. Also given how hard she was working, we transitioned to pumping and bottle feeding.

So to the ENT we went. We had it evaluated and clipped.

So here is a quick review of tongue ties.
💗Everyone has a linguinal frenulum. This refers to the bit of skin connection the tongue to the bottom of the mouth. It's a normal anatomic structure.
💗About 10% of the population have some sort of tight/short tongue frenulum.
💗A tight frenulum can restrict tongue movement leading to issues with feeding and, rarely, speech.
💗However not everyone with a tight frenulum has issues nursing or with speech.
💗If baby has a tongue tie AND poor weight gain, poor latch or limited tongue movement or if mom has pain with feeds or ni**le trauma, a revision MAY be necessary.
💗Revision may or may NOT correct the problems.

Did it help? Not really. After her revision she continued to struggle with nursing at the breast. She did amazing with a bottle and so we exclusively pumped. For her, however, there was more going that impacted her ability to eat and in the end the tongue tie was likely not a factor.

Did your kiddo have a tongue tie? Did you get it clipped? Did it make a difference?

09/29/2023

Here are some more facts about RSV.

🤧RSV causes common cold symptoms includingfever, cough, congestion/runny nose, poor feedingand fussiness. It can progress to bronchiolitis, which includes cold symptoms AND respiratory issues, like breathing fast, belly breathing and/or grunting. (see stories and highlights for a great video). RSV and bronchiolitis is usually a clinical diagnosis. There is a nasal swab but we usually do that only in high risk kids. Why? Because in older children and adults RSV is mild. Another reason to test would be if there was a high risk baby/adult in the home.

🤧When to call your pediatrician?
RSV is worse days 3-5. Most children recover without intervention BUT pelase call if
*symptoms of bronchiolitis
*symptoms of dehydration
*difficulty breathing
*gray/blue lips, tongue, skin
*significant drop in alertness and activity

🤧RSV is very contagious. It is spread by direct person to person contact with saliva, nasal discharge, mucus. It can also be spread by contact with contaminated surface, since the virus can survive on unwashed hands up to 30 minutes and up to 6 hours on unwashed surfaced.

🤧What can you do to help your little one?
*nasal saline with gentle suctioning
*cool mist humidifier to break up mucous
*fluids and frequent feeds. Keeping babies hydrated is so important. they may eat more slow given nasal congestion. suction nose before feeds.
*treat discomfort and/or fever with acetaminophen (tylenlol) or ibuprofen (if older than 6mo).

🤧3% of children with RSV will require hospitalization. They may need supplemental O2 or IV fluids.

🤧How to keep your child healthy?
*Wash your hands
*Stay home if sick
*Limit exposures by staying away from large crowds
*Disinfect objects regularly
*Consider masking

How is your family doing this viral season so far?

09/27/2023

Happy Wednesday!!

❤️,
Dr. Elena

09/22/2023

The weather is cooling meaning respiratory viruses are on the rise. We know that our littlest littles are particularly vulnerable to them. One of the most common viruses is RSV. As I'm sure you've seen on the news RSV cases and hospitalizations are increasing.

So here are the facts about RSV (part 1).

🤧What is RSV?
Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) is a COMMON winter virus that causes generally mild cough/congestion symptoms. Nearly all US children have usually has RSV by the age of 2. People are contagious for up to 8 days and babies can spread RSV for up to 4 weeks. There is no vaccine (though several are being tested) and there is no treatment. Typically RSV occurs in late fall through early spring.
RSV is not a new virus. It is something pediatricians see every year. What is unusual is how early in the fall/winter season we are seeing so much RSV

🤧Who gets RSV?
Everyone. But, like most viruses, it is more severe in infants and older adults. Annually, RSV leads to close to 60,000 hospitalizations and up to 500 deaths in children under the age of 5. But if your kid has it and your congested, likely you have RSV too

🤧Who is most vulnerable?
Our youngest and oldest patients. In pediatrics we especially worry about babies 12 weeks and younger at the start of RSV season, premature babies, kids with chronic lung disease of prematurity, certain heart defects and those with weak immune system.

Have you heard about RSV? What questions do you have?