Helping to keep our children healthy is an important part of being a parent or caregiver. From tips on how to avoid severe disease to treating common minor illnesses and ways to promote a healthy and active lifestyle for kids, this blog aims to provide you with the starting blocks towards a healthy and happy child.
The doctors and nurses at Beach Street are then here to support you further with any concerns or specific needs you may have.
Kids Immunisation Programs
Childhood immunisation is a safe, free and effective way to protect your kids from serious diseases. In Australia the National Immunisation Program for children covers 7 core vaccination dates for children from birth to 4 years. These include protection from diseases such as Tetanus, Diphtheria, Hepatitis, Whooping cough and certain strains of Meningococcal to name just a few.
You can view Australia’s Childhood Immunisation Schedule here.
Ensuring your child receives these vaccines on time, offers the best protection. To help you understand and remember these dates NSW Health have created a Save the date to Vaccinate app to do just that. Save the date to vaccinate is a free and easy-to-use app that enables parents and caregivers to create a personalised schedule and set and receive reminders for vaccination.
Common Childhood Concerns
Ear, Nose & Throat Health
Ear, nose and throat (ENT) complaints make up a large proportion of GP appointments, and as such we are able to provide medical advice on common ENT concerns.
From acid reflux in babies, through to recurring ear infections, lack of quality sleep, snoring and speech development in young children. There are many things your doctor can help with, especially with understanding if you should seek a referral to a specialised ENT surgeon.
To read more on common childhood ENT.
School Sores
As children mix more with others, they are likely to become exposed to a range of commonly spread illnesses from the common cold and viruses, to things such as school sores or impetigo.
Impetigo often referred to as school sores as it’s most common among school children, is an infection of the skin caused by bacteria. Impetigo causes sores on the skin, which are usually itchy. The sores may start out as blisters that burst and become weepy, before being covered with a crust. It isn’t usually a serious infection and most often clears up a few days after medical treatment begins. If you suspect your child has school sores then you should visit a doctor who will be able to confirm and prescribe treatment.
How to treat school sores:
- Visit your doctor for medical advice
- Apply any treatment prescribed until all sores are healed.
- A daily 10 minute bleach bath may help reduce the amount of bacteria on your child’s skin and reduce the risk of the impetigo spreading.
- Keep your child home until 24 hours after starting medical treatment.
For more information on school sores.
Food, Drink & Exercise
As with adults, eating a balanced diet, combined with activity makes for a healthy lifestyle. Kids greatly benefit from unstructured play outdoors combined with a diet rich in fresh ingredients – fruit, vegetables, protein and carbohydrates.
Did you know that the average 4-8 year old should consume 1.5 serves of fruit and 4.5 serves of vegetables a day?
Munch & move is a NSW health initiative that supports the healthy development of children from birth to 5 years. The healthykids.com.au website is a great source of information with active play resources and healthy meal planning & recipes.
For primary age children, crunch and sip is the in-school program promoting healthy eating habits, again the website has some great ideas for healthy lunchboxes and recipes for home too.
Kids Health Checks
At Beach Street we offer a Healthy Kids Check, which offers an overall assessment of a child’s physical health, general well-being and development, with the purpose of initiating any recommended medical interventions as appropriate. In this check we cover height & weight, eyes & hearing, oral health, toileting and allergies.
We also tailor health checks for the specific needs of Aboriginal + Torres Strait Islander communities.
Dr Raman Bains performing a Healthy Kids Check at Beach Street Family Practice.
To discuss your child’s health and wellness needs, for a Healthy Kids check or to book your child’s immunisations call us on (02) 6654 1282 or pop in to the surgery to book your appointment.