Communication Disorders Among the Most Common Childhood Disabilities

Posted on May 23, 2018 by Chad Wasdin

Speech, language, and hearing disorders often go undetected and untreated for too long.  Parents are encouraged to learn the warning signs and seek help early.

With 11% of children ages 3–6 having a speech, language, voice, or swallowing disorder—and almost 15% of school-age children experiencing some degree of hearing loss—communication disorders are among the most common disabilities in children nationwide. During May, which is Better Hearing & Speech Month, Gwinnett, Newton, and Rockdale County Health Departments (GNR) urge families to learn the early signs of these disorders and seek an assessment if they have concerns.

Communication disorders are treatable, yet all too often, we find parents are waiting longer than we’d like to bring their child in for an evaluation.  Timely intervention is important, as untreated speech/language and hearing disorders can lead to problems with reading and writing, academic success, social interactions, behavioral problems, and more. These disorders are highly treatable and, in some cases, can be reversed or even prevented. So, our message to parents is: If you have any concern, don’t wait and see if there is a change. Trust your instincts, and get it checked out.”

Hearing loss is evaluated and treated by audiologists. Speech and language disorders are evaluated and treated by speech-language pathologists. Warning signs of these disorders are listed below.

Language Disorders

  • Does not smile or interact with others (birth and older)
  • Does not babble (4–7 months)
  • Makes only a few sounds or gestures, like pointing (7–12 months)
  • Does not understand what others say (7 months–2 years)
  • Says only a few words (12–18 months)
  • Words are not easily understood (18 months–2 years)
  • Does not put words together to make sentences (1.5–3 years)
  • Has trouble playing and talking with other children (2–3 years)
  • Has trouble with early reading and writing skills (2½–3 years)

 

Speech Sound Disorders

  • Says p, b, m, h, and w incorrectly in words (1–2 years)
  • Says k, g, f, t, d, and n incorrectly in words (2–3 years)
  • Produces speech that is unclear, even to familiar people (2–3 years)

 

Stuttering 

  • Repeats first sounds of words—“b-b-b-ball” for “ball”
  • Speech breaks while trying to say a word—“—–boy” for “boy”
  • Stretches sounds out—“ffffff-farm” for “farm”
  • Shows frustration when trying to get words out

 

Voice Disorders

  • Uses a hoarse or breathy voice
  • Uses a nasal-sounding voice

 

Hearing Loss

  • Shows a lack of attention to sounds (birth–1 year)
  • Does not respond when you call their name (7 months–1 year)
  • Does not follow simple directions (1–2 years)
  • Shows delays in speech and language development (birth–3 years)
  • Pulls or scratches at their ears
  • Has difficulty achieving academically, especially in reading and math
  • Is socially isolated and unhappy at school
  • Has persistent ear discomfort after exposure to loud noise (regular and constant listening to electronics at high volumes)

 

Families can learn more about these signs, get tips for helping their child, and find a searchable database of the professionals who treat communication disorders at http://IdentifytheSigns.org.

 

Gwinnett, Newton, and Rockdale residents who want to schedule an assessment may contact 678-442-6863 for more information.

 

 

 

Posted in Infants / Children, News |

May Is Healthy Vision Month!

Posted on May 22, 2018 by Chad Wasdin

Many Americans see the doctor every year for a physical. Lots of us also schedule regular visits to the dentist to get our teeth cleaned. But what about our eyes? The fact is, more than 23 million American adults have never had an eye exam. 

Every Healthy Vision Month, the National Eye Institute (NEI) shares tips and resources to encourage people to take care of their vision — and inspire health professionals to help make eye health a priority. 

Read on to learn just a few ways to keep your eyes healthy. 

  • Get an eye exam

    If your eyes feel healthy, it’s easy to assume they are healthy. But getting an eye exam is the only way to be sure. Many serious eye diseases don’t have any warning signs — so you could have an eye problem and not know it. Getting an eye exam is the single best way to stay on top of your eye health! 

  • Know your family’s eye health history

    Talking to your family members about their eye health can help you find out if you’re at higher risk for eye disease. If you learn that eye diseases run in your family, talk with your eye doctor. 

  • Give your eyes a rest

    If you spend a lot of time at the computer, you may sometimes forget to blink — and that can tire out your eyes. To reduce eyestrain, try the 20-20-20 rule: every 20 minutes, look away from your work and focus about 20 feet in front of you for 20 seconds.

  • Eat eye-healthy foods

    A diet rich in a variety of fruits and vegetables — especially dark leafy greens, like spinach or kale — is important for keeping your eyes healthy. Fish high in omega-3 fatty acids — like salmon, tuna, and halibut — can also help protect your vision. 

  • Wear sunglasses (even on cloudy days!)

    Sunglasses can protect your eyes from the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays — and help keep your eyes healthy and your vision sharp. When shopping for shades, look for a pair that blocks out at least 99% of both UVA and UVB radiation. 

From the moment you wake up until you go to bed at night, your eyes are working to bring you the world — so take steps to keep them healthy. To learn more about Healthy Vision Month and how to take care of your eyes, check out the Healthy Vision Month website. 

Information Provided by the National Eye Institute 

Posted in News |

National Teen Pregnancy Prevention Month

Posted on May 18, 2018 by Chad Wasdin

Despite historic declines in the rates of teen pregnancy and births in the United States, the U.S. teen birth rate is still higher than that of many other developed countries and Georgia has the 19th highest teen pregnancy rate in the country according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

While May is a critical time to consider teen pregnancy and how it impacts individuals and the community as a whole, it is important to note that this issue is one to focus on year-round. This why the Gwinnett, Newton, and Rockdale County Health Departments (GNR) offer Family Planning services at our clinics.

The Family Planning Program provides services that help prevent unintended pregnancies and sexually transmitted diseases (STDs).  No one is turned away due to inability to pay, because our services are offered on a sliding fee scale based on income.

We offer:

  • Gyn Exams
  • Pap Tests
  • Breast Exams
  • Screenings for Anemia, Diabetes and Cholesterol
  • Screening and treatment for sexually transmitted infections
  • Education on the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle
  • Needed immunizations

 

Most importantly, all services are safe and confidential and available to you at your local Gwinnett, Newton, or Rockdale County Health Center. The mission of this program is to ensure that all women and men in our communities have access to education and care in regard to planning their families.  Find out more about our Family Planning Program HERE.

 

Additional Resources:

 

Posted in Health, News, Sexually Transmitted Disease, Women's Health |

National Women’s Health Week is May 13th – 19th

Posted on May 15, 2018 by Chad Wasdin

It’s never too early or too late to work towards being your healthiest you!

This National Women’s Health Week, we want to help you take control of your health. Each year millions of women take steps to improve their health. This week serves as a reminder for women to make their health a priority and build positive health habits for life.

 

What steps can I take for better health?

To improve your physical and mental health, you can:

 

Why should I take these steps?

These steps are the foundation for a lifetime of good health. They can help you be as healthy as possible, whether you’re 20 or over 100! Find out what additional steps you can take, based on your age, for good health.

 

How can I participate in National Women’s Health Week?

We invite you to:

  • Learn what steps you can take for good health, no matter your age.
  • Take the National Women’s Health Week quiz to see how much you know about healthy living.
  • Show your friends how you’re making your health a priority by using the #NWHW hashtag.

 

Source: Office of Women’s Health in the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
Posted in Health, News, Women's Health |

Asthma and Allergy Awareness Month 2018

Posted on May 10, 2018 by Chad Wasdin

Asthma

According to the CDC, Asthma is a disease that affects your lungs. It causes repeated episodes of wheezing, breathlessness, chest tightness, and nighttime or early morning coughing. Asthma can be controlled by taking medicine and avoiding the triggers that can cause an attack.

Asthma Attack

An asthma attack may include coughing, chest tightness, wheezing, and trouble breathing. The attack happens in your body’s airways, which are the paths that carry air to your lungs. As the air moves through your lungs, the airways become smaller, like the branches of a tree are smaller than the tree trunk. During an asthma attack, the sides of the airways in your lungs swell and the airways shrink. Less air gets in and out of your lungs, and mucous that your body makes clogs up the airways even more.

 Asthma Symptoms

  • Coughing
  • Wheezing (a whistling, squeaky sound when you breathe)
  • Shortness of breath
  • Rapid breathing
  • Chest tightness

Asthma Triggers

  • tobacco smoke
  • dust mites
  • outdoor air pollution
  • cockroach allergens
  • pets
  • mold,
  • smoke from burning wood

Preventing Asthma Episodes and Controlling Your Asthma

For people with asthma, having an asthma management plan is the best way to prevent symptoms. An asthma management plan is something developed by you and your doctor to help you control your asthma, instead of your asthma controlling you. An effective plan should allow you to:

  • Be active without having asthma symptoms.
  • Fully take part in exercise and sports.
  • Sleep all night, without asthma symptoms.
  • Attend school or work regularly.
  • Have the clearest lungs possible.
  • Have few or no side effects from asthma medications.
  • Have no emergency visits or stays in the hospital

Get Your Asthma Management Plan Here

Helpful Links

 

 

Posted in News |

Lilburn WIC’s “Talk With Me Baby” Event Photos

Posted on May 8, 2018 by Chad Wasdin
Posted in Infants / Children, News |

The Importance of Hand Hygiene

Posted on May 5, 2018 by Chad Wasdin

It’s easy to transfer germs, especially in a healthcare setting where there are multiple patients who are sick. Handwashing has been a form of personal hygiene for centuries. And though handwashing with soap and water was something practiced among doctors and medical students, in the mid 1800s, scientists still found that hospital-born diseases were transmitted by Healthcare Workers themselves. Handwashing was not enough for them to prevent the spread of infection outside the hospital. At that time, scientists recommended to scrub hands in an antiseptic solution. Healthcare workers started doing so, though they were not required by law, and infection rates started to decrease. Fast forward to the 1980s, the first National Hand Hygiene guidelines were published. Even more recently, alcohol-based hand washing has finally established as the standard care for hand hygiene.

It seems like a simple concept for most people to remember to wash their hands throughout the day. However, healthcare workers sometimes have to wash their hands 100 times a day. It takes dedication, mindfulness, and time. And it’s efficiency has been proven as Hand Hygiene has been linked to a reduction in Healthcare-associated infections!

Helpful Links

Posted in News |

Hepatitis Awareness Month 2018

Posted on April 30, 2018 by Chad Wasdin

May is Hepatitis Awareness Month. In the United States, the most common types of viral hepatitis are hepatitis A, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C. Each hepatitis virus affects the liver differently and has different routes of transmission, and has different populations that are commonly affected

CDC developed an online Hepatitis Risk Assessment to help people find out if they should get tested or vaccinated for viral hepatitis. The assessment, which takes only five minutes, will provide personalized testing and vaccination recommendations for hepatitis A, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C.

Hepatitis A

Hepatitis A is a highly contagious liver infection that can range from a mild illness lasting a few weeks to a severe illness lasting several months. The hepatitis A virus is usually spread when a person ingests the virus from contact with objects, food, or drinks contaminated by feces or stool from an infected personHepatitis A is common in many parts of the world, and many new cases of hepatitis A in the United States have occurred from international travelers eating or drinking contaminated food or water. Hepatitis A can be easily prevented with a safe and effective vaccine, which is recommended for all children at one year of age and for adults who may be at risk.

Hepatitis B

Hepatitis B is a liver disease that results from infection with the hepatitis B virus. For some people, especially those infected as infants, the infection leads to a chronic or lifelong illness. The hepatitis B virus is spread primarily when blood, semen, or certain other body fluids from a person infected enters the body of someone who is not infected. The virus can be spread through sexual transmission and through contact with blood, such as sharing injection drug equipment. The hepatitis B virus can also be passed from an infected woman to her baby at birth, if her baby does not receive the hepatitis B vaccine. As a result the hepatitis B vaccine is recommended for all infants at birth and anyone else at increased risk.

Hepatitis C

Hepatitis C is a liver disease that results from infection with the hepatitis C virus. Most people who become infected with the virus go on to develop a chronic infection that causes serious liver problems. The hepatitis C virus is usually spread when blood from a person infected enters the body of someone who is not infected. Today, most people become infected with hepatitis C by sharing needles, syringes, or any other equipment to inject drugs. In fact, rates of new infections have been on the rise in young people who inject drugs in recent years. While rare, hepatitis C can be transmitted sexually, as well as from an infected women to her baby. . In the past, hepatitis C was spread through blood transfusions and organ transplants. However, widespread screening of the blood supply began in 1990 and the hepatitis C virus was virtually eliminated from the blood supply by 1992.

People born from 1945-1965, or baby boomers, are five times more likely to have hepatitis C. Unfortunately, the reason that baby boomers have high rates of hepatitis C is not completely understood. Most baby boomers are believed to have become infected in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s when transmission of hepatitis C was the highest. CDC recommends anyone born from 1945-1965, as well as anyone else at risk, get tested for hepatitis C.

Helpful Links

Information provided by Centers For Disease Control & Prevention Website

Posted in Infectious Disease, News |

All Meningitis Matters

Posted on April 25, 2018 by Chad Wasdin

Meningitis is a potentially deadly disease that can kill within 24 hours.

  • Deafness, limb loss, brain damage and seizures are among some of the possible devastating after-effects in those that survive meningitis and septicaemia
  • Meningitis affects more than 2.8 million people globally each year.
  •  Infants, adolescents, older people, and people with weakened immune systems are among those at higher risk.

Bacterial meningitis can be caused by many different types of bacteria.

  • Since there are different bacteria that can cause meningitis, there are a variety of vaccines that are needed to protect against it, such as MenC, MenA, MenACWY, MenB, PCV10, PCV13, PPV23 and Hib.
  • There is no single ‘meningitis vaccine’ receiving one type of meningitis vaccine will not protect an individual against other strains or types of meningitis.

There are safe and effective vaccines that protect against the most common causes of bacterial and viral meningitis.

  • Immunisation is a successful and cost-effective way to protect the whole population. –
  • Currently available vaccines could prevent more than 90% of cases of bacterial meningitis.
  • Speak to your local healthcare provider to learn which vaccines are available to you.

Not all strains of meningitis are vaccine preventable, so being able to recognise the symptoms is crucial.

  • Trust your instincts if you spot: fever, rash, vomiting, headache, stiff neck, sensitivity to light or drowsiness.
  •  If you think that you or a loved one has meningitis, seek medical attention immediately.

Helpful Links

Posted in Infectious Disease, News |

Protecting your child’s health is very important to you.

Posted on April 20, 2018 by Chad Wasdin

Most parents choose immunization because nothing protects babies better from 14 serious childhood diseases. Choose immunization; it’s the powerful defense that’s safe, proven, and effective.

Raising a child means you’d do anything to help them grow up healthy and safe. You watch them as they explore new places and baby proof your home against potential hazards. But, what about the hazards you can’t see that can cause serious illness, disability, or even death in young children? Immunization gives you the power to protect your baby from 14 serious childhood diseases. No matter what parenting challenges come your way, there are many reasons to vaccinate.

 

Serious Diseases Are Still Out There

Vaccines are one of the top public health achievements of the past decade because they have reduced or even eliminated many diseases. Thanks to vaccines, most young parents have never seen the devastating effects diseases like polio, measles, or whooping cough (pertussis) can have on a child, family, or community. It’s easy to think these are diseases of the past, but they still exist. Children in the United States can—and do—still get some of these diseases. In fact, when vaccination rates are low in a community, it’s not uncommon to have an outbreak.

 

Diseases Don’t Stop at the Border, and Many Can Spread Easily

You may have never seen a case of polio or diphtheria, but these diseases still occur in other countries. For example, measles is rare in the United States because of vaccination, but it is still common around the world. Unvaccinated travelers who are infected while abroad can easily bring the diseases to the United States.

 

After reaching the U.S., measles can spread quickly among unvaccinated people. In 2014, the United States had a record number of measles cases and many were associated with cases brought from the Philippines, which experienced a large measles outbreak. Most of these people were not vaccinated or didn’t know if they were vaccinated and nearly all the cases were associated with international travel. From January 1 to May 20, 2017, 100 people from 10 states were reported to have measles. The majority of people who got measles were unvaccinated.

 

Vaccines are the Safe, Proven Choice

The United States currently has the safest vaccine supply in its history. Before a vaccine is approved and given to children, it is tested extensively. Scientists and medical professionals carefully evaluate all the available information about the vaccine to determine its safety and effectiveness. As new information and science become available, vaccine recommendations are updated.

 

Although your child may experience some discomfort or tenderness at the injection site, this is minor compared to the serious complications that can result from the diseases these vaccines prevent. Serious side effects from vaccines are very rare. Learn ways to make you and your child’s shot visit less stressful.

Nearly all children can be safely vaccinated, but there are exceptions and some children may not be able to receive some vaccines:

  • Children with allergies to something in a vaccine.
  • Children with weakened immune systems due to an illness or a medical treatment, such as chemotherapy.

 

Children Need Protection Early

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) sets the U.S. childhood immunization schedule based on recommendations from the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), a group of medical and public health experts. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) also approve this schedule. The recommended childhood immunization schedule is designed to protect infants and children early in life, when they are most vulnerable.

 

To be fully immunized, children need all doses of all vaccines in the recommended schedule. If your child does not receive the full number of doses they are vulnerable to serious diseases. Check with your child’s doctor to find out if your baby is due for any vaccinations. You can use this online tool to enter your child’s current record and quickly see if any doses have been skipped or missed. It is important to your child’s health to be up-to-date on immunizations. If you are unsure which vaccines your child needs at any age, you can find out what they need by taking this short quiz.

 

Vaccines Mean Fewer Missed Work Days and School Days

If your child gets a vaccine-preventable disease, they may have to miss school or day care for many days or weeks. Time lost from work to care for a sick child can burden your family financially. Many vaccine-preventable diseases can also cause lasting disabilities that result in expensive medical bills and long-term care.

 

Vaccination Protects Your Family, Friends, and Community

Getting your child vaccinated helps protect others in your community—like your neighbor who has cancer and cannot get certain vaccines, or your best friend’s newborn baby who is too young to be fully immunized. When everyone in a community who can get vaccinated does get vaccinated, it prevents the spread of disease and can slow or stop an outbreak. Choosing to protect your child with vaccines is a choice to protect your family, friends, and neighbors, too.

 

Immunization Helps Give You the Power to Protect Your Baby

For more reasons to vaccinate, talk with your child’s doctor, call 800-CDC-INFO, or visit CDC’s vaccine website for parents.

 

If you have questions about the childhood immunization schedule, talk with your child’s doctor or nurse. For more information about vaccines, go to http://dph.georgia.gov/immunization-section.

Helpful Links

Posted in Immunizations, News |