The Rights of Teens in Healthcare

As featured in local papers in September of 2009

Nothing about adolescents is black and white.  From their school curriculum, and their extracurricular activities, to their right to work, and their rights in health care.  There isn’t a manual to tell parents the best way to raise their children let alone how to help them transition from childhood to adulthood.  Likewise, the right of adolescents to obtain and govern their health care is not always clearly defined. 

Questions commonly arise from parents, teens, and even health care professionals about the best representation for adolescents in the health care setting. There are certain health issues that teens have clear rights to privacy and others that are a little more allusive. 

There are simple questions.  Can a physician see a teen without a parent present?  Can a physician see a teen with written consent from a parent? 

And there are more difficult questions.  Can a teen talk to a physician about private problems such as birth control options and sexually transmitted diseases without parent consent or knowledge?  Can a parent request private records of their teen’s doctor visit?  Does a parent have to pay for a visit that they did not attend or have knowledge about? 

There are some general guidelines, but the finesse comes from communication between the parents, physician, and adolescents as a whole.  These topics and more will be discussed at Talk to the Doc on September 24^th at 6:30 pm.  Come join in on the discussion!



Miracle of Mother’s Milk

As featured in local papers October of 2009

What if I were to tell you that I know of a special nutritional substance that can help your baby overcome common viral illnesses, like H1N1 and seasonal flu, ear infections, fight diabetes and obesity.  What if this miracle liquid were also able to help prevent the second leading cause of death in women?  What if I were to tell you that it is quite affordable, free in fact!  Would you rush out to the nearest store for your free sample?  Well you don’t have to!  No waiting in line!  No expensive price!  No disgusting taste!  No side effects!  What is this miracle substance I am speaking of?  Any guesses?  Mother’s milk.  Yep, that’s right.  The milk a woman’s body naturally produces after having a baby can do all of these things and more! 

The American Academy of Pediatrics as well as the American College of Obstetricians and Gyncologists has long recognized the benefits of mother’s milk for infants as well as mothers.  Breastfeeding helps mom and baby both recover from pregnancy and birth and also fight future ailments.  First off, breastfeeding helps mom shed those “baby pounds” faster than formula feeding.  Secondly, breastfeeding decreases the rate of breast, ovarian, cervical, and uterine cancer.  A study completed in 1999 showed that breastfeeding for 2 weeks significantly reduced a woman’s chances of breast cancer.  Breastfeeding for 2 years was shown to decrease the risk of breast cancer by 50%.  There isn’t a drug around that can make the same claim. 

As you may know, the rate of breast cancer in Madison County is significantly higher than surrounding counties.  Although there are many contributing factors, the fact that our breastfeeding rate was found to be only 39% at the time of discharge from the hospital definitely points to an easy change we can make as a community to decrease the risk of contracting breast cancer.  The AAP states that the national average of moms breastfeeding at discharge from the hospital is 62%.  This decreases to 31% by six months of age and a staggering <18% by one year of age.  Ideally, a baby should be exclusively breastfed the first six months of life with breastfeeding and solid foods from six months to one year of age.  As with all life decisions we make for ourselves and our kids, breastfeeding is not easy.  But with education and support from our community, we hope to significantly impact the lives of the children and women of Madison County by promoting and supporting breastfeeding. 

Look for future articles regarding breastfeeding as well as look for future support group meetings for future breastfeeding moms, current breastfeeding moms, and former breastfeeding moms.  If you have questions or are interested in assisting with future support groups, please email me at drdana@sunnypeds.com or call the Madison County Hospital Women’s Health department at 740-852-7272.



Start Healthy, Stay Healthy: It's as Easy as 1-2-3

As featured in the Madison Press May 15, 2010 Issue

We all want what is best for the children of Madison County.  Below are a few good tips to help start your child’s life in the right direction and how to continue on a healthy course throughout their childhood!

1.  Have good prenatal care while you are pregnant to prevent infections, diabetes, and other pregnancy complications that can make your baby’s transition into life difficult.
2. Breastfeed!  Breastfeed!   Breastfeed!  Breastfeeding can decrease your child’s risk of ear infections, serious complications from common colds and flu, as well as diabetes and obesity in their future. 
3. Visit with your child’s doctor regularly for their well child visits.  It’s a good opportunity to ask questions and discuss concerns as well as monitor their growth, development, and discuss common safety considerations for your child based on their age and activity.
4. Vaccinate your child as advised by your doctor and the American Academy of Pediatrics.  Vaccinations in the first year of life alone protect against the most common causes of pneumonia, meningitis, polio, tetanus, whooping cough, measles, mumps, rubella, chicken pox, hepatitis, and flu.  These bacterial or viral infections can be life threatening to anybody, but especially a young child.  Please vaccinate your children appropriately.
5. Do not introduce foods, cereals, or juice until told so by your physician.  The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends sole breastfeeding until six months of age.  At that time, introduction of cereals is appropriate followed by baby foods and juice.  This not only decreases their chances of food allergies, but also obesity and subsequently diabetes in their future.
6. Have your child properly placed in the vehicle in the appropriate car safety restraint system.  Your child should be in a rear facing car seat until 20 pounds AND one year of age.  Then they should be in the back seat in a car seat until four years of age.  Once they are 40 pounds AND 4 years old, they should be moved to a booster seat in the back seat until eight years old and 80 pounds OR  4’9’’.  Nobody under the age of 12 should be in the front seat of a vehicle.
7. Encourage physical activity!  Not only does it help to burn off some energy so they are able to focus more on work afterwards, but it helps them burn calories.  Allowing your child at least 1 hour of activity a day is ideal.

To learn more about these topics and other important aspects of helping your children start healthy and stay healthy, come join myself as well as other local physicians and health care workers at Cowling Park on Sunday, May 23^rd from 2-4.  Hope to see you there!

The Big Bad Whoop

As Featured in the Madison Press February 6, 2010 Issue

Winter is here and so is cough, cold, and flu season. It is not uncommon that a child fights seven to 10 colds in a year, mostly between October and March. So what does that mean for you and your family?
Seeing your friendly neighborhood physician many times between October and March.

In addition to the normal viruses running amuck, there is another sinister character that has been running rampant in the Madison County area with seven diagnosed cases in December and January alone. These little bacteria sneak in with a small runny nose, maybe a fever for a week. Next thing you
know, your little one is coughing and coughing and coughing and coughing and… get the picture? This
is a cough that lasts longer than a few days or even longer than a week. This cough can last six to 10
weeks.

Commonly known as “whooping cough” because of the characteristic noise a patient makes after a
long coughing fit, this illness is known in the medical community as pertussis. A child is vaccinated
for this bacteria for the first time at 2 months of age and then again at 4 months, 6 months, after one year of age, and after four years of age. So how are these kiddos getting sick from this bacterium? From the adults. In recent years, it was concluded that children are catching this bacteria from adults that are harboring the bacteria as merely an annoying cough.Although it is mostly a nuisance, pertussis can cause apnea, rib fractures, and even a syndrome resembling shaken baby syndrome in infants. In older children and even adults, pertussis can cause rib fractures, incontinence, pneumonia, vomiting, and insomnia.

There is a simple test that can be done at the doctor’s office and sent to the local lab to diagnose a
person with pertussis. Antibiotics are necessary for the person infected so they do not give it to others as well as those exposed to prevent further spread. Once the coughing phase has begun, antibiotics do
not reverse the cough or other effects of pertussis. Even more important than how to treat the bacteria
is how to prevent it. Vaccinate. Vaccinate. Vaccinate. Not only should your children be up-to-date in
their pertussis vaccine, but all adults need to get a booster of pertussis if they have not done so in the
last few years. Pertussis vaccines are combined with tetanus and diphtheria. Most ER’s in the surrounding ommunities are giving “Tdap” vaccines when tetanus is indicated. If you are in doubt, call your doctor or just get vaccinated. Most physician offices carry the vaccine as well as the local health department.

Let’s keep this “big bad whoop” contained this winter in Madison County.

Dana Lenhart, D.O.