Unfortunately there are quite a few pediatric conditions and diseases like asthma, eczema, urinary tract infection, diaper dermatitis, and many more that your child is susceptible to.
What can be some common signs that your child could have one of these conditions?
Listen in as Christina Martin, MD discusses common pediatric conditions, and the common signs that your child could have one of these conditions.
To learn more about GHS pediatricians you can visit ghschildrens.org or to get a pediatrician recommendation close to you, call 1-844-GHS-DOCS (447-3627).
Selected Podcast
Understanding Common Pediatric Conditions
Featured Speaker:
Learn more about Dr Christina Mae Martin
Christina Martin, MD
Dr. Chistina Martin grew up in Houston Texas and moved to South Carolina to attend Clemson University. She received a B.S in Biological Sciences prior to attending Medical University of South Carolina. She completed her pediatric residency at Palmetto Health Children's Hospital in 2016. Following residency, she joined Christie Pediatric Group. She is excited to be working with the children of the community and their families as she makes Greenville her home. Her special interests include preventative care, asthma, and adolescent medicine.Learn more about Dr Christina Mae Martin
Transcription:
Melanie Cole (Host): Your kids are bound to come up with some illnesses and conditions occasionally and parents need to make sure that they're ready for whatever may arise. My guest today is Dr. Christina Martin. She's a pediatrician with Greenville Health System. Welcome to the show, Dr. Martin. You're dealing with frantic parents and so many little runny noses, coughs and tummy aches. What are some of the most common conditions that you see every single day in your practice?
Dr. Christina Martin (Guest): Thanks for having me, Melanie. There are so many conditions that are very common in pediatrics that are actually very in an adult, as well. Some of those range from mild to more severe, although I would say the majority of what we see on a daily basis is something that is very common that multiple kids are experiencing on a daily basis. Some of the common pediatric conditions that we see would be things like strep throat, urinary tract infections and, especially in the fall time, asthma, eczema, and allergies.
Melanie: So, okay, let's talk about strep throat. We all know that kids spread things around and there's always the letter that goes around in school that strep throat or lice--you don't want to be that person--has gone around in your school. What do you tell parents to do if they receive that letter? Do they come in to see you for a checkup?
Dr. Martin: So, if strep throat is going around in the school, there's no need to see the pediatrician if the children aren't displaying any signs or symptoms. Some of the symptoms that parents should look out for would be things like fever. Typically the fever with kids with strep throat is in the 102 range. Also, kids who have complaints of sore throat, abdominal pain, and headache--all be signs of strep throat, as well.
Melanie: What about ear infections, Dr. Martin? Some people say you should watch and wait, but the kids are in pain. What do you suggest with parents when there's an ear infection?
Dr. Martin: So, we definitely don't ever want our kids to be uncomfortable. So, any time the parent is worried, I always recommend that they just give us a call and we can take a quick peek at them to ensure that everything's okay. For ear infections, there are a lot that are viral in nature but, most of the time, we're able to differentiate that by looking in their ears and find if there's actual pus behind the ear drum. If, then, we do see any pus behind the eardrum, at that time, we would prescribe an appropriate antibiotic and then, the next time your child is checked, we can make sure that that ear infection is resolving.
Melanie: And what do you tell parents about ear infections when they are worried that it's going to cause their children to have hearing loss?
Dr. Martin: So, recurrent ear infections kind of perk our ears up and have us a little bit worried about hearing loss in the future. Usually, once you've reached about five ear infections within a six-month span, at that point, we would refer you to the ear, nose, and throat doctors who could evaluate your child to see if it would be appropriate to have tympanostomy tubes, or tubes that are in their ear drum and actually allow the pus to drain out.
Melanie: So, what about tummy aches? There can be so many reasons for those and kids get tummy aches all the time.
Dr. Martin: Absolutely. Tummy aches is probably our number one pediatric condition that we see in the office. Once again, the majority of the time, tummy aches are very benign but there are a few serious conditions that we are looking out for when we evaluate your child. One of those serious conditions is appendicitis, which most people are familiar with. The signs of appendicitis would be fever, vomiting, abdominal pain that may start near the belly button but eventually radiate down to the right, lower side of their abdomen and then, also, they can have reduced comfort whenever they're jumping up and down and playing or even on the way to the doctor's office, if Mom hits a bump in the road, that can cause some severe pain.
Melanie: And, what about pink eye? If parents notice, what symptoms should they be looking for and does that require an office visit?
Dr. Martin: So, pink eye is something that's also very common. Pink eye, most of the time, is viral in nature, but given the fact that a lot of kids are attending daycare and school, they require that we prescribe an antibacterial eye drop, and so it's best to be seen by the pediatrician to make sure that nothing worrisome is going on but, most of the time, pink eye is just the white part of your eye being pink, and clear, watery drainage.
Melanie: So then, let's talk about fevers, too, because this is another thing that concerns parents. And, while fevers may be something that is helping your child heal, we still worry all the time. What do you tell parents about fevers?
Dr. Martin: So, fevers--it really depends on the age of the patient. For newborns and infants less than two months of age, any time that they have a fever, we recommend that they call their pediatrician's office to get further advice. Most of the time, if kids are under the age of one month, we're going to go ahead and refer them to the Greenville ER. That way our doctors there will be able to perform the appropriate tests to ensure that there's not a serious bacterial infection causing the fever. Once you get older, your body's response to fevers is a little bit less severe and fevers can range from anything from a urinary tract infection to just a simple cold. Usually, if the child is eating and drinking well and is not in any respiratory distress, parents can manage fevers at home with Tylenol and Motrin for the first two to three days. If fever is persisting beyond that, the pediatrician should have them checked out to make sure that it's not one of the bacterial infections that may require an antibiotic.
Melanie: So, coughs and colds--these are so common. Do you recommend a doctor's visit, an office visit, for a cough or a cold or a runny nose? And, what do you think about over-the-counter medications for these?
Dr. Martin: Once again, that really depends on the age of the patient. The younger kiddos, we always would like to see them in the office if they're having persistent cough just because we want to make sure that they don't have any breathing difficulties or wheezing with that. For the older kids, it's going to be very common to get a cough and cold, especially in the winter time whenever they're in the school and sharing germs with each other. So, at that point, it would be fine for the parents to manage it at home. But, once again, if they have any concerns, we are always available to evaluate their children for them.
Melanie: So, you say it's important to visit your pediatrician regularly and for well visits. How can they make an appointment at GHS Pediatrician?
Dr. Martin: So, we have pediatric practices all over the upstate. To learn more about them, you can visit ghschildrens.org, or to get a pediatrician recommendation that is close to where you're staying, you can call 1-844-GHSDOCS. That's 447-3627.
Melanie: And, tell us about the GHS pediatricians.
Dr. Martin: The GHS pediatricians are very highly-trained physicians who are dedicated to ensuring that we are taking the best care of your child and we want to include both you and your child in decision-making so that we have the overall best outcome for them.
Melanie: And, what about GHS Children's Hospitals? What's so special about that?
Dr. Martin: So, the children's hospital is fabulous. Most of our offices are very close to the children's hospital and all of the physicians are knowledgeable about each other, so it's an easy phone call for us to discuss our patient's concerns with them. The children's hospital offers the top-notch as far as radiology, as far as over 35 fields who can help take care of your children if it's something that a general pediatrician can't take care but that maybe a specialist may need to be involved.
Melanie: So, wrap it up for us, Dr. Martin, about these common pediatric conditions that you see every day and kind of allay the parents' fears when they're calling you frantic about all of these things.
Dr. Martin: So, the best thing to do is for younger kids, to always call our nurse triage line if you have questions, especially if your child if under two months. Once they've reached over two months, at that point in time, if your child is drinking well, having good wet diapers or using the restroom well and Tylenol and Motrin is managing their fever, it is fine to stay home for the first few days. After that, you can call your pediatrician to ensure that there's not a bacterial infection that we need to do further work up for.
Melanie: Thank you so much. What great information, Dr. Martin. Thank you so much for being with us today.
Dr. Martin: Absolutely.
Melanie: You're listening to Inside Health with Greenville Health System. For more information, you can go to ghs.org. That's ghs.org. This is Melanie Cole. Thanks so much for listening.
Melanie Cole (Host): Your kids are bound to come up with some illnesses and conditions occasionally and parents need to make sure that they're ready for whatever may arise. My guest today is Dr. Christina Martin. She's a pediatrician with Greenville Health System. Welcome to the show, Dr. Martin. You're dealing with frantic parents and so many little runny noses, coughs and tummy aches. What are some of the most common conditions that you see every single day in your practice?
Dr. Christina Martin (Guest): Thanks for having me, Melanie. There are so many conditions that are very common in pediatrics that are actually very in an adult, as well. Some of those range from mild to more severe, although I would say the majority of what we see on a daily basis is something that is very common that multiple kids are experiencing on a daily basis. Some of the common pediatric conditions that we see would be things like strep throat, urinary tract infections and, especially in the fall time, asthma, eczema, and allergies.
Melanie: So, okay, let's talk about strep throat. We all know that kids spread things around and there's always the letter that goes around in school that strep throat or lice--you don't want to be that person--has gone around in your school. What do you tell parents to do if they receive that letter? Do they come in to see you for a checkup?
Dr. Martin: So, if strep throat is going around in the school, there's no need to see the pediatrician if the children aren't displaying any signs or symptoms. Some of the symptoms that parents should look out for would be things like fever. Typically the fever with kids with strep throat is in the 102 range. Also, kids who have complaints of sore throat, abdominal pain, and headache--all be signs of strep throat, as well.
Melanie: What about ear infections, Dr. Martin? Some people say you should watch and wait, but the kids are in pain. What do you suggest with parents when there's an ear infection?
Dr. Martin: So, we definitely don't ever want our kids to be uncomfortable. So, any time the parent is worried, I always recommend that they just give us a call and we can take a quick peek at them to ensure that everything's okay. For ear infections, there are a lot that are viral in nature but, most of the time, we're able to differentiate that by looking in their ears and find if there's actual pus behind the ear drum. If, then, we do see any pus behind the eardrum, at that time, we would prescribe an appropriate antibiotic and then, the next time your child is checked, we can make sure that that ear infection is resolving.
Melanie: And what do you tell parents about ear infections when they are worried that it's going to cause their children to have hearing loss?
Dr. Martin: So, recurrent ear infections kind of perk our ears up and have us a little bit worried about hearing loss in the future. Usually, once you've reached about five ear infections within a six-month span, at that point, we would refer you to the ear, nose, and throat doctors who could evaluate your child to see if it would be appropriate to have tympanostomy tubes, or tubes that are in their ear drum and actually allow the pus to drain out.
Melanie: So, what about tummy aches? There can be so many reasons for those and kids get tummy aches all the time.
Dr. Martin: Absolutely. Tummy aches is probably our number one pediatric condition that we see in the office. Once again, the majority of the time, tummy aches are very benign but there are a few serious conditions that we are looking out for when we evaluate your child. One of those serious conditions is appendicitis, which most people are familiar with. The signs of appendicitis would be fever, vomiting, abdominal pain that may start near the belly button but eventually radiate down to the right, lower side of their abdomen and then, also, they can have reduced comfort whenever they're jumping up and down and playing or even on the way to the doctor's office, if Mom hits a bump in the road, that can cause some severe pain.
Melanie: And, what about pink eye? If parents notice, what symptoms should they be looking for and does that require an office visit?
Dr. Martin: So, pink eye is something that's also very common. Pink eye, most of the time, is viral in nature, but given the fact that a lot of kids are attending daycare and school, they require that we prescribe an antibacterial eye drop, and so it's best to be seen by the pediatrician to make sure that nothing worrisome is going on but, most of the time, pink eye is just the white part of your eye being pink, and clear, watery drainage.
Melanie: So then, let's talk about fevers, too, because this is another thing that concerns parents. And, while fevers may be something that is helping your child heal, we still worry all the time. What do you tell parents about fevers?
Dr. Martin: So, fevers--it really depends on the age of the patient. For newborns and infants less than two months of age, any time that they have a fever, we recommend that they call their pediatrician's office to get further advice. Most of the time, if kids are under the age of one month, we're going to go ahead and refer them to the Greenville ER. That way our doctors there will be able to perform the appropriate tests to ensure that there's not a serious bacterial infection causing the fever. Once you get older, your body's response to fevers is a little bit less severe and fevers can range from anything from a urinary tract infection to just a simple cold. Usually, if the child is eating and drinking well and is not in any respiratory distress, parents can manage fevers at home with Tylenol and Motrin for the first two to three days. If fever is persisting beyond that, the pediatrician should have them checked out to make sure that it's not one of the bacterial infections that may require an antibiotic.
Melanie: So, coughs and colds--these are so common. Do you recommend a doctor's visit, an office visit, for a cough or a cold or a runny nose? And, what do you think about over-the-counter medications for these?
Dr. Martin: Once again, that really depends on the age of the patient. The younger kiddos, we always would like to see them in the office if they're having persistent cough just because we want to make sure that they don't have any breathing difficulties or wheezing with that. For the older kids, it's going to be very common to get a cough and cold, especially in the winter time whenever they're in the school and sharing germs with each other. So, at that point, it would be fine for the parents to manage it at home. But, once again, if they have any concerns, we are always available to evaluate their children for them.
Melanie: So, you say it's important to visit your pediatrician regularly and for well visits. How can they make an appointment at GHS Pediatrician?
Dr. Martin: So, we have pediatric practices all over the upstate. To learn more about them, you can visit ghschildrens.org, or to get a pediatrician recommendation that is close to where you're staying, you can call 1-844-GHSDOCS. That's 447-3627.
Melanie: And, tell us about the GHS pediatricians.
Dr. Martin: The GHS pediatricians are very highly-trained physicians who are dedicated to ensuring that we are taking the best care of your child and we want to include both you and your child in decision-making so that we have the overall best outcome for them.
Melanie: And, what about GHS Children's Hospitals? What's so special about that?
Dr. Martin: So, the children's hospital is fabulous. Most of our offices are very close to the children's hospital and all of the physicians are knowledgeable about each other, so it's an easy phone call for us to discuss our patient's concerns with them. The children's hospital offers the top-notch as far as radiology, as far as over 35 fields who can help take care of your children if it's something that a general pediatrician can't take care but that maybe a specialist may need to be involved.
Melanie: So, wrap it up for us, Dr. Martin, about these common pediatric conditions that you see every day and kind of allay the parents' fears when they're calling you frantic about all of these things.
Dr. Martin: So, the best thing to do is for younger kids, to always call our nurse triage line if you have questions, especially if your child if under two months. Once they've reached over two months, at that point in time, if your child is drinking well, having good wet diapers or using the restroom well and Tylenol and Motrin is managing their fever, it is fine to stay home for the first few days. After that, you can call your pediatrician to ensure that there's not a bacterial infection that we need to do further work up for.
Melanie: Thank you so much. What great information, Dr. Martin. Thank you so much for being with us today.
Dr. Martin: Absolutely.
Melanie: You're listening to Inside Health with Greenville Health System. For more information, you can go to ghs.org. That's ghs.org. This is Melanie Cole. Thanks so much for listening.
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