About the Helping Hands Project

Posted on March 24, 2020April 14, 2020 by Kimberly Wiefling

Contributed article in our worthy cause series. Enjoy! – Kimberly

Children with limb differences are being assisted by the Helping Hands Project in a variety of ways. Since the Helping Hands Project utilizes 3D printing in order to get prosthetic devices to the children, they are providing these children with more than just the ability to do more things but also the confidence that they need to engage in more and more activities that will allow them to blossom into the beautiful individuals that they are.

When Did The Helping Hands Project Begin?

The Helping Hands Project began back in the year 2014. It started with the help of the Biomedical Engineering (BME) department which is at UNC Chapel Hill. This began the process of using 3D printing for the prosthetic devices that were and are given to the children that need them at no charge.Continue reading→

Teach Your Child to Follow Instructions by Dr. Arti Jain

Posted on March 29, 2014March 29, 2014 by Kimberly Wiefling

Learning how to discipline your child is an important skill that all parents need to learn. Discipline is not the same as punishment. Instead, discipline has to do more with teaching, and involves teaching your child right from wrong, how to respect the rights of others, which behaviors are acceptable and which are not, with a goal of helping to develop a child who feels secure and loved, is self-confident, self-disciplined and knows how to control his impulses, and who does not get overly frustrated with the normal stresses of everyday life.

The recommendations below can be of assistance in teaching children to follow parental directions the first time they are given.

*Be prepared to enforce. Parents should avoid giving their children a direction unless they are prepared to enforce it. If parents do not enforce their directions, then children learn that their parents don’t mean what they say.

*Let your child make some of the rules. Giving a child a say gives him an impetus to follow the rule or direction—and he’s less likely to claim you’re unfair.

*Create positive and negative consequences.

*Get their attention. Get their attention before giving a direction. Avoid yelling directions from another room.

*Don’t ask questions. Parents should avoid phrasing directions as questions (for example, don’t say “Justin, would you like to pick up your toys now?”).

*Don’t be vague. Make directions concrete and precise.

*Keep directions meaningful and developmentally appropriate.

*Have your child repeat the directions to you. This helps you make sure that they understand what is desired of them.

*Give them only few steps at a time. It helps to ensure that the task is completed and they have a feeling of accomplishment.

*Play ‘‘listening and following directions games’’. Kids learn a lot via games. It will help them learn while having fun.

*Rehearse new or unfamiliar directions. Make sure the children understand what is expected of them.

*Tell them what to do. Parents should try to give directions that tell children what to do instead of what not to do. E.g. say, “Stay by my side,” not “Don’t run away.”

*Give them choices not commands. Again, giving your child some say in what procedures she’s to follow can often prevent power struggles.

*Praise them. Parents don’t need to wait until the task is completed to offer praise and do not focus on the one or two directions that were not followed.

*Show appreciation. When the task is complete, parents should let their children know they appreciate their compliance.

*Don’t repeat warnings. Children can learn to follow directions after one or no warning just as easily as they can learn to follow directions after five or six warnings.

*Follow less desired behavior with more desired behavior. This gives the children an incentive to complete the task and look forward to something that they enjoy.

*Most importantly, provide your child with a safe environment in which he feels secure and loved.

Good Luck and Have Fun!!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Dr. Arti Jain – Doctor Jain is a very caring pediatrician practicing in the Santa Clara County California area. You can contact her: Tel (408)-378-6171 or email her: Jainarti.mail@gmail.com. You can read more on her website: http://www.drartijain.com

Caring for You and Your Family During the Flu Season by Arti Jain, M.D.

Posted on October 8, 2013February 26, 2020 by Kimberly Wiefling

What is the flu?
Influenza (the flu) is an infection of the nose, throat, and lungs caused by influenza viruses. There are many different influenza viruses that are constantly changing. They cause illness, hospital stays and deaths in the United States each year.
The flu can be very dangerous for children.

How serious is the flu?
Flu illness can vary from mild to severe. While the flu can be serious even in people who are otherwise healthy, it can be especially dangerous for young children and children of any age who have certain long term health conditions. Children with chronic medical conditions and those receiving long-term aspirin therapy can have more severe illness from the flu.

How does the flu spread?
Flu viruses spread mainly by droplets made when people with the flu cough, sneeze or talk. These droplets can land in the mouths or noses of people who are nearby. Less often, a person might get the flu by touching something that has flu virus on it and then touching their own mouth, eyes or nose.

How long can a sick person spread the flu to others?
People with the flu may be able to infect others by shedding virus from 1 day before getting sick to 5 to 7 days after. However, children and people with weakened immune systems can shed virus for longer, and might be still contagious past 5 to 7 days of being sick, especially if they still have symptoms.

What are the symptoms of the flu?
Symptoms of the flu can include fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, chills, fatigue and sometimes vomiting and diarrhea. Some people with the flu will not have a fever.

How can I protect myself and my child against the flu?
To protect against the flu, the first and most important thing you can do is to get a flu vaccine for yourself and your child.
• Vaccination is recommended for everyone 6 months and older.
• It’s especially important that young children and children with long term health conditions get vaccinated. (See list of conditions under “How Serious is the Flu?”)
• Caregivers of children with health conditions or of children younger than 6 months old should get vaccinated. (Babies younger than 6 months are too young to be vaccinated themselves.)
• Another way to protect babies is to vaccinate pregnant women because research shows that this gives some protection to the baby both while the woman is pregnant and for a few months after the baby is born.

Is there a medicine to treat the flu?
Antiviral drugs can treat flu illness. They can make people feel better and get better sooner and may prevent serious flu complications. They work best when started during the first 2 days of illness. These drugs can be given to children.

What are some of the other ways I can protect my child against the flu?
In addition to getting vaccinated, take – and encourage your child to take – everyday steps that can help prevent the spread of germs. This includes:
• Cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
• Stay away from people who are sick.
• Wash hands often with soap and water. If soap and water are not available, use an alcohol-based hand rub.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth. Germs spread this way.
• If someone in the household is sick, try to keep the sick person in a separate room from others in the household, if possible.
• Keep surfaces like bedside tables, surfaces in the bathroom, kitchen counters and toys for children clean by wiping them down with a household disinfectant according to directions on the product label.
• Throw tissues and other disposable items used by sick persons in your household in the trash.

IF YOUR CHILD IS SICK
What can I do if my child gets sick?
Talk to your doctor early if you are worried about your child’s illness.
If your child is 5 years and older and does not have other health problems and gets flu-like symptoms, including a fever and/or cough, consult your doctor as needed and make sure your child gets plenty of rest and drinks enough fluids.
If your child is younger than 5 years (and especially younger than 2 years) or of any age with a long term health condition (like asthma, a neurological condition, or diabetes, for example) and develops flu-like symptoms, they are at risk for serious complications from the flu. Ask a doctor if your child should be examined.

What if my child seems very sick?
Even children who have always been healthy before or had the flu before can get very sick from the flu.
Call for emergency care or take your child to a doctor right away if your child of any age has any of the warning or emergency signs below:
• Fast breathing or trouble breathing
• Bluish or gray skin color
• Not drinking enough fluids (not going to the bathroom or making as much urine as they normally do)
• Severe or persistent vomiting
• Not waking up or not interacting
• Being so irritable that the child does not want to be held
• Flu-like symptoms improve but then return with fever and worse cough
• Has other conditions (like heart or lung disease, diabetes, or asthma) and develops flu symptoms, including a fever and/or cough.

Can my child go to school, day care or camp if he or she is sick?
No. Your child should stay home to rest and to avoid giving the flu to other children or caregivers.

When can my child go back to school after having the flu?
Keep your child home from school, day care or camp for at least 24 hours after their fever is gone. (Fever should be gone without the use of a fever-reducing medicine.)
A fever is defined as 100°F (37.8°C) or higher.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Dr. Arti Jain – Doctor Jain is a very caring pediatrician practicing in the Santa Clara County California area. You can contact her: Tel (408)-378-6171 or email her: Jainarti.mail@gmail.com.

How a Local Pediatrician Is Caring for Your Children by Arti Jain M.D.

Posted on August 30, 2013February 26, 2020 by Kimberly Wiefling

No matter what grade your child is about to enter, there’s the yearly back-to-school checklist of to-dos: shopping for school supplies, filling out permission forms, and the pediatric checkup.

The annual physical gives the pediatrician a chance to give the child a thorough physical exam. It’s also a good chance to address important questions that you cannotNo matter what grade your child is about to enter, there’s the yearly back-to-school checklist of to-dos: shopping for school supplies, filling out permission forms, and the pediatric checkup.

While it may not seem as urgent, a yearly physical exam by your family’s pediatrician is an important part of your child’s health care. The back-to-school season is a convenient time for putting the exam on your family’s schedule. The annual physical gives the pediatrician a chance to give the child a thorough physical exam. It’s also a good chance to address important questions that you cannot address during a sick visit e.g. growth, development, behavior, speech and socialization, learning issues etc. This is the time to make sure that your child is up to date on his/her vaccines, get hearing and vision screens etc.

This is the ideal time to address ongoing issues like weight management, asthma, allergies etc. Do not forget to update your pediatrician about any change in family, social or interval history. Remember to visit your dentist in order to address oral health concerns.

The continuity of regular physical exams is invaluable. Having a long-term history with a child or adolescent gives the doctor the awareness of the child’s progress and development over time. This helps the doctor detect emerging problems, as well as being informed by the detail of the patient’s history, such as important past illnesses or injuries.

Whatever the child’s interest — sports, academics, the arts — we want to be sure that the interest is a healthy one, and that it’s balanced with the other aspects of the child’s life. A healthy childhood and adolescence calls for balancing home life, school, social activities, sports, and extracurricular pursuits. This is not easy, especially during a time when the child is passing through the years of growth, learning, exploration, and emotional and physical development. This is all the more reason to set aside one day during each of those years for your child to see the pediatrician.

Dr. Arti Jain’s Philosophy

As a Pediatrician, my goal is to improve the health and lifestyles of my patients. I believe that this goal can be achieved by emphasizing on health education and promoting preventive medicine. Healthy kids translate into healthy adult, a very gratifying achievement. This process starts with establishing a trusting relationship with kids and their parents. The process continues with helping them to achieve healthy lifestyles changes. Just like in any other aspect of life, in health care too, one size does not fit all. That is why, it is very important to align the treatment philosophy with the family’s circumstance and philosophy. I believe in establishing a trusting relationship and educating and communicating with the patients and their care takers.

I am a firm advocate of practicing evidence based medicine. Evidence based medicine is practicing medicine based on evidence from valid research studies and applying these results and conclusions to give the best possible care to patients.

What I enjoy most about being a pediatrician are the interactions I have with my patients and their families. Medicine is one of the few careers in which I can learn something new and teach something new on almost daily.

My patients are my teachers and I am theirs. I chose to be a pediatrician because I wanted the opportunity to work with patients from infancy, to childhood and adolescence. I enjoy being a part of that transformation and in being their guide.

I offer you an opportunity to focus on your child’s health whether to address an immediate need or for long term health enhancement and preventive care. I firmly believe that addressing mental, emotional and social concerns is an essential component of delivering excellent and holistic health care.

Credentials
Medical Degree from UHS, Andhra Medical College, Visakhapatnam, India
Residency training in Pediatrics completed through University of Illinois, Chicago
Board certified by the American Board of Pediatrics.

Experience
I have a wide range of experience in primary care setting, urgent care and as a hospitalist in Northern California and Colorado since completing my residency in 2002.

Hospital Affiliations
El Camino Hospital, Los Gatos and Mountain View, CA.
Good Samaritan Hospital, San Jose, CA.

Languages:
She speaks: Hindi, Telugu, Bengali, Medical Spanish.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Dr. Arti Jain – Doctor Jain is a very caring pediatrician practicing in the Santa Clara County California area. You can contact her: Tel (408)-378-6171 or email her: Jainarti.mail@gmail.com.