Jan 6 2012

Making feeding time safe for baby

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Uncategorized, Voices from Mott

Towards the end of 2011 there was a flurry of news articles related to the safety of infant formula.  We checked in with one of our pediatricians who specializes in newborn care to shine some light on the topic and provide some helpful tips for parents of infants on how to ensure feeding safety.  Thank you, Dr. Jocelyn Schiller for sharing your time and expertise with us!

There has been a buzz in the news lately as a result of the recent – and unfortunate – death of a Missouri newborn who was given formula before falling ill from a bacterial infection. In light of this, I thought this may be a great opportunity to revisit the ever-important rules of safe infant feeding, including the dos and don’ts of handwashing, milk storage and how to pick the right formula for your little one.

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Dec 14 2011

Getting real about limiting TV time for toddlers

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Uncategorized, Voices from Mott

This fall, the American Academy of Pediatrics released new recommendations related to limiting the amount of “screen time,” children under the age of 2 are exposed to.  We asked Dr. Kelly Orringer to help us make sense of the new recommendations and how real parents can integrate them into busy, chaotic lifestyles.

The American Academy of Pediatrics last addressed media consumption by children under two years-old in 1999, well before advances in technology allowed for TV programs, DVDs, mobile games and more to be accessed anywhere from our child’s bedroom to the backseat of our mini-vans. Even then, the AAP’s recommendations warned against the danger of too much screen time for our little ones.

Now, with easy access to iPads, smart phones, and TVs a-plenty, combined with the allure of programming marketed as “educational,” it’s become harder and harder to keep kids’ eyes away from screens.

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Dec 7 2011

Something’s different about that bottle…

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What parents need to know about changes in infant’s and children’s acetaminophen The FDA recently recommended a number of changes related to children’s and infant’s acetaminophen products, such as Tylenol®.  The current formula of liquid acetaminophen marketed specifically for infants will soon disappear from shelves — replaced instead by the children’s strength product with new dosage devices and guidelines.  We asked Mott pharmacist Claire Konicek to help us understand what parents need to know about these changes.  

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Dec 5 2011

Goodbye to the old Mott, from Alex’s and Levi’s mom

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About Our New Hospital, Uncategorized, Voices from Mott

Yesterday, the faculty, staff, and hundreds of volunteers of C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital and Von Voigtlander Women’s Hospital carefully moved nearly 200 patients from the old hospitals to our state-of-the-art new facility.  If there’s one thing that became obvious from the move, though, it’s that the people here are what truly makes The Michigan Difference.  Within moments of a floor being emptied of its patients, families and staff – even though there were still chairs, toys and games left behind for now – The Michigan Difference was gone, all the people having been whisked over to their new home. Today we bring you one more “farewell to the old Mott” story from a parent of two “little victors.”  Her story is just another demonstration of how – even though we’re proud of our shiny new building, it’s the people that work there that make The Difference.    

 

Little Things Mean Everything

By Laura Hurst, mom to Alex and Levi Hurst Gugino, happy and healthy 2-year-old Little Victors Read the rest of this entry »

Dec 2 2011

Inside one of the brains orchestrating “The Big Move”

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About Our New Hospital, Uncategorized, Voices from Mott

This weekend, we will officially open the doors to the new C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital and Von Voigtlander Women’s Hospital when we move our current patients from the old building to the new one, and begin accepting new patients through the doors of this state-of-the-art facility.  As we get ready for The Big Move, we stole a few moments from one of the busiest people involved in the move – our Medical Director, pediatric gastroenterologist Dr. Chris Dickinson – to get a glimpse into what’s going on in his mind on the eve of this event that’s been years in the making.

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Oct 31 2011

Goodbye to the old Mott, from Maddie’s Mom

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About Our New Hospital, Hero Stories

As we prepare to move into the new C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital this December, many of our staff and families have been reminiscing about the countless memories we all have from the more than 40 years in the current facility.  This week’s post contains the transcript of a story one of our beloved families shared with us at a recent employee gathering to say “goodbye” to the old Mott building.  We would like to thank Shannan for sharing this beautiful story. We are lucky to have had you and Maddie be a part of our Mott story and we are so honored to have one of the beams of the new building bearing her name.

Hello, my name is Shannan Shaw, although most Mott people know me as “Maddie’s Mom.” My daughter Maddie was an inpatient on the 5th floor PCTU for almost 16 months straight. She was admitted February 9th, 2007 just before her 3rd birthday and she took her last breath here on May 27th, 2008.  Mott was her home for nearly 1/3rd of her life. It was also my home away from home. Our place to play, feel sick and get better, our place to work, to stress out, die of boredom, our place to cry and our place to have hope beyond reason. This was the place where our future was decided.

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Oct 10 2011

Kids Health 101: What you should know if your child is bitten

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We’re kicking off a new series of videos tackling topics parents often ask doctors about. You’ll get straight answers to these “frequently asked questions” from our own pediatric specialists.

Our children’s emergency department is one place we’ll turn to for answers, as the doctors and nurses here specialize exclusively in providing emergency care for children – whether the need is a traumatic injury or a mild illness that can’t wait until your doctor’s normal business hours.

It’s important to turn to a pediatric emergency department when your child needs emergency care because the specialists here focus just on children, their special needs, the way illnesses present themselves differently in kids vs. adults, unique treatments that work better for their small bodies and developing systems, and – very importantly – the extra care and sensitivity they and their families need.

Without further ado…here’s Dr. Nicole Sroufe to fill us in on what parents’ need to know when their child is bitten.

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Oct 3 2011

What parents should know before heading to the cider mill

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By Stephanie Goodson, MD

Jared, Elizabeth and Sean Goodson at a local orchard

It’s a beloved tradition in my family to visit the cider mill or you-pick fruit orchard every fall. With the cool weather upon us, it’s always nice to get my three kids out for some fresh air, fun times and healthy, fruity treats.  We are fortunate to have so many orchards and farms close by here in southeast Michigan and it’s always such a pleasure to come home with bags full of goodies.   It is important for me to have plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables always available for my family.   I love seeing my three-year-old son open the crisper drawer of our refrigerator, grab an apple and declare that he picked “that one!”

While there are awesome benefits to visiting the cider mill or orchard – especially spending quality time with your family – there are also a few cautions you should be aware of.

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Sep 22 2011

Two families linked by one heart

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Hero Stories

Tommy Schomaker, recipient of a heart transplant at Mott Children's Hospital

This week we’re featuring a guest blog post by Colleen Schomaker, the mother of one of our “little victors.”  The Schomaker family’s story has recently been featured in several television news segments as well as a popular blog, and we’re honored she was willing to share her thoughts with us as we celebrate the kick off to U-M’s Wolverines for Life donor drive.

My name is Colleen Schomaker and I’m proud to be a ‘Mott Mom’. Our son, Tommy is ten years old and was born at University of Michigan’s C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital in December of 2000 with a serious heart defect. Since that day, Mott has been our second home. Like many Mott parents and patients, words cannot fully describe our gratitude and admiration for the wonderful staff we’ve seen over the years at Mott. (Now we get to watch this new hospital take shape, and it’s something we as patients and families feel such pride and excitement over.)

Over the last ten years, our son has endured many hospital stays, countless procedures and 5 open heart surgeries before the age of 5. Our story is long and winding, but we are blessed to have always been surrounded by a great medical team, along with amazing friends, family and a strong faith to lean on. We are also blessed that our son is still with us and presently doing quite well. On this journey we have also met countless other patients, some who have become dear friends, and we’ve watched them courageously fight their battles, but in the end have had to say goodbye to their child much too soon.

Tommy went into severe heart failure in early 2008 at the age of 8. He could not attend school, slept a lot, used a wheelchair, had to be carried up steps, and couldn’t keep food down. It was then that our cardiology team at Mott decided that, unfortunately, it was time to list him for a heart transplant. We were devastated as we tried to wrap our minds around this new reality and quickly moved into the next phase of our journey. Tommy’s chances of finding a match were low but he endured more medical therapies, 24 hour home infusions and lots of prayers and love. One year after being listed for a transplant, Tommy’s heart didn’t have much time left and the call we thought would never come…came. In the middle of the night on June 3, 2009, Tommy’s ‘gift of life’ was on its way.

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Sep 15 2011

Protecting the student body by protecting students’ hearts

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Uncategorized, Voices from Mott

By Mark Russell, MD, Pediatric Cardiologist

As millions of kids hit the court, field and rink this fall sports season, a lot of media attention has been placed on the dangers of cardiac arrest and sudden death among student athletes.

Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) occurs when the heart suddenly and unexpectedly stops beating. If this happens, blood stops flowing to the brain and other vital organs. If not treated within minutes, it can be fatal.

Unfortunately, sudden cardiac arrest and even sudden death can happen in a seemingly healthy child. It is a rare and tragic event that sends shock waves through the community and inspires the almost unanswerable questions of “Why?” and “What could have been done to prevent this?”

The good news is that there are a number of ways to minimize how often these events will happen.

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