pediatricassociatesofnortherncolorado

Measles Outbreak

Tue, 08 Apr 2025 15:27:39 GMT

How to protect your family:

With measles cases across the country increasing and Colorado now having its first

case this year many families are contacting us to understand how they can best

protect their children and themselves. This article was created to answer some of

our frequently asked questions.

Measles is a highly contagious, airborne viral illness. So contagious , in fact, that if

someone with active measles infection was in a room even 2 hours before, if an

unvaccinated person walks in that same room they have a 90-95% chance of getting

measles (but a vaccinated person is 97% protected). The virus can be transmitted

from 4 days before the rash becomes visible to 4 days after the rash appears. So, in

areas of the country where there are numerous active cases, and the virus is

spreading, it is really important to make sure your family is protected.

The good news is that there is a safe and effective measles vaccine . Measles vaccine

is currently part of two licensed combination vaccines: the MMR (measles-mumps rubella)

and the MMRV (measles-mumps-rubella-varicella). There is no currently

available single component measles vaccine.

MMR is routinely first given to children at 12-15 months of age per the standard

schedule. The second dose of MMR is routinely given between 4-6 years of age.

If you live in, or are traveling to, a region where there is a current measles outbreak

and your child has only had their first vaccine, you should discuss getting the second

vaccine early with your doctor. It takes 10-14 days for the body to build up

protection from the vaccine.

How can I protect my infant who hasn't yet received the 12-month MMR? If your

child is at least 6 months old; they can receive the MMR vaccine early. However, this

will be considered "dose zero" and will give them temporary protection. They will

still need the routine two doses at 12-15 months and 4-6 years of age.

Children under 6 months of age are not eligible to receive MMR vaccine . Antibodies

circulating from their mothers prevent them from having an appropriate response to

the vaccine. Best advice for infants traveling to an outbreak area (either in the US or

abroad)? Whenever possible: don't go.

What about parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles? For those people born prior to

1957, they are considered immune. Measles was widespread before the vaccine and

because of the highly contagious nature of the virus, those persons are considered

immune. Anyone, who had two doses of vaccine or has proven measles immunity by

antibody titers (blood work) are considered protected. There is no indication for a

third measles vaccine. If you are not sure, or had only one vaccine, the CDC has great

information.

Remember, we are not only protecting our families, but those vulnerable members

of our community who cannot get the vaccine either because they are infants or

too young, are undergoing treatment for cancer, have immune deficiencies or are

immunosuppressed because they have had an organ transplant. Thank you for

keeping our community as safe as possible and contributing to herd immunity.

If you have declined the MMR vaccine for your child (something we do NOT

recommend) and your child is ill or has been exposed to measles; then we would like

your child to be seen in the ER. If you choose to seek care at PANC, we would like to

know in advance and bring your child in a side entrance with a mask placed . This

will decrease the exposure to our patients in the waiting room.

Don’t hesitate to call us if you have any questions about Measles.

Construction Delays

eric@pediatricassociatesnc.com (Eric Markley) — Thu, 02 Jan 2025 21:09:12 GMT

Construction Delays

FORT COLLINS, Colo. – The City of Fort Collins Streets Department will begin concrete repairs on East Harmony Road between South College Avenue (U.S. Highway 287) and South Timberline Road beginning Monday, Jan. 6, 2024, weather permitting.

Lane closures will be in effect during construction and drivers should be aware of changing traffic patterns. Access to businesses will be maintained.

Work is expected to last 6-8 weeks, weather permitting. This work is a part of the City of Fort Collins Street Maintenance Program (SMP).

These concrete repairs will be followed by asphalt milling and paving, tentatively scheduled to begin in April 2025.

Coronavirus (COVID-19)

Fri, 13 Mar 2020 17:54:55 GMT

We wanted to update you on what we are doing to keep our patients, their families and our staff safe from COVID-19 (Corona virus).

We have your health and safety as our first priority. We are here to care for your children amidst this pandemic.

You may see a few changes in the office, here are some updates:

We removed books and bead gyms
Our staff are wearing protective equipment for sick visits
We are changing the process of how sick patents OR their sick family members enter the office. We will utilize the side entrance for sick visits to lessen the exposure of our well children to Covid 19.
We request that minimal family members accompany all visits (ideally only one parent); we know this is not always an option but would like to decrease Covid 19 exposure to all.
We will be separating rooms to be specific for well checks and others specific to sick visits.
Our intent is to have only healthy patients/parents/families in our waiting room with sick entrance separate for less Covid exposure. If a child or parent is ill, then we recommend the well visit be postponed and the visit changed to a sick visit.
We have an updated alert that is visible when you check out our homepage. It will share updates as we receive them and also includes a few informative links.
We have our phone nurse available for questions.
We are following the health department and CDC guidelines for Covid testing (which is minimal at this point and only if a direct Covid 19 test + exposure occurs or travel from severely affected travel locations); these recommendations will likely change with time.

Here are some useful links:
Please see the CDC link for the most up to date information.
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/index.html

Here is also a nice FAQ from Children's Hospital
https://www.childrenscolorado.org/about/news/2020/march-2020/coronavirus/

Childhood Nutrition FAQS

Wed, 12 Jun 2019 17:58:55 GMT

When it comes to nutrition, we all have a lot of questions.

There is a lot of information – often conflicting information – about what it means to eat healthy as an adult, not to mention all the advice parents get about childhood and teen nutrition. Pediatric Associates of Northern Colorado wants to make it simple. In today’s article, we’re here to answer some of your top questions about healthy eating for kids! Read on to learn more, and schedule a checkup with your child’s pediatrician for more personalized nutrition advice.

WHEN SHOULD I INTRODUCE SOLIDS?

For most babies, you can introduce solid foods around 4 months of age. You can start with just about anything, but keep it simple and soft with small portions. You can mix it up more after 6 months, but don’t start decreasing the amount of formula or breast milk you feed your baby until they are about 9 months old.

HOW DO I INTRODUCE NEW FOODS TO MY BABY?

You can introduce new foods to your baby as single ingredients about once a day every three to five days. Once you have introduced a few new ingredients, you can start combining them together, such as adding sweet potato puree to rice or oat meal. Remember that many babies don’t develop the motor coordination to “pinch” individual items until they are about 9 months old, so stick with foods they can eat by scooping it up with their hands or squeezing it out of a pouch.

HOW MUCH FOOD DOES MY CHILD NEED?

Rather than counting calories on behalf of your child, it’s best to let them dictate how much they want to eat and when they are full. Most kids do well eating three meals and two snacks like their parents, and you can look up appropriate portion sizes for kids online for pictures and references. As long as you schedule regular visits to your local children’s health clinic, your pediatrician will keep you informed if child is not gaining enough weight or gaining too much.

WHAT ARE SOME “IMMUNE BOOSTING” FOODS TO TRY?

“Super foods” can be a good way to keep your child healthy and happy. Most kids get plenty of important vitamins and minerals from the foods they eat every day as part of a well-rounded diet, but if you’re looking to be more intentional about their meals and snacks during flu or allergy season, here are a few foods to try:

Nuts and seeds
Yogurt and probiotic supplements
Honey
Citrus fruits
Nut butters
Whole grains
Beans
Garlic

HOW DO I ENCOURAGE HEALTHY EATING?

Kids, especially toddlers, can be picky eaters, which can make it hard to encourage them to partake in a balanced diet. One of the best ways to get them to eat fruits and vegetables is to set an example with what you eat and get them involved in the process of meal planning, grocery shopping, and preparation. For older kids, explain to them why healthy eating is so important. For younger kids, tempt them into eating healthy foods with dips like yogurt, peanut butter, or ranch. While we don’t recommend “hiding” nutritious foods, you can easily add ingredients to dishes kids love, like smoothies or spaghetti.

HOW DO I HANDLE OVEREATING?

First of all, talk to your pediatric provider if you’re concerned about overeating or excessive weight gain. If your pediatrician shares your concern, then you can talk about specific actions you can take. Those actions may include having a conversation about what’s healthy, being more mindful about the portion sizes you serve, and setting an example with your own eating. You should never use the term “diet” with young kids or “ban” any specific foods. You also shouldn’t force your child to eat everything that is on their plate, even if you think you have offered reasonable portions, because it can lead or contribute to disordered eating.

HOW MUCH PROTEIN IS ENOUGH?

Many parents are worried about how much protein their child is getting, especially if their child doesn’t eat meat. In most cases, your child is getting more than enough protein in their diet! The general rule of thumb for how much protein someone needs is one gram per two pounds of bodyweight. For the average 4 year old, that’s about 20 grams of protein, and a single portion of meat includes about 7 grams.

What Are Some Vegetarian and Vegan Protein Options for Kids?

Meat is a great source of protein, iron, and other nutrients, but it is by no means the only source of those nutrients. If your child follows a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle, they can get protein from foods like:

Nut butters
Tofu
Beans
Dairy products
Eggs

SHOULD I GIVE MY CHILD A MULTIVITAMIN?

Most kids get the vitamins and minerals they need from the foods they eat. It’s better to get important nutrients naturally from food, but if your child avoids a food group like dairy or their pediatrician is concerned about a deficiency, you may want to consider a multivitamin. Adding nutritional supplements in most cases won’t hurt them, since many vitamins are water soluble. Iron, however, can linger in your child’s body, so be mindful about adding any iron supplements to their diet.

ARE BIG CHANGES IN APPETITE NORMAL?

In younger kids, yes, it is very normal for them to eat a lot one day and nibble the next. They are self-regulating, which is great! In older kids, however, if you are seeing changes in appetite aside from a decline when they are sick or otherwise feeling under the weather, then you should talk to their healthcare provider.

We hope today’s article alleviates some of your fears about childhood nutrition and offers guidance for how to keep them healthy. If you have any questions, you can contact Pediatric Associates of Northern Colorado, and schedule an appointment to address any concerns you may have about weight, growth, or development. We’re here for you! Call today to get started, and keep an eye on this blog for more in-depth advice on healthy habits for kids in future posts!

Measles Outbreak: How To Protect Your Family

Thu, 09 May 2019 18:02:29 GMT

With measles cases across the country breaking records, many families are contacting us to understand how they can best protect their children and themselves. This article was created to answer some of those frequently asked questions.

With measles cases across the country breaking records, many families are contacting us to understand how they can best protect their children and themselves. This article was created to answer some of those frequently asked questions.

ABOUT THE MEASLES VIRUS

Measles is a highly contagious, airborne viral illness. So contagious, in fact, that if someone with an active measles infection was in a room even two hours earlier, an unprotected person walking into that same room has a 90–95% chance of getting measles. The virus can be transmitted from four days before the rash becomes visible to four days after the rash appears. So, in areas of the country where there are numerous active cases and the virus is spreading, it is incredibly important to make sure your family is protected.

THE MEASLES VACCINE

The good news is that there is a safe and effective measles vaccine. The measles vaccine is currently part of two licensed combination vaccines: the MMR (measles-mumps-rubella) and the MMRV (measles-mumps-rubella-varicella) vaccines. There is no single-component measles vaccine currently available.

THE VACCINATION SCHEDULE

MMR is routinely first given to children at 12–15 months of age per the standard schedule. The second dose of MMR is routinely given between 4–6 years of age. If you live in – or are traveling to – a region where there is a current measles outbreak, and your child has only had their first vaccine, then you should discuss getting the second vaccine early with your doctor. It takes 10–14 days for the body to build up protection from the vaccine.

Why don’t we give the second dose early for everyone? Unlike the measles vaccine, which gives a patient lifetime immunity after those two shots, we know the mumps protection starts to diminish after 7–10 years. We don’t want to create a new problem with more mumps in the future, although it is already a problem at some college campuses and other places.

HOW TO PROTECT YOUR INFANT

How can I protect my infant who hasn’t yet received the 12 month MMR? If your child is at least 6 months old, they can receive a shot early. However, this will be considered “dose zero” and will give them temporary protection. They will still need the routine two doses at 12–15 months and 4–6 years of age. Children under 6 months of age are not eligible to receive MMR vaccine. Antibodies circulating from their mothers prevent them from having an appropriate response to the vaccine. Our best advice for traveling with infants to an outbreak area, either in the U.S. or abroad? Whenever possible, don’t go.

YOUR FAMILY AND MEASLES

What about parents, grandparents, aunts, and uncles? People born prior to 1957 are considered immune. Measles was widespread before the vaccine, and because of the highly contagious nature of the virus, those people are considered immune. Anyone who was given two doses of the vaccine or has proven measles immunity by antibody titers (blood work) is considered protected. There is no indication for a third measles vaccine. If you are unsure of your immunity, or you have only had one vaccine, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has great information.

WHY VACCINES MATTER

Remember, we are not only protecting our families, but also those vulnerable members of our community who cannot get the vaccine. These individuals may remain unvaccinated because: They are an infant and too young to be vaccinated. They are undergoing treatment for cancer. They have immune deficiencies or are immunosuppressed because they have had an organ transplant. Thank you for keeping our community as safe as possible and contributing to herd immunity. If you have declined the MMR vaccine for your child (something we do NOT recommend), and your child is ill or has been exposed to measles, then we would like your child to be seen in the emergency room.

If you seek care at Pediatric Associates of Northern Colorado, we would like to know in advance, and we will ask you to bring your child in through a side entrance with a mask. This will decrease the exposure to our patients in the waiting room. If you have any questions about measles, please don’t hesitate to call us.

pediatricassociatesofnortherncolorado

Measles Outbreak

How to protect your family:

Construction Delays

Construction Delays

Coronavirus (COVID-19)

We wanted to update you on what we are doing to keep our patients, their families and our staff safe from COVID-19 (Corona virus). We have your health and safety as our first priority. We are here to care for your children amidst this pandemic.

Childhood Nutrition FAQS

When it comes to nutrition, we all have a lot of questions.

WHEN SHOULD I INTRODUCE SOLIDS?

HOW DO I INTRODUCE NEW FOODS TO MY BABY?

HOW MUCH FOOD DOES MY CHILD NEED?

WHAT ARE SOME “IMMUNE BOOSTING” FOODS TO TRY?

HOW DO I ENCOURAGE HEALTHY EATING?

HOW DO I HANDLE OVEREATING?

HOW MUCH PROTEIN IS ENOUGH?

What Are Some Vegetarian and Vegan Protein Options for Kids?

SHOULD I GIVE MY CHILD A MULTIVITAMIN?

ARE BIG CHANGES IN APPETITE NORMAL?

Measles Outbreak: How To Protect Your Family

With measles cases across the country breaking records, many families are contacting us to understand how they can best protect their children and themselves. This article was created to answer some of those frequently asked questions.

ABOUT THE MEASLES VIRUS

THE MEASLES VACCINE

THE VACCINATION SCHEDULE

HOW TO PROTECT YOUR INFANT

YOUR FAMILY AND MEASLES

WHY VACCINES MATTER

We wanted to update you on what we are doing to keep our patients, their families and our staff safe from COVID-19 (Corona virus).

We have your health and safety as our first priority. We are here to care for your children amidst this pandemic.