Kid’s Health: 1) Get Kids Up-To-Date On Vaccinations, Watch For Signs Of Invasive Strep A: Doctors; 2)‘Risky Play’ Can Be Good For Kids, Pediatricians Say In New Guidance 3)Kids Were Spending Too Much Time In The School Bathroom, So Staff Took Away The Mirrors 4) Ontario Announces Overhaul To Kindergarten Curriculum
1)Get Kids Up-To-Date On Vaccinations, Watch For Signs Of Invasive Strep A: Doctors
Courtesy of Barrie360.com and Canadian PressPublished: Jan 20th, 2024
By Camille Bains
The recent deaths of six children in Ontario and four children in British Columbia from a bacterial infection is grabbing parents’ attention. Doctors say severe cases of invasive Group A streptococcal infection are extremely rare. Here’s what to know about the disease that is showing up in record numbers this season and also puts adults, especially those aged 65 and older, at risk.
What is Group A streptococcus?
Streptococci bacteria are commonly found in the throat and on skin. Dr. Monika Naus, medical director of immunization programs and vaccine preventable diseases at the BC Centre for Disease Control, said some people have no symptoms but others may get strep throat, a mild illness often accompanied by a fever. It resolves on its own within a few days or is treated with antibiotics. A sore throat, on the other hand, usually comes with a cough, runny nose or other cold-like symptoms.
How does someone get infected with invasive Group A streptococcal infection, or iGAS?
The illness becomes invasive when bacteria enter the bloodstream or deep tissue, sometimes through an open wound or the nose and throat. It is passed on through direct contact with discharges from those membranes or with infected skin lesions, Naus said.
What are some ways to prevent infection?
Washing hands, especially before cooking or eating, is one protective measure, as is keeping any cuts or wounds clean and watching for redness or other signs of infection. Staying home when sick and getting vaccinated against influenza and COVID-19 is also important.
Naus said even a paper cut could lead to infection.
“I’m not meaning to scare anyone but it doesn’t have to be a serious trauma. Sometimes strep infections can be initiated by what’s called blunt trauma, which means the skin wasn’t even pierced. But the organisms were on the skin and entered the body that way.”
A viral infection, such as the flu, can allow Strep A bacteria to invade the body, making those infections more common in the winter months.
British Columbia has had 60 cases of the invasive illness in people under age 20 compared with thousands of cases of influenza and respiratory syncytial virus, or RSV, which is more likely to sicken young children and older adults.
What should parents be watching for?
“It’s a fine line trying to tell the difference between a child who’s miserable because they’re on their first or second day of a fever from the flu and a child who’s getting into trouble.” Naus said.
However, parents should be on the lookout for prolonged fever, difficulty breathing, sandpapery red rash or a swollen tongue, sometimes called strawberry tongue. A child who is groggy and has a tough time waking up should also raise concerns.
A child whose condition is deteriorating could also have pneumococcus disease, though children are vaccinated against it starting at two months.
While there is no vaccine for invasive Group A streptococcus, Naus urged parents to at least get their kids vaccinated against influenza and COVID-19.
“It can prevent those infections, and those infections can be a precursor to a more serious bacterial infection.”
Who is most at risk?
Dr. Upton Allen, head of infectious diseases at Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children, said people with a weakened immune system are most susceptible to infection. In Ontario, children between five and nine have become ill, as have adults 65 and older, he said.
“Among adults, those with long-term illnesses such as cancer, diabetes, kidney disease and on special medications such as corticosteroids may be at higher risk,” Allen said. “Some of these infections may be mild but some may have severe outcomes.”
Families should be mindful that lesions sometimes caused by chickenpox may become infected and cause Step A infection, he said, urging parents to ensure their kids get routine vaccinations.
“Certainly, we have had concerns during the COVID period, and we all should advocate for there to be strong efforts to ensure that vaccines are up-to-date.”
What are severe but rare forms of Group A strep?
In very rare cases, Group A strep can cause necrotizing fasciitis, a flesh-eating disease; meningitis; cerebral spinal infection; toxic shock syndrome, which causes multi-organ failure; low blood pressure and kidney failure.
Naus said none of the four children who died in British Columbia were believed to have developed any of those conditions.
2)‘Risky Play’ Can Be Good For Kids, Pediatricians Say In New Guidance
Courtesy of Barrie360.com and Canadian PressPublished: Jan 25th, 2024
The Canadian Paediatric Society says a little risk can be good for kids’ physical and mental well-being.
The national organization issued new recommendations Thursday that encourage kids to engage in unstructured outdoor play — and “risky play” in particular.
It said that type of play varies by child, but is generally defined as “thrilling and exciting free play that involves uncertain outcomes and the possibility of physical injury.”
Examples include play at height or speed, supervised activities involving tools such as hammers, ropes and knives — such as whittling or building — and the chance of getting lost.
While it can be scary for parents to allow risk into their kids’ lives, the pediatric group said this sort of play is crucial for children’s mental, social and physical development.
But the organization said that doesn’t mean ignoring safety regulations. Kids shouldn’t be left unsupervised in hazardous areas, nor should they be pushed outside their comfort levels.
It’s up to the grown-ups to be aware of hazards, and intervene if the potential harm is more serious than the child is able to recognize and manage.
Dr. Emilie Beaulieu, who authored the society’s guidance document, said risky play has been studied for at least 20 years as having multiple benefits including increased physical activity.
“Children are more active, there are lower rates of obesity and there are all these other indicators around cardiovascular health,” she said in an interview from Quebec City, where she is a pediatrician.
“We also see that they are less stressed and have better relationships with their peers,” said Beaulieu, adding research also suggests kids have fewer conflicts and higher self-esteem when they’re allowed more riskier play during recess.
“I think where we are now is trying to find the right balance between letting kids play freely and incorporating risk in their play while making sure that they’re still safe and avoiding hazards.”
Monkey bars have resulted in plenty of injuries, and trampolines may be dangerous if children do not land on their feet so parents should consider potential hazards, Beaulieu said.
But telling kids to “go play outside” would help reduce screen time as they benefit from being out in nature, said Beaulieu, who has two young children.
“We deal with risky play every day,” she said. “I learned from society and my parents. My first thought is, “Be careful!”
Instead, it’s best for parents to manage any risks by guiding children and asking them questions, including whether a structure is safe enough to support their weight, she said.
3)Kids Were Spending Too Much Time In The School Bathroom, So Staff Took Away The Mirrors
WHAT’S TRENDING WITH MJ
Courtesy of Barrie360.com – MJ BradfordPublished: Jan 24th, 2024 9:18am
A school in North Carolina is getting some attention after they took the mirrors out of the student bathrooms, and TikTok is to blame.
Teachers at Southern Middle School in Graham, North Carolina, said students were asking to use the bathroom up to nine times a day, taking much longer than needed.
It turned out the kids were using the mirrors to make TikTok videos.https://giphy.com/embed/3ov9jL0p6enqpddaPS
The answer is more challenging than banning phones, as kids still manage to sneak them into class.
So they did away with what they could control: the mirrors.
So far, the solution is working, and teachers say kids spend much less time in the commode.
4) Ontario Announces Overhaul To Kindergarten Curriculum
Canadian PressPublished: Jan 23rd, 2024
Ontario Education Minister Stephen Lecce is extending his “back to basics” curriculum push into kindergarten.
The government plans to spend the next year consulting on new mandatory learning to include in the kindergarten curriculum, including the foundations of coding, and plans to release it in spring 2025 for implementation that September.
Lecce says it will ensure students have strong reading, writing and math skills when they enter Grade 1.
The government has introduced new elementary curricula in math, science and language in recent years, and Lecce often touts a “back-to-basics” approach.
Officials say the changes they envision to the kindergarten curriculum will better link it with the updated requirements in Grade 1.
They say what will not change is the full-day nature of the kindergarten program, the current teacher and early childhood educator staffing model, or the play-based learning approach.
Officials say the changes will be about making curriculum expectations more explicit and clear, in response to recommendations from the Ontario Human Rights Commission’s Right to Read report, which looked at how to address systemic issues that affect learning to read.
Government officials say new learning would include understanding sound-letter relationships, developing phonics knowledge, and using specific vocabulary.
It is also set to include learning about the concept of fractions, as well as the foundations of coding such as sequencing.
“It’s critical that our youngest students develop core foundational skills earlier on in their lives,” Lecce wrote in a statement.
“That is why we are introducing a new kindergarten curriculum that will help to lay the foundation for strong reading, writing and math skills from day one. Our government will continue to relentlessly advance back to basics education that restores the focus on academic achievement, common sense, and excellence in literacy and STEM disciplines.”
The current kindergarten curriculum has been in place since 2016.
Patricia is the Business Mentor and owner of Grow Vantage and a Past President of the Barrie Chamber of Commerce. She applies over 30 years of business experience (from start-up to corporate) to mentor entrepreneurs. Since 2011, she has held over 6,500 coaching and training sessions in-person and online. Through Ask For Directions Training, her entrepreneurial training program (and parent company Grow Vantage), and as a business coach, she works with start-ups who are new (or who have lost traction) to design, launch and grow their businesses. Along with 20 other expert instructors she teaches strategies in marketing, sales, communications, and finance, as well as practical techniques to increase productivity, and manage their businesses. In other words, everything entrepreneurs need to learn to grow and run their businesses successfully, and avoid the costly mistakes they can't even see coming - that lead to delays in growth and getting stuck.
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