Health Insurance for Children

The federal and state governments have made health insurance for children one of their main priorities during the Obama administration. For example, as of this past September, insurance companies cannot deny a child coverage even if he or she has a pre-existing medical condition. Additionally, those children of plan holders are allowed to remain covered through the age of twenty-six. (Some states are as high as twenty-nine years.)

Health insurance for children could not be a concern at a better time. The economy is in such a slump and parents are losing their jobs and their homes. Health coverage is one of the only beacons of light left for those who feel deflated. There is great relief in knowing one’s child is taken care of by the insurance industry.

The Children’s Health Insurance Program or CHIP is a federal program administered by the United States Department of Health and Human Services. It’s a program designed to provide funding to states with for children with no health insurance. Under matching funds, health insurance go in to effect for families who make too much for Medicaid coverage but too little to buy expensive plans.

Chip was developing in 1997 under the Clinton administration and commandeered by first lady, Hilary Clinton. What it essentially set out to do was allow individual states to design their own programs and guidelines through the CHIP program. Every family would apply through their home state. Unfortunately, as time wore on, many individual states faced their own fiscal crisis and funding shortcomings and CHIP was not considered the beacon it once was.

Health insurance for children was not considered an act of neglect by presidents after Clinton’s reign in the White House it absolutely was. The percentage of uninsured children over the poverty line rose as the government considered CHIP as a means of federalizing health care. Under the GW Bush administration, there more uninsured children than in the years prior.

Thankfully, with new health care reforms being signed in to place, children and CHIP are priorities in the new administration. No longer is federalization considered a stigma for so many because once the 2009 Children’s Health Care Reauthorization Act of 2009 was signed, wellness and health insurance for children became precedence.

In fact, when entering a zip code in the above box, forthcoming information will be provided and one will be able to see how health insurance quotes and reform have been effective locally.

There are still kinks to work out in the health insurance debate. CHIP is not a perfect program but it is still favorable for many millions of children and their families who struggle to make ends meet. The last concern any American child should have is whether or not he or she will be protected in his or her wellness. Health insurance for children has never been so positively received by the government and the public is appreciative for this change of outlook. With proper health coverage, our children will grow in to the proper leaders we wish for them to become.

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Seasonal Influenza 2011–2012

What is The Flu?

The influenza (flu) virus causes serious illness that may result in hospitalization or death. It mostly affects the breathing system, but may also affect the whole body. The flu season usually starts in the fall and ends in the spring.

People can get the flu many times in their lives. Flu viruses are always changing over time and from year to year. Three seasonal flu viruses are expected to make children sick again this flu season.

Signs of the flu

All flu viruses cause a respiratory illness that can last a week or more. Flu symptoms include

• A sudden fever (usually above 101°F or 38.3°C)
• Chills and body shakes
• Headache, body aches, and being a lot more tired than usual
• Sore throat
• Dry, hacking cough
• Stuffy, runny nose

Some children may throw up (vomit) and have loose stools (diarrhea). Talk with your child’s doctor if your child has ear pain, a cough that won’t go away, or a fever that won’t go away. There can be serious complications, even death, from the flu, but these are uncommon.

How to prevent the flu

Get the flu vaccine every year

Safe vaccines are made each year to protect against the flu. This year’s flu vaccine protects against the same 3 strains of influenza virus in last year’s vaccine. These are

• Influenza A (H3N2)
• Influenza A (H1N1)
• Influenza B

The number of vaccine doses your child needs this year depends on his age at the time the first dose is given and his flu vaccine history.

• Children 6 months through 8 years of age should get 2 doses if they did not get a flu vaccine last year and 1 dose if they did.
• Children 9 years and older need only 1 dose.

Everyone should get the flu vaccine each year to update their protection because

• Protection from the flu vaccine lasts for about 6 to 12 months.
• The virus strains in the vaccine may change, so your protection usually needs updating.

Who should get which flu vaccine?

There are 2 types of flu vaccine.

Trivalent inactivated influenza vaccine (TIV) is given as a shot. There are 2 kinds of shots. The intramuscular (into the muscle) shot is licensed and recommended for children 6 months and older and adults, including people with and without chronic medical conditions. The new intradermal (into the skin) shot has been licensed for the 2011–2012 season to use in people 18 through 64 years of age.  

Vaccination is especially important for people at higher risk of getting severely ill from the flu and their close contacts, the close contacts of healthy children younger than 5 years, all health care personnel, and all pregnant (or postpartum) women. 

Live-attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV) is sprayed into the nose. LAIV is recommended for healthy children 2 years and older.

Both types of flu vaccine are very safe and work well to protect your child from the flu. Check with your doctor about which is best for your child and family.

Are there side effects of the flu vaccine?

There are very few side effects of the flu vaccine. The area where the TIV flu shot is given may be sore for a day or two. Fever may occur within 24 hours after in about 10% to 35% of children younger than 2 years but rarely in older children and adults.

Because LAIV is sprayed into the nose, your child might get a stuffy, runny nose within the first few days. LAIV may produce mild symptoms, including rhinitis, headache, wheezing, vomiting, muscle aches, and fever.

You or your children will not get the flu from the vaccine. It takes 2 weeks for the vaccine to start working, so people can catch the flu before they are protected. 

Is the flu vaccine safe for children with egg allergies?

In the past, children with egg allergies were not recommended to get the flu vaccine because they might have a reaction. There is now enough scientific information to show that influenza vaccine given in a single, age-appropriate dose is well received by nearly all children and adults who have egg allergy. Check with your doctor if you have any questions.

• Children with a history of mild egg allergy (hives) can get the flu vaccine safely at their doctor’s office.
• Children with a history of severe egg allergy should have their doctor consult with their allergist before getting the flu vaccine.

When should my child get the flu vaccine?

The best time to get the flu vaccine is the early fall or as soon as it is available in your community. If your child does not get the flu vaccine right away, it is still important to get it anytime. The flu virus infects people in the fall, winter, and well into the spring each year. Your child can still be protected if she gets a flu vaccine as late as March, April, or May. Ask your doctor if you have any questions about the flu vaccine.

Keep flu germs from spreading

The flu virus spreads easily through the air with coughing and sneezing, and through touching things like doorknobs or toys and then touching your eyes, nose, or mouth. Here are some tips that will help protect your family from getting sick.

1. Everyone should wash their hands often. You can use soap and warm water for at least 20 seconds. That is about as long as singing the “Happy Birthday” song 2 times. And an alcohol-based hand cleanser or sanitizer works well too. Put enough on your hands to make them all wet, then rub them together until dry.
2. Teach your child to cover his mouth and nose when coughing or sneezing. Show your child how to cough into the elbow or upper sleeve (not a hand) or use a tissue.
3. Throw all tissues used for runny noses and sneezes in the trash right away.
4. Wash dishes and utensils in hot, soapy water or the dishwasher.
5. Don’t let children share pacifiers, cups, spoons, forks, washcloths, or towels without washing. Never share toothbrushes.
6. Teach your child to try not to touch her eyes, nose, or mouth.
7. Wash doorknobs, toilet handles, countertops, and even toys. Use a disinfectant wipe or a cloth with soap and hot water. (A disinfectant is a cleaner that kills germs.)

What if my child gets the flu?

Call the doctor right away if your child shows any signs of the flu and

• Is 3 months or younger and has a fever
• Has fast breathing or trouble breathing
• Looks very sick
• Is more sleepy than usual
• Is very fussy no matter what you do
• Cannot or will not drink anything
• Urinates (pees) very little

You should also call the doctor if your child shows signs of the flu and has a chronic medical condition, like

• Asthma, diabetes, or heart problems
• Sickle cell disease, cancer, HIV, or another disease that makes it hard to fight infections
• Cerebral palsy or other nerve disorders of the brain and muscles that make it harder to cough up mucus and breathe
• Morbid obesity (being very overweight)

Go to the emergency department right away if your child

• Has signs of the flu that keep getting worse
• Has blue skin color
• Will not wake up at all

Drugs to treat the flu

The doctor may be able to treat the flu with an antiviral medicine. These drugs work best if your child gets them within the first 1 to 2 days of showing signs of the flu.

Call the doctor within 24 hours to ask about antiviral drugs if your child is at high risk of influenza complications because he

• Has any serious health problem like asthma, diabetes, sickle cell disease, or cerebral palsy
• Is younger than 2 years, but especially if younger than 6 months (Young children are at an increased risk of influenza infection, hospitalization, and complications.)

Help your child feel better

Extra rest and a lot of fluids can help your child feel better. You can also give your child medicine to bring down the fever.

• For a baby 6 months or younger, give acetaminophen. Tylenol is one brand of acetaminophen.
• For a child older than 6 months, give either acetaminophen or ibuprofen. Advil and Motrin are brands of ibuprofen.
• Never give any child aspirin. Aspirin puts the child at risk for Reye syndrome, a serious illness that affects the liver and brain.

Keep your child home

Keep your child home from school or child care when she has a fever and other signs of the flu. Your child needs rest. Also, your child can give the flu to other children.

When can my child go back to school or child care?

Your child should stay home at least 24 hours after his fever is gone. Start counting time after you stop giving your child fever medicines like acetaminophen or ibuprofen. A temperature of 100.4°F (38°C) or higher is a sign of fever. Check with your child’s school or child care center to find out its rules about children staying home when they are ill.

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The Reasons to Give Moses Baskets for Baby

While the name appears exotic, a little one Moses basket is exactly what it appears like. It is a basket made to hold a sleeping baby safely. Though the baskets on the market today undoubtedly will not keep baby dry on a voyage down the Nile, they supply additional perks. If you know an individual that is regarding to have a baby or has a newborn, these baskets make the ideal gift.

A Moses basket acts as a compact bassinet. Big enough to easily hold a resting baby, most baskets have a rounded bottom that fits a focused mattress. The design of the basket makes it very steady as long as baby has not grown up enough to roll greatly or attempt sitting. Because the basket is portable, moms and fathers can easily put it anywhere in the home to supply a protected sleeping spot for their infant. Moses baskets function great in the living space, house office or even in the dining room.

Numerous couples use Moses baskets at evening when their little one is incredibly young. Studies have actually shown that babies resting near their parent or guardians are less likely to experience Sudden Baby Fatality Syndrome. Nonetheless, it is certainly not safe to place little one in the bed if mom or father is a fitful sleeper. To prevent this problem, couples can easily put the Moses basket in the space by having them and even in the bed. The basket protects little one while keeping him near.

Lots of nursing moms give Moses baskets a hearty recommendation for this very cause. If they have to obtain up in the middle of the evening, travel to the nursery, take the little one out of a bassinet or crib, feed as well as then return baby to bed, it can easily be challenging for everyone to have back to rest. By having a Moses basket, a breastfeeding mom can easily keep the little one right next to her in an enormous bed. When the baby wakes, mom can nurse without having out of the bed, turning on lights or wondering the halls. Since little one has immediate gratification, he or she will definitely not wake up quite as much and it can easily be easier for everyone to tumble asleep once more.

Little one Moses baskets are a terrific gift for anybody expecting a new arrival. They are cute, comfy for little one and provide convenience for every person. New mothers will thank you weeks after little one arrives when they comprehend exactly how much they make use of their little one's basket.

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Good Foods for Pregnancy

A healthy food becomes even more important during pregnancy. We have prepared some tips on a healthy diet you could use

What to Eat?

A nutritionally balanced healthy menu will be a guide for mother. What is called a balanced diet?

Food Pyramid

Useful food pyramid to guide the mother to consume foods with a balanced composition.

Healthy Eating Tip:

• Choose a variety of foods from each group different foods, to ensure a balance of nutrients.
• Consult your doctor supplementation in pregnancy when the mother was not eating food from a particular group.
• Eat regularly three times a day, and consumption of snack food as a distraction from 2 to 3 times a day.
• Get fiber from fruits, vegetables, whole grains, cereals, and beans.
• Drink at least 8 glasses of water a day. Plus low-fat milk, fresh fruit juices and soups.
• Eat one serving of fish rich in oil and a serving of white meat fish each week.
• Use vegetable oils such as corn oil, olive, and sunflower in your cuisine. But use sparingly.
• Avoid processed preservative food. Usually they contain high levels of salt.
• Avoid caffeine.
• Avoid sweets, crisps, cakes, biscuits, fats, oils, and sugar. Although calorie, they are not much nutritional value. Replace snacks with fruit, it must be healthier.

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Why Your Insurance Company Denies Your Claim?

Have you ever been ill? Obviously, yes. Have you ever ask your insurance company to pay for your treatment? Probably yes. And have your claim ever been denied? Sure. It is quite obvious, because if insurance companies paid every claim without question they would probably go broke.

So let’s go deeper into details of the whole process. When a person asks the insurance company he is registered in for paying for his treatment course, this company is likely to fend off his claim. Almost all insurance companies are trying to save themselves money by denying such claims. But they know for sure that in any case they are to pay for some kind of treatment, but a patient should be really persistent to reach his goals.

It happens that really often the doctor himself tries to help the patient to receive this payment from the insurance company. In such cases doctors just offer patients the treatment options that they know for sure the insurance companies will pay for without even any consideration whether they can or can not deny the patient’s claim. But in many cases the conflicts between a patient and an insurance company are not worth a farthing. And they may give more headaches than cures.

Let’s consider the situation when anyway an insurance company has rejected your request. In this case you have the right to write a formal complaint to the insurance company and ask them to reconsider your claim. According to new health care laws an insurance company has a possibility to look through this complaint during a short period of time and, of course, they can reject your complaint either. But by the way you can also go further and make the company review the rejection of your claim.

In any case not all the conflicts between an insurance company and a patient can be resolved in favour of the patient. So you’d better decide for yourself whether your can try another way of treatment and pay for it out of your pocket or you can continue fighting with the health insurance company. Your treatment is considered to be more useful and important and any delay may have undesirable aftermath.

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How to Bath Your Baby

There are many mothers who are still confused about how to bathe small babies who are still weak. We have instructions below can help you, happy bathing  

Bathing Baby for the First Time.

Although you provided a way to bathe a baby while still in the hospital, you may still feel anxious when I had to do it yourself at home.
 
Many mothers prefer to bathe their babies with washlap in the first weeks. After feeling more confident, then they actually bathe with bath.

It does not matter if I'm just using washlap. Do this in a warm room and Cover baby with a towel to dry.

Necessary to bathe the baby

Bathing the baby would be easier if you are really ready. So before you start, prepare the following equipment:

• Baby bathtub (if any body or rubber buffer fitted so the baby shower is not easy to slip). Put in place a comfortable fit and high ambient temperature that does not make you sick waist.
• Water thermometer
• washlap gentle sponge bath or a baby
• washlap gentle sponge bath or a baby
• Baby towel
• Equipment to clean the umbilical cord (gauze, cotton, betadine, bandage, cotton buds)
• Equipment for use seusainya (baby clothes, diapers, powder, oil talon, etc.)

Bathing your baby - step by step

• Prepare a bath with a tub of water quantity and temperature sufficient for the baby (about 30-32 degrees celsius)
• Set also a shower room temperature so the baby is not cold.
• Put the baby in the tub or on the support. Dampen his body slowly and wash the eyes, ears, face, and folds her body with a soft cloth.
• Use a special soap for baby's body, gently rinse with water.
• If the baby's hair should be wayoud, do the above taffel baby before the baby is put into the tub. Support your head and shoulders with a forearm Mother. Clean the foam head with a wet cloth, a new rinsed clean.
• During the shower, take your baby to talk or sing songs to calm him down.
• When finiyoud, lift the baby with a warm towel and then keirngkan body.

If you are still in doubt, midwife or doctor will show you how to bathe the baby is most suitable for the mother. Once you mastered it, you will feel confident to do it.

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What is The meaning of Colic?

There are several things you can do to help your baby is experiencing colic:

Signs of  infant colic?

• Cried until her face fluyoud
• Clenched fists, and legs pulled up to chest with loud cries for 2-3 hours.
• Colic usually appears about 15 minutes after being fed milk
• Colic can occur at any time within the first weeks of baby's age and usually disappear when the    baby is 3 months old.

What causes colic?

The cause of colic is not yet known for sure, but there are a number of potential factors. One of them is your baby inhaling too much air without burping causing his stomach bloating so it feels very sick. Another factor is that the baby's bowel to work too hard to remove dirt from the body, causing cramps.

Addressing infant colic?

• Bathe baby in warm water and wrap him in warm blankets.
• Abdominal massage your baby gently in a clockwise direction.
• Ask a midwife or doctor to demonstrate techniques to help your baby burp.
• Move your baby's legs like pedaling a bicycle motion.
• Swing baby swing or invite him to ride the cars. Movement like this can help calm him down.
• Breastfeed your baby. Breastfeeding can reduce the amount of air inhaled which can cause colic.

  When you are not sure of the health of  your baby, consult a physician.

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