Kids Health Info

Finding the cause of pain in children and what to do about it can be one of the trickiest things for parents to manage. In this episode, Anthea is joined by Dr Nadine Sharples from the Emergency Department at The Royal Children's Hospital to share lots of practical advice on pain and pain relief in kids.  For more information RCH Kids Health Info fact sheet - pain relief for children Victorian Poisons Information Centre RCH Kids Health Info Podcast - Head injuries RCH Kids Health Info Podcast - Viruses and fevers RCH Kids Health Info Podcast - Headaches and tummy aches

Hand, foot and mouth disease is one of those things that seems to always be "going around". In fact, it's one of our most asked about topics. In this episode, Lexi speaks with Dr Gabrielle Haeusler, an infectious diseases specialist, to understand the signs of HFMD and discuss some prevention and treatment strategies. Click here to read our RCH Kids Health Info fact sheet on Hand, foot and mouth disease.

When a child is diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, it has a profound impact on their life and family. Diabetes requires strict management every single day. Added to that burden is the confusion and misunderstanding that others might have about the disease and its cause. In this episode, Margie and Lexi are joined by Professor Fergus Cameron, Director of Endocrinology and Diabetes at The Royal Children's Hospital, and Sarah, whose son Finn was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at 15 months of age. Together they explore the medical aspects of Type 1 diabetes, what it means for children getting on with learning, play and life, and what the future holds with advances in diabetes management.  For more information, including the warning signs of diabetes in children, please see our Kids Health Info fact sheet on diabetes. The Royal Children's Hospital has a dedicated website for children and families living with diabetes. You can also learn more about living with diabetes at the Diabetes Victoria website.

Growing up can be tiring work. But what's the difference between general tiredness in children and young people, and relentless fatigue that turns the simplest things into a challenge? Dr Lexi Frydenberg is joined Dr Colette Reveley, a paediatrician in the Department of Adolescent Medicine at The Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne, to unpack the mysteries of chronic fatigue syndrome. They chat about typical symptoms and how chronic fatigue is diagnosed. They also provide advice about the management of chronic fatigue syndrome and where parents can go for help. For more information and support, see: RCH Kids Health Info fact sheet - Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Emerge Australia

Ah-choo! It feels like children everywhere are coughing and sneezing their way through this winter. So is it worse than usual? And what is 'RSV'? In this episode, Anthea and Margie are joined by paediatrician Dr Suzanne Boyce to chat about the most common respiratory viruses going around. They talk through the symptoms of COVID-19, RSV and flu, how to know when to seek help and the best ways to stop children from getting sick in the first place. Helpful resources RCH Kids Health Info fact sheet - Influenza (the flu) RCH Kids Health Info fact sheet - Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) RCH Kids Health Info fact sheet - Bronchiolitis RCH Kids Health Info fact sheet - Coronavirus COVID-19 RCH Kids Health Info fact sheet - Cough RCH Kids Health Info fact sheet - Croup RCH Kids Health Info fact sheet - Fever in children RCH Kids Health Info podcast - Viruses and fevers, why do kids get sick so often? RCH Kids Health Info podcast - Cough, croup and wheeze GP respiratory clinics (Victoria, Australia)

Mealtimes can be a stressful experience when you've got a little person who pushes away their plate. Especially when you've put a lot of effort into a wholesome meal or the rest of the family is ready to eat. In this episode, Lexi and Anthea are joined by special guest Dr Kathleen McGrath, a paediatric gastroenterologist with a special interest in child nutrition. Together they pick though the common reasons for fussy eating, whether there's a health risk if your child doesn't seem to be eating enough, what you can do to get them enjoying more foods, and where to get help if you're worried that things aren't improving. Helpful resources: RCH Kids Health Info fact sheet: Nutrition babies and toddlers Raising Children Network - healthy eating habits RCH National Child Health Poll - Ready made baby foods: Do parents know the facts?

As more children return to fields, courts and ovals around the country, common sports injuries and accidents are on the rise. What is the best first aid for sports injuries and how do you know when to go to emergency? Margie and Anthea are joined by Dr Peter Barnett, an emergency doctor at the RCH with an interest in sports medicine and Greg Cull, a physiotherapist at the RCH, to chat about managing sports injuries and supporting children to get safely back to all-important physical activity. Helpful resources: RCH Kids Health Info fact sheet - ankle sprains RCH Kids Health Info fact sheet - head injury Kids Health Info Podcast episode - Was that bump a head injury? RCH Kids Health Info fact sheet - fractures RCH Kids Health Info fact sheet - mouth injuries Kids Health Info Podcast episode - Brushing up on healthy teeth Raising Children Network: RICER first aid for sprains, strains and fractures

Sadly, burns are still a common injury in childhood. To coincide with National Burns Safety Awareness Month, hosts Anthea and Lexi are joined by Warwick Teague, surgeon, clinical burns lead and Director of Trauma at The Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne. Warwick gives us the absolute must-do when it comes to burns first aid (hint: it involves a lot of cool running water) and explains the steps we can all take to prevent burns happening in the first place. For more information: RCH Kids Health Info Fact Sheet: Burns - prevention and first aid

Influenza, or the 'flu', has almost disappeared for the last two years. But it's back, and already bringing children to hospital for treatment. In this episode, Dr Anthea Rhodes is joined by Dr Margie Danchin as our expert guest to discuss the flu. As well as being a paediatrician at the RCH, and regular host of the this podcast, Margie is an expert in immunisation and a research leader in vaccine uptake. So, there's no better person to discuss why and how to get the vaccine, and answer those common questions and concerns parents have about the flu vaccine. Helpful links: RCH Kids Health Info - influenza vaccine Why does my child need a flu shot? (National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance) 2022 Influenza vaccine fact sheet from the National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance Ausvax Safety ATAGI - clinical advice on influenza vaccines 2022 RCH TV - A child's guide to hospital: Immunisations

Good dental health has huge benefits for our general wellbeing and quality of life, and it starts the moment that very first tooth pops through in babies. In this episode we're joined by special guest Dr Mihiri Silva, a paediatric dentist from The Royal Children's Hospital. If you've ever wondered when and how to start brushing teeth, how tooth decay happens, or what to do if a tooth gets knocked out, Mihiri has these answers and plenty more pearls of wisdom! Helpful resources: RCH Kids Health Info fact sheet - dental care RCH Kids Health Info - dental care video Raising Children Network - dental care for babies Australian Government - Child Dental Benefits Schedule RCH TV - A Child's Guide to Hospital: Dentistry

Witnessing a seizure can be a frightening experience for parents and carers, and raises so many questions. What's going on when a child has a seizure and what could it mean for their ongoing health? Does it mean they have epilepsy? To make sense of seizures, Margie and Lexi are joined by Associate Professor Andrew Kornberg, Neurologist at The Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne. As well as understanding seizure types, Andrew has some practical first aid tips, and discusses the process of finding the causes of seizures, including epilepsy. Helpful resources: RCH Kids Health Info fact sheet - Febrile Seizures RCH Kids Health Info fact sheet - Seizures - safety issues and how to help RCH Kids Health Info fact sheet - Epilepsy RCH Neurology Department - About Epilepsy

A restful sleep is so important for children’s health. But sometimes, a stuffy nose or blocked passages get in the way of a good sleep. In this episode we’re joined by Ear, Nose and Throat Surgeon, Dr Eric Levi, to find out why snooze turns to snoring, and what can be done to get children back on the path to sleep success. For more information, check out these helpful resources: RCH Kids Health Info fact sheet - Childhood obstructive sleep apnoea RCH Kids Health Info fact sheet - Hay fever Raising Children Network - Snoring How to use nasal sprays video If you found this podcast helpful, please leave us a review, and thanks for listening.

**a quick correction: During the conversation Margie says the twice-weekly rapid antigen testing will be for the first week of term. What Margie meant to say was that it will be for the first four weeks and then reassessed. We apologise for the confusion. As schools return to in-classroom learning next week, we know that students, families, and teachers are busy preparing for the term ahead and may have some questions about how to keep safe this school year. In this episode, our hosts Dr Lexi Frydenberg and Dr Margie Danchin explain what’s being done to improve safety and prevent transmission in schools, and what surveillance testing with rapid antigen tests involves. They also chat about the benefits of kids going back to face-to-face learning and how families can manage some of the return-to-school nerves their children may be experiencing. If you’re wondering how best to prepare your child for the return to school, you can check out Dr Eric Levi's helpful video on how to do a rapid antigen test on a child and resources from the Victorian Government including a video made by our team here The Royal Children's Hospital.

For many of us, the new year has not started as we had hoped. With the Omicron variant so prevalent in the community and the start to the school year just around the corner, many parents may be wondering what the latest news is with COVID-19 and children. In this podcast episode, host Dr Anthea Rhodes is joined by Dr Sarah McNab, Director of General Medicine at The Royal Children’s Hospital to unpack the current situation with COVID-19 infections and hospitalisations in Victoria, how the Omicron variant is affecting children, the importance of vaccination, and what a Code Brown in Victorian hospitals means for the community. To keep up to date with the latest information about COVID-19, visit our collection of COVID-19 resources, including webinars, podcasts, fact sheets and more. Useful links: Kids Health Info fact sheet – Vaccination and needle phobia Facebook Live - COVID-19 vaccinations for five to 11 year olds: Your questions answered

Do you have questions about the COVID-19 vaccine for five to 11 year olds? Our latest RCH National Child Health Poll found that 30% of Australian parents of children aged five to 11 years were undecided about COVID vaccination for their child, with questions around the safety and efficacy of the vaccine. Following the Government’s approval of the COVID-19 Pfizer vaccine for children aged five years and above, join RCH paediatricians Dr Anthea Rhodes and Dr Margie Danchin as they answer your questions about vaccinating your child. This event was recorded Thursday 16 December 2021 and is also available on the RCH website, rch.org.au. For more info: https://www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au/vaccination-information-children-and-teenagers https://www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au/checklist-your-covid-19-vaccination https://www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au/sites/default/files/2021-12/Fact%20sheet-COVID19-vaccinatoin%20for-children.pdf

Have you had the experience of holding a baby and they just won’t stop crying? Soothing an unsettled baby can be a trying task for anyone, particularly new parents. Crying is a baby’s way of communicating with us, but when the crying doesn’t stop, how do we know when to seek help? In this episode we’re joined by expert paediatrician, Dr Valerie Sung, who works in the RCH unsettled babies clinic, to go through the common experiences for parents with unsettled babies and when and where to find help. As always, if you found this podcast helpful, please leave a review so that other families can find out about our show. Thanks for listening. Freely available resources · RCH Kids Health Information fact sheet: Sleep problems – babies and toddlers · MCRI Sleep Podcast by Prof Harriet Hiscock and A/Prof Emma Sciberras · Raising Children Network Babies sleep · Red Nose Safe Infant Sleep Practices · The Maternal and Child Health phone app - Better Health Channel

Many families have questions about Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) but may not know where to start. It can be a complex topic, and because it is a spectrum, there is huge variation. In this episode we’re joined by expert Paediatrician Dr Deb Marks, who sees patients with Autism every day, to go through common questions about what Autism is, what signs parents can look out for, how to seek a diagnosis and where to go for help. Useful links RCH Kids Health Info Fact Sheet - Autism Spectrum Disorder Raising Children’s Network Amaze 1300 308 699 Autism Spectrum Australia 1800 ASPECT (1800 277328) Victoria State Government, Department of Education and Training: Autism As always, if you found this podcast helpful, please leave a review so that other families can find out about our show. Thanks for listening.

Toddlers and preschoolers bring so much joy and fun to family life. But there are also those times when their behaviour causes a lot of stress for everyone, whether it's in the supermarket aisle or at the dinner table! In this episode we unpack what's behind toddler tantrums, fussy eating and more, with Dr Billy Garvey, a developmental and behavioural paediatrician from The Royal Children's Hospital Centre for Community Child Health. Billy, along with hosts and paediatricians Dr Anthea Rhodes and Dr Lexi Frydenberg, have lots of practical tips and insights for parents and the community. For some extra reading, take a look at the Raising Children Network's website for tips on toddler behaviour and preschooler behaviour.

Whether it's for a vaccine or for medical care, nobody especially likes having needles. But for some children and teens, it can be a big hurdle to overcome. And now, with the COVID-19 vaccine being rolled out to more and more Australians, having an injection is something we're all too familiar with. In this episode, we're joined by two special guests - Sonja Elia, an Immunisation Nurse Practitioner and head of the RCH Immunisation Drop-In Centre, and Dr Amanda Stock, a Paediatrician and Emergency Physician from the RCH. Find out what strategies and techniques are available to children and families to manage anxiety about needles, and what help is available from health professionals. Useful links In the show, Sonja talked about the Be Positive video guides, made right here at the RCH. And, Amanda finds the Meg Foundation website really helpful for families. As always, if you found this podcast helpful, please leave a review so that other families can find out about our show. Thanks for listening.

In this episode, hosted by Dr Lexi Frydenberg, we bring you the latest on what's happening with children and COVID-19 in Victoria. Our special guest is Dr Sarah McNab, Director of General Medicine at The Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne. Lexi and Sarah cover: the current situation with COVID-19 infections and hospitalisations how COVID-19 is affecting children and teenagers COVID-19 and children with asthma how best to care for your child if they test positive to COVID-19 booster doses of COVID-19 vaccines for immunocompromised children If you're looking for more information, The Royal Children's Hospital has created a collection of online resources for parents, including webinars, podcasts, videos and fact sheets. Recorded 15th October, 2021.