Peninsula Pediatrics

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What You Need to Know About The MMR Vaccine

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MMR Vaccine: Debunking Myths

The MMR vaccine is an important vaccine for children to prevent infection from measles, mumps, and rubella. These three diseases are very common among children and the vaccine can protect them for life.

Measles, mumps, and rubella are contagious viral infections. Measles can cause high fever and severe flu-like symptoms such as cough and a runny nose, as well as pneumonia, ear infections, diarrhea, and a rash covering the body. In rare cases, it can also cause brain damage and lead to death. 

Mumps can also cause fever, in addition to muscle aches, tiredness, and loss of appetite. Most people will experience swelling of the salivary glands under the ears and a swollen jaw. It can also cause deafness and swelling of the brain, and in rare cases, lead to death.

Rubella has symptoms similar to measles, such as a fever, a sore throat, and rash. Other symptoms include headaches and eye irritation. It can also cause arthritis in teenagers and adult women. For pregnant women, there’s a high risk of miscarriage or the baby being born with serious birth defects. 

Due to the severity of these diseases, it is highly recommended that children receive 2 doses of the MMR vaccine, with the first dose administered at 12 months of age and the second one administered at ages 4. Sometimes during outbreaks, a third dose may be recommended. And for babies traveling outside the US between 6 months and 11 months, it is best that they receive the vaccine prior to travel.

There are many myths regarding the MMR vaccine. Below are some of them along with facts.

Myth: The vaccine can cause autism.

Fact: There is no scientific data indicating a connection between the two. There is, however, a lot of evidence that the vaccine does not cause autism.

Myth: The vaccine is fatal.

Fact: No deaths have been associated with the vaccine among healthy people. The vaccine may have side effects such as fever, dizziness, soreness, a rash, and swelling, which are usually temporary. There are other rarely documented side effects which are not commonly seen. It’s important to note that vaccines undergo a vetting process before being approved and for most children, the vaccine is safer than the risk of getting infected by Measles, Mumps or Rubella.

Myth: The MMR vaccine can cause measles.

Fact: The vaccine is made from a live virus, although it does not contain measles and the virus is weakened to the point that it cannot cause disease. Instead, it causes your body to recognize the virus and develop immunity. 

Myth: The MMR vaccine does not protect people from Measles, Mumps or Rubella.

The MMR vaccine is the best way to prevent the spread of Measles, Mumps and Rubella and saves thousands of lives every year. As Measles, Mumps and Rubella are highly contagious, outbreaks occur in the US. But the vaccine has been able to lower the number of deaths and the number of people infected. While proper sanitation can help, Measles, Mumps and Rubella can be spread from person to person and through the air. 

Why can’t I just get them as separate vaccines?  A Measles vaccine, a Mumps vaccine and a Rubella vaccine separately?

The Measles, Mumps and Rubella vaccines are not manufactured separately in the United States, it is only available as a combination vaccine of MMR.  They have not been available as stand alone vaccines since the 1970s in the US. Some reasoning for this is that the combination vaccine was proven to have superior effectiveness and less risk of side effects.

At Peninsula Pediatrics, we firmly believe in the effectiveness of vaccines to prevent serious illness and to save lives as well as the safety of our vaccines.  We follow the vaccine schedule outlined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).  If you have any questions or concerns about the MMR vaccine or any other vaccines, please contact our office. 

Sources:

https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd/mmr/public/index.html

https://www.healthychildren.org/English/safety-prevention/immunizations/Pages/Measles-Mumps-Rubella-Vaccines-What-You-Need-to-Know.aspx

https://www.idsociety.org/public-health/measles/myths-and-facts/

Safe and Healthy Media Use for Kids

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From TV to computers, tablets to smartphones, and other electronic devices, media does not only influence how children think and feel, but it can also affect their health and safety. When used responsibly and safely in moderation, media can provide many benefits for your kids. Quality programs and TV shows can be educational resources and expose children to various aspects of their world, including other cultures and important values. It can also raise awareness of current events and social issues, as well as provide information and ideas to enhance or aid in homework and school projects.

Depending on your child’s age, however, it’s important that they’re exposed to age-appropriate content only. We recommend monitoring the media that they’re consuming and paying attention to parental ratings for TV shows, movies, video games, and apps. For a full list of guidelines for ratings for each of these media forms, here’s a great resource from the American Academy of Pediatrics to read through and bookmark!

Following parental guidance for media is helpful for deciding what content your child absorbs, but think of it as a starting place. It’s still important to be mindful of what your child watches and listens to so that you can decide what’s appropriate for your child and ensure they’re not being exposed to content that is too mature for their age.

It is also beneficial to consume media together so that you can take notice of how your child interacts with the content and how it makes them feel. It will give you the chance to not only bond with your kids, but also take the opportunity to address and have conversations about important issues and values. Your child may even feel more comfortable opening up about their thoughts and feelings that they may not otherwise share. This can spark meaningful dialogues with them as a result.

Another important thing to keep in mind when it comes to media use is being aware of online dangers. There are many types of social media and internet challenges that pose a risk for your kids, as well as online predators who target children and teens. Talk to your kids about using precautions online, including avoiding giving out personal information to people they don’t know. Encourage them to use proper judgment and discuss the consequences of participating in harmful challenges.

In addition to monitoring content and online safety, it’s also essential that your child’s media consumption is a healthy amount. Spending too much time with screen devices can negatively impact your child’s health. Media should not take your kids away from participating in physical activities or having social interactions. When used in excess, your child can develop a higher risk of obesity and delays in learning and social skills. It can also lead to screen addiction and become a distraction while doing homework, affecting their school performance as a result.

To avoid this, set limitations on how much time your child can spend with electronic devices and communicate these boundaries to your kids. Also, discourage your child from using screens an hour before bed, as the light from screens can be stimulating and lead to poor sleep.

Keep in mind that the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends avoiding media use for children under 18 months and limiting use to one hour for kids between two and five.

If you’re looking for a place to start for setting media boundaries, we recommend using the Family Media Plan from the AAP.

Nutrition and Healthy Eating During the Holidays

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It’s the holiday season and a time of family gatherings and holiday food and treats, (like Christmas cookies with sprinkles and candy canes)! However, many families feel concerned about how much their children are eating, especially sugary snacks, during the holidays. While it’s perfectly ok to indulge in treats, it’s important to be mindful of how much your children are balancing those foods with nutritious meals. Here are some ideas for staying on track with your child’s nutrition.

Be mindful of your kids’ portion sizes. Eating dessert during gatherings and festivities is common and there’s nothing wrong with that. But do consider how many candies or treats your children are eating. One way to help ensure that they’re not eating too much is to prepare healthy meals with whole foods, lean protein, complex carbs, good fats, and vegetables. That way, your child will snack on lesser sweets as these meals would fill them up adequately. Always encourage your children to finish their dinner before dessert to motivate them to eat healthy food with the nutrition they need.

You can also combine or include fruit in dessert as fruit is typically lower in calories and will encourage your kids to eat a smaller portion of foods that have added sugar. Fruit is also packed with fiber, making it a more satiating choice for a snack.

There are also a variety of delicious options for holiday foods that are nutritious or ways to prepare traditional holiday dishes using healthier methods.

If you’re baking at home, you can use almond flour instead of white flour. Almond flour is a healthier choice than refined flours as it is more nutrient-dense and has less carbohydrates. It is also gluten free, which makes it a great alternative for those who are gluten intolerant or have celiac disease. And since almond flour tends to be naturally sweeter than most other flours, you can add less sugar to your baked goods. Another healthier dessert option is chia seed pudding. Chia seeds have protein, Omega 3 fatty acids, and antioxidants – all of which are beneficial to your child’s health.

For a lot of holiday favorites like pasta and bread, you can cook whole wheat or grain pasta or buy whole wheat and multi-grain bread. Whole grains are higher in protein, fiber, and nutrients and are digested more slowly, making it a better choice than refined carbs.

To make vegetables more appealing for children, feel free to have fun preparing them and decorating your children’s plate in the holiday spirit. You may want to cut up food items in shapes like Christmas trees, snowmans, or Santa Claus. You can also make vegetable snacks more appetizing by combining them with hummus or guacamole.

There are numerous holiday healthy recipes that can be found online. We recommend checking out Super Kids Nutrition, Eating Well, and Health.com as places to start. Happy Holidays!