COVID19, Diabetes, Endocrinology

COVID-19 and diabetes can increase child’s risk for complications

Does COVID-19 affect diabetes? COVID-19 can increase the risks of diabetes complications. Although children with diabetes are not more likely to get COVID-19 because of their condition, it can lead to other health concerns. Viral infections and high blood sugar also can cause inflammation in diabetes patients, which contributes to more serious illness and diabetes-related…

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Behavioral-Mental Health, COVID19, News, Norton Childrens Medical Group

Eating disorders increased during COVID-19

Eating disorders have increased around the world amid the COVID-19 pandemic’s lockdowns and other changes. Eating disorders thrive in isolation and are fueled in part by social media, according to Andrea L. Krause, M.D., a pediatric hospitalist with Norton Children’s Inpatient Care, affiliated with the UofL School of Medicine. The pandemic supplied plenty of both….

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COVID19, Migraine Headaches, Neurosciences

Providers working to treat children with ‘long COVID-19’ headaches

Providers are seeing more patients complain of headaches during the pandemic, and headaches are a common symptom of “long COVID-19,” an illness marked by COVID-19 symptoms that linger for months after an infection. Many children who become infected with the COVID-19 virus typically recover within a week, and most cases are not severe. However, some…

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COVID19

Protection from the COVID-19 vaccine is passed on to babies

New research published Feb. 7 in JAMA gives patients even more reason to get vaccinated. Infants born to vaccinated mothers were shown to have antibodies in their systems, offering a level of protection against COVID-19 that otherwise would not exist. These antibodies were higher in vaccinated mothers than those who’d had COVID-19. Children under age…

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COVID19

Where to get a COVID-19 test for your child

If your child needs a COVID-19 test and they don’t have symptoms or have very minimal symptoms, the best place to go is one of the many drive-thru testing centers around the city. This includes Norton Healthcare Express Services or the site at Churchill Downs operated by Louisville-Jefferson County Metro Government. “Providers at Norton Immediate…

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COVID19

Benefits of COVID-19 vaccine outweigh low risk of heart inflammation in teens

The risk of a COVID-19 vaccine causing heart inflammation in teens and younger children shouldn’t be nearly as scary as the virus itself. Indeed, heart inflammation is a bigger risk among kids who get sick with COVID-19. “We know that the virus itself causes inflammation of the heart muscle, and inflammation of the heart muscle…

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Cancer, COVID19, Hematology

COVID-19 puts pediatric patients with bleeding disorders at higher risk

Some pediatric patients with bleeding disorders may have a higher risk of severe illness from COVID-19, especially if they have serious underlying medical conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, obesity or asthma. Although most bleeding disorders are not associated with impaired immunity, COVID-19 can be a concern for children who are taking immune-suppressing medications, as…

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COVID19, Neurosciences

COVID-19 appears to make existing neurological conditions in kids worse

Cases of COVID-19 neurological damage in kids have been rare, but children with chronic neurological diseases have seen their conditions worsen, according to a child neurologist in Louisville. “People have seen really small numbers of kids with rare complications spread across the country,” said Michael L. Sweeney M.D., a child neurologist with Norton Children’s Neuroscience…

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COVID19, Flu

Halloween still can be fun and safer

There are ways to have Halloween fun this year while taking precautions to keep your family and those around you safer. In general, you can be confident allowing your kids to trick or treat in small groups, staying outdoors and avoiding crowded indoor parties, Rochelle Walensky, M.D., MPH, director of the Centers for Disease Control…

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COVID19, Flu

Symptoms aren’t enough to know the difference between flu and COVID-19

Flu and COVID-19 symptoms can be the same, leading to confusion and anxiety for parents with children feeling under the weather. If your child experiences symptoms such as a fever and cough — or if you do — here are some steps to help prevent the spread: Stay home except to get medical care. Get…

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COVID19

Kids may have subtle differences in COVID-19 symptoms

COVID-19 symptoms in kids are largely the same as adults, but there can be subtle differences. Common COVID-19 symptoms include cough, fever or both, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). There hasn’t been enough evidence yet to single out symptoms of particular COVID-19 variants such as delta. A child with suspected…

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COVID19

How soon after COVID-19 exposure should a child get tested?

Because they haven’t been vaccinated against COVID-19, children under 12 should quarantine immediately after exposure to someone with confirmed or suspected COVID-19. Exposure definitions for children in K-12 school: If all children are wearing masks, exposure is defined as being within 3 feet of an infected person for a cumulative total of 15 minutes while…

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