• OhioHealth Van Wert's Teddy Bear Clinic helps children become more comfortable with healthcare through hands-on activities.
• Kids explore stations including vitals, lab, X-ray, vaccines, casting, exercise, hand hygiene and nutrition.
• The event gives children a chance to meet healthcare professionals and learn what to expect if they need care.

A trip to the doctor or hospital can feel unfamiliar or even scary for children. OhioHealth Van Wert Hospital is helping make those experiences more comfortable by giving kids the chance to practice caring for a little patient of their own.

At the hospital’s Teddy Bear Clinic, children bring their favorite stuffed animals and guide them through a series of healthcare stations.

This year’s Clinic was held Tuesday, Sept. 22. The free event gave kids an opportunity to interact with healthcare professionals and equipment while learning what happens during different types of care.

Stations included vitals, lab, X-ray, vaccines, casting, exercise, hand hygiene and nutrition. At each stop, children took part in age-appropriate activities designed to make healthcare more approachable and engaging.

For parent, Aaron Caskey, the Teddy Bear Clinic is a familiar experience for his family.

“It was neat. We’ve done it a couple years ago with the other kids,” he said. “And so now we brought the little one. It’s a good experience for them, really helpful for the little kids.”

Abigail Stump, whose nieces and nephews attended, also appreciated the opportunity to introduce them to the hospital in a setting centered on learning and fun.

“It was just a nice little, informative thing to get them a little bit used to coming to the hospital if they ever have to,” Stump said. “It’s more of the fun side. It gets them ready for when it’s more serious and they actually have to have their blood drawn or anything like that.”

Madi Korte, financial analyst at OhioHealth Van Wert Hospital, helps organize the event.

“It’s an experience for the children, in the perspective of their stuffed animal,” she said. “Everybody’s going to come to the doctor at one point, and it’s just making the children familiar with the space. It doesn’t always have to be scary.”

ABC6 recently came to Joe Gastaldo, MD, OhioHealth system medical director of infectious diseases, for guidance.

Dr. Gastaldo says that while children are at a lower risk than adults of having severe COVID-19 cases, the risk does still exist.  That's part of the reason that kids who aren't or can't get vaccinated yet still need to follow mitigation strategies like mask wearing in certain situations until they can get vaccinated. 

"The recommendation for children below the age of 12 in public—as far as mask-wearing, is really unchanged at this point," says Dr. Gastaldo told ABC6 reporter Ciara Lucas. "Children who are going to be indoors in public should still wear a mask."

However, outdoors is a different story. Dr. Gastaldo told ABC6 that being outdoors is much safer than being indoors due to the air flow, so children under 12 are okay to skip the mask while outside, unless they are in a crowded space. Kids below the age of 12 are safe without a mask outdoors—unless it’s a crowded situation.

To see the full story from ABC6, click on their logo below.  To read a story about the vaccination experience for children in the 12-15 age range, click on the Columbus Dispatch logo.

Click here for more information about receiving a COVID-19 vaccine from OhioHealth.

This has been a difficult time for everyone. The global pandemic has changed the way we all live our daily lives. For children, there are so many changes and adjustments, including masking. While many families have adjusted, for younger children trying to determine how adults are acting and interacting with them can be a real challenge behind a mask.

There are some studies showing kids might be more perceptive in a “masked society” than many parents previously thought.

“They did study on kids ages seven to 13 and they actually found that most of the time the kids in that age group were still able to read what the appropriate response was, even with a facemask on,” said OhioHealth Family Medicine Physician Ben Bring, DO, in an interview with 10TV reporter Krista Frost.

Dr. Bring says that he is getting plenty of questions from parents on how the masking will impact children over the long haul.

“For example, if a child is about to touch a hot stove and you make a big face and say no don’t do that, the child will recognize that in addition to language to know not to touch the hot stove,” Dr. Bring said.

Dr. Bring points to a few things that parents of younger children can take to keep that communication going with those closest to the children.  He tells 10TV the best way for parents to make sure their children are getting the social referencing they need to develop is to make sure kids can see parents and others within their “bubble” at home and in safe environments.

“One of the things we like to do with our kids is we’ll set up video play-dates where my son will call up one of his friends on FaceTime and just build Lego's and talk. So there’s still other ways of doing things socially distanced and still getting that interpersonal interaction that the kids need,” Dr. Bring said.

Dr. Bring said there can be fear over having the wear masks, especially for children, but having open and honest communication, and keeping things consistent can really make a difference.

To see the full story from 10TV, click the station logo below. 

We are living in a day and age where most parents are setting guidelines to make sure their children don't have too much screen time. Some parents feel they need to be on social media to keep an eye on what their children are clicking on, or talking with.

"Kids are into social media and they're into their iPhones they're into all these different forms of technology and as parents, we have to keep up with it for that reason to keep an eye on them," said Dr. Schabbing to ABC6's Tara Morgan.

But, should there also be that in place for parents when they are with their children?

The topic of distracted parenting is certainly one that has been talked about for a while now. Parents scrolling, emailing, and posting either at home, at the park when their children are playing, or at events, their children are participating in.

"It can really impact negatively a child's emotional development self-esteem," said Dr. Schabbing to ABC6.

Dr. Schabbing suggests trying to be present for your child when there is time to be. She suggests that your child might not tell you that distracted parenting, when it comes to devices, bothers them, but it might.

And in some cases, it might go beyond just missing a moment to be with your children, it could mean that someone else is watching them, and that is downright dangerous.

"There's missing your child growing up and not having that interaction with your child but it's also dangerous to not be watching your child," said Dr. Schabbing to Tara Morgan.

To read more, click on the ABC6 logo.

David Lee, MD, family medicine physician and chief medical operations director of OhioHealth Employer Services recently appeared on FOX 28’s Good Day Columbus to discuss screen time and social media use.

Topic 1: How can families (including parents) get screen time with phones, tablets, televisions and computers under control?

Answer 1: Families need to set expectations and create a “media use plan” which is times or zones that will be technology free. For example, say that meal times are off-limits or they can’t use their devices in their bedrooms. Be thoughtful about setting aside time.

Topic 2: What should parents be monitoring?

Answer 2: It’s important for parents to monitor what their children are doing online, the same way you’d monitor who they were spending time with. Make sure you know what apps they are using and what websites they are visiting. In a recent survey, two thirds of parents said knowing what their children are doing online is more important than respecting their privacy.

With social media, for instance, Dr. Lee says 80,000 apps claim to be educational, but there isn’t good enough research to validate those claims. Parents need to be engaged, go through the apps themselves and make sure they are comfortable with their children using them.

Topic 3: For children, when it comes to screen time, how much is too much?

Answer 3:  It is suggested that children under 18-24 months should avoid digital media all together, with the exception of the occasional video chat with family and friends. It’s recommended that children ages 2-5 have no more than an hour of screen time per day. For children five and up, less than two hours per day is recommended. This can help prevent things like obesity and sleep disturbances.

That's the advice from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), which recommends that homes with small children shouldn't be filled with sharp or breakable decorations.

Young children could also swallow or inhale small or removable pieces from larger decorations. Any ornaments or decorations that look like food or candy could also pose a risk to small children who can't tell the difference and are tempted to eat them, the AAP said in a news release.

Also, be careful about poisonous plants. Mistletoe berries, Jerusalem cherry and holly berry adorn many homes during the holidays but many of these plants are toxic and could pose a threat to children. Be sure to keep these greens and berries out of children's reach.

The APP recommends taking some other steps to ensure a safe and healthy holiday season:

• Trimming the tree. Always choose non-flammable or flame-resistant decorations. Anyone using tinsel or artificial icicles should make sure to choose products that are made of plastic or non-lead metals.
• Be careful with candles. Never light candles that are on or near a Christmas tree or other greenery. Be sure that all candleholders are non-flammable. It's also important to place candles in safe places where they can't be knocked over.
• Protect your skin and eyes. Spun glass "angel hair" can irritate the eyes and skin. Be sure to wear gloves while using this material. Artificial snow sprays can also irritate the lungs. When using this spray, be sure to follow the directions on the container carefully.
• Collect ribbons and wrappings right away. Pieces of torn wrapping paper, bags, ribbons and bows should be gathered up and removed from the tree or fireplace area as soon as gifts are opened. This "debris" can cause a fire or pose a choking or suffocation hazard for small children.

More information
Consumer Reports provides more information on holiday decorating safety.

Written by,
Mary Elizabeth Dallas

SOURCE: American Academy of Pediatrics, 2016
Last Updated: Dec. 21, 2016

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