• 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.”

OhioHealth Mansfield Hospital is helping to give students an outlet to express themselves through creativity and art, while diving into the question, “What Does Healthy Mean to You?”. In November, Mansfield Hospital hosted its first pediatric art contest to support and encourage young artists in the community. Mansfield then hosted an art showcase to announce the winners of the contest. This community-based competition inspired students to dive deeper into what it means to be healthy to them.

Pediatric Nurse Heather Nicol expresses that going through the admission process can be exhausting and lengthy, so it is important to help families know that the pediatric unit is available and welcoming. “Just for them to see it not so intimidating and see art that matches something they may have an interest in,” Nicol said. “Awareness that our unit is here and letting the community put their fingerprints on our walls was really the two-fold goal". 

K-12 students in the area were invited to submit artwork that expressed the theme, “What Does Healthy Mean to You?”. They then narrowed down the submissions to a top 10, displaying the winners throughout the pediatric lobby.

One student, Kenzingtyn Couch, said her artwork was inspired by a deep personal connection. “My piece is showcasing people with different conditions because I live with a few different conditions,” she said. “I would like to let people know even if you are living with a condition, it doesn’t mean you aren’t healthy.”

Dr. Martin Hanawalt, medical director of the pediatric hospital program, made a speech during the event to congratulate and honor the participants. Dr. Hanawalt said, “Art has a unique ability to bring comfort, hope and peace. Particularly in a hospital setting. The work of these artists will do exactly that.”

A panel of nurses and physicians will select up to ten winners, whose artwork will be displayed in the pediatric unit. Winners will also be invited to an open house on November 13, where Martin Hanawalt, MD, medical director of Mansfield Hospital’s Pediatric Hospitalist Program, will deliver a brief speech on this year's contest theme.

"Community engagement through events like these is vital,” said Mansfield Hospital Chief Nursing Officer Libby Daniels, M.Ed, BSN, RN. “It not only enriches our environment but also fosters a sense of belonging and support among our patients and their families."

Contest Details:

• Who can participate? Open to students in grades K-12.
• How many entries? One submission per student.
• What type of art? Artwork should be on paper or canvas. Submissions will be digitally photographed and resized for display.
• Submission deadline: November 5.
• Drop-off location: Mansfield Hospital front desk.

We invite all young artists to share their vision of health and look forward to showcasing their talents. If you have questions about the art contest or would like more information, reach out to Pediatric Nurse Heather Nicol: heather.nicol@ohiohealth.com. Good luck!

The initiative is designed to ensure that families in southeast Ohio have access to expert pediatric emergency care without needing to leave the region.  A Nationwide Children’s provider will work exclusively in the emergency department daily, offering child-focused expertise and helping to address the unique ways illnesses and injuries present in children. Nationwide Children’s nurse practitioners will rotate coverage.

“We are thrilled to partner with Nationwide Children’s Hospital to bring this additional level of pediatric emergency care to our community,” said LeeAnn Lucas-Helber, president of O’Bleness Hospital. “The collaboration strengthens our ability to provide local, high-quality emergency care for children, reducing the need for families to travel for specialized pediatric treatment.”

The pediatric nurse practitioner will serve as an extension of Nationwide Children’s nationally recognized team, which has a longstanding reputation as a destination academic medical center for managing complex pediatric conditions.

"It is exciting to help meet an important community need by adding pediatric emergency support services to the established emergency care provided at OhioHealth O'Bleness," said Libbey Hoang, vice president of planning and business development at Nationwide Children's. "With the recent opening of our Close To Home^SMCenter on the O'Bleness campus, this further strengthens our commitment to meet patients and families right where they are in partnership with OhioHealth and the local and surrounding communities."

About Nationwide Children’s Hospital

Named to the Top 10 Honor Roll on U.S. News & World Report’s 2024-25 list of “Best Children’s Hospitals,” Nationwide Children’s Hospital is one of America’s largest not-for-profit free-standing pediatric health care systems providing unique expertise in pediatric population health, behavioral health, genomics and health equity as the next frontiers in pediatric medicine, leading to best outcomes for the health of the whole child. Integrated clinical and research programs, as well as prioritizing quality and safety, are part of what allows Nationwide Children’s to advance its unique model of care. Nationwide Children’s has a staff of more than 16,000 that provides state-of-the-art wellness, preventive and rehabilitative care and diagnostic treatment during more than 1.8 million patient visits annually. As home to the Department of Pediatrics of The Ohio State University College of Medicine, Nationwide Children’s physicians train the next generation of pediatricians and pediatric specialists. The Abigail Wexner Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital is one of the Top 10 National Institutes of Health-funded free-standing pediatric research facilities. More information is available at NationwideChildrens.org.

OhioHealth Berger Hospital’s women’s health team has received a donation of 100 board books titled "Sleep Baby: Safe and Snug" from Charlie’s Kids Foundation. The donation will enhance the hospital’s efforts to educate new parents about the importance of infant safe sleep practices. The books will be distributed to new parents of babies born at the hospital.

Charlie’s Kids Foundation’s mission is to educate families about Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) prevention, aligning with Berger Hospital's commitment to infant sleep safety. Developed by the foundation, "Sleep Baby: Safe and Snug" imparts safe sleep guidelines through a soothing bedtime story.

Gretchen Roberts, chief nursing officer at Berger Hospital, expressed gratitude for the donation, and noted that “the Berger women’s health team is very passionate about education, and safe sleep is one of our top focuses for our moms and support persons. The addition of the book from Charlie's Kids will help reinforce these safe sleep efforts."

“We work closely with our new parents to understand the importance of safe sleep before they leave the hospital,” said Mary Echard, administrative nurse manager for Berger’s maternity unit. “We also make sure that every family goes home with an infant sleep sack, courtesy of the OhioHealth Foundation.”

Echard cited participation in Pickaway County Public Health’s Safe Sleep Program as the impetus for applying for the donation. “We meet quarterly with the health department and others to collaborate on promoting safe sleep practices in the community,” said Echard. “That’s where I heard about Charlie’s Kids.”

Through collaborative efforts and community support, OhioHealth Berger Hospital aims to empower parents with knowledge and resources to ensure every baby enjoys a safe and peaceful sleep environment.

As part of their ongoing commitment to safe sleep education, OhioHealth Berger Hospital advocates for the following safe sleep practices for infants:

• Firm surface covered by fitted sheet
• Free of pillows, blankets, sheepskins or crib bumpers
• Free of soft toys and loose bedding
• Baby is on his or her back
• Nothing covering head
• One piece sleeper (sleep sack) if additional layers are needed
• Do not smoke or let anyone smoke around the baby

To learn more about OhioHealth women's health, click here.

“Reading is an important part of a child’s development,” said Amy Zidron, DO, OhioHealth Physician Group Heritage College pediatrician. “Providing books that feature diverse characters both enhances literacy and helps shape children’s perception of racial identity in a positive way.”

Selected books will feature protagonists of diverse racial backgrounds, with a goal of building empathy and celebrating differences. Titles include: Kindness Rocks by Sonica Ellis, Lullaby by Langston Hughes, Skin Like Mine by Latashia M. Perry, We’re Different, We’re the Same by Bobbi Kates and more.

“People of color are underrepresented in children’s literature--a quick evaluation of most home libraries reflects this reality,” said Zidron. “Exposure to different people and beliefs encourages empathy and provides a window into other people’s worlds. And for children of color, books that feature people like them can provide an affirming mirror.”

This project builds on an initiative that OhioHealth O’Bleness Hospital launched 30 years ago called Bringing Up Babies with Books. Volunteers of the program have visited over 17,000 parents of newborns at O’Bleness Hospital, providing them with books and information about reading to children from birth.

For more information or to make a donation to support this program, please contact Tara Gilts, OhioHealth O’Bleness Hospital Philanthropy Advisor, at Tara.Gilts@OhioHealth.com or (740) 566.4539.

Earlier research had suggested there may be an increased risk of obesity for children in day care.

But a new analysis reveals that the potential association between excess weight and non-parental child care faded away after researchers took into account other factors that also influence childhood obesity.

"When we implemented these more sophisticated analytical approaches, we found that association really went away," said study author Dr. Inyang Isong, an instructor at Harvard Medical School and a pediatrician with Boston Children's Hospital.

"We cannot say that sending a child to day care makes your child overweight," Isong continued. "We just don't have enough evidence to say that."

Three out of five children in the United States are in some kind of regular child care, the study authors said in background notes.

"Given that 60 percent of children are in some kind of day care arrangement, these results should be good news for many, many parents," said Dr. Michael Grosso, medical director of pediatrics at Northwell Health's Huntington Hospital in Huntington, N.Y.

Pediatricians and parents have had longstanding concerns that child care might increase a child's risk of gaining weight, said Dr. Allison Driansky, an attending pediatrician at Cohen Children's Medical Center in New Hyde Park, N.Y.

Most states do not have strict regulations regarding diet and exercise provided at day care, Isong and Driansky said.

"The concern was anytime you take control out of a parent's hands about what a child is eating or what a child is doing during a day, that could lead to obesity," Driansky said. "Not every parent is lucky enough to have a top-of-the-line day care. I think there was some concern that the day care wouldn't cooperate with what a parent wants for their child."

The new analysis included data from about 10,700 U.S. children from diverse social, economic and ethnic backgrounds.

In the study, Isong and her colleagues assessed the potential influence on weight gain from a number of factors in children's lives. These included a child's gender and race, the age and weight of the mother, the family's financial and social status, the number of parents in the home, and the quality of the neighborhood in which the family lived.

"We tried to control for a vast array of factors that could influence decisions to place children in child care," Isong said. "When we controlled for all those factors, the association went away."

However, Isong added that this study "is not in any way full proof." Such proof would involve a clinical trial in which children would be randomly assigned to either child care or home care.

The findings were published online Oct. 10 in the journal Pediatrics.

"This study did a really beautiful job attempting to understand this very complicated problem," Driansky said. "I'm not sure [the study authors] completely put it to rest, but I think they certainly helped alleviate this worry and highlighted future areas of research for this question."

Regardless, parents still should make sure that their day care is providing nutritious food and encouraging physical activity, Grosso said.

"Undoubtedly, individual child care settings will produce different outcomes," Grosso said. "Children encouraged to spend active time outdoors will do better than those stuck to a screen. Those who are offered calorie-dense foods as entertainment will be at risk, while those receiving healthful portions of whole grains, fruits and vegetables will do better."

Driansky offered some tips for parents worried about their kids' weight:

• Encourage activity and outdoor play, and get them involved in sports.
• Provide at least five servings of fruits or vegetables a day.
• Limit sugary beverages, including fruit juice.
• Limit TV time, including no TV before the age of 2 and no more than an hour a day after that.

By Dennis Thompson
HealthDay Reporter

More information

For more on childhood obesity, visit the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

SOURCES: Inyang Isong, M.D., M.P.H., instructor, Harvard Medical School, and pediatrician, Boston Children's Hospital; Michael Grosso, M.D., medical director, pediatrics, Northwell Health's Huntington Hospital, Huntington, N.Y.; Allison Driansky, M.D., attending pediatrician, Cohen Children's Medical Center, New Hyde Park, N.Y.; Oct. 10, 2016, Pediatrics, online

Last Updated: Oct. 10, 2016

Copyright © 2016 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

The study found that kids' resting energy expenditure typically dropped during puberty. That refers to the number of calories the body burns at rest.

On average, the researchers found, 15-year-olds used about 450 fewer calories at rest each day, compared to when they were 10 years old.

The shift is surprising, experts said, since larger bodies usually burn more calories at rest -- to fuel brain activity, the cardiovascular system and the other bodily processes that keep us alive.

"Body mass is the strongest predictor of resting energy expenditure. So a fall in puberty, when growth is rapid, is unexpected," said lead researcher Dr. Terence Wilkin, a professor of endocrinology and metabolism at the University of Exeter in England.

The reasons for the pattern aren't clear, but Wilkin speculated on an explanation: The human body may have evolved to conserve calories during the critical period of puberty, to help ensure adequate growth and development.

During the long span of human history when food was scarce, that would have made sense. But now, when abundance is often the issue, that drop in calorie-burning during puberty may feed excess weight gain, he said.

"The danger for any child at this age is the free availability of calories at a time when he has money in his pocket and increasing freedom from the home," Wilkin said.

Dr. Scott Kahan is director of the National Center for Weight and Wellness in Washington, D.C., and a spokesman for the Obesity Society.

He agreed that the study results are surprising.

"As with any new finding, this needs to be verified in future studies," said Kahan, who wasn't involved in the research.

But if resting metabolism does indeed decline during puberty, he said, that would make it even more important for kids to stay active and have healthy diets during those years.

"We can't really do anything about resting energy expenditure," Kahan said. "But you can do something about physical activity, which also declines during puberty."

The study findings are based on nearly 350 schoolchildren who were followed for more than a decade. Each year between the ages of 7 and 16, the children had their weight, body composition and resting metabolism measured.

On average, Wilkin's team found, kids were burning about one-quarter fewer calories at rest when they were 15 years old, compared to age 10. But by age 16, their resting metabolism started to rise again.

Whether that reflects some aspect of human evolution is not clear. But it's a "reasonable hypothesis," Kahan said.

"But what does this mean, practically?" he said. "I think the findings lend more weight to the importance of healthful eating and physical activity."

In this study, most kids started exercising less during puberty -- which meant their voluntary, as well as involuntary calorie-burning dipped. However, Wilkin said, another analysis of the same group found that the effect of exercise on kids' risk of obesity was "essentially nil."

He emphasized the role of diet.

During puberty, Wilkin noted, most kids are "ravenously" hungry -- even though, if this study is correct, their calorie-burning declines.

"I'm not sure whether that's always the sign of a need to eat, or a primeval signal to ensure you do eat," Wilkin said.

The problem, he added, is that kids today have easy access to calorie-laden foods that past generations did not.

Kahan advises parents to stock the kitchen with nutritious foods. "So when your kids are starving, that's what they reach for," he said.

He also emphasized the importance of starting sound health habits early: When kids go into puberty with healthy eating and exercise habits, they'll be more likely to maintain them.

But while nutrition and exercise are vital, Kahan said the new findings underscore another fact: Weight management is complex.

"If your child has weight issues, it's important to be nurturing and sensitive about it," Kahan said. "Remember that kids may be doing the best they can [with diet and exercise], but there are underlying physiological processes at work, too."

The study findings were published this month in the International Journal of Obesity.

By Amy Norton
HealthDay Reporter

More information
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has tips for parents on helping kids maintain a healthy weight.

SOURCES: Terence Wilkin, M.D., professor, endocrinology and metabolism, University of Exeter Medical School, Exeter, England; Scott Kahan, M.D., M.P.H., director, National Center for Weight and Wellness, Washington, D.C.; Sept. 8, 2016, International Journal of Obesity, online

Last Updated: Sept. 21, 2016

Copyright © 2016 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

Indoor trampoline parks, a relatively new phenomenon, are growing in popularity, said Dr. Kathryn Kasmire, the lead researcher on the study.

In 2011, there were only around 35 such parks in existence, according to the International Association of Trampoline Parks. By 2014, that number had risen to 280.

This growth appears to be accompanied by a surge in serious injuries among children and young people who visit the parks.

Kasmire's team found that over just a few years, U.S. emergency rooms saw a 12-fold increase in the number of patients injured at trampoline parks -- from 581 in 2010, to nearly 7,000 in 2014.

Children and teens accounted for most of those ER trips, with broken bones and sprains the most common injuries. There were a handful of severe injuries, though, including skull and neck fractures.

"It's important for parents to be aware of the risks at these parks," said Kasmire, a fellow in pediatric emergency medicine at Connecticut Children's Medical Center in Hartford.

The parks vary in their safety rules, she said. Some forbid "flipping" on the trampolines, but others allow it. Some limit how many people can be on the same trampoline at a time, while others don't.

The parks usually have certain safety features, such as padded walls and employees who supervise the scene.

However, that outward impression of safety can be a "double-edged sword," said Dr. Robert Glatter, an emergency physician at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City.

Padded walls and adult supervision help, Glatter said. "But," he added, "they can give parents a false sense of security."

Children can still get hurt if they collide with other kids, hit the trampoline frame, or land awkwardly, Glatter pointed out.

According to the trampoline parks association, the typical trampoline park is up to 40,000 square feet, and holds various trampoline "courts." Each court contains any number of trampoline "beds" that are connected to each other to form one large surface that's enclosed with padded side walls, or sometimes angled trampolines.

The fact that kids get hurt using trampolines is nothing new. Home trampolines have long been recognized as a potential hazard, and the American Academy of Pediatrics advises parents against buying them.

Those home versions are still the most common cause of trampoline injuries, the new study found.

But, Kasmire said, there was no increase in ER visits due to home trampolines. The upward trend was confined to injuries sustained at parks.

Dr. Barbara Pena is research director of the emergency department at Nicklaus Children's Hospital in Miami. She was not surprised by the increase in park injuries, because she's seen the trend firsthand.

"We've always seen trampoline injuries," Pena said. "But now we're seeing more and more of them happening at the parks."

The findings are based on records from a nationally representative sample of 100 hospital emergency rooms. Between 2010 and 2014, the hospitals saw almost 92,000 trampoline-related injuries (from homes and parks) each year, on average.

In 2014, nearly 7,000 people landed in the ER after a trampoline park mishap.

Boys, average age 13, were hurt more often than girls. And younger children were more likely than teenagers or adults to sustain a bone break; fractures accounted for nearly half of injuries among children younger than 6, for example.

Young children can be at particular risk if older, larger kids are jumping nearby, Glatter pointed out. "That's a recipe for disaster," he said.

Pena agreed. "There should absolutely be a division of age groups at these parks," she said.

If parents want to take the family to a trampoline park, Kasmire had some advice: Supervise your kids the whole time, forbid flipping or any other "stunts," and be wary if the trampoline area is crowded.

Glatter suggested having kids wear the same type of protective gear they would when biking or skateboarding.

While children and teenagers accounted for most park injuries, there were also adult patients.

And it's teens and adults who are most prone to trying stunts, Kasmire said. She had advice for them, too: "Don't try to do things that are beyond your skill level."

The study results were published online Aug. 1 in the journal Pediatrics.

By Amy Norton
HealthDay Reporter

More information
The American Academy of Pediatrics has recommendations on trampoline use.

SOURCES: Kathryn Kasmire, M.D., fellow, pediatric emergency medicine, Connecticut Children's Medical Center, Hartford; Robert Glatter, M.D., emergency physician, Lenox Hill Hospital, New York City; Barbara Pena, M.D., research director, emergency department, Nicklaus Children's Hospital, Miami; September 2016, Pediatrics

Last Updated: Aug. 1, 2016
Copyright © 2016 HealthDay. All rights reserved.