Prominent Doctor
Launches New Book To Help Parents & Caregivers Navigate Health, Wellness & The Medical
System For Their Children
When should children be immunized? Is that a sprain or something worse? Are those teeth growing in straight? Is that a cold or is it the flu? What are those funny-looking, itchy red
dots? Is your child eating right? Is
your daughter vaping? How do you
prepare your son for surgery?
So many questions can fill a parent’s head about their
child. And rightfully so. From
emergencies, sports injuries, Coronavirus and measles, to allergies, addiction,
eating disorders and crooked teeth, the landscape for achieving optimal health
is littered with pitfalls. Parents may
not even know what they need to know about their child’s wellbeing.
Thanks to a new book, Medical Parenting (Morgan James
Publishing) by one of America’s Top Doctors™ Jacqueline Jones, M.D., parents
and caregivers have a map from infancy through adulthood, helping them prevent
or treat childhood stages of growth, disease, and injuries.
In fact, Dr. Jones has coined a phrase to cover all that a
parent needs to do for ensuring a child’s well-being. Dr. Jones, a client of
the book publicity firm that I work for, calls it “medical parenting.”
Here’s an interview with the New York City-based ENT and
surgeon of 25 years:
1.
What inspired you to write Medical Parenting? I wrote medical parenting to help parents feel less overwhelmed in the
information age. The internet is a blessing and a curse. It provides parents
with a great deal of unfiltered information. Friends, relatives and co-workers
can also be a source of “helpful” information but at times this amount of
information can be overwhelming for parents. My book Medical Parenting is a
guide to help parents navigate this increasingly complex medical system. From
how to choose a pediatrician to nutrition, dental care, choosing a nanny and
finally letting your child transition to adulthood is all covered in my
comprehensive guide.
2.
The internet can overwhelm people, with contradictory,
incorrect, incomplete, or outdated information.
How does your book help educate and empower parents to take ownership of
their child’s wellbeing? My book Medical Parenting helps parents through the
maze of the current medical system. The internet is filled with reviews and
seeming helpful information but how as a parent do you decide what is helpful
and how to organize that information. My book helps parents with a step by step
guide on how to choose a pediatrician and how to interact with the office staff
and maximize your child’s health care. Medical Parenting provides an in-depth
guide on preparing yourself for a parent’s worse nightmare- a medical emergency
with your child.
3.
When choosing a pediatrician, medical specialist, or
surgeon, what should one be looking for? It is critical as a parent to know
yourself. The best pediatrician for your best friend or mother in law may not
be the person who is right for you. Think about the type of support you need.
Are you a first time Mom or Dad and need more support as you learn how to care
for your child or do you have three kids and you feel like “ I got this and
need less support” For the first time Mom perhaps they want to consider a
smaller practice where they will see the same pediatrician for the vast
majority of their visits and develop a close relationship with that person. For
the experienced Mom perhaps a larger practice where they is always a doctor
available to fit their busy schedule. Not every doctor will fit every parent
and you need to know when the fit is not right that they can change and find a
doctor who they better connect with. We don’t get married after the first date
it is OK to choose a doctor that works well for you
4.
Not only are you an award-winning, Ivy-trained, New
York doctor, you are also the mother of two now grown children. What goes
through the minds of parents when they seek medical help for their child? I like all parents
want only the best for my child. I want someone who will listen to me and take
my concerns seriously. I want to have a physician that will help me address the
anxiety I feel about my child’s illness and help me and my child on the path to
recovery.
5.
Why is the medical system so challenging, even
frightening, to navigate? There are too many choices available and too much
information that can lead us down paths that are not helpful. Google neck mass
in children and one of the top 5 diagnosis is cancer. Cancer in a child
presenting as a small neck mass if very rare. However once that thought is put
into a parents mind it’s really hard not to worry about. Living in NYC we have
the luxury of a multitude of doctors to choose from but how does one know who
is good and who is bad. How do we filter that information? My book medical
parenting goes through the process of filtering that information in a logical
fashion so parents can find a health care provider that fits their needs.
6.
What should a parent do once their child is diagnosed
with a chronic illness? They need to get their health care team in place. Your
child pediatrician should be the captain of that team and help to organize the
specialist who will be assisting with your child’s care. Talk to your child’s
teacher and principle and set up and educational plan so that your child can
continue with their schooling to whatever capacity they are able. Speak to your
child’s specialist and find out who will be the day to day contact person if
you were to have routine questions. Find out what to do in an emergency. What
hospital do you take your child too? Is there an urgent care facility you can
use? Who do you call? Explore parent support groups as you go through the
process of coming to terms with your child’s illness. Other parents can provide
support and invaluable information as they have traveled the path that lies
ahead of you
7.
How do you help parents remain calm when their child
is diagnosed with a major injury, disease, or disorder? Action is the
antidote to anxiety. Research your child’s illness and set up and appointment
with your child’s specialist as well as their pediatrician to learn more about
their diagnosis and treatment. Find a support group. Talk to the school and
above all do not displace your anxiety on to any of the children in your
family. You want to speak to your child’s siblings, so they understand what the
family is going through, but your older child is not there to act as a
confidant or to help you deal with your anxiety. Use friends, relatives and
support groups for that.
8.
What do parents need to know over the debate or
misconceptions circulating out there over immunizations, screen time, or sexual
activity? They need to
discuss their concerns openly with their child’s pediatrician. A good
pediatrician can help parents to sift through the conflicting information on
the internet and make a decision that is right for their child and their
family.
9.
Adolescence is tough to negotiate. How should parents
stay involved as their children hit puberty and march towards adulthood? Be present and
listen. Realize that your child is striving for independence as they negotiate
their way through the difficult process of being an adult. They will be moody,
difficult and take out their anger, frustration and fear of what they are
feeling and what lies ahead on you. DO NOT TAKE IT PERSONALLY. Try to disengage
from the situation when things become too heated. Try to hear their side of the
argument and validate their feelings. Remember however that they are still
children and are looking for their parents to be adults. Caring, loving,
respectful adults but never the less adults. Set household rules up early and
stick to them. Set reasonable expectations and listen when your child is asking
for an exception to your rules. I remember my son getting into an argument with
our oldest son. He ended the conversation but getting upset and grounding our
son for six months. We all knew that was going to be impossible to enforce! We
learned that we would set rules that we could all live with and when those
rules were broken appropriate consequences would follow.
10.
It seems like so many kids are medicated for a
physical or mental condition. Is America over-medicating children? How do you advise parents on this? This is a
difficult problem. The pressure on children and adolescence to perform is overwhelming. It seems that every child has to
be the best at reading and math and be well behaved at all times. We need to
allow child to fail and to experience the consequences of their actions. That
being said the advent of medication to help children with significant Attention
deficit disorder has changed how children who are afflicted with this condition
function in school. The most important process in deciding if your child needs
medication is to consult your pediatrician and if need a pediatric mental
health provider. Try work with your child’s health care team to avoid
medications if they are not absolutely necessary but follow your clinician
advice and work with them to find the best treatment options for your child.
11.
Does the size of a medical practice matter, and could
you tell us what a concierge practice is? The size of a medical practice does
matter. In a larger practice you will have the advantage of easily getting an
appointment when you need it. You will probably not see the same physician each
time but rest assured that they will have similar treatment philosophies as
your primary care physician would. In a smaller practice you will have the
luxury of seeing the same doctor for the majority of your child’s care, but it
may be more difficult to obtain an appointment and you will need to visit
another doctor for emergency appointments if your doctor is unavailable. A
concierge practice is a model of health care where the patient pays to obtain a
higher level of service that is not usually provided in larger medical
practices. This may include unlimited access to a physician, home visits,
telemedicine visits, expedited appointments and no waiting when you enter the
office. The fee for concierge service can range from several hundred dollars
per year to several thousand dollars per year and the doctor may charge a
yearly or monthly fee. There are several companies which specializes in
concierge services and more information can be obtained on their website.
12.
Could you provide some suggestions on how to build
rapport with your primary care physician who too often rushes through
appointments? If
your primary care physician seems rushed try to understand the predicament that
they are in. They are asked to see more and more patients for less and less
reimbursement as large insurance companies squeeze doctors to increase their
revenues as the cost of health care increases. Try to be focused in your time
with them. Your visit should not be spent discussing where they went to medical
school or how many lawsuits they have had in their career. Get that information
from the internet. Organize any information you want the pediatrician to look at.
If your child is having night time cough, make a video. If they are snoring
tape that on your phone. If they have a rash take photos. Make a list of the
questions you need answered and decide if those question need to be answered by
a doctor or can a nurse answer them? If you have questions which are not
answered stop the doctor and in a nice manner redirect them to make sure that
the issues which are important to you are answered. Do not call back later that
day and expect the physician to get on the phone with you and answer questions
you forgot to ask. They will be triaged to a nurse so if you want face to face
time with your doctor get it while they are in front of you. Turn off your cell
phone and DO NOT answer any call unless it is an emergency while the doctor is
in the room. They is not email or text that cannot wait ½ hour until your
appointment is finished. Lastly if you really feel rushed and you feel after a
few tries that things are not improving find another health care provider.
13.
Minors can now suffer from eating disorders, sexually
transmitted diseases, or addiction to drugs /alcohol or vaping. How do parents
and doctors detect those things? Know your child. Look for the warning
signs such as erratic behavior, significant weight loss, unusual eating habits
and wearing inappropriate clothing that your child may be using it cover scars,
needle marks or changes in their body’s appearance. Hopefully your child has
developed a relationship with their pediatrician and may discuss concerns they
have with their pediatrician that they might not discuss with you. In my book
Medical Parenting I discuss how parents can help to foster a relationship
between your child and their pediatrician. If you have true concerns talk openly to your
teenager and let them know if they need you, you will be there for them. If you
real concerns about their health, then speak directly to your child’s physician
and together you will get them the help they need.
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Brian
Feinblum’s insightful views, provocative opinions, and interesting ideas
expressed in this terrific blog are his alone and not that of his employer or
anyone else. You can – and should -- follow him on Twitter @theprexpert and
email him at brianfeinblum@gmail.com. He feels much more important when
discussed in the third-person. This is copyrighted by BookMarketingBuzzBlog
©2020. Born and raised in Brooklyn, he now resides in Westchester. His
writings are often featured in The Writer and IBPA’s Independent.
This was named one of the best book marketing blogs by Book Baby http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs and recognized by Feedspot in 2018 as one of the
top book marketing blogs. Also named by WinningWriters.com as a "best
resource.” He recently hosted a panel on book publicity for Book Expo America.
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