Pediatrics Care Resources In San Francisco California

Breastfeeding Reduces Risk of Fever After Vaccines

Parents often ask if they should premedicate their baby before immunization in order to prevent fever and discomfort that’s associated with the shots. In fact, a study published last year in The Lancet suggested that acetaminophen (the active ingredient in Tylenol) blunts the immune system’s response to the vaccines. At GetzWell, where we often vaccinate children on a staggered schedule (fewer vaccines per appointment) and strongly discourage premedication, we rarely see post-vaccine fevers or pain. Additionally, an Italian study involving 450 babies (published in Pediatrics in May 2010), showed that half as many infants who were exclusively breastfed developed post-vaccine fevers compared to babies who weren’t breastfed at all. Yet another reason to support breastfeeding whenever possible!

Greening the Womb Intro

Our collective consciousness appears to be shifting towards the acknowledgment that our green choices matter, for ourselves and the generations that follow. As integrative pediatricians focused on supporting and optimizing children’s health, we at GetzWell Pediatrics believe that green affirmations and their legacies are not only integral to the well-being of our world but also inextricably linked to the ultimate life-giving and life-sustaining environment — the womb.

Fever Phobia: What Most Parents Don’t Know About Their Child’s Fever

Misconceptions about the dangers of childhood fever are very common. Many San Francisco parents lose sleep and experience unnecessary stress due to unwarranted concerns about the harmful side effects of fever in their children.

Fevers are part the body’s effort to activate the immune system, so they are one of our innate protective mechanisms. Most fevers are good for children because fevers help them to fight infection.

Whooping Cough: Who’s At Risk?

California has officially declared the pertussis or whooping cough outbreak an epidemic. In fact, the golden state is on track to break a 50 year record number of cases, and 5 infants have died this year in California alone. At GetzWell, three of our own patients (all unvaccinated) have had it in the last few months! Fortunately these were not babies and the kids are healthy again, but it was a miserable period of many weeks of uncontrollable coughing. The most common scenario is a mild cold that lasts a few weeks before the coughing begins. If your child has a protracted cold (lasting more than 10 days without improvement) or a cough following a runny nose that’s lasted a couple weeks, call us for an appointment.

Dr. Getzelman’s mindful approach to vaccination

This is a 2 part video that highlights GetzWell’s thoughtful, 21st Century approach to childhood vaccination. Dr. Getzelman was a panel member at the Bay Area Home Birth Collective’s annual vaccine talk at San Francisco’s Waldorf School this year and speaks about GetzWell’s unique approach to vaccination.

Are you using safe personal care products for your child?

Skin Deep is a safety guide to personal care products for children and adults brought to you by researchers at the Environmental Working Group (EWG).

EWG brings together a team of scientists, engineers, policy experts, lawyers and computer programmers that pores over government data, legal documents, scientific studies and their own laboratory tests to expose threats to your health and the environment, and to find solutions. Their research brings to light unsettling facts that you have a right to know.

How do I take my child’s temperature?

One of the most common questions we get relates to what kind of a thermometer to use and how to use it properly. Here’s a link to some sound information on how best to take your child’s temperature: temp.

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Breastfeeding Reduces Risk of Fever After Vaccines

Fever Phobia: What Most Parents Don’t Know About Their Child’s Fever

Whooping Cough: Who’s At Risk?

Dr. Getzelman’s mindful approach to vaccination

Are you using safe personal care products for your child?

How do I take my child’s temperature?

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