Pediatrics

Our pediatrician and pediatric nurse practitioners at Kalihi-Palama Health Center provide well-baby care exams, pediatric exams, normal childhood development screening tests, immunizations, sick child care, and follow-up exams.

In giving comprehensive patient care, referrals may be made within our clinic, and to outside specialists. We offer health education to parents at each visit.

A few common ailments we all should know about.

Everyone knows fire helps us cook, keeps us warm and brings light when it is dark. We also know fire can hurt…that is, the misuse of fire or our negligence around fire. Of course accidents can happen, but it is extremely important to be careful around fire and its heat. When our bodies get too close to fire and to hot objects we get burned.

There are other ways to get burned too. Certain chemicals like acids can cause burns. Exposure to radiation like the sun’s rays can also cause burns…and burns are serious. A sunburn may seem only to itch but over-exposure to the sun can cause permanent damage to our skin and eyes, damage which may not be noticed until years later.

Protect yourself from all burns. Be careful, not careless. Use caution and use common sense.

There is nothing so common about a cold when you have one. You are tired. Your body aches. Your head aches. You get a runny nose or even a stuffed up nose. You might cough, you might not. You can feel pretty miserable and sometimes you feel ok enough to want to play. Maybe if you had worn a sweatshirt that cold day, you wouldn’t feel sick today. Or maybe if you had dried off at the beach before walking home in the cool evening, you would be outside playing this morning. You don’t really know how, you only know you caught one. And you are not happy.

It is important to know how your body feels at all times. It is important to know when to rest, when to keep warm, and what foods are good for you. When you are sick with a cold, it is important that you do not become more ill. If you feel you are down with a cold longer than usual, you must have someone make sure you are not getting more sick.

Know your body. Know how to keep yourself healthy with good food, good play and good fun. If you do get sick, be certain that you take care of yourself the best way you can. Sometimes this means not going outside to play and just resting. Sometimes this means visiting your doctor. Stay healthy.

OK. You broke your arm. You remember how it hurt so bad you were almost sick to your stomach. It was an accident. You were playing and you fell. ARGHH! If you moved a little bit, it hurt even more. Of course you cried…anyone would. It really hurt and you knew something was really, really wrong.

Broken arms, broken legs are painful traumas which we all try to avoid by playing, running or just moving without being too reckless. We bump into hard objects (”Hey! Where did THAT wall come from!”). We fall down (”OOMMPH!”). Things fall on us (”OH! HEY! OW!”). Most times we get a bit of pain and maybe even a bruise and a swelling. A broken bone, a fracture, is more serious than a bumped knee. Of course if you have a fracture, you know this because it hurts alot…A LOT!

Your doctor must fix any fractures. Your doctor will make sure you have the proper care and any medicines you need to speed your recovery. It is also important to take proper care of any injuries after initial treatment. How best to do this will be explained by your doctor or healthcare worker. Please follow all directions and, hey, no running up the stairs!

What WAS that you just ate? Or drank? You don’t know!? You better not do that again! OOOEE! If you keep feeling this sick you may just find out what it was you just ate…and that could get messy. Don’t ever do that again! And you better tell someone now how you feel.

Then again, sometimes you know you didn’t eat something to make you feel bad to your stomach. You just feel sick. Sometimes a bellyache is a sign of something else. Maybe you are coming down with a flu. Maybe you ate too much good food and too fast. Maybe there is something inside that needs fixing. You can’t be sure yourself. So if you do have a bellyache, tell someone.

Health Notes is meant to provide information for a healthy lifestyle. It is not medical advice. For medical advice and care, please consult your healthcare worker.