Vicki Lewis: Welcome to Discussions with the Doc. This
is a healthcare podcast brought to you by Coffee Regional Medical Center in
Douglas, Georgia, where our mission is to provide exceptional care and wellness
close to home. Join us as we learn more about rural healthcare in South
Georgia.

Caitlin Whyte: As flu and cold season approaches, it's
important to do what you can at home to keep your little ones safe. Children
contract colds and other respiratory illnesses frequently, causing stress on
both the child and the parent. Well, today I am here with board-certified
pediatrician, Dr. Jennifer Stroud. Dr. Stroud joined CRH Pediatric Group in
2021 from Orlando, Florida, and focuses on preventative medicine for little
ones. We'll be discussing her tips and tricks to keep kids happy and healthy
all year long. Well, Dr. Shroud, thank you so much for taking the time to speak
with us today.

Jennifer Stroud, M.D.: Thanks for having me. I'm excited
to be here.

Caitlin Whyte: So to start us off, can you explain to us
what preventative medicine looks like on the pediatric level?

Jennifer Stroud, M.D.: So from a pediatric standpoint,
it's really about preventing diseases before they're a problem. So it's things
like vaccinating to prevent infectious diseases or making sure we're making
healthy lifestyle decisions to prevent diabetes or heart disease in the future.

Caitlin Whyte: So we all know children get the sniffles
pretty often. In fact, I can't even remember the last time we were sniffle-free
in our house. So with cold and flu season coming up, what are some things that
parents can do to keep their children as healthy as possible?

Jennifer Stroud, M.D.: I kind of like what I call the
three P approach. So it's preventing illness, preparing for when illness hits
and then taking care of illnesses once they're happening. So prevention is
avoiding catching illnesses. It's keeping your hands clean, trying to keep the
germs away. Preparation is being ready, having some things on board and ready
to go at your house. And prescription is really just when you need to see the
doctor and, you know, start treating things.

Caitlin Whyte: You know, during these times, I think
hand-washing has become a pretty frequent practice for all if it wasn't before
COVID-19. So what are some ways we can prevent the onset of illness besides
hand-washing?

Jennifer Stroud, M.D.: Keeping your body healthy is a
good idea. So that means good rest every night, getting a little bit of
exercise every day, eating healthy, lots of fruits and vegetables in our house.
We call it eating the rainbow, so a little bit of things from every color
group. And then, you can avoid germs, you keep your hands clean. But things
that people don't think about are wiping down high touch surfaces in your house
door knobs, countertops, things like that. But you can also make sure that your
kids are up-to-date on their vaccines so that they can prevent catching
illnesses or at least getting super sick from them. And then, avoiding large
crowds, you know, especially in an enclosed space.

Caitlin Whyte: I love that, eating the rainbow. I feel
like I have to remember that as a 32-year-old. Now, you know, sometimes, most
likely our little ones will come down with something mild. What kind of
preparation measures can we take for when that happens? And then, what are some
signs that we may need to take further action, maybe head to the doctor?

Jennifer Stroud, M.D.: I'm glad you asked. So, my
favorite stuff to keep onboard in our house is liquid Tylenol and Motrin.
Nothing is worse than having a kid wake up at 2:00 AM with a fever and
realizing you have nothing to fix that fever with. I like Zarbee's if you have
kids over one or is Zarbee's Baby if they're under one. Zarbee's is really
honey-based and so it's a cough medicine, but it doesn't have a lot of side
effects that some of the other over-the-counter cough medications have.
Zarbee's Baby is made with agave syrup since they can't have honey. But it can
help thin out all that mucus and make that cough a little less harsh. There's
also gripe water for upset stomach, which is just kind of ginger and chamomile
and it's very calming for the stomach. For the little ones, nasal saline can be
a really big help. It's a little spray that goes up the nose and helps kind of
rehydrate all that nose tissue and then also, it helps clean out any snot that
might be in there. And then, you want your other things like tissues, a
thermometer, having some popsicles or sports drinks for hydration. And if you
have older kids, you can do like the sore throat lollipops or lozenges, as long
as they're old enough to handle those.

Caitlin Whyte: Well, that actually leads me into my next
question. I know there is a lot of controversy over prescribing children too
many antibiotics and having them on too many medications and how that affects a
child's health. So what do you recommend for children battling these cold-like
symptoms? I know you mentioned a few, but what are your thoughts in this area?

Jennifer Stroud, M.D.: So antibiotics are great for
bacterial infections. But they don't really work for viral illnesses or fungal
infections, and they can have a lot of side effects. So you can get diarrhea,
you can have allergic reactions. You can also have changes in gut flora, which
is like the bacteria that help us digest our food. And more seriously, you can
get antibiotic resistance, which is where bacteria can kind of figure out how
to get around those antibiotics, so it won't work later when they really need
them. So unless your kid has an ear infection or something on top of their
cold, really just avoiding medications in general, besides like the ones I
mentioned above to help treat symptoms, is usually the best option. And
viruses, thankfully, are usually pretty self-limited and the body can fight
them off pretty well. We just get to keep kids comfortable until then.

Caitlin Whyte: Well, Dr. Stroud, thank you for offering
your expertise on keeping our children safe during this cold and flu season. I
know these times can be difficult on both the parent and the children, so this
was super beneficial.

Jennifer Stroud, M.D.: Well, I'm so glad I got to talk
with you today. Thank you so much for having me.

Caitlin Whyte: Well, you've been listening to
Discussions with the Doc with Coffee Regional Medical Center. Find out more
about us at coffeeregional.org or call the CRH Pediatric Group at 912-384-9460.
That's 912-384-9460.

Vicki Lewis: We've decided to create this podcast to
educate our community and enlighten those throughout our great nation about
rural healthcare. We hope you subscribe and enjoy Discussions with the Doc.
Thank you for listening to this podcast, sponsored by Coffee Regional Medical
Center, where our purpose is to serve, to heal, to save.

Caitlin Whyte: And this concludes today's episode of
Discussions with the Doc. We invite you to download subscribe, rate, and review
our podcast on Apple Podcast, Google Podcast, and Spotify. For more episodes
and information on our providers and services, visit us online at
coffeeregional.org.

This program aims to enhance your health and wellness knowledge
by fulfilling the vision of Coffee Regional Medical Center, healthy lifestyles,
better lives.

None of the information provided in this episode should serve
as a diagnosis or approval of the treatment for any ailment. The information
and opinions provided in this podcast do not create any type of doctor-patient
relationship. By listening to this podcast, you agree not to use this podcast
as medical advice to treat any medical condition in either yourself or others
including, but not limited to, patients that you are treating. Consult your own
physician for any medical issues that you may be having. The opinions of the
guests do not necessarily represent the opinion of Coffee Regional Medical
Center.