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Tag: White-Wilson DeFuniak Springs

  • Tips for Navigating the Formula Shortage Crisis

    By Dr. Dale Volquartsen, Pediatrician

    Many parents today are faced with difficult decisions concerning the feeding of their infants in the midst of what is now a crisis due to the shortage of infant formula. As with most crises, there are numerous factors that play into the shortage.  For one, as the nation is emerging from the pandemic and there has been a significant increase in demand that was not anticipated. For another unexpected reason, fewer mothers are electing to nurse their children and that’s increasing the demand for formula. The largest factor, however, is the closure of a factory in Michigan where Abbott produces a large portion of their formula. In 2021, there were four infants, two of which who died, who are believed to have been made ill by consuming formula that became contaminated with bacteria from that factory. In February, that formula was recalled and the factory was closed. It is expected to reopen soon, but the supply will likely take about two months to reach the shelves.

    This shortage may be leaving families feeling desperate and willing to turn to potentially dangerous alternatives.

    Avoid these common mistakes:

    1. Please do not attempt to make your own formula. Right now, the internet is being flooded with people promoting different formula recipes. This is not a new phenomenon and has resulted in bad outcomes for infants in the past. Too much protein can harm an infant’s kidneys and liver. Inadequate electrolytes such as sodium have resulted in seizures and death. Inadequate fat and sugar content has a lasting effect on brain health and development. These are just a few of the bad outcomes from these imbalanced alternatives.
    2. Do not water down formula to make it “stretch”. The baby will get inadequate calories and the lower electrolytes can lead to seizures and death.
    3. I recommend that whole cow’s milk only be introduced after the first birthday. After six months of age, a day or two may be acceptable but only as the very last resort. The protein is more difficult for an infant to digest and cow’s milk increases the risk of iron deficiency.
    4. Plant-based milk alternatives are never appropriate alternatives for infants. Even though the ingredient labels may be similar to cow’s milk formulas, the actual ingredients are different in function. This means that the infant’s body does not metabolize and use those ingredients the same way.
    5. Toddler formulas are significantly different than infant formulas and should not be used except in older infants and only after all other options have been exhausted.
    6. The FDA and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend that you do not purchase formula imported from outside America. There are numerous reasons for this, but the primary concerns include the difference consumer protection rules, shipping concerns and language/labeling risks. The importing of formula is also highly regulated, making it more difficult and expensive to procure.
    7. Avoid the temptation to hoard formula when you find it. This is actually part of the reason we are in such short supply. Early in the pandemic, there was widespread hoarding. This was followed by a significant decrease in demand the following year since there were ample supplies in homes. With the decreased demand, the formula companies did not accurately predict the demand for this current year.

    So, what is a mom to do in the face of this shortage? There are no simple answers, but here are some recommendations:

    1. If able, rely on nursing as much as possible. No formula can hold a candle to the milk a mother provides for her infant. Even if you are only able to provide a few ounces a day, that may make a big difference for your baby. Contact a lactation consultant in the case you may even be able to help a mother re-lactate.
    2. Look in smaller stores where the shortage may not have had such a large impact.
    3. For most babies, switching to a different formula or brand will not be a problem. However, if you have your baby on a special formula, ensure you speak with your pediatrician before making a switch. Samples of the proper formula may be available.  Your pediatrician will also ensure that the options chosen are healthy and appropriate.  Further, anyone needing a specialized formula can call Abbott at 1-800-881-0876 to request a formula on a case by case basis.
    4. If you qualify for WIC, be sure to enroll as they are the single largest customer purchasing infant formulas. SNAP (food stamps) and food banks may also be a solution. Here in the Florida Panhandle, you can call 2-1-1 to be connected with public services and nonprofits that that may be able to help.
    5. There may be some community groups that are working with families as well. They will often coordinate through social media outlets.

    I am confident that we will get through this crisis. Why?  Because we know we have excellent parents caring for their children.  We, the pediatricians of White-Wilson, are here to help all of you through this time and to help you make the best choices for your growing child.  Don’t hesitate to reach out to your pediatrician for any questions or concerns you have.

    Dr. Dale Volquartsen is a board-certified pediatrician with more than 30-years’ experience caring for children. Dr. Volquartsen cares for patients at White-Wilson Medical Center in DeFuniak Springs, Florida where he is accepting new patients.

  • Mid-Year Health Screening Breakdown

    The halfway mark of the year is upon us and it’s time to take stock of all that you have accomplished and what is yet to come. While it’s a lot more fun to think about all the things you have achieved so far in the year, it is important to have a plan for those that still need to be done, especially when it comes to your health.

    “In order to keep yourself in tiptop shape, there are certain health screenings and exams we recommend patients receive every year,” explain Dr. Tyler Hamilton, a Family Medicine physician at White-Wilson Medical Center in Navarre. “First and foremost is your annual wellness exam.”

    As the name suggests, annual wellness exams are yearly physical where your primary care provider (PCP) reviews and charts your overall health. During these visits, your PCP will conduct a series of simple examinations, including noting your weight and height, taking a blood pressure reading, checking your lungs and heart and taking a visual examination of your physical wellbeing. The exam will include a series of questions that may be asked before your visit to get an in-depth health history and to determine areas your physician should pay extra attention to.

    “Dependent on a patient’s health history, a PCP may also order blood work to be completed prior to the annual wellness visit,” Dr. Hamilton explains. “Then when the patient comes in, we can go over the results and discuss if lifestyle or medication changes need to be made.”

    Beyond annual wellness exams, Dr. Hamilton highlights how your annual wellness visit can help you stay on track with important and potentially lifesaving screenings.

    “When I talk with a patient about a gap in their health history or the last time they received a screening, they are often surprised at how many years have lapsed,” notes Dr. Hamilton. “Especially during the pandemic, we tend to not realize how much time has passed and that we be past due for a screening. That is where a regular visit with your doctor can be lifesaving. Your doctor will make sure to order any of the screenings that you may need. The last thing we want to do is put off a screening and then find later that earlier detection would have been a game changer.”

    Additional, age based or risk factor-based screenings that your doctor may order include:

    • Colonoscopy – Should occur every 10 years beginning at age 45 for patients of normal risk. Patients with higher risk may need to begin screening earlier or receive them more often
    • Mammogram – Should occur annually for women 40 and older with normal risk of developing breast cancer. Patients with a higher risk may need to begin screening earlier.
    • Cervical cancer screening – Should occur every 3 years for females ages 20-29 and every 5 years for women ages 30-65, when combined with an HPV test.
    • Osteoporosis screening – Should occur every 15 years for female patients 60 and older with normal bone mass or only mild bone loss. More frequent testing may be required for female patients with greater bone loss.

    “Once we know your personal history and your family history, we can determine what screenings are best for you. Most of these screenings require a physician’s order so that the results can be sent to them for future monitoring and record keeping,” concluded Dr. Hamilton. “If you have a good relationship with your primary care physician, he or she will be the quarterback and your annual wellness visit is a time to review the playbook and make sure you have everything in place for the best, healthiest outcomes.”

    Dr. Tyler Hamilton cares for patients at White-Wilson Family Medicine Clinic in Navarre, Florida. He is now accepting patients of all ages. To learn more about him and his approach to patient care or to schedule an appointment online, click here.

  • How Technology Can Affect Your Little One’s Restful Sleep

    Technology is an ever-present part of our lives. From the computer you work on to smartphone you use to connect with friends and family, there is rarely a day that we go without some sort of screen in front of our faces. For many of us, daily use of screen-based technology didn’t become a part of lives until we were into our teens or even adulthood; but today’s children are being introduced to the latest innovations earlier and earlier.  As a result, doctors are seeing the effect it has on our little one’s growth and development.

    “Technology, at its core, can be beneficial,” explains DeFuniak Springs-based pediatrician, Dr. Dale Volquartsen. “It makes important tasks easier and quicker for many of us including our children. Where it becomes a problem is when it negatively affects a child’s health, and that’s just what we are seeing when it comes to screen-based technology and our kids’ sleeping habits.”

    As Dr. Volquartsen explains, studies have shown that too much technology use close to bedtime can inhibit a child’s ability to get a restful night of sleep. In fact, the greatest hindrance to a restful sleep for our children today is the presence of electronics in bedrooms.

    “The main perpetrators are laptops, tablets, smartphones and televisions,” he says. “These all emit blue light from their screens and it is that blue light, when overexposed to it, that has been shown to negatively affect sleep patterns and make it difficult not only for your child to fall asleep but also to stay asleep.”

    Beyond blue light, technology-use before bed can affect sleep on other levels as well. These including causing excessive brightness in sleeping areas and over-stimulating children with content when their minds should be winding down.

    “Anyone who has a child knows that entertainment aimed at them has so much going on,” explains Dr. Volquartsen. “From quick actions to loud noises and colorful scenes, it is enough to make anyone’s brain feel busy and overwhelmed. Now, consider a child whose brain hasn’t reached full maturity yet and therefore doesn’t process things as quickly as an adult usually can. It takes them longer to recover from that over-stimulation and when it occurs near bedtime, that leads to a decrease in the quality of and number of hours they’re actually sleeping.”

    To decrease the risk of reduced sleep time, Dr. Volquartsen recommends setting a bedtime for all electronics 60 minutes before the child’s personal bed time. This will allow the child’s brain the appropriate time to reset before its needs to fall asleep. Dr. Volquartsen also recommends that when it’s time to go to sleep, your children’s bedroom becomes a no-tech zone and that it is dark and quiet.  In fact, it would be wise to keep the bedroom free of electronics all the time.

    “The last thing you want to happen after your child has fallen asleep is for a noise or light from a notification to wake them up,” he says. “Keeping unnecessary electronics out of bedrooms during the night will eliminate that possibility.”

    Lastly, Dr. Volquartsen recommends keeping a routine sleep schedule, including a set time that a child goes to bed and when you wake them up.

    “Between the tech bedtime and your child’s actual bedtime, you can also introduce a calm activity such as reading them a story, giving them a bath, introducing a simple meditation or a time to pray. Whatever you choose, you will want to make sure you do it every night, so your child’s brain can recognize the pattern that this activity means sleep is soon.”  Prevent their exposure to frightening media as well realizing that what would never alarm us as parents could still be very alarming to a young child who has limited ability to discern between reality and make believe.  Even a simple cartoon can generate fear and nightmares in the young child.

    “Regardless whether they are related to tech, sleep issues are something you always want to discuss with your child’s pediatrician,” concludes Dr. Volquartsen. “They could be a normal part of growth and development or there could be something more at play, but your pediatrician can definitely help you figure out how to get your child the rest they need to grow and to thrive.”

    Dr. Dale Volquartsen is board-certified by the American Board of Pediatrics and cares for patients at White-Wilson Pediatric Clinic in DeFuniak Springs, Florida. He is now accepting patients from birth to age 18. To learn more about him and his approach to patient care or to schedule an appointment online, click here.