Why we do not "write healthily"
A somewhat more difficult topic today - but one that we paediatricians are very concerned about. Because we are very often confronted with the fact that we are supposed to give a child a "clean bill of health". In other words, we are asked to certify schools, nurseries or childminders: This child is healthy. But we can't do that.
We can write children off sick. If we see that the child has certain symptoms, then we can say: "This child is ill." There are almost always clear signs of this. But we can't look at a child and say: "This child is definitely healthy." Or: "This child is definitely not infectious."
I have tried time and again to explain this to parents or representatives of institutions - not always successfully. But recently I read a really great story in a really great book ("Alles halb so schlimm" by my paediatrician colleague Stefan Nolte) that illustrates this wonderfully.
If I stand in front of a large clearing in the forest and see a hare there, then I can say: there is a hare in this clearing. However, if I look at the clearing and I don't see a hare, then I can't say that there is no hare in this clearing. I just don't see one, but I don't know if there isn't one hidden somewhere.
It's the same with sick and well notes. If we see something, we can say: the child is ill. If we don't see anything, it doesn't automatically mean that the child is healthy.
We simply have to have confidence in the parents and help them to make a good assessment of their child's state of health. And here's my tip: if your child has been at home due to illness and you think in the evening, "Wow, my child was actually so fit again today that I could have sent them to school or nursery" - then send them the next day. That works wonderfully.
Further interesting tips
Get moving!
Today the doctor has an expert at his side: Nina Kurz is a pre- and postnatal trainer and is very committed to the topic of sport for children and young people - and that's exactly what the two of them talked about.
Dental health
Please all go "aaaaaaah". We are focusing on the topic of dental health - together with dentist Irina Kuhnert, our practice neighbour. We have summarised nine important points:
Gynaecomastia
Today's topic concerns boys aged twelve to 15, or their parents. Everyone else can of course continue reading :-). The topic is called "gynaecomastia" and often leads to boys being somewhat desperate in the surgery and parents being really worried.