Prevent. Test. Treat. – Clap Back at STI’s

As nurses at the Clinton County Health Department (CCHD), one of our roles is to work with local providers to identify, treat, and prevent diseases that are spread from person to person – aka communicable diseases. This includes certain STI’s (sexually transmitted infections) such as Chlamydia, Gonorrhea, Syphilis, Trichomoniasis, and Herpes (in certain populations). CCHD is sent positive test results for all Clinton County residents. We then work closely with the testing provider to ensure the following:

1.           The patient has received adequate treatment. 
2.       The patient has been offered expedited partner therapy (EPT). 
3.       The patient has received education and counseling to prevent spreading the infection.

Cases of Chlamydia in Clinton County have almost doubled in the first quarter of 2022 (when compared to the first quarter of 2021) and Gonorrhea cases more than tripled from 2020 to 2021. Many STI’s are curable, most are treatable, and all are preventable. Take control of your sexual health by preventing STI’s, getting tested regularly, and getting treated immediately if you develop an STI.

 Prevent

Knowing how to prevent the spread of STI’s will help you take control of your sexual health. Have open conversations with your sexual partner(s) to ensure you are on the same page.

STI prevention options include:

• Using condoms or other latex barriers
• Getting vaccinated (vaccines can prevent many diseases, including some that are sexually transmitted, like HPV and hepatitis)
• Not having sexual contact (aka abstinence)
• Reducing your number of sexual partners
• Mutual monogamy

Test

Knowing your STI status is an important step in stopping the spread. If you have ever been sexually active, getting tested is one of the most important things you can do to protect your health and the health of others. You should also get tested with every new partner and have an honest and open talk with them about their sexual history. Many STI’s often have no symptoms, or if symptoms occur they may not appear until several weeks, months, or years after sexual contact. Getting tested may be the only way to be sure you have one.

Where can I get tested locally?

• Planned Parenthood of the North Country
• WellNow Urgent Care and other walk-in clinics
• SUNY Plattsburgh Student Health & Counseling Center
• The Veterans Association (VA)
• CVPH Emergency Room
• Your Primary Care Provider

Treat

If you test positive for an STI, you and all of your partners need to start treatment immediately. During treatment you need to refrain from sex for 7 days. It is also important to get tested again in 3 months since unsuccessful treatment the first time is fairly common. Without treatment, these infections can lead to major health problems such as; being unable to get pregnant (infertility), unable to stay pregnant, permanent brain damage, heart disease, and many types of cancer.

A great way to get speedy treatment to your partner(s) is by using EPT (Expedited Partner Therapy). This treatment allows your healthcare provider to treat your partner without ever seeing them. You can deliver the medicine or hand-written prescription directly to your partner. This can be done for most cases of chlamydia, trichomoniasis (“trich”) and gonorrhea. Ask your provider if you can give a medication or prescription to your partner(s) through EPT.

However you choose to be sexually active, do so safely and responsibly.

Communicable Disease Nursing Staff
Division of Health Care Services

Early Intervention 101

The first three years of life is a time of huge growth for children. They go from being tiny infants who can’t get around on their own or communicate their wants or needs (minus the crying!) to being amazing toddlers who can walk, run and express their thoughts and emotions.

Of course, these changes don’t happen overnight. There are different milestones along the way. If your child isn’t meeting those developmental markers as expected, your pediatrician or childcare provider may suggest taking a closer look. That’s where we come in! We are Service Coordinators for the Clinton County Health Department’s Early Intervention program. We work with children ages 0-3 years to see if they need any assistance meeting developmental milestones like crawling, talking, walking and learning. So how do I get started?

 

ü  Intake Meeting

·         When your child is referred to Early Intervention (EI), your family will be assigned to a Service Coordinator (SC) like me!

·         We will schedule an intake meeting which can be done over the phone or in person at your home. 

·         During this meeting, we will discuss any and all concerns and complete the initial paperwork (including a consent for evaluation).

·         Your child CAN’T be evaluated without your permission.

 

Intake meeting with Melissa Fuller, Children’s Service Program Specialist/EI Service Coordinator

ü  The Evaluation

·         Once you choose an evaluation agency, two highly trained professionals will evaluate your child.

§  They will set up a time to come to your home or a place that your child spends most of the day and is most comfortable. The team will also talk with you to get more information about medical history, any concerns, and what your child is or isn’t yet able to do at this time.

§  The evaluation team is trained in social/emotional, communication, cognitive, adaptive and physical development.

·         During the evaluation, they will use standardized tests and other methods (disguised in play J)  to discover more about your little one’s skills.

·         Once they are done playing (I mean evaluating) they will share with you how your child did in each tested area.

·         Those results will determine if your child is eligible for EI services.

ü  If your child is eligible for EI services

·         Our team (including your SC, the evaluators and most importantly YOU!) will create an Individualized Family Service Plan (IFSP). An IFSP is a written, legal document that explains the services that your child and family will receive.

§  It outlines when, where, and how those EI services will be delivered and is truly a map to guide you and the professionals working with you and your child.

·         This program is completely voluntary and family driven, so the services you agree to will start only once you sign the IFSP.

·         Your child’s team will review the IFSP twice a year to look at the progress your child has made and to help you decide whether any changes are needed.

·         Your SC will also check in with you monthly to see how services are going. You can call them any time with questions or concerns!

ü  What if my child is not eligible for EI services?

·         You can ask to have your child placed in the ‘At-Risk Program’. This means we will call you in a few months to check in on your child’s progress and potentially do a re-evaluation.

·         You can also take the tips/ideas that the evaluators give to you after the evaluation to use at home! J

If you think your child could benefit from these services, any parent/caregiver can make a direct referral by calling us at 518-565-4848 and asking for the Early Intervention Program. Not sure if your child is meeting their milestones? Click here. We also offer developmental screenings the last Monday afternoon of every month here at the Clinton County Health Department. All of our services are FREE of charge! So if you feel your child may be delayed, don’t hesitate, call us today!

 

Melissa Fuller

Children’s Service Program Specialist/EI Service Coordinator

Division of Health Care Services

 

Don’t “Wing It”: Follow These Simple Tips to Catch the Bat

Don’t freak out, don’t freak out, don’t freak out! That is what I kept telling myself when I woke up to a bat in my house just last month! My first instinct was to open the door and swat it outside – good riddance! But then I remembered my training as a Public Health Sanitarian at the Clinton County Health Department. Since I was sleeping and didn’t see the bat enter my house I knew I needed to capture it so it could be tested for rabies. Rabies is a fatal viral infection that can be spread to people and pets if they are bitten by an infected animal, such as a bat.

Bats have small, sharp teeth which may not leave a visible bite mark and a bite from a bat during the night may not awaken a sleeping person (creepy, I know). Bats should be captured and tested if they are found in a room where a person is sleeping, with an unattended child, someone who is under the influence of drugs or alcohol or someone with a mental disability. So my next step was to capture this thing…but how?! I pulled up this video for a quick refresher and outlined the steps for you:

• Close doors, windows and closet doors to keep the bat in the room.
• Turn on the lights if the room is dark.
• Wear gloves (heavy, preferably pliable thick leather) and wait for the bat to land. It is important to not damage the bat’s head.
• Cover the bat with a coffee can or similar container with a lid.
• Slide a piece of cardboard under the can, trapping the bat.
• While firmly holding the cardboard in place against the top of the can, turn the can right side up.
• Replace the cardboard with the lid (if no lid, tape the cardboard tightly to the can).
• If you live in Clinton County, call the Clinton County Health Department at 518-565-4870. If you live in a different county, call your local health department.

If I would have seen the bat enter my house I could have opened the windows or door so the bat could have escaped. But there I was, with a bat in a cool whip container. Lucky me.

You may be asking yourself, “What if I couldn’t catch the bat and it got away?”

If we (Clinton County Health Department) are unable to test the bat for rabies and there is a chance you (or your family) were exposed we are going to recommend postexposure prophylaxis (PEP).

Most bats leave in the fall or winter to hibernate, so guess what I will be doing? Bat-proofing my home! Here are some things I will be looking for/doing:

• Look for holes that might allow bats to enter and seal any openings larger than a quarter-inch by a half-inch.
• Use window screens, chimney caps, and draft-guards beneath doors to attics.
• Ensure that all doors to the outside close tightly.

In addition to my fall bat-proofing, I just checked my two pup’s vaccinations to make sure they are up-to-date (phew!). If your furry friends need their rabies vaccinations check out our FREE rabies clinic schedule.

Remember, you cannot tell if a bat has rabies by looking at it or by the way it acts. The only way to know if an animal has rabies is to send it for testing. Curious about the rabies program at the CCHD? Check out this blog.

Karissa LaBonte

Public Health Sanitarian

Division of Environmental Health and Safety

Lyme Disease Cases Have Tripled in Clinton County…Here are 5 Ways to Prevent Tick Bites

As I am writing this, I have three children who are 8 years, 5 years, and almost 9 months old. Two things I always tell my children; I love you, and my job as your mom is to keep you safe! They tend to roll their eyes at the safety part (well the 8 year old and 5 year old do anywayJ). There are so many things to worry about as a parent but one thing I am extra cautious about are ticks. This is especially true from April-September (although don’t get too relaxed in late fall or winter, I found a tick crawling on my infant in mid-November).  

Ticks can carry a wide range of diseases. That is why I take extra care when it comes to not only
protecting my family but also my pets from these pesky creatures. Lyme disease (carried by the deer or black-legged tick) is the most common illness transmitted by ticks. Cases of Lyme disease have more than tripled in Clinton County since 2018, so it is more important than ever to be on the lookout for ticks.

5 Ways to Prevent Tick Bites:

1.  Know where ticks may be lurking

a. Ticks like grassy, bushy, or wooded areas but they also like to live on our pets.

b.   Always walk in the center of trails and avoid wooded and brushy areas with tall grass and leaf litter.

c.    You don’t need to be deep in the woods to get a tick bite, it can happen in our own backyards.

2. Apply insect repellent. This really deserves its own blog post, but here are a few quick tips to know before applying insect repellent on kids:

a.       Never apply insect repellent on infants younger than 2 months of age.

b.       Use Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) registered insect repellents containing, DEET, picaridin, IR3535, Oil of Lemon Eucalyptus (OLE), para-menthane-diolon (PMD), or 2-undecanone

                                                               i.      The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends repellents should contain no more than 30% DEET when used on children (a higher concentration does not mean more protection).

                                                             ii.      Do not use products containing OLE or PMD on children under 3 years old.

                                                           iii.      Do not use products that combine DEET and sunscreen, although these seem like a great idea, it can actually reduce the effectiveness of the sunscreen and accidentally expose your kiddo to more DEET, because the sunscreen needs to be applied more often.

3. Dress for Success

a.       Treat clothing and gear with products containing 0.5% Permetherin.  It is important to note that this should only be applied to clothing, not to skin.

b.       Dress in light colors (it makes it easier to spot ticks), long pants, a lightweight long sleeved shirt, socks, and closed shoes before heading outdoors. Put hair in a ponytail and wear a broad brimmed hat.

4. After you come inside

a.       Check clothing, gear, and pets for ticks.

b.       Throw clothes in the dryer and tumble dry them on high heat for 10 minutes.

c.        Bathe within two hours after coming indoors.

5. Daily Tick Checks:

a.       Ticks are tiny and like to hide! Regardless if you or your kids have been outside or not, check everyone’s entire body for ticks daily, paying close attention to specific areas; under the arms, in and around the ears, inside belly button, back of the knees, in and around the hair, between the legs, and around the waist.

Ugh, I found a tick, now what?!

·         First, don’t panic! The key is to remove the tick as soon as possible. Remember - not all ticks are infected and your risk of infection is greatly reduced if the tick is removed within the first 24-36 hours,

·         Use fine tipped tweezers to grab the tick as close to the skin as possible,

·         Pull upward with steady, even pressure (don’t twist or jerk the tick),

·         After removing the tick, wash the bite area and your hands with rubbing alcohol or soap and water,

·         Check for symptoms. If any develop contact your or your child’s healthcare provider right away.

For more info on ticks or how to stay safe this summer, read our Summer Safety Guide!

 

Lindsay Dareff

Registered Professional Nurse

Division of Health Planning and Promotion

SIDS…How a Parent’s Worst Fear Can Be Prevented.

 

Becoming a parent can be overwhelming, scary and full of unknowns. Your whole world becomes consumed with caring for your newborn and you worry about every little thing. Are you doing things right? Is your baby happy and healthy? You watch them sleep and check on them constantly…but for good reason. One of the biggest concerns that new parents have is Sudden Infant Death Syndrome or SIDS. Below I will explain SIDS and ways you can protect your baby from this heartbreaking syndrome.

What is SIDS?

•   Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is the sudden and unexplained death of a baby younger     than 1 year old.

·         About 2,300 babies in the United States die of SIDS each year.

·         SIDS is more likely to affect a baby who is between 1 and 4 months old.

·         SIDS is more common in boys than girls.

·         Most deaths occur during the fall, winter and early spring months.

 

What are the Risk Factors for SIDS?

• Sleeping on their stomach or their side, rather than their back.
• Overheating when sleeping.
• Sleeping on a surface that is too soft or filled with fluffy blankets or soft toys.
• Mothers who smoked during pregnancy (three times more likely to have a baby with SIDS).
• Exposure to passive smoke.
• Mothers who are younger than 20 years old at the time of their first pregnancy.
• Being born to mothers who had little, late, or no prenatal care.
• Born prematurely or with low birth weight.
• Having a sibling who died of SIDS.

What You Can Do as a Parent to Protect Your Baby:

·         Attend all prenatal care visits.

·         Don’t allow anyone to smoke around your baby.

·         Provide a safe sleep environment:

o   Always place baby on his or her back to sleep.

o   Use a firm and flat surface in a safety-approved crib, covered by a fitted sheet and free of soft and loose bedding, crib bumpers, stuffed animals, and toys.

o   Share your room with baby. Keep baby close to your bed but on a separate surface, for example, in their own crib or bassinet.

·         Breastfeed your baby.

 

Jessica Mathews, Children’s Services Program Specialist

Division of Health Care Services

Clinton County Health Department

Nourish a Neighbor in Need

Add healthy food donations to your holiday list this year. 

One of the things I like best about this time of year is the spirit of giving that fills the air. Thinking about gifts to purchase or make for family and friends, makes me happy. The idea of giving to those in our community who may not have anyone to make their holidays brighter also fills me with a sense of well-being.

Since a large part of my work focuses on increasing the availability of healthy and affordable foods for Clinton County residents, healthy food pantry donations are at the top of my giving list. This time of year, the need is high as families struggle to put together a Thanksgiving meal, buy gifts or spend a few spare dollars on a Christmas tree. Providing foods that positively impact someone’s overall health is a goal of mine.

Of course, we want our donation dollars to go as far as possible, so donating bulk items with a long shelf life makes sense. But during the holiday season especially, I try to re-frame my thinking. What better time than now to give something extra special, something a family in need may not be able to purchase on their own. Nuts and dried fruits are traditional and healthy holiday fare that fit the bill. Even canned and packaged foods can offer healthier options. Think about choosing canned vegetables with no added salt, canned fruits packed in their own juices with no added sugars, and shelf stable milk products.

Examples of healthy food donations. 

Did you know that most of our area pantries can accept perishable food items? Consider taking your healthy perishable donations directly to the pantry, just call ahead to make sure the pantry you choose can accept these items and ask them when they will have staff available to accept them.

Healthy Donation Food Drive Kit

Healthy giving is important all year round. A healthy diet reduces risk for chronic conditions like heart disease, diabetes and obesity. Children who eat healthy foods do better in school and wholesome foods provide seniors with nutrients needed for healthy aging.  

So this holiday season (and throughout the year), nourish a neighbor in need. Make healthy donations to food drives and pantries. Spread the message to others too. If you are a food drive organizer, contact CCHD at 518-565-4993 to receive a free Healthy Donation Food Drive Kit or find suggestions for other healthy donation items at www.clintonhealth.org/healthygiving.

Karen Derusha

Supervising Public Health Educator

Health Planning and Promotion Division   

"Just" Baby Teeth?

“They’re just baby teeth and will eventually fall out. Why do we even have to worry about them?” I often get asked this question at check-ups and never feel like I can stress enough how important it is to take good care of those baby teeth.

Did you know that tooth decay in young children is THE most common chronic disease of early childhood? If left untreated tooth decay in children can lead to:

·         Pain,

·         Life threatening infections,

·         Difficulty chewing,

·         Malnutrition,

·         Trouble focusing in school,

·         Crooked adult teeth, and

·         Low self-esteem.

The good news is that most tooth decay and cavities are preventable!

What are cavities?

Cavities are holes in our teeth. They occur when three things mix together: bacteria, sugar (from the food that we eat) and teeth. If we don’t brush and floss regularly the bacteria and sugar build up and form a sticky substance called plaque. The bacteria gets nice and comfy in that plaque and turns the food that we eat into acid. Over time this acid wears down our teeth and a cavity (a hole!) grows.

Source: American Dental Association

Yikes! How can we prevent cavities?
Brush, floss, brush, floss, brush…you get the idea J Brushing your child’s teeth (and yours!) twice each day using a toothpaste with fluoride is the best way to prevent cavities.

When should I start brushing my child’s teeth?

As soon as the first baby tooth erupts! Fluoride is important for baby teeth because it makes the enamel stronger and more resistant to decay. For children younger than three years old you will want to start out using a smear of fluoridated toothpaste, no bigger than a grain of rice. This small amount has been shown to be safe for children. Once your child can spit the toothpaste out, usually around age three, you can start using a pea-sized amount.

Source: American Dental Association

My child grazes on snacks all day, how can I keep his chompers clean?
Offer your child meals and snacks that are low in sugar (carbohydrates). The bacteria in our mouths love sugar and turn it into acid that eats holes in our teeth. The more time sugar is on your child’s teeth, the more likely they are to get a cavity. This is good to know because HOW children eat can be just as important to their teeth as WHAT they eat. Children who graze on snacks throughout the day, or fall asleep with a cup of juice or milk at night, have their teeth swimming in sugars all the time. Here are some tips to curb the carbs: 

·         Opt for protein rich snacks like cheese, nuts and fresh vegetables.

·         Don’t offer snacks after brushing at night.

·         If your child is thirsty in between meals or during the night give them plain water.

What else can I do to protect my child’s pearly whites?

Visit a pediatric dentist! It is recommended to see a pediatric dentist within six months of the first tooth coming in, and no later than age one. Just as you would take your child to well child check-ups, it is important to take him or her to the dentist before a problem develops. This will create positive experiences at the dentist and a foundation of good oral health. Remember, they are not “just baby teeth” they are the building blocks for a lifetime of healthy teeth.

Dr. Christopher Goodell

Lakeshore Pediatric Dentistry