Take care of your child ’ s cough this winter
|
Parents are urged to take care of their children ’ s coughs this winter .
Tooth-conscious toddlers ‘ live mouth smart ’ to win oral health contest
|
Winter is here and along with it the sound of coughs . Coughing is common in children , especially when they are preschool age , and is usually shortlived . However some coughs can be a sign of an infection . |
|
One cough to be aware of is a ‘ wet cough ’. A wet cough sounds ‘ chesty ’ and is phlegmy . A wet cough is not normal and may need to be checked out by |
a doctor . Any cough that lasts more than three weeks is also not normal and needs to be checked out by a doctor .
If in doubt about your child ’ s cough , always phone Healthline on 0800 611 116 or get it checked out by a doctor . GP visits and most prescription charges are free for under 13 year olds .
Respiratory infections in children are much too common and cause a large burden of illness in New Zealand . “ Being able to recognise the early signs of a respiratory infection , and seeking the right
|
treatment straight away , can help to stop minor infections becoming more serious ,” says Dr Jim Miller , Medical Officer of Health for Toi Te Ora – Public Health Service .
Many children can end up in hospital , or worse have permanent lung damage . Children in the Bay of Plenty are admitted to hospital with chest infections more often than for New Zealand as a whole .
To listen to the sound of a wet cough and for more information , go to www . ttophs . govt . nz / coughs .
|
The DooDahs perform for children at TopKids Mt Maunganui as part of their prize for winning the 2017 BOPDHB World Oral Health Day Challenge . |
|
|
|
Hundreds of tooth-conscious tots have battled it out to be named the Bay ’ s best for healthy mouths .
Forty Early Childhood Centres participated in an annual World Oral Health Day challenge organised by the Bay of Plenty District Health Board ( BOPDHB ) Oral Health Promotion team . TopKids Mt Maunganui proved themselves top dogs and the overall winners received a special performance from local children ’ s entertainment band the DooDahs as its main prize .
“ We ’ re very proud to have won ,” says TopKids Mt Maunganui Centre Manager Ani de Koster . “ All the staff were on board and the kids and their families really got into it . And having the DooDahs performing was amazing and we ’ re really grateful to them . You could see the children absolutely loved it .”
‘ Live Mouth Smart ’ was the theme of this year ’ s challenge . This prompted staff , parents and children from the centres to get creative in promoting oral health . Some produced songs and displays while others performed dental demos and fizzy drink experiments .
BOPDHB Oral Health Promoter Norma van Arendonk says the effort put in by all the centres was awesome .
“ We ’ re really grateful to the providers of this year ’ s special prize , The DooDahs . They wrote a positive oral health song about the importance of children brushing their teeth twice a day and finding alternative healthy treats for healthy teeth .
“ The song also promotes the importance of having regular dental checks , eating healthy snacks and drinking water or milk only .”
The Western Bay World Oral Health Day 2016 results were : 1st TopKids Mt Maunganui , 2nd New Shoots , Tauranga , 3rd First Steps , Papamoa . Three other Western Bay centres were highly commended : First Steps Mount , First Steps Aongatete and Mount Community Kindy . Winner of the Western Bay Kohanga Reo section was Whareroa Te Kohanga Reo .
Make your workplace Good4Work with this exciting new tool designed to support workplace wellbeing initiatives .
Good4Work is an exciting new workplace wellbeing tool designed to support workplace wellbeing initiatives .
“ We spend a significant amount of time at work so the culture and environment of a workplace can have a big impact on our wellbeing ,” says Dave Wood , Senior Health Improvement Advisor at Toi Te Ora – Public Health Service .
“ Workplace wellbeing is about doing everyday business in a way that leads to improved staff wellbeing .” He adds , “ Investing in a positive , healthy workplace can reduce stress , fatigue , injury and error , while improving engagement productivity and innovation . The good news is , this can be done with little effort and even less budget .”
Being Good4Work is easy with this free tool which helps identify tangible ways to integrate wellbeing into the way a workplace leads , works , and connects . The first step is a short quiz , this will help identify areas for improvement in your workplace . Following this , you ’ ll be directed to resources and ideas that will help put wellbeing into action , in your workplace .
Good4Work joins WorkWell and Wellplace . nz as the “ go to ” places for workplace wellbeing as they offer varied support for different workplace needs .
Good4Work is designed for small to medium sized workplaces or for those that are just getting started with workplace wellbeing . This online tool takes you through a step-by-step online process to complete actions to positively change workplace environment and culture .
“ If Good4Work isn ’ t quite right for your workplace , another option could be WorkWell which includes advisor support and is ideal for larger organisations or those wanting to create a comprehensive programme , while Wellplace . nz provides practical workplace health and wellbeing information , ideas , resources and case studies in one online location – so there really is an option for every workplace .”
The development of Good4Work has been led by Toi Te Ora – Public Health Service in collaboration with Auckland Regional Public Health Service , Health Promotion Agency , Healthy Families NZ , the Ministry of Health , and business representatives . “ By drawing on the most up-to-date knowledge of workplace wellbeing , incorporating best practice , and collaboration and user testing with businesses , Good4Work is an effective tool for contributing to workplace wellbeing ,” says Dave .
Make your workplace Good4Work . Take the quiz and use the results to get started at Good4Work . nz .