General Practitioners

• Pediatric Care
  The American Academy of Pediatrics is on a campaign to increase bike helmet use. The reason for this is because of the large number of cyclists (over 88 million in the United States) and the danger of head injuries, particularly in children.
• Ear Infections
  Finally, prevention of allergies is a reason to consider breastfeeding. Several studies in the past ten years have suggested that allergy-prone children will have a later onset of allergy symptoms such as asthma and hayfever, eczema, and even secondary ear infections if they are breast fed compared to matched controls who are formula fed. There have been very extensive and exhaustive studies done in Sweden and Finland involving as many as ten thousand babies which convinced me that this is the case. I also see this on a daily basis in practice and am a firm believer in breast feeding as a preventer and delayer of allergy problems. For all of these reasons, I believe mothers should strongly consider and be encouraged to breast feed by their OB, pediatrician, family doctor, family and friends. There is no LaLeche League in Opelousas but the Lafayette league offers support. They can be reached through either hospital nursery or any pediatrician in the area.

Dermatologists

• Skin Cancer
  Besides the increase in malignant melanoma, dermatologists have also seen a great increase in basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas. These are also thought to be related to increased tanning because of the western idea of always looking tanned.
• Dermatology
  The incidence of melanoma has increased 340% in the southeastern United States, largely due to the attitude of people "needing to look tanned to feel healthy". In other words, people thinking they always have to look tanned. The American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Academy of Dermatology are actively involved in trying to change people's attitudes in regard to tanning. This includes not only sun tanning in the regular sunlight, which is full of ultraviolet light, but also tanning under special sun lamps in tanning studios. Simple use of an effective sunscreen, (the higher number the better) goes a long way toward decreasing this risk. This is especially important in high risk groups which include the fair-haired, blue-eyed individuals.
• Eczema

Physical Therapists

• Sports Medicine
  Good common sense measures are always in order in any childhood sport such as proper helmets for baseball, football, and bike riding. Proper padding is also very important for contact sports particularly football. Proper supervision is vitally important for water sports. For young children, proper flotation devices are vital. So many sports injuries could be prevented simply by wearing proper protective equipment and providing adequate supervision.

Allergists

• Allergies