Influenza, or the 'flu', has almost disappeared for the last two years. But it's back, and already bringing children to hospital for treatment.

In this episode, Dr Anthea Rhodes is joined by Dr Margie Danchin as our expert guest to discuss the flu. As well as being a paediatrician at the RCH, and regular host of the this podcast, Margie is an expert in immunisation and a research leader in vaccine uptake. So, there's no better person to discuss why and how to get the vaccine, and answer those common questions and concerns parents have about the flu vaccine.

Helpful links:

RCH Kids Health Info - influenza vaccine

Why does my child need a flu shot? (National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance)

2022 Influenza vaccine fact sheet from the National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance

Ausvax Safety

ATAGI - clinical advice on influenza vaccines 2022

RCH TV - A child's guide to hospital: Immunisations

Good dental health has huge benefits for our general wellbeing and quality of life, and it starts the moment that very first tooth pops through in babies.

In this episode we're joined by special guest Dr Mihiri Silva, a paediatric dentist from The Royal Children's Hospital. If you've ever wondered when and how to start brushing teeth, how tooth decay happens, or what to do if a tooth gets knocked out, Mihiri has these answers and plenty more pearls of wisdom!

Helpful resources:

RCH Kids Health Info fact sheet - dental care

RCH Kids Health Info - dental care video

Raising Children Network - dental care for babies

Australian Government - Child Dental Benefits Schedule

RCH TV - A Child's Guide to Hospital: Dentistry

Witnessing a seizure can be a frightening experience for parents and carers, and raises so many questions. What's going on when a child has a seizure and what could it mean for their ongoing health? Does it mean they have epilepsy?

To make sense of seizures, Margie and Lexi are joined by Associate Professor Andrew Kornberg, Neurologist at The Royal Children's Hospital, Melbourne. As well as understanding seizure types, Andrew has some practical first aid tips, and discusses the process of finding the causes of seizures, including epilepsy.

Helpful resources:

RCH Kids Health Info fact sheet - Febrile Seizures

RCH Kids Health Info fact sheet - Seizures - safety issues and how to help

RCH Kids Health Info fact sheet - Epilepsy

RCH Neurology Department - About Epilepsy

A restful sleep is so important for children’s health.

But sometimes, a stuffy nose or blocked passages get in the way of a good sleep.

In this episode we’re joined by Ear, Nose and Throat Surgeon, Dr Eric Levi, to find out why snooze turns to snoring, and what can be done to get children back on the path to sleep success.

For more information, check out these helpful resources:

RCH Kids Health Info fact sheet - Childhood obstructive sleep apnoea

RCH Kids Health Info fact sheet - Hay fever

Raising Children Network - Snoring

How to use nasal sprays video

If you found this podcast helpful, please leave us a review, and thanks for listening.

**a quick correction:

During the conversation Margie says the twice-weekly rapid antigen testing will be for the first week of term. What Margie meant to say was that it will be for the first four weeks and then reassessed. We apologise for the confusion.

As schools return to in-classroom learning next week, we know that students, families, and teachers are busy preparing for the term ahead and may have some questions about how to keep safe this school year.

In this episode, our hosts Dr Lexi Frydenberg and Dr Margie Danchin explain what’s being done to improve safety and prevent transmission in schools, and what surveillance testing with rapid antigen tests involves. They also chat about the benefits of kids going back to face-to-face learning and how families can manage some of the return-to-school nerves their children may be experiencing.

If you’re wondering how best to prepare your child for the return to school, you can check out Dr Eric Levi's helpful video on how to do a rapid antigen test on a child and resources from the Victorian Government including a video made by our team here The Royal Children's Hospital.

For many of us, the new year has not started as we had hoped. With the Omicron variant so prevalent in the community and the start to the school year just around the corner, many parents may be wondering what the latest news is with COVID-19 and children.

In this podcast episode, host Dr Anthea Rhodes is joined by Dr Sarah McNab, Director of General Medicine at The Royal Children’s Hospital to unpack the current situation with COVID-19 infections and hospitalisations in Victoria, how the Omicron variant is affecting children, the importance of vaccination, and what a Code Brown in Victorian hospitals means for the community.

To keep up to date with the latest information about COVID-19, visit our collection of COVID-19 resources, including webinars, podcasts, fact sheets and more.

Useful links:

Kids Health Info fact sheet – Vaccination and needle phobia

Facebook Live - COVID-19 vaccinations for five to 11 year olds: Your questions answered

Do you have questions about the COVID-19 vaccine for five to 11 year olds? Our latest RCH National Child Health Poll found that 30% of Australian parents of children aged five to 11 years were undecided about COVID vaccination for their child, with questions around the safety and efficacy of the vaccine. Following the Government’s approval of the COVID-19 Pfizer vaccine for children aged five years and above, join RCH paediatricians Dr Anthea Rhodes and Dr Margie Danchin as they answer your questions about vaccinating your child. This event was recorded Thursday 16 December 2021 and is also available on the RCH website, rch.org.au. For more info:

https://www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au/vaccination-information-children-and-teenagers

https://www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au/checklist-your-covid-19-vaccination

https://www.coronavirus.vic.gov.au/sites/default/files/2021-12/Fact%20sheet-COVID19-vaccinatoin%20for-children.pdf

Have you had the experience of holding a baby and they just won’t stop crying? Soothing an unsettled baby can be a trying task for anyone, particularly new parents. Crying is a baby’s way of communicating with us, but when the crying doesn’t stop, how do we know when to seek help?

In this episode we’re joined by expert paediatrician, Dr Valerie Sung, who works in the RCH unsettled babies clinic, to go through the common experiences for parents with unsettled babies and when and where to find help.

As always, if you found this podcast helpful, please leave a review so that other families can find out about our show.

Thanks for listening.

Freely available resources

· RCH Kids Health Information fact sheet: Sleep problems – babies and toddlers

· MCRI Sleep Podcast by Prof Harriet Hiscock and A/Prof Emma Sciberras

· Raising Children Network Babies sleep

· Red Nose Safe Infant Sleep Practices

· The Maternal and Child Health phone app - Better Health Channel

Many families have questions about Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) but may not know where to start. It can be a complex topic, and because it is a spectrum, there is huge variation.

In this episode we’re joined by expert Paediatrician Dr Deb Marks, who sees patients with Autism every day, to go through common questions about what Autism is, what signs parents can look out for, how to seek a diagnosis and where to go for help.

Useful links

RCH Kids Health Info Fact Sheet - Autism Spectrum Disorder

Raising Children’s Network

Amaze 1300 308 699

Autism Spectrum Australia 1800 ASPECT (1800 277328)

Victoria State Government, Department of Education and Training: Autism

As always, if you found this podcast helpful, please leave a review so that other families can find out about our show.

Thanks for listening.

Toddlers and preschoolers bring so much joy and fun to family life. But there are also those times when their behaviour causes a lot of stress for everyone, whether it's in the supermarket aisle or at the dinner table!

In this episode we unpack what's behind toddler tantrums, fussy eating and more, with Dr Billy Garvey, a developmental and behavioural paediatrician from The Royal Children's Hospital Centre for Community Child Health.

Billy, along with hosts and paediatricians Dr Anthea Rhodes and Dr Lexi Frydenberg, have lots of practical tips and insights for parents and the community.

For some extra reading, take a look at the Raising Children Network's website for tips on toddler behaviour and preschooler behaviour.