Kids Health Matters: a podcast by the Child and Adolescent Health Service
Introducing Kids Health Matters, a brand-new podcast by the Child and Adolescent Health Service (CAHS).
We know there’s so much information about child health, wellbeing and development out there and we want to make it easier for Western Australian parents and carers to know where to turn for evidence-based health advice you can trust.
Kids Health Matters is hosted by Dani Shuey, broadcaster and mother of two young children, alongside co-hosts Dr Adelaide Withers and nurse Danielle Engelbrecht.
Each week they’ll be joined by leading child health experts to discuss some of the most common concerns affecting families today - everything from sleep and the important support your child health nurse can offer through the early years of a child’s life, to managing food allergies, the risks of vaping, ADHD and strategies to support a young person in your life through depression or a mental health crisis.
Listen to the trailer to get a taste of the valuable advice and insights you’ll hear throughout series 1 and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts to never miss an episode.
Download the transcript for episode 1.
Download the transcript for episode 2.
Download the transcript for episode 3.
Download the transcript for episode 4.
Download the transcript for episode 5.
Download the transcript for episode 6.
Download the transcript for episode 7.
Download the transcript for episode 8.
Download the transcript for episode 9.
Caring for a child with any illness can be daunting. When that illness is anxiety or depression, it can particularly intimidating.
When do you intervene? How do you intervene and what can you do to ensure your child’s safety?
For the answers to these and other difficult questions, join Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services Psychiatrist Dr Karena Tansey for the first episode of Kids Health Matters as she shares special insights into the mental health of our children and young people.
See links below for further information about CAMHS
Other resources
- Mental Health Commission's Here for You service
- For other helplines, visit mhc.wa.gov.au/helplines
- To find local mental health services, visit myservices.org.au
In an emergency, call 000
Recommended apps
Self-Help for Anxiety Management (SAM) app
SAM might be perfect for you if you’re interested in self-help, but meditation isn’t your thing. Users are prompted to build their own 24-hour anxiety toolkit that allows you to track anxious thoughts and behaviour over time, and learn 25 different self-help techniques. You can also use SAM’s “Social Cloud” feature to confidentially connect with other users in an online community for additional support.
Happify
Need a happy fix? With its psychologist-approved mood-training program, the Happify app is your fast-track to a good mood. Try various engaging games, activity suggestions, gratitude prompts and more to train your brain as if it were a muscle, to overcome negative thoughts. The best part? It is free!
Breathe2Relax
Sometimes you just need to breathe and remind yourself you are okay. Breathe2Relax is made for just that. Created by the National Center for Telehealth and Technology, this app is a portable stress management tool that teaches users a skill called diaphragmatic breathing. Breathe2Relax works by decreasing the body’s ‘fight-or-flight’ stress response, making it a great option for people suffering from PTSD. Search Breathe2Relax in the Apple App Store, or Google Play Store.
Smiling Mind
Smiling Mind offers a unique web and app-based tool developed by psychologists and educators to help bring balance to people’s lives. Just as we eat well and stay fit to keep our body healthy, mindfulness meditation is about mental health and looking after the mind.
Calm
Named by Apple as the 2017 iPhone App of the Year, Calm is quickly becoming regarded as one of the best mental health apps available. Calm provides people experiencing stress and anxiety with guided meditations, sleep stories, breathing programs, and relaxing music. This app is truly universal; whether you’ve never tried meditation before or regularly practice, you’ll find the perfect program for you.
Related episodes
Listen to episodes 4 and 5, looking at CAMHS Crisis Connect and how to support a young person experiencing a mental health crisis.
In this episode of Kids Health Matters we lift the lid on vaping to help parents feel confident in tackling one of the hottest health topics of our time.
How addictive are vapes? What damage can vaping cause? Should adults be concerned about the impact of vaping around children?
Perth Children’s Hospital Sleep and Respiratory Consultant Dr Adelaide Withers joins Child and Adolescent Community Health (CACH) nurse Kellie, who works as both a school health nurse and child health nurse, to discuss the harmful side effects in simple, easy to understand language.
Explore the links below for further information:
The latest episode of Kids Health Matters explores the topic most likely to keep parents awake at night – sleep.
Parents commonly ask what’s normal? Are there any golden rules? When is melatonin useful?
In this discussion our sleep experts answer these questions and gently guide listeners through their advice on how to best support sleep for babies through to teens.
Child and Adolescent Community Health Child Health Nurse, Kim Shirras and Perth Children’s Hospital Respiratory Consultant Dr Adelaide Withers team up to talk through the most common questions parents ask about sleep at their child health appointments and in the hospital.
Find out more about booking a free child health appointment.
See links below for further information:
Supporting a young person experiencing a mental health crisis is a distressing reality for many parents and carers.
Where can you turn for help? How do you respond? How do you offer support?
In the latest episode of the Kids Health Matters podcast our guest expert answers these and other difficult questions and provides insight and advice to help understand and support a young person in crisis.
Clinical Nurse Specialist Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (CAMHS) Crisis Connect Veronica Plej shares expertise from her three-decade nursing career including specialising in youth mental health over the last nine years.
See links below for further information:
- General information about CAMHS
- CAMHS Crisis Connect
- Rurallink - for families in regional areas in Western Australia
- WA Country Health Mental Health Emergency Telehealth Service – for health professionals in regional areas in Western Australia
Resources
- Brave Online Program – very helpful for young people experiencing anxiety
- The Calm App – has loads of mindfulness and grounding activities to help de-stress
- Mindshift – an app targeted specifically towards young people and teens
Related episodes
Listen to the related Kids Health Matters episode: Delving into Depression in young people, with CAMHS Psychiatrist Dr Karena Tansey.
Inattention, impulsivity and distractibility tend to dominate discussion around attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
But children with ADHD can also be creative, delightful and innovative according to one of our State’s leading experts on this neurodevelopmental disorder.
Medical Head of the Child Development Service at the Child and Adolescent Health Service (CAHS) and Consultant Paediatrician Dr Brad Jongeling unravels the complexities of ADHD in this special two-part episode of Kids Health Matters.
See links below for further information:
raisingchildren.net.au is the Australian parenting website, which provides ad-free parenting videos, articles and apps backed by Australian experts. Resources on ADHD are available for children in different age groups.
This animation discusses what it means to have Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). It was co-produced by children with ADHD, their families and carers, health professionals and Cardiff University in Wales, with the support of the National Centre for Mental Health in the UK.
This book is a simple, easy-to-read guide for parents and teachers, written by a developmental paediatrician and an ADHD coach. It provides up to date knowledge, practical tips and a framework for managing in different settings.
This workbook, written by a social worker and licensed psychotherapist, offers a strengths-based approach to help children with ADHD. It addresses self-control, organisation and social skills using skill-building exercises and action-oriented learning.
This book has been written by a psychologist with 25 years of experience working with young people and their families. It features real-world examples and the stories of children and teens living with ADHD, and offers exercises and practical strategies for parents to work with their kids.
The Square Peg Round Whole podcast is co-ordinated by Lou Brown, a parent and neurodiversity advocate. Episodes discuss how to support kids with neurodivergence in different setting, such as at home, school and in the workplace.
Commonly known as the 'queen of common sense', Maggie Dent is a parenting author and educator. She hosts the Parental as Anything podcast and has written nine books, along with other resources for parents and educators. In this episode she discusses parenting techniques for children with ADHD.
This Podcast from the NCCD highlights adjustments that can be made in the school setting to enable students with ADHD to access and participate in education.
Parenting a child of any age can be overwhelming at the best of times.
Knowing who to turn to for trusted and consistent advice and support is key to navigating the challenges.
In this episode of the Kids Health Matters podcast our guest expert discusses why ‘milestones matter’ and how invaluable child health nurses can be in supporting parents and carers.
In ’Milestones Matter’ we introduce you to Brooke Cini, one of our ‘dynamic dual role’ nurses at CAHS who is passionate about working as both a Child Health Nurse in the community with Child and Adolescent Community Health (CACH) and a nurse on the medical ward at Perth Children’s Hospital.
See links below for further information:
- Child Health
- CACH Parenting groups
- The Purple Book and Child Health appointments
- Look at me I am 3
- Centre locations
- Raising Children Network: The Australian parenting website
To arrange an appointment with a child health nurse, call 1300 749 869 8:30am – 5pm weekdays or complete an online registration form.
Also make sure you listen to our episode dedicated to sleep.An unexpected health emergency for a baby, child or young person can be traumatic, especially if it involves a trip to the emergency department (ED).
While we hope you will never have to visit the Perth Children’s Hospital (PCH) ED, in the event you do, it can help to know what to expect when you arrive.
In this special two-part episode of ‘Kids Health Matters we join Paediatric Emergency Specialist and General Paediatrician Dr Paul Sander to take you behind the scenes at our busy ED.
See links below for further information:
Visit the Perth Children's Hospital Emergency Department website
Perth Children’s Hospital (PCH) Emergency Department provides urgent medical care for children aged 0–15 years.
This can be extended to the age of 18 for patients with an issue relating to a pre-existing medical condition that requires ongoing care at PCH.
Urgent care includes:
- Serious illness requiring urgent medical treatment.
- Accidents or injuries requiring urgent medical attention such as a burn, broken bone or head injury.
The Emergency Department (ED) operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
The entrance is at the southern end of PCH, off Hospital Avenue. View the hospital site map.
You may prefer to take your child to an ED closer to home. PCH is not the only metropolitan ED which manages child and adolescent emergencies. Specialist emergency physicians, paediatricians and other services are available to assist in their management when required, with local paediatric inpatient and outpatient clinics co-located at a number of these hospitals. Children can attend EDs at the hospitals below:
- Armadale Health Service
- Fiona Stanley Hospital
- Joondalup Health Campus
- Peel Health Campus
- Rockingham General Hospital
- St John of God Midland Public Hospital
In an emergency, present to your nearest emergency department.
Emergency and Crisis Care
Visit the HealthyWA website to learn more about the range of services available to provide support and immediate response to people in crisis or in need of urgent medical care.
View live Emergency Department activity and estimated wait times
The Department of Health provides live information about the status of every metropolitan emergency department.
CAMHS Crisis Connect
Learn more about this a free specialist urgent tele-mental health support service.
Call 1800 048 636, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Alternatives to PCH Emergency Department
Not all conditions requiring urgent care are emergencies.
Consider the following alternatives to an Emergency Department:
- Medicare Urgent Care Clinics – bulk billed, no appointment or referral needed, extended opening hours 7 days a week. Find a Medicare Urgent Care Clinic near you.
- St. John Urgent Care – no appointment required, extended opening hours 7 days a week, fees apply. Find a clinic near you.
- GP Urgent Care clinics (fees may apply)
- Telehealth healthcare for children (fees may apply)
- After hours home visit GP services (fees may apply)
- Your local community Pharmacist may be able to advise on minor coughs and colds, minor rashes, bites and grazes, and treatment of constipation.
- Visit your doctor or GP
- HealthDirect:
- Call 1800 022 222 for free health advice, available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
- Use the online Symptom Checker tool to help decide the most appropriate place to seek medical care.
- Advice for common conditions including:
- CAMHS Crisis Connect – call 1800 048 636 for emergency mental health support for young people up to 17 years, families and carers. Available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
- WA Poisons Information Centre – free 24/7 emergency advice for suspected poisonings. Call 13 11 26.
Child Health Facts
Child Health Facts are information sheets for consumers and practitioners on conditions, treatments, procedures and equipment covered at Perth Children's Hospital.
- Fever in Children Child Health Fact
- Keeping our Mob Healthy Health Facts
- Translated Child Health Facts
PCH Social Stories
These simple step by step explanations can be used to prepare your child before a procedure to help them become familiar with the steps involved, reducing anxiety.
These social stories have been developed for children with neurodiversity, however they can be a useful tool for preparing all children for a procedure or visit to the emergency department.
Royal Children's Hospital Melbourne resources
Kids Health Information is a suite of resources created by The Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne and is dedicated to providing quality, accurate and easy to understand health information.
Information can be found in the form of fact sheets, videos and podcast episodes.
With rising rates of allergies in Australian children, many parents are struggling to navigate the growing minefield of allergy information and advice that’s out there.
If you’re confused about when to introduce your child to nuts, whether it’s wise to avoid certain foods altogether or the difference between a contact and allergic reaction, you’re not alone.
Be sure to tune into this episode of Kids Health Matters as Perth Children’s Hospital (PCH) Immunologist Dr Michael O’Sullivan and Senior Dietitian Kath Harrigan team up to tackle all things allergy related.
See links below for further information.
- PCH Nutrition and Dietetics Service
- The PCH Food Allergy Clinical Research Program aims to improve the health and wellbeing of WA children and their families by reducing the burden of food allergy.
Resources:
Allergy & Anaphylaxis Australia
A registered charity and Australia’s only national support organisation dedicated to helping individuals and carers manage allergy and the risk of anaphylaxis. Their purpose is to listen, guide and educate Australians living with allergic disease.
Nip allergies in the Bub
Aims to provide parents and health professionals with information about how to feed babies the common allergy causing foods and how to manage eczema, based on current evidence, to support food allergy prevention.
Allergy 250K
Provides age-appropriate information and resources to assist young people who are living with severe allergies, and to help them to feel more connected with other teens and young adults going through similar experiences in a fun but informative way.
Food Allergy Aware
Provides easy to understand, practical information for those living with food allergy.
Australasian Society for Clinical Allergy and Immunology
The peak professional body in Australia and New Zealand, promoting and advancing the study and knowledge of allergy and other immune diseases.