Pediatric House Call Solutions

04/18/2026

04/02/2026

Parents, here are some tips to keep your child/children healthy. Baseball season is beginning. Soon we will hear the familiar crack of the bat and incessant chatter of our children. Baseball. in one form or another has been with us for nearly two hundred years. Some would say longer. Saying the sport is steeped in history is like saying snow is white. Really? At a recent meeting of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons a study presented revealed that over 75% of parents/caregivers/coaches were guiding young pitchers incorrectly in their approach to pitching. Inappropriate pitch counts, mechanics, utilization, and training techniques were being employed. These transgressions can lead to serious injury in children including disability, deformity, and arthritis. The following are some of the recommendations for our youths engaged in pitching provided by Major League Baseball, USA Baseball, and the American Sports Medicine Institute. For children 8 years old and under the following should apply: -Typical pitching distance should be no more than 46 feet. -The child should take at least 4 months of the year off with 2-3 months being continuous. -The child should be throwing nothing but fastballs and change ups. -Maximum pitch count on 2 full days of rest should be 50 pitches. For children 9-10 years old the following guidelines apply: -Typical pitching distance should be no more than 50 feet. -The child should take at least 4 months off the year with 2-3 months being continuous. -The child should be throwing nothing but fastballs and change ups. -Maximum pitch count on 4 full days of rest should be 75 pitches. For children 11-12 years old the following guidelines apply: The same guidelines as for a 9-10 year old, except maximum pitch count is raised after 4 full days of rest to 85 pitches. For children 13-14 years of age pitching distance has risen to a full MLB levels at 60 1/2 feet and the same guidelines persist except on 4 full days rest the pitch count can rise to 95 pitches. Also, some more exotic pitches can be added to the repertoire. I’ll address this a little later. For children 15-18 years of age the same parameters are in place except that on 4 full days of rest a 15-16 years old may have a pitch count of 95 pitches and a 17-18 year old may have a maximum of 105 pitches. For all ages, keep in mind, that these are MAXIMUM pitch counts. Here are some loose recommendations as to what age to teach and add exotic pitches. At age 14 a curveball may be added. Age 15 the knuckleball can be introduced. At age 16 both the forkball and slider can be taught. Finally, at age 17 a youngster can be taught and pitch a screwball. Remember, maturity levels differ for all children. A seasoned, experienced, and competent coach should be able to offer advice. This short blurb provides a lot of important data but is presented in a confusing fashion. The logistics of the site force my hand. A more organized and complete presentation can be found at http://www.//m.mlb.com/pitchsmart/pitching-guidelines/. Also, another useful site is http://www.stopsportsinjuries.org/baseball-injury-prevention.aspx You are not going to hear about that 12 year old kid who has a huge arsenal of pitches and throws like a big leaguer. His arm will be overcooked spaghetti when high school rolls around.

The Pediatric Office Comes To You!
Our service lets you avoid the germy office. Avoid the inconvenient and awkward appointment times. Avoid dragging well children with your sick child so they get exposed to germs. Avoid the long waits and short visits. We stay until ALL of your questions are answered and you understand the situation. Pediatric House Call Solutions comes to you, respecting your busy schedule. Your child stays in bed, resting, watching TV, whatever. We bring the entire pediatric office to your home. Most insurances, Husky A&B accepted. No extra charge. Give us a call at (203) 893-5394.

03/25/2026

Parents, Strept Throat continues to affect the children of the area and will probably continue well into late April (it got a late start this year). Strept throat often includes the symptoms of one or all of the following:sore throat, fever, stomach ache, and rash. A surprising feature over the past few years is congestion as well. Ten years ago, if a child had a sore throat with congestion it was very unlikely it was strept. That is different today. Strept throat is easily diagnosed and treated. Give us a call if we can help out.

Housecalls for sick kids. We come right to the house. All testing done right there. Your child stays in bed, watching TV, whatever. No more germy offices, long waits, in and out visits. Call (203) 893-5394. Charles Wetmore APRN with over 30 years of pediatric experience comes to the house. We test for the Flu, Strept, RSV, Mono, UTI's, and much more. Husky and most insurances accepted. No extra fee. Give us a call if we can help out

03/06/2026

I have been caring for children of Connecticut for over 30 years now and I can say with absolute certitude that “Home Schooled” children are the most well rounded, well informed, well mannered and consummately well educated children I have ever met.

One of the provisions of this bill mandates that parents must actively demonstrate “equivalent instruction” to state authorities. I am HIGHLY skeptical of what constitutes “equivalent instruction.”

This requirement of “equivalent instruction” may very well fly in the face of why one chooses to home school their child initially.

03/03/2026

Parents, it is strep throat season. March and spring is the time of the year with the highest number of strep throat cases. Strep throat is often characterized by one or all of the following symptoms: Sore throat, headache, fever, and stomach ache. Sometimes a kid has all of these symptoms, sometimes just one. Many times, I've examined a child where they mention nothing about a sore throat, but their stomach feels terrible and they think (some do) they are going to vomit. Then I examine their throat and it looks horrible. The reason for this is the swelling and inflammation of their abdominal lymph node chain. Lots of times, kids get swollen neck glands with colds, ear infections, pink eye, all sorts of stuff. They also get a chain of swollen belly glands with strep throat.
Treating strep throat is a fairly straight forward affair. It requires a thorough history and exam by a healthcare provider, a culture of the throat, and antibiotics. Amoxicillin is the medicine of choice to treat children but there are plenty of other options for children who cannot tolerate it or, for example, are allergic to penicillins. About two days after starting the antibiotics the child should get a new toothbrush or soak the existing toothbrush overnight in Listerine. You can also run the old toothbrush through the dishwasher. That will sterilize it.

House calls for sick kids! No extra fee. Most insurances and Husky accepted. The pediatric office comes to the house. All testing done right there. Your child stays in bed, watching TV, whatever. No more germy offices, long waits, in and out visits. Call (203) 893-5394. Charles Wetmore APRN with over 30 years of pediatric experience comes to the house. We test for the Flu, Strept, RSV, Mono, UTI's, and much more. Give us a call if we can help out

and surrounding areas, I'm so grateful you found me. Please give me a call and we'll begin helping your child right away.

03/01/2026

Parents, March is upon us and it is strep throat season. March is one of the months with the highest number of strep throat cases. Strep throat is often characterized by one or all of the following symptoms: Sore throat, headache, fever, and stomach ache. Sometimes a kid has all of these symptoms, sometimes just one. Many times, I've examined a child where they mention nothing about a sore throat, but their stomach feels terrible and they think (some do) they are going to vomit. Then I examine their throat and it looks horrible. The reason for this is the swelling and inflammation of their abdominal lymph node chain. Lots of times, kids get swollen neck glands with colds, ear infections, pink eye, all sorts of stuff. They also get a chain of swollen belly glands with strep throat.
Treating strep throat is a fairly straight forward affair. It requires a thorough history and exam by a healthcare provider, a culture of the throat, and antibiotics. Amoxicillin is the medicine of choice to treat children but there are plenty of other options for children who cannot tolerate it or, for example, are allergic to penicillins. About two days after starting the antibiotics the child should get a new toothbrush or soak the existing toothbrush overnight in Listerine. You can also run the old toothbrush through the dishwasher. That will sterilize it.

House calls for sick kids! No extra fee. Most insurances and Husky accepted. The pediatric office comes to the house. All testing done right there. Your child stays in bed, watching TV, whatever. No more germy offices, long waits, in and out visits. Call (203) 893-5394. Charles Wetmore APRN with over 30 years of pediatric experience comes to the house. We test for the Flu, Strept, RSV, Mono, UTI's, and much more. Give us a call if we can help out

02/22/2026

Due to the upcoming snow storm it is unlikely that I will be traveling to children’s houses. I will, however, be offering telemedicine visits. They are certainly not as good as an “in person” examination, but offer some benefit. Please contact me if I can be of service.

House calls for sick kids! No extra fee. Most insurances and Husky accepted. The pediatric office comes to the house. All testing done right there. Your child stays in bed, watching TV, whatever. No more germy offices, long waits, in and out visits. Call (203) 893-5394. Charles Wetmore APRN with over 30 years of pediatric experience comes to the house. We test for the Flu, Strept, RSV, Mono, UTI's, and much more. Give us a call if we can help out

02/08/2026

Valentine's Day Stress In Kids

Valentine’s Day is supposed to be a fun and festive holiday filled with giving and receiving gestures of appreciation and love. However, sometimes it has the opposite effect and makes us feel lonely or unappreciated. This is especially true for kids and teenagers who are particularly sensitive to what others think of them. As a parent, there are a few things you can do to help alleviate some of your kid’s Valentine’s Day anxiety.

For children and teens, Valentine’s Day celebrations may be filled with dread, as they worry about not receiving positive feedback from friends or peers. Teenagers in particular may become stressed around this time, either because they would like to be the recipient of a grand gesture but worry they won’t, or because they want to avoid such public displays.

Alleviating a child’s anxiety
Listen to their concerns: Talk to children or teenagers to get a sense of how they are feeling about Valentine’s Day. If you sense they are anxious or concerned about whether or not they will receive cards from their peers, or if they are hoping for a gesture from someone in particular, ask them about it and listen without passing judgment or trying to solve the problem for them.

Offer moral support: The next best thing you can do is to try to normalize their feelings. Let children know that it is okay to feel worried, anxious, or to even want to avoid the whole day altogether. Help them think about the situation more positively by reminding them that it is one day, and the events of that day are often quickly forgotten.

Check in with your child’s school: For younger kids, touch base with a teacher to find out if there is a classroom rule that each student gives and receives cards so there are no hurt feelings. With older kids or teenagers, try not to get too involved aside from providing moral support. Encourage teens to set an example and be inclusive with their own gestures, whether it be cards or treats.
Be sensitive: When children come home from school on Valentine’s Day, try to read their mood and demeanor before you decide how to react. Be supportive, understanding and ready with a listening ear and fun distraction if the day did not turn out how they expected.

Give your child a Valentine: Make sure to give your children a Valentine, even if that just means an extra hug to let them know they are loved at home. Also, remind children that every day is an opportunity to show how you feel.

01/13/2026

Parents, the other day I posted that there was an abundance of Influenza in the community and that it was all “Flu A.” I suspected that it would transition to “Flu B” in a few weeks (there really is no difference in the severity of the two, despite what the internet may say). Well, it happened much sooner than I expected. I diagnosed my first case of “Flu B” yesterday. Having previously contracted “Flu A” really doesn’t offer much protection from “Flu B.” I believe we may be in for another storm of influenza.

House calls for sick kids! No extra fee. Most insurances and Husky accepted. The pediatric office comes to the house. All testing done right there. Your child stays in bed, watching TV, whatever. No more germy offices, long waits, in and out visits. Call (203) 893-5394. Charles Wetmore APRN with over 30 years of pediatric experience comes to the house. We test for the Flu, Strept, RSV, Mono, UTI's, and much more. Give us a call if we can help out

01/11/2026

Parents, there is an abundance of influenza in the community. Currently most children are being diagnosed with “Flu A.” Soon, it will transition to “Flu B.” What is the difference? If you Google it, it will say Flu A is worse. In my experience that is not true. They each possess basically the same symptoms and severity. After an abundance of influenza, we will see other pathologies: Strept Throat, Allergic Rhinitis, Gastroenteritis and more. There is usually something always prevailing in the community, until summer, then it starts to taper off. In the summer, however, you see an up tick in Swimmer’s Ear, Poison Ivy, Plaground Injuries and more. It’s always something.

House Calls for sick kids! No extra fee. Most insurances and Husky accepted. The pediatric office comes to the house. All testing done right there. Your child stays in bed, watching TV, whatever. No more germy offices, long waits, in and out visits. Call (203) 893-5394. Charles Wetmore APRN with over 30 years of pediatric experience comes to the house. We test for the Flu, Strept, RSV, Mono, UTI's, and much more. Give us a call if we can help out

01/06/2026

Parents, a lot of our kids got ice skates for Christmas and will want to put them to use as soon as possible. Determining lake and pond ice safety is some tricky stuff and I’m not certain anybody knows for sure how to assess it without actually drilling a small bore hole first (I’ve never seen that). There are a few things that can be done. Pond ice safety requires checking thickness (at least 4" for walking on clear ice), avoiding weak spots (dark areas, cracks, near dams/springs), and always going with a buddy, telling someone your plans, and bringing a phone. Never assume ice is safe; factors like water currents, salt from roads, temperature changes, recent rains, and other issues can affect it.