Beacon Pediatrics

11/27/2025

Happy Thanksgiving and Happy 2nd Birthday to Beacon Pediatrics! Wishing our patients and their families a day filled with togetherness, gratitude and good health!

11/25/2025

We are seeing an increase in pertussis (whooping cough) cases in our community — including breakthrough infections.


If your child has been exposed to pertussis (whooping cough) at school, here is what you need to know:

What is pertussis?

Pertussis, or whooping cough, is a highly contagious infection that causes severe coughing fits. It can be especially serious for infants and young children.

How does it spread?

Pertussis spreads through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes. People are most contagious in the early stages, often before they know they are sick.

What are the symptoms?

Early symptoms look like a cold: runny nose, mild cough, and low fever. After 1-2 weeks, the cough can become severe, with fits that may end in a "whooping" sound, vomiting, or trouble breathing. Some children may not have the classic whoop.

What should parents do after exposure?

- Monitor your child for symptoms for 21 days after exposure. If your child develops a persistent cough, especially with vomiting or difficulty breathing, contact your healthcare provider.

- Keep your child home if they develop symptoms until cleared by a healthcare provider.

- Antibiotic prophylaxis may be recommended for household contacts and children at high risk of severe illness (infants, those with weakened immune systems, or pregnant people in the third trimester). Azithromycin is the preferred antibiotic for treatment and prevention.

- Vaccination is the best protection. Make sure your child is up to date on their DTaP or Tdap vaccines. Children should receive five doses of DTaP between ages 2 months and 6 years, and again at 11 years, then boosted every 10 years.

- Pregnant people should receive Tdap during each pregnancy, ideally between 27–36 weeks, to protect newborns.


Additional information:

Local health departments and school officials will help with contact tracing and provide updates. If you get a letter from your school, please contact them first to see if your child is considered a close contact.

A close contact to a pertussis case in an elementary school is typically defined as someone who has had direct, face-to-face interaction, direct contact with respiratory, oral, or nasal secretions, or has shared a confined space in close proximity for more than one hour with the infected individual.

Follow any instructions from your school or health department.

Summary:

Pertussis can be serious, but prompt action and vaccination help protect your child and others. Watch for symptoms, keep vaccinations current, and consult your healthcare provider if you have concerns.

11/24/2025

11/20/2025

Our strongest responsibility as pediatricians is to protect children’s health and safety. Vaccines are one of the safest and most effective tools we have to prevent serious illnesses.

Beacon Pediatrics is in agreement with the American Academy of Pediatrics President Dr. Susan J. Kressly who responded to the recent changes on the CDC’s website - “The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website has been changed to promote false information suggesting vaccines cause autism. Since 1998, independent researchers across seven countries have conducted more than 40 high-quality studies involving over 5.6 million people. The conclusion is clear and unambiguous: There’s no link between vaccines and autism. Anyone repeating this harmful myth is misinformed or intentionally trying to mislead parents. “

Misinformation cannot be allowed to erase the medical progress that saved generations and safeguards our future.

11/18/2025

When your child is feeling under the weather, Beacon offers same-day sick visits to get your child the expert care they need and back on the road to recovery fast! Every morning a small number of appointments become bookable on MyChart but plenty of appointments are held for patients that call during the day. If you do not see any availability on MyChart, please call the office so that we can schedule a same day appointment for your sick child.

11/14/2025

Happy National Nurse Practitioner week to our incredible Pediatric and Psychiatric Nurse Practitioners! Thank you for the compassion, heart and experience you bring to our team!

11/12/2025

Yesterday, ByHeart Formula voluntarily recalled all of their infant formula products due to an FDA and CDC investigation into cases of infant botulism that may be linked to these products. If you are currently using ByHeart formula please stop and switch to another brand. The attached article from the AAP is helpful in answering questions regarding what you should do if you have been using ByHeart formula and what symptoms you should be looking for.

Here's what parents need to know about infant formula recalls, including why they happen, how to check products and steps to keep babies safe. Includes details on the recent ByHeart recall over concerns about infant botulism.​

11/11/2025

Beacon Pediatrics will be open today, 11/11, from 9am-1pm for urgent care. Thank you to all of those who have served!

10/31/2025

Happy Halloween from Beacon Pediatrics! Our staff never fails to deliver on their amazing costumes! This year’s theme - children’s books!

Vote for your favorite:

https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/LKTQWJ9

10/29/2025

Welcome to the Beacon team Nicole MacDonald, our new Behavioral Health Consultant! Nicole has more than 24 years of experience helping children and families with their mental health needs. Her wide ranging career includes working in schools, outpatient offices and hospital settings. We are excited to have her on our behavioral health team! Learn more about Nicole here: https://www.beaconpediatricsma.com/About-Us/Meet-Our-Team/Nicole-MacDonald,-LICSW

10/24/2025

Happy National Medical Assistants Week to Erin, Liv, Alex and Britt! You will find this dedicated crew working with patients by taking vitals, giving shots, drawing blood, running lab tests and many other things that help Beacon run smoothly. Thank you for all that you do for our patients!