IN THE NEWS

Phoenix doctor named award finalist

Phoenix doctor named award finalist: Phoenix doctor and author Jerald Altman has been named a finalist in the 2014 Oticon Focus or: People Awards.

Altman is an otolaryngologist with Valley ENT, a multi-practice physician group specializing in ear, nose and throat medicine and surgery. He is also the author of the children’s book “Don’t Stick Sticks Up Your Nose! Don’t Stuff Stuff in Your Ears!”

As someone who developed profound unilateral hearing loss at age 6, Altman knows the importance of providing hearing care especially to those in underserved communities. He has volunteered his time and services on four trips to Ethiopia, which has allowed him to provide medical supplies and hearing care to children in orphanages and hospitals. His most recent mission trip in March 2014 took him to Mekele, Ethiopia, with other doctors, providing medical supplies, hearing care and surgeries to children and adults.

The Oticon Focus on People Awards honors hearing impaired students, adults and advocacy volunteers who have demonstrated through their accomplishments that hearing loss does not limit a person’s ability to make a positive difference in the world. the contest has four categories: student, adult, advocacy and practitioner; Altman was nominated for the practitioner category.

– Leisah Woldoff

Tampa Bay Parenting

That Doesn’t Go There!

2014 Tampa Bay Parenting Nose GirlPicture this: During dinner on a quiet Wednesday night, your two-year-old, Sarah, begins complaining that her nose hurts as she starts to cry. You lean over to take a look, hoping that she’s not coming down with a cold. And then you see it. Your blood runs cold as you realize that while Sarah watched her older sister make beaded bracelets that afternoon, she must have shoved at least one bead up her nose.

Everything, up the nose

Maria Sonnenberg, For FLORIDA TODAY
9:55 p.m. EDT August 30, 2014

In a time-honored but perverse childhood ritual, your treasured offspring will likely at some point as a child put a foreign object up his nose or ear, thereby driving you into a panic.

Keep cool, say the experts, and don’t try to remove the foreign object if it is lodged.

“This is pretty much always a bad idea,” said Dr. Bill Knappenberger, a pediatrician with Pediatrics in Brevard. “It usually results in pushing the object further into the nose and increases the risk of it being inhaled into the trachea or lung. We prefer to see such children in the office or the ER.”

Why would kids do such a dumb thing in the first place?  

Read the rest of the article …

Winnipeg Parent

Winnipeg Parent ran an article based on the “Don’t Stick Stuff Up Your Nose!: How to Keep Your Child FromPutting Things Where They Don’t Belong and What to Do If It Happens” press release in their August 2014 issue.

Winnipeg Parent is a monthly publication written for and about Winnipeg and its families, caregivers and educators as a comprehensive guide to family life in and around the city. Features focus on health and safety, education, growth and development, summer camps, travel, school break activities, classes, childcare, babies and much more. It has a circulation of 25,000.

AZ Central

Doctor’s book tells kids where not to put stuff 
Wendy Killeen, The Republic | azcentral.com11:01 a.m. MST August 14, 2014

Curious toddlers often put things where they don’t belong — like in their ears and noses.

Dr. Jerald Altman would know. The Glendale otolaryngologist has retrieved rocks, peanuts, crayons, batteries and more from the mouths, noses and ears of little kids for more than 15 years.

After publishing many peer-reviewed journal articles, Altman (a parent of three) decided to write a children’s book about the subject. He and creative friend Richard Jacobson wrote and colorfully illustrated the 22-page board book, “Don’t Stick Sticks Up Your Nose! Don’t Stuff Stuff in Your Ears!”

Read the rest of the article …

WE Magazine

What’s that in your nose?
Posted by Heidi Richards on June 24, 2014, at 11:45 pm

New Children’s Book Helps Parents Keep Unwanted Objects Out of Little Noses and Ears

When children put small objects into their noses and ears, this innocent action can lead to discomfort and parental panic—not to mention serious health risks and medical bills! Fortunately, a new children’s book by Dr. Jerald Altman helps parents explain the no-nos and risks to their kids in a positive, engaging way.

If you’re the parent of a young child, you’ve probably shrieked, “No! Don’t put that there!” as you watched your youngster guide a coin, a piece of cereal, or another small object toward her nostril or ear. You may have even felt a moment of sheer panic when you caught a glimpse of an unidentified object stuffed unbelievably far into a nose or ear. Wouldn’t it be nice if there were a way to prevent your kids from sticking and stuffing things where they don’t belong?

Don’t Stick Sticks Up Your Nose! Don’t Stuff Stuff In Your Ears!, a new children’s book by Dr. Jerald Altman, was written with exactly that purpose in mind.

“As a parent myself, I know that young children tend to be most receptive to new rules and guidelines when the discussion is fun, memorable, and doesn’t feel like a lecture,” says Dr. Altman, coauthor along with Richard Jacobson of the children’s book Don’t Stick Sticks Up Your Nose! Don’t Stuff Stuff In Your Ears!. “When I realized that there were no children’s books dealing with the subject of sticking small objects in noses and ears, I decided to team up with a creative friend and fill that void.”

In his practice, Dr. Altman has seen it all in little noses and ears: rocks, candy, paper, peanuts, crayons, buttons, plant burrs, and beads…and the list just gets stranger from there, he says. Of course, when kids put foreign objects into their noses and ears, they don’t have any idea of the potential dangers—usually, they’re simply curious! Unfortunately, plugged up ears and noses can cause injury, not to mention a lot of anxiety and healthcare costs for parents.

“Foreign (and often dirty) objects in a child’s nose or ears can lead to serious health risks ranging from infections to blocked airways to punctured eardrums…things neither you nor your child wants to experience,” warns Dr. Altman. “And, of course, there’s the expense: co-pays, deductibles, and at times, general anesthesia.”

Of course, terms like “health risk,” “deductible,” and “anesthesia” don’t mean much to a youngster—and children under four are most at risk of getting in trouble with small objects. That’s why Dr. Altman and Jacobson’s two-time national award-winning book is so valuable—it explains the matter in entertaining terms that two- to six-year-olds can understand while keeping the conversation positive.

Don’t Stick begins, “On your face are choices: your eyes, ears, mouth, and nose. When you ate your breakfast, we all know which you chose.” Over the next 22 pages, this engaging board book uses clever rhymes and colorful illustrations to teach children that noses and ears are for smelling and hearing—not for storing small objects. Don’t Stick is also in every electronic format, with interactive apps coming soon.

“Remember, prevention and awareness are key,” concludes Dr. Altman. “Trust me, I’d much rather you and your child read my book than visit me in my office!” 

Dr. Jerald Altman is the coauthor of Don’t Stick Sticks Up Your Nose! Don’t Stuff Stuff In Your Ears! He is an otolaryngologist-head and neck surgeon (ENT doctor) and was recognized as a Phoenix Top Doc in 2010, 2011, 2012, and 2013, and 2018. Dr. Altman loves taking care of children’s ear, nose, and throat issues. After publishing many peer-reviewed journal articles, he recognized the need for a children’s book dealing with a common problem in his practice.

Dr. Altman is married with three children and lives in Phoenix, AZ. He enjoys woodturning as a hobby and climbs Camelback Mountain regularly.

Richard Jacobson is the coauthor of Don’t Stick Sticks Up Your Nose! Don’t Stuff Stuff In Your Ears! He studied architecture at Yale University and has spent most of his adult life designing interiors, landscapes, tablescapes, clothing, and just about anything else that can be fashioned in a creative way. He lives in Phoenix, Arizona, but since he travels extensively to play in duplicate bridge tournaments, he climbs considerably fewer mountains than his coauthor. Jacobson enjoys training dogs, birds, and topiaries in his spare time.

Pocono Record

By STACY M. BROWN
For the Pocono Record
August 01, 2014

It’s the age-old question: Why do children stick things where they don’t belong?

And, for pediatricians who treat young ones after they’ve stuck the head of a small doll up their noses or have accidentally swallowed a Lego, the answers remain the same.

“It’s a very common phenomenon that you typically will see in toddlers,” said Dr. Olubunmi Salako, associate medical director of pediatrics for Pocono Health System.

Explorers

Salako said children are explorers, particularly when they’re toddlers.

As babies, they stick just about everything in their mouths and, when they get a little older, they try other places, such as their noses.

Among the more common things found trapped in a toddler’s nose are beads, coins and toy parts, Salako said. However, there have also been shocking discoveries as well as more dangerous objects, she said.

“One of my most surprising finds was a live cockroach,” Salako said. “It clearly crawled in there, and the child had been crying and crying and even woke up screaming.” She was able to extract the bug, and all was well again.

Salako cautioned that button batteries and magnets could present the most danger. “If you ingest them, they can break down your tissues. Button batteries, which are found in things like watches, can get inside you, and they can start conducting and cause an electrical current. It could be deadly,” she said.

Getting the message to kids

Recognizing the penchant of children to stick objects where they shouldn’t and to do things that could lead to their harm, Dr. Jerald Altman, an Arizona-based otolaryngologist (head and neck surgeon), teamed with former Yale University student Richard Jacobson to write a children’s book aimed at helping to prevent such accidents.

The book, “Don’t Stick Sticks up Your Nose! Don’t Stuff Stuff in Your Ears,” is available from ZonaBooks Publishing. Altman said he began to develop the idea after he and his wife adopted a child.

Like most children, Altman’s son would jump on his bed, and Altman said he thought of the “no more monkeys jumping on the bed” nursery rhyme.

“If we can teach children not to jump on the bed with rhymes, then why not teach them not to stick things in their nose and mouth?” Altman said.

“Parents can tell kids over and over not to do something, but kids will do it anyway. I realized that they don’t listen to Mom and Dad, but they might pay attention to a fun book,” he said.

Your child is not alone

In his practice, Altman said he, too, has seen such foreign objects as rocks, beads and even insects in his patients’ noses.

“Foreign objects in a child’s nose or ears can lead to serious health risks ranging from infections to blocked airways to punctured eardrums … things neither you nor your child wants to experience,” Altman said. “And, of course, there’s the expense, including copays, deductibles and, at times, general anesthesia.”

In a simple and entertaining way, Altman’s award-winning book explains the do’s and don’ts of sticking objects where they don’t belong.

He said it’s so simple that children as young as 2 can understand.

“It’s about prevention and awareness,” he said. “I’d much rather you and your child read my book than visit me in my office.”

AZ Family

by Tami Hoey
Video report by Heidi Goitia
Posted on August 12, 2014 at 1:52 PM

GLENDALE, Ariz. — Pediatricians say they’ve seen it all: marbles that find their way up a tiny nose, spare change that gets swallowed, a paperclip that gets stuck in a throat.

Kids often find ways to get in trouble, and they wind up at the doctor’s office. As every parent knows, kids are going to get into mischief no matter how many times we say, “Don’t do that!” And especially for younger children, one of those irresistible activities is sticking fingers and foreign objects in their noses and ears.

(Original article and video have been archived by AZFamily and is no longer available.)

Jordana Green
WCCO-AM
50,000-Watt Station, Minneapolis, MN

May 30, 2014

Mindless Chatter with the Berger
WYRQ-FM
Little Falls, MN

June 26, 2014