At Home with Coronavirus
We are in the midst of very difficult times. It is certainly inconvenient to stay home in lockdown during the current coronavirus pandemic, but please understand that it is absolutely necessary, and is the right thing to do to combat and control the spread of COVID-19. Stay home. Wash your hands frequently for 20 seconds (plain soap and water is preferred). Kids frequently put their fingers in their eyes, mouth and nose, so teach them proper hand hygiene as well. If you must leave the house, wear a mask and practice social distancing. Please call the office if your child is sick and/or you have questions. We can help you decide if he/she needs to come in. We also offer Telehealth visits. We do recommend that infants continue to come in for their routine visits and immunizations.

Can kids get COVID-19?
They can, but it is much less common in children, and is usually a mild illness. It is uncommon for kids to get severely ill or be hospitalized, and very rare to end up in the ICU.

Prevent Boredom
Children need a routine. Set up a healthy and productive daily schedule and post it on the refrigerator or other visible place. Include wake time, meal and snack times, learning time, play time, exercise, and bedtime. Have the kids help set up the schedule. If you are working from home, include the adults' work time on the schedule as well. Have dinner together as a family every night: eat, talk, discuss the day. It's a good idea to have a designated spot for school/learning. Sometimes a timer can be useful to warn children that it will soon be time to transition to the next activity. Have them help with the household chores. Set expectations. Communicate.

Formula Shortage
Given supply chain issues and formula recalls, it may be getting harder and harder for you to find the formula your child needs. If you are unable to find formula at your regular supplier try these alternatives: • Pharmacies, smaller grocery stores, large convenience stores, food banks • Call your local WIC office (supplemental nutrition for women, infants, and children) • Order online (but only from reputable sources) • Call your pediatrician office to see if they have samples available • Check with other parents, through local Mom's groups or social media, to see if they have unopened formula they no longer need. Never use anything that has been opened by someone else or is expired. • Most infants are on cow's milk formula and can usually switch to a similar product without any concerns. If your pediatrician or a GI specialist suggested a specific formula for your child, please contact them before switching. Do not: • Never water down the formula. Always make as directed by the manufacturer or your pediatrician. • Do not make your own formula at home. • Do not use toddler formulas if your child is under one year of age. They do not have the same nutrients. • Do not use animal milk or plant milk (cow, goat, almond, soy, etc). Infant digestive tracts are not ready for these and they do not have the necessary nutrients. Please do not hesitate to contact your pediatrician's office with questions about how to best feed your baby. The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services also offers a Formula Fact Sheet with a list of manufacturer hotlines, community resources, and more.

Fall Sports - Middle and High School
Middle school and high school fall sports start mid August to early September. Get your DIAA (Delaware Interscholastic Athletic Association) form completed for the 2022-23 school year any time after April 1, 2022. If your child has had a physical in the last year, you just need to fill out the parent portion of the DIAA form and drop it off to our office for completion. It may take up to a week for this to be done. If your child has NOT had a physical in the last year, then they will need to get scheduled for a physical as soon as possible - please call the office to set that appointment up.

Flu Vaccine
Beacon Pediatrics has available quadrivalent preservative-free flu shots. To schedule your flu vaccine, please call our office 302-645-8212. All of the providers at Beacon Pediatrics, STRONGLY RECOMMEND all patients age 6 months of age and older get their flu vaccine. Getting your flu vaccine this season during the COVID-19 pandemic is especially important to help protect your child from the flu. We are especially concerned about this upcoming respiratory season and want to have our patients as protected and prepared as they can be.

Jeffrey Boxer, MD, FAAP

I grew up in a small town in the Catskill Mountains of New York. In 1967 I entered Colgate University with no intentions of becoming a doctor. I graduated with a degree in geology and then surprisingly went to medical school at Upstate Medical Center in Syracuse. It was there that I met and later married my wife Wendy. We moved to Wilmington, Delaware in 1975, where I started training to become a family physician. My pediatric rotation there changed both my plans and my life. Kids are awesome! I spent three more years in Wilmington completing a pediatric residency. In 1979 Wendy and I, and our then 2 year old daughter, Elisha, moved back north to Peterborough, New Hampshire. Our son Matthew was born there in 1980. I worked in the same pediatric practice for 37 years, and served as Chief of Pediatrics at Monadnock Community Hospital for most of those years.

I am returning to Delaware to be closer to family, and to continue what I love to do, practice pediatrics. It has been the focus of my life for 40 years. I practice general pediatrics, caring for the physical, emotional, and behavioral health of children from birth through adolescence. I strongly feel that the most important job as a pediatrician is to listen to parents and patients, and to provide them with the guidance and education they need to live as healthy a life as possible.

My activities include photography, hiking, biking, running, and kayaking. I also hope to rekindle my interest in rocks, fossils and lapidary. Wendy and I plan to spend as much time as possible with our five fantastic grandchildren, two in Maryland and three in Illinois.

I am excited to return to Delaware and to join the excellent team at Beacon Pediatrics. I look forward to sharing my many years of experience with you.

Undergraduate Education: Colgate University 1971

Medical Education: Upstate Medical Center, Syracuse 1975

Post-Graduate Education: Wilmington Medical Center, Flexible Internship 1976, Pediatric Residency 1979

Board Certification: Pediatrics 1979

Professional Membership: American Academy of Pediatrics 1979-present