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October 28, 2011
Car seat LATCH connectors have their limits
One of the moms on my favorite parenting forum was talking about her search for the perfect minivan. It was a tie between the Toyota Sienna and the Honda Odyssey, and one of the selling points for the Odyssey was its five car seat safety anchors, or LATCH connectors, rather than just three in the Sienna.
But then it was pointed by one of the forum’s car seat experts that the LATCH systems have a 40 pound weight limit in most cars. So depending on the age of your kids that may not be a huge benefit, even if you have a large family.
I don’t know about you, but my 4-year-old is in a harness seat that has an advertised weight limit of 85 pounds, and I don’t remember reading anywhere that we’d have to start using the adult seat belt to hold it down. Frankly, I prefer the LATCH connectors. The fit is tighter and the installation is much easier than running a seat belt down the back of the seat.
So, I looked at the tiny print in the manual, and it turns out that it is true. After 40 pounds, parents are advised: “Unless specified otherwise by the manufacturer, assume a 40 pound child is the vehicle LATCH anchor limit.”
What gives? I called the safety seat experts at SafeKids Worldwide to get some answers, and Lorrie Walker, training manager and technical adviser for the Washington, D.C.,-based group, helped me sort it out.
Apparently, when the LATCH standards were written by the feds in 1998, the connectors had to be able to withstand a TOTAL weight of 65 pounds. That was more than a decade ago when safety seats wear mostly just for infants and toddlers. Many states (including Texas) now require safety seats for kids as old as 8 years and safety advocates urge parents to keep children in high-back seats with five-point harness for as long as possible. The federal standards used by car manufacturers have not been rewritten, although they are currently under review by the National Transportation Safety Board, she says.
So in the case of my daughter’s seat, the Britax Frontier, the seat alone weighs 20 pounds. I bought it because of the high weight limit and the fact that it can eventually convert to a booster seat. The sticker price was painful, but the goal for this to be the last seat I have to buy.
My daughter weighs 37.5 pounds. You do the math. We are rapidly approaching the LATCH limit.
“These days there are a fair number of kids 2 years old and already 40 pounds. That’s both an obesity issue and the fact that kids are being born at higher weights to start with these days,” says Walker. “There have never been any failures at higher weights in these new seats, but at the same time the LATCH connectors have not been rigorously tested at that higher standard.You don’t want to push the limits, but you do want to keep a child in a harness for as long as possible.”
Those higher-weight harness seats do have instructions for installing the seats with a standard seat belt, which are designed to hold a 250-plus pound adult in a crash that can generate up to 5,000 pounds of force, she said.
For older kids, once they’ve moved out of the harness, there is a good use for the those LATCH connectors. Using them to anchor a booster seat when a child isn’t in the car.
“You don’t want that seat coming forward in a crash and becoming a projectile,” Walker said. Leaving the seat attached to the car at that point is just fine, because “The seat belt is still doing all the work of keeping a child restrained.”
Permalink | Comments (4) | Post your comment Categories: Health, Parenting, Toys and gear, Traveling
October 3, 2011
UT professor says parents gain more weight
The joys of parenthood…
According to a new study co-authored by a University of Texas sociology professor, parenthood accelerates weight gain over the course of life for men and women. And, if that’s not depressing enough, the timing of children can influence the amount of weight you gain.
Let’s just say that I missed the optimal window by having my first kid at age 33.
According to the findings, both men and women who have their first child around age 26 to 27 gain the least weight over time. The further away from this age — either younger or older — the more rapid the weight gain, says Debra Umberson, whose study will appear in the journal “Social Science and Medicine.”
If you think about it, the correlation is clear. Those who have children in their younger years are less likely to be college educated and more likely to have lower incomes — both factors that correlate highly to weight gain and obesity. For older parents (including myself), we are adding kids to the mix just as our metabolisms are slowing down and other medical factors kick in.
“Until I had children, I went to the gym every afternoon after work,” said Umberson. “You can’t do that when you are a parent. You have to go home. Kids have to eat and they like food that is not good for those of us with lower metabolisms. You wouldn’t nibble on leftover pizza crust, if you didn’t have the pizza in the first place.”
Umberson and her team of researchers analyzed data from a national longitudinal survey, in which they tracked changes in body mass index levels among 3,617 adults over a 15-year period. They found that by age 55, parents reach an average BMI in the obese zone (over 30) and peak at an average BMI of 31 by their mid to late 60s. But for those without children, the average BMI merely reaches the overweight zone (25 to 29) by age 55.
The researchers then examined how various life-course factors, such as timing of first birth, transitioning into parenthood and living with an adult child, influence weight change over time. Part of her goal. Umberson said, was to look beyond the “pregnancy effect” regarding weight gain and delve into how social ties affect weight.
Surprises in the study? The effect on men, who are even more likely to gain weight when living with a child. Why? Reduced exercise time and jettisoning habits such as smoking and heavy drinking (while those habits have negative health consequences, people who smoke and drink tend to gain less weight), she said.
The next step: In-depth interviews with a smaller group of people about their eating habit changes over time. Umberson has conducted about 60 so far, and one of the thing that stands out is parents finishing their kids plates.
Yep, I can totally relate. How about you?
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September 27, 2011
Is this normal? Ask an expert
“Is this normal?”
For the moment that that pink line shows up on the pregnancy stick, women wind up asking this question pretty much one a week. Some of the questions are big deals and need immediate answers from our own doctor or the emergency room, others we put in our mental filing cabinet to ask our doctor or midwife during our regular checkups. (In my case, I usually remembered the question as I was walking back out to the parking garage.)
In that first year of life, after the baby joins us in the world, the questions are just as frequent and just as perplexing. How does one get rid of that bad case of cradle cap? Why are her legs still bowed? And is it normal for something so small to have that much gas?
The folks at Seton Healthcare Family have agreed to take on Mama Drama readers questions. They’ve got folks all over town, including at Dell Children’s Medical Center and their neonatal units, who can give us the lowdown. So send them our way and we’ll post the answers here on the blog. Breast feeding, pregnancy, infant care and development are all fair game.
Hope to hear from you soon.
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August 15, 2011
Melatonin: Is it a drug?
I’m been watching with some degree of curiosity the reactions to a survey by the Today Show/Parenting.com that says that 1 in 5 moms admit to drugging their babies to get through a big event like a plane ride or long car trip.
The survey asked 26,000 mothers about their biggest parenting secrets, and that was one that rose to the top of the list.
What intrigued me more than the stats is the discussion over what parents consider “drugs.” (Disclaimer: I’ve never Benedryl’d my kids on a plane, but I have bad reactions to antihistimines, so I’m convinced it would backfire and have never seriously considered it. Some medications make kids hyper, not sleepy, depending on body chemistry.)
It seems to many parents, melatonin is their regular go-to solution to help kids get to sleep. Just check out these comments on Strollerderby on the subject. For those unfamiliar with melatonin, it is a nutritional supplement that until recent years has mainly been promoted as an aid to combat jet lag. Melatonin has also been used by doctors to help kids with autism and attention deficit disorders, which lead to a the body’s reduced ability to produce the hormone naturally.
As a supplement, melatonin is not regulated as stringently and no long-term studies have been done on children, according to the Mayo Clinic. The trials that have been done have been short term and on children with various neuropsychiatric disorders such as autism and epilepsy.
So technically it is not a drug. But if an otherwise healthy child needs hormone therapy to fall asleep, I’d think that is more than taking a multi-vitamin.
Have you tried melatonin on your kids? What was the effect?
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August 11, 2011
Study: Most preschool sack lunches are improperly packed
Think you know everything about packing a safe lunch? Think again, say researchers at the University of Texas.
A recent study, which will appear in next month’s Pediatrics journal (and is currently online), shows that more 90 percent of sack lunches prepared at home and sent with kids to preschool were kept at unsafe temperatures.
The study was an outgrowth of a nutrition research project designed to test the effectiveness of a program to teach parents to pack better daycare lunches. As part of the study, the researchers checked the lunch boxes of 700 preschool students (ages 3 to 5), measuring contents, temperatures and nutritional values.
They found that while 45 percent of the lunches studied had at least one ice pack, 39 percent had no supplemental ice packs. Even including lunches with ice packs, 88 percent were at room temperature. Fewer than 2 percent of lunches with perishable items were found to be in a safe temperature zone, while more than 90 percent (even with multiple ice packs) were kept at unsafe temperatures.
The temperature readings were surprising to the team, which included a number of registered dieticians, said the study’s co-author and postdoctoral student Sara Sweitzer. (Lead author Fawaz D. Almansour was unavailable for comment due to the fact he’s just become at new dad.)
“When you pulled out the non-perishable items, 97 percent of items were outside the safe zone two hours before lunch,” she said.
She’s quick to add, especially for those who remember that insulated coolers and ice packs are fairly recent additions to a school sack lunch, that they are not suggesting that children are getting ill at record levels. But food borne bacteria does grow at unsafe temperatures and that queasy feeling your kid has been complaining about or that touch of gastrointestinal distress, could very well be the result of improperly cooled food, she said.
“We are not suggesting that these kids are winding up in the emergency room,” she said. “But there are some easy things that parents can do to help keep food cool longer — after all this is Texas,” she said. The best storage temperature is below 40 degrees Fahrenheit for cold foods and above 140 degrees for hot foods. Between 40 and 140 degrees is the “danger zone.”
Her recommendations
— Use two ice packs, not just one. A frozen teething ring or juice box will not be enough to keep a whole lunch cold.
— Consider placing the lunch box itself in the freezer the night before, especially if you are packing a lunch that morning. A cold container will help the ice pack do its job.
— If sending hot food, be sure to prepare the Thermos or other insulated container. Fill it with boiling water and allow to sit for a few minutes before filling with hot food.
— Separate perishable and non-perishable items and place ice packs strategically around the items that need it. This includes cut fruits and vegetables. Once the skin is broken, bacteria can start to grow. “But on a scale of one to 10, I’d still be more concerned about the turkey and dairy,” Sweitzer said.
The goal is to keep food in the safe zone for as long as possible, especially for smaller kids whose immune systems are not as fully developed as their older counterparts (though the advice is good for big kid lunches also.)
“There is a two hour window, where food can exceed the recommended temperatures levels and still be considered safe,” she said. “But if you pack a lunch at 6 a.m. that means that it needs to stay chilled until 9: 15 or 9:30.”
August 5, 2011
Study suggests that infants may need to watch the salt
As if we needed one more reason to be wary of processed foods, but a recent U.K. study suggests that even infants might stand to cut back on their salt intake.
What’s the problem? Processed food. Canned spaghetti, packaged snacks, even cow’s milk — all contribute to a baby’s salt intake. (This is one of the reasons why doctors currently recommend that babies under 1 stay away from cow’s milk as it contains more sodium than formula and breast milk.)
In fact, according to this story from NPR:
…. as many as 70 percent of 8-month-old babies in the U.K. consumed too much sodium, according to a study in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition. That’s bad news because it could potentially harm “developing kidneys and blood pressure in later life,” warn the researchers, from the University of Bristol in the U.K.The researchers looked at the diets of 1,178 8-month-old British infants born in 1991 and 1992 who were enrolled in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children, a long-term, ongoing health survey in the Bath and Bristol region of England. They examined three days’ worth of diet diaries kept by moms in the study and found that a majority of the infants took in more than 400 milligrams of sodium per day, the maximum daily intake recommended under U.K. guidelines. Many babies got more than twice that amount.
So what use is this study given that the babies are in college by now? Plenty, because they continued to follow the kids since infancy.
According to the co-author, Pauline Emmett, “we have almost finished a paper following these children through childhood — with luck it should be published by the end of the year. Salt intake does not get less.”
Photo: AAS
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March 25, 2011
Maybe I should have been Dr. Mom
There are times when I think perhaps I should have studied medicine, not because I have aspirations to be a doctor, but because making medical decisions for a family of four seems to require special training.
Whether it’s navigating our medical insurance or deciding whether to seek a specialist, the choices are enough to make anyone’s head spin.
This week the issue is my 18-month-old Elizabeth, who has had a chronic cough for 10 months. Sometimes it is better, sometimes it is worse, but it is always there. Usually the worst coughing jags start at about 3 a.m. and last for about 90 minutes. I hear every last cough and sputter, and I’ve taken to shutting off the room monitor so I can get some modicum of sleep.
My pediatrician has been sweet but dismissive. “She’s in daycare, she’s bound to be sick.” “Let’s do another round of antibiotics to treat this ear/sinus infection.”
The last time I was in the office for a well-check, I mentioned the coughing again, she did agree to do a sinus and chest x-ray to rule out asthma. Verdict: Sinus infection. Treatment: More antibiotics (the same one she prescribed two weeks earlier to treat the ear infection and had Elizabeth coughing again by Day 7).
At the urging of friends, I decided to take Elizabeth to an ENT this week. The first thing he tells me is that the x-rays that I paid for and traveled across town to retrieve for him on my lunch hour are worthless. “There’s a 40 percent chance she actually has a sinus infection. They are just too hard to read at this age. [Pediatricians] love to order them, but I haven’t ordered one in 10 years.”
Then, after some more maddening reassurance that my kid is in daycare and she’s bound to ill frequently, he finally stopped talking and listened.
I have an older daughter, my kids have classmates and my co-workers have kids in daycare. Elizabeth is ill more than any otherwise healthy kid I know. Her teachers agree. My daughter has been coughing for 80 percent of her life. I’m not a hysterical mother. I promise. I’m just not.
Truthfully, I don’t want to be THAT mother. You know the one: She’s the one who has Googled every possible pediatric ailment and is armed with studies, ready to prove that she already knows the proper diagnosis. I don’t want antibiotic prescriptions to pacify me. Nor do I want unnecessary tonsil or adenoid surgery. I get that a lot of medical treatments are essentially trial and error.
But when you are up late at night, trying to keep you kid upright while they cough with every inhale and wondering if perhaps it is time to go to the ER, it is enough to make you wonder if perhaps you do know more than the doctors do.
Ultimately the ENT agreed that we should be more aggressive about the probable sinus infection and treat Elizabeth for environmental allergies. He did prescribe another, stronger antibiotic, but said not to wait for the course to be done if the symptoms did not improve. If the cough worsens or comes back immediately after the antibiotics, bring her back to the office immediately and they will do a CT scan.
So, in the meantime, in my spare moments, I Google the new medicines she’s been prescribed (turns out one can inhibit growth in children) and other pediatric specialties (Do we need a pulmonologist or an allergist?). I’m starting to think I’m going to have to become THAT mom, especially if this doesn’t work.
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November 3, 2010
Girl's death a reminder to register
Updated to reflect Austin donation information.
I dread reading health news, because inevitably by the end of the article I discover that as an African American, I and my family are members of the higher risk groups.
Breast cancer, high blood pressure, diabetes, glaucoma, premature births, hearing loss. I could go on.
So, I was especially saddened reading the New York Times obit today about Shannon Tavarez, the 11-year-old who played “Nala” in the Broadway hit “The Lion King.”
Shannon, who suffered from acute leukimia, gained national attention earlier this year when she was unable to find a blood marrow donor to treat her illness, and several entertainers, including 50 Cent and Alicia Keys made pleas on her behalf.
The obit makes the case better than I can:
Minorities are vastly underrepresented in the bone marrow donor registry, which makes suitable donors for minority patients difficult to locate. In addition, blacks and Hispanics have many more different tissue types than whites… which makes the process of matching donor to patient more complex, especially for patients of mixed race or ethnicity. Shannon’s father is Hispanic and her mother, Odiney Brown, is black.
Shannon did get an umbilical cord blood transplant — which is second best to an actual blood marrow transplant in August. Survival rates are typically good, but it wasn’t enough in her case.
Getting registered is as simple as going online and requesting a kit, which requires a cheek swab. I regret that I did not donate my girls’ umbilical cords.
During both pregnancies, I was deluged with material for private cord banking asking me to pay fees to store the cord blood indefinitely, in case a family member needed them. But I don’t remember reading anything that suggested that I could donate the cord blood for free to a public bank to potentially save someone else.
You can. I should have. I pray that if my girls ever need it, someone will have had the foresight to register or save their baby’s blood for someone who needs it. For more information on donating cord blood or putting your name on the national bone marrow registry, go to Be The Match.
The more people who register, regardless of ethnicity, the better odds for the next kid who needs a transplant.
UPDATE: Although Austin does not have a participating hospital, moms who are interested in donating can call the cord blood banks directly in Houston (M.D. Anderson) or San Antonio (Texas Cord Bank) and request a kit.
The request must be made at least six weeks before delivery and mothers will be pre-screened before the free kit is sent out. The mother will take the kit to the hospital and there is no charge for donating. After collection, the kit will be sent back to the cord blood bank.
Kirsten Lesak-Greenberg, a spokesperson for the National Marrow Donor Program, says the kit program is a pilot project to help address the lack of participating hospitals in many areas.
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October 26, 2010
Allergy season -- Halloween
For parents of kids with food allergies, this week marks the start of allergy season.
The next three months are an onslaught of school parties, church festivals and trick-or-treating goodies, which means that parents have to navigate the choices to avoid a trip to the emergency room, or worse.
It also means that parents of kids without food allergies have to pay close attention to the notes coming home from school and day care to make sure they aren’t endangering someone else’s child when they send cookies and candy to school.
“The holiday season — Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas — is very difficult because risk of exposure goes up.” said Allen Lieberman, a food allergy specialist at the Allergy and Asthma Center of Austin. “A lot of it is candy-related - peanuts, milk, eggs. There is just more of it around, and it is tempting for kids.”
Both my girls have classmates at day care who have food allergies, and while the school is already peanut-free, this is the first time the note home for the holiday party has included other items on the forbidden list.
“No candy with eggs, please.”
Honestly, I didn’t know that candy had eggs. As it turns out, candy corn does contain egg whites. And for kids with gluten-allergies, a surprising number of candies contain wheat.
On some of the parenting boards I visit I see a surprising amount of resistance from some parents to the allergy guidelines at schools. While I personally don’t understand the reason for the skyrocketing prevalence of food allergies, I certainly don’t want to be responsible for another child’s life threatening reaction to something I’ve sent to school.
The excuse “we didn’t have allergies when I was in school” falls flat when a kid has to be treated for anaphylactic shock.
It would be cheaper for me to make cookies, but I will send pre-packaged treats so that the teachers and other parents don’t have play traffic cop with my desserts.
If your kids have food allergies, how do you manage the holiday season?
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September 17, 2010
Talking to teens about alcohol
My kids are small, but that doesn’t mean I haven’t given thought about how we will broach the subject of alcohol use when the time comes.
Most school health classes encourage students to talk to their parents about alcohol, but some parents are not sure what to say beyond “Don’t.”
This week, the folks at Mothers Against Drunk Driving launched a new initiative targeted at parents. The project, co-sponsored by Nationwide Insurance, includes a free handbook for parents on how to start and continue the conversation with teens about underage drinking.
The 46-page booklet book is adapted from a resource used by a Pennsylvania State University professor who used a similar handbook for parents and college aged kids to reduce drinking and behavior problems associated with drinking.
Flipping through the book, I found a lot of practical advice, including: Overly harsh tactics could backfire. Admit your own mistakes, but emphasize negative outcomes. Talk so your teen will listen, which is not the same as being their buddy.
There are also some interesting stats on the correlation of parenting styles to teens illegal drinking behaviors.
As a high school student in suburban Southwest Austin, I did drink and my parents never caught me. However as an adult, I can see that a narrowly escaped some potentially bad situations (Including driving under the influence and a bizarre incident where some of the guys I had been drinking with pulled out a gun on South Mopac.)
Lots can go wrong when teens drink and it’s up to parents to find a way to make that clear to them, without demeaning them, terrifying them, lying to them or driving them to rebellion.
In addition to handing out the free handbook, MADD will also be hosting a series of free workshops for parents in the Austin area to supplement the handbook. Check here for more information.
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September 14, 2010
Which growth chart is your doctor using?
The big event at any baby well check is to find out how your kid stacks up, especially in the first two years.
Got a kid in the 95th percentile? Whoa! Kid is in the 10th or 15th percentile? Need to watch those calories, make sure they get enough. Not on the chart at all — more weight checks are in your future and possibly that awful label “Failure To Thrive.”
Interestingly enough, the CDC has suggested this week that U.S. pediatricians have been using the wrong chart for breast fed babies. Formula fed babies, the basis for current U.S. charts, are just chunkier — which is neither good or bad, since they tend to get leaner as they age. But it can be worrisome for mothers worried about their breast milk supply who are told that their babies are on the small side.
Good pediatricians — regardless of which chart you use — are more concerned that kids stay on their “growth curve.” A kid that is consistently 15th percentile is not nearly as worrisome as one that drops from 65th percentile to the 15th.
I know this, but still hearing that Elizabeth continues to hover between 10th percentile and the 20th percentile for weight, has me watching her food intake like a hawk. She’s not exactly short — with her appointment this morning her putting her in the 60th percentile for height. My pediatrician has even suggested adding olive oil and other calorie-adding fats to her food to make sure she’s getting enough calories.
On the chart now recommended for use by the CDC, Elizabeth would remain on the thin side, but a far more respectable 35th percentile. (The chart was developed by the World Health Organization and includes babies from around the world who are primarily breastfed until four months and continue breast feeding to some degree until their first birthday.)
The folks at Strollerderby speculate that the frustration moms feel when monitoring their babies’ growth might be one reason why so many American moms quit breast feeding early. It’s a whole lot of work to breast feed, especially if you are working outside the home, and if you are having to supplement calories with formula and use bottles, it’s easier just to switch.
The Strollerderby writers also point out that while many lean babies might get off the watch list on the new chart, many others will be pushed into the overweight category. That might not be a bad thing, given the country’s obesity epidemic, parents could use an early heads up that they need to start teaching kids to make healthier choices as they embark on solids.
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July 28, 2010
Got lice? Docs say schools have it wrong
So the big news this week is that the American Academy of Pediatrics has changed its guidance on what schools should do about head lice.
According to the AAP:
Head lice are not a health hazard or a sign of poor hygiene and, in contrast to body lice, are not responsible for the spread of any disease. No healthy child should be excluded from or miss school because of head lice, and no-nit policies for return to school should be abandoned.All very interesting, except Texas law requires schools to send children home if live lice are found in their hair.
They will be allowed to return to school after one medicated treatment has been given or they bring a note from a physician saying they have been cleared to return to school. When the child returns to school, a head check is not required by law and there is no requirement to report cases of head lice to officials.
The state health department does not promote “no-nit” policies, but allows districts to set their own, more restrictive, policies.
From the Texas Health Department website:
“No nit” policies place a disproportionate amount of emphasis on head lice management than on real health concerns which should be a higher priority. This over-emphasis can lead to unproductive use of time by school staff and parents, missed classes, unnecessary absences, and parents missing work.
The new guidelines from the AAP also discuss whether expensive chemical treatments are in fact necessary, according to the Wall Street Journal. Parents, including my co-workers, have talked about the difficulties involved in removing the lice. Many opt for all out chemical warfare, rather than wonder if the pest are really gone and if they are going to have to miss more days of work if they should return.
What do you think about your school’s policy and what is your treatment of choice when dealing with head lice?
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April 7, 2010
Eat your radishes!
Monday night at our Girl Scouts meeting, I had girls tasting vegetables they’d never seen before or never tried before. For our unit on gardening (we’re not patient enough to wait for our plants to actually produce vegetables… we’re kindergarteners and first-graders), I showed them the seeds and the plants they make. Then we cut up the vegetables or fruit for each of them to try.
They had to at least smell each and try to take a bite. And they did. Picture nine little girls wrinkling up their noses at radishes, asking for seconds and thirds for snap peas and cucumbers, and devouring tomatoes. Then picture some of the moms trying parsley and basil raw for the first time.
We topped it off with watermelon, everyone’s favorite.
And hardly any whining was heard. A few spit out melodramatically the vegetable they had just tried — but they tried them.
Try this one at home!
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Eye checks for babies -- really
Last month I took my 6-month-old to the optometrist. Yep, that’s right, apparently infants can get their vision screened, too.
When I heard about the InfantSee, a no-cost vision screening program, I was curious. I knew that babies could have their hearing screened, but vision? I had always assumed that had to wait until they reached school and could read the alphabet vision chart.
Vision is a big concern for me. I have worn glasses since I was six years old, and as an adult, I’m a ridiculously near-sighted. It runs in the family, so I’m assuming that at least one of my girls will eventually need specs.
Founded by the American Optometric Association and Johnson & Johnson, InfantSee says that its goal is to provide profession eye screening for all infants between six months and 12 months old. While it is true that early detection of eye abnormalities can prevent permanent vision loss, there is some dispute over the best time to screen kids under the age of five.
The AOA suggests screenings for infants and then at age 2-3 and again at age 4-5. Ophthalmologists recommend screenings by pediatricians for infants with referrals to specialists if there is a family history of cataracts or glaucoma, or high-risk factor like prematurity. They recommend a screening by an eye professional between ages 2.5 and 3.5.
My trip with Elizabeth to Briana Larson’s optometry office in Cedar Park was interesting. Larson was able to evaluate Elizabeth using a mix of puppets, pen lights and patterned cards. I was genuinely surprised at how cooperative the kid was.
Turns out Elizabeth is slightly far-sighted — no big deal since the shape of her eye is still developing. She showed some signs of astigmatism, but once her eyes were dilated that turned out to be nothing to worry about as well for now.
(I did ask about the dilation drops, considering that Elizabeth was unlikely to leave on the provided shade. Lawson said the drops are mild, specifically for infants and while Elizabeth might be annoyed for a few hours by bright light, her eyes would not be harmed if she took the shades off.)
You can tell from the video posted above, that even at six months old Elizabeth is totally engaged in the screening, which lasted about 20 minutes. Due to her age, Elizabeth’s screening is slightly different from that of an older baby, according to Lawson. Older babies have better hand-eye coordination so an optometrist can tell better if a babies eyes are working together by whether a baby reaches out to touch an object accurately.
InfantSee officials say they have caught serious problems, including rare pediatric eye cancers in the screenings. More common problems include amblyopia (also known as lazy eye) and strabismus (when eyes don’t turn together or crossed eyes). Both conditions can lead to permanent vision loss if not corrected early.
The screenings are free, regardless of income and insurance coverage, and they are provided by about two dozen optometrists in Central Texas. There is no obligation to use the InfantSee optometrist for treatment if a problem is identified.
I’m glad I went. Regardless of which screening recommendation you follow, my oldest daughter is rapidly approaching three years old. So, she’ll be making an appearance at the eye doctor’s office soon, too.
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February 25, 2010
Play-Doh time = better handwriting
More and more kids are going to see occupational therapists for mild problems like handwriting difficulties rather than the traditional disabilities, according to the New York Times article “Watch how you hold that crayon.”
Although interesting, if you wade through the hand-wringing about the Manhattan preschool situation there is this more fascinating little nugget:
But Anthony DiCarlo, the longtime principal of the William E. Cottle Elementary School in Tuckahoe, N.Y., a suburb north of Manhattan, said that many children are experiencing delays in their fine and gross motor skills.“Almost all our kids come into kindergarten able to recite their letters and their numbers,” Mr. DiCarlo said. “Some can even read. But in the last five years, I’ve seen a dramatic increase in the number of kids who don’t have the strength in their hands to wield a scissors or do arts and crafts projects, which in turn prepares them for writing.”
Many kindergartners in his community, he said, have taken music appreciation classes or participated in adult-led sports teams or yoga. And most have also logged serious time in front of a television or a computer screen. But very few have had unlimited opportunities to run, jump and skip, or make mud pies and break twigs. “I’m all for academic rigor,” he said, “but these days I tell parents that letting their child mold clay, play in the sand or build with Play-Doh builds important school-readiness skills, too.”
There is it again. Let the kids play.
I suspect the delays in fine and gross motor skills are as much a matter of over-scheduling, as it is the understandable parental desire to limit mess and chaos. Molding clay has a nasty habit of getting ground into carpets, crayons inevitably melt into chairs and paint will get in the most undesirable of places.
At my day care earlier this week, I got an apology from one of my infant daughter’s teachers. Apparently it was “art” day, which means they put my five-month-old in a high chair and let her go to town with some green non-toxic, washable paint. They cleaned her up as best they could, but Elizabeth still had paint on her clothes and under her fingernails.
“Some parents complain,” said Ms. L. “They hate when the kids come home messy.”
I assured her there would be no complaints from me. Paint residue means that she is learning about texture and working on finger dexterity. And that is a good thing.
Elizabeth’s older sister helps me pack in the mornings by screwing the lids on all the empty bottles for my pump.
A friend of mine urged me to wait as long as possible to teach my 2-year old how to do that, because that would inevitably lead to more trouble and mess.
I shrugged. While I appreciate the advice, it’s my job to figure out how to keep her out of the cosmetic jars. It’s her job to figure out how to get into them. And it’s a small price to pay, compared to the cost of an occupational therapist.
Permalink | Comments (4) | Categories: Health, Parenting
December 9, 2009
The evils of chocolate milk
Chocolate milk is the enemy. At least that’s what some parents say.
And the dairy industry is fighting back, according to this story by the folks at NPR.
In an effort to keep chocolate milk in school lunchrooms, the industry has launched the “Raise Your Hand for Chocolate Milk” campaign. There’s even a Facebook page and an online petition.
“We know that when flavored milk is taken out of the school, kids’ milk consumption goes down,” says Ann Marie Krautheim, senior vice president of nutrition affairs for the National Dairy Council.
I haven’t seen any independent stats, but I know anecdotally that the reverse is also true. Kids who were drinking regular milk, quickly lose interest once exposed to flavored milks. My nephew, Khacy, is one such kid.
Before starting school he would drink milk by the bucket load, but now he won’t touch the stuff unless it’s chocolate.
It’s a concern, because while flavored milks do contain calcium and necessary vitamins, they also contain almost as much sugar as soda.
“Chocolate milk is soda in drag, as far as I’m concerned,” nutritionist Ann Cooper says in the NPR article. “In many chocolate milks, there’s 3.1 grams of sugar per ounce. Soda is 3.3. It’s so close.”
And even if you’ve got the best of intentions, it can be difficult to find the real thing, unadulterated by sugar, anywhere. The last trip we took, I tried to find plain milk for Ayanna at the airport and I had to stop at five different restaurant kiosks. They all had flavored milk. Starbucks even had milk for coffee, but no plain milk, 2 percent or otherwise, for sale.
Do you think schools should ax chocolate milk? Or is that the only way to get kids to drink the stuff these days?
Permalink | Comments (9) | Categories: Health
November 30, 2009
Babies and chiropractors
I admit that when a doula first suggested that I go to a chiropractor I must have looked at her like she had two heads. Why would I do that? What good would that do?
But I quickly found the value in a good chiropractor during my first pregnancy. Unable to take much in the way of pain relief medication and suffering from debilitating pelvic pain in my fourth month, I sought out a chiropractor out of desperation. (My regular doctor recommended exercises that I not only couldn’t perform but seemed to be making my pain worse.)
A specialist in pregnant patients, my new found chiro also proved useful in helping rotate both my babies what later proved to be two speedy deliveries. But I still raised an eyebrow when he mentioned one day that he adjusted infants as well.
No. He doesn’t put them on the table and do the same snap, crackle, pop that adults get. It’s a much gentler version and I got to witness him put one 10 -month-old to sleep during an adjustment.
I talked to several chiropractors in town to find out the value in getting kids adjusted. They say, birth can be especially traumatic for infants and a good adjustment can help resolve a multitude of problems: reflux, nursing difficulty, colic, constipation, etc.
I finally decided to give it a try with Elizabeth last week. For the first two months of her life, it’s been pretty much a given that if she’s awake and not eating, then she’s pretty cranky. I figured I didn’t have anything to lose, and I had a high degree of trust in my own chiropractor.
While some pediatricians will concede that chiropractic care has some value, some do not recommend it at all. And virtually all pediatricians will remind parents that chiropractic care should not replace a primary care physician. Some ailments, especially infections, should be seen by a medical doctor. even so, alternative care is on the rise.
According to the American Chiropractic Association, survey data indicates that the number of chiropractic patients under 17 years of age has increased at least 8.5 percent since 1991, says the American Chiropractic Association. And a recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention study indicated that nearly 3 percent of children in the United States were treated with chiropractic or osteopathic manipulation in 2007, making it the most common form of doctor-directed complementary or alternative medicine used by children.
I have to say, a week after our first visit, Elizabeth has pulled herself together. She immediately started having more regular bowl movements, has decided that she likes more than one nursing position (she refused to eat any way besides the football hold.) and best of all has started making “happy noises” with a surprising degree of regularity. Even my husband said “we haven’t heard this before.”
I suppose its possible that with her approaching three months old that it was just time for things to start working, but given that fact that all three things happened within hours of our visit, I’m inclined to give the chiropractor his due.
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November 27, 2009
Look, but don't touch the baby, please
September is the biggest birth month for babies, which means the holidays are just about the time they are venturing out to mingle with large groups for the first time.
It is also usually the time they catch their first cold. We got a head start with Elizabeth’s baptism last weekend. She caught some form of germy crud, probably from one of the many people who wanted to hold her or pinch her cheeks. The other baby being baptized that day caught something as well and has been feverish and congested for the better part of the week.
It’s a hard place to be as a mom. No one wants to be “that person.” The one who is so fearful of germs or strangers that it borders on phobic. Friends and family want to welcome the new baby and breathe in the cuteness. But in large groups, enforcing hand sanitizer is just not practical. And people not used to being around kids are just not that careful sometimes. Ayanna was a June baby, so I was a little more relaxed with a six month old by the time cold and flu season descended.
We’ve got another Thanksgiving event this afternoon. My plan is to stick the baby in a sling and attempt to limit the ritual baby passing to a minimum. Colds are one thing (and I fully expected her to have one before now with a 2-year-old sister at home.) But it is also RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) season. Most babies get it before their second birthday and usually manifests as just a mild cold. However, it can quickly become serious in small ones.
It’s a big enough deal that for babies at highest risk (preemies and babies with lung conditions) can receive shots to help prevent it.
So while I feel like the Grinch saying “no” to requests to cuddle Elizabeth, I can take it. It’s better than wrestling with a sick baby two days later.
Permalink | Comments (11) | Categories: Health
November 12, 2009
Switching to soy formula
Many of you commented on my eczema post earlier this week, and it was helpful to hear about your experiences. One of the common threads in the comments was about the possible link to dairy in my diet and my daughter’s formula.
I didn’t even have to bring the subject up at today’s two-month well-check. Even though the regimen of daily lotioning with Cetaphil seems to be helping control the eczema, our pediatrician suggested that we try cutting way back on the dairy for about two weeks to see if that helps.
She said dairy isn’t always the culprit, but at this age it is certainly worth checking out. I had already eliminated nuts from my diet (Although I ate a ton of them while pregnant and on the diabetic diet trying to get enough protein to balance out my carbohydrates.)
So in the meantime, no dairy for me. And since we’re supplementing, we are also switching Elizabeth to soy-based formula. I’m not thrilled about that part, since there’s conflicting information about soy formula and its effect on a child’s later development.
Soy formulas have been around for decades and today more than 20 percent of infants get soy formula in the first year. The American Academy of Pediatrics cites a preference for cow-milk-based formulas, but says that soy is a safe alternative. Others claim soy-based formula could accelerate puberty and cause developmental and reproductive abnormalities and thyroid disorders later in life.
My efforts at pumping have not worked out as well as I had hoped. So when I return to the office Elizabeth will be getting a lot more formula (I hope my supply will hold out so we can still breastfeed when I’m home. We’ll see.)
In any case, it’s better to figure this out now, than when she starts daycare next month.
Thanks for all the suggestions. I’ll keep you posted on how things are going.
Permalink | Comments (7) | Categories: Feeding, Health, Maternity leave
November 9, 2009
Baby eczema: A way of life
I first noticed the rash on Elizabeth’s face about two weeks ago. A few pimply red bumps. I wasn’t too worried since it looked a lot like that infant acne the hospital told us not to worry about when she was first born.
One day it would be on one cheek. They next day on the other. But then the red color started to intensify. This about the same time as she started a prescription medication for reflux, and so then I started to worry that it was an allergic reaction to the meds.
I call the pediatrician’s office, and was told to watch it for 24 hours. Still the rash would come and go. She’d wake up looking like she was on the mend with just a few bumps here and there, but then as soon as I touched her, a streak of red would race across her face. There are few things more horrifying than realizing your baby might be allergic to you.
When the pediatrician finally saw her last week, she shrugged and immediately identified the rash as eczema — “really dry skin” she said. Her advice: Use some Aquaphor lotion that sold over the counter and avoid detergents with scents. It’s very common in babies, she said. While technically not an allergy, it can be triggered by common allergens like detergents, pet dander and some foods.
That phrase “it’s very common,” suggested to me that it is no big deal. And while most kids do outgrow eczema by the time they are two or three years old and the rashes rarely scar, I’m quickly learning that it is a big deal and likely to be so for quite some time.
Even after I rewashed all of my clothes in the same baby-safe detergent I use for the kids clothes, Elizabeth was still reacting to my touch. If I hold her close to my chest she rubs her face furiously against me and cries from the itch. Last night at a dinner party, a friend wanted to hold her and Elizabeth broke out again, presumably from her makeup.
I switched my own lotion over the weekend to one that said “hypo-allergenic, fragrance free” to no avail. The Aquafor does seem to help sooth the itch, but doesn’t seem to keep Elizabeth’s rash at bay or seem anywhere close to killing the cycle, especially if I only use it as an ointment to her face rather than an all over lotion every day.
And then there are the sleep issues. If her hands break free of her swaddling, she rubs her face and wakes herself up from the itching.
Finally I got online and did some research. Baby eczema can be a very big deal: the scratching and itching can leave them screaming in pain. Some older babies and toddlers have to wear mittens to sleep so they don’t scratch themselves until they bleed.
Deep moisturizing lotions seem to be a key in a skin condition that affects 20 percent of babies and has no cure. It seems to be related to something about Western lifestyles, but the actual cause has left doctors and researchers mystified, according to this New York Times article.
A study published last spring in the medical journal Pediatrics, noted that baths in diluted bleach offers some relief to children who suffer from moderate to severe forms of the condition, but it is still not a cure, according to USA Today.
We aren’t at the bleach stage yet, and I would ask my pediatrician some more questions before using bleach on Elizabeth. But I did head to Target this morning to pick up a tub of Cetaphil — a dense moisturing cream that is favored by adult and pediatric eczema sufferers and a skin cleanser by Dove that doesn’t contain soap. (The Cetaphil is less oily than the Aquafor and soaks in faster. Aveeno products also get the thumbs up from many parents.)
So, after the shopping trip, I bathed Elizabeth in lukewarm water and slathered the Cetaphil on her from head to toe. Even though the rash is currently just on her face right now, the skin condition tends to spread to other areas. The general advice I’ve gathered is to use the Cetaphil two to three times a day and it should kill the rash in about a week. Problem is that as soon as the use of the cream is discontinued, it often returns.
What are your tricks for dealing with eczema?
Permalink | Comments (17) | Categories: Health
November 5, 2009
Rice Krispies pull back health claim
After last week’s news about Disney stepping back from its claims about its Baby Einstein video collection, today there is news that Kellogg is retreating from its claims that eating Rice Krispies helps boost your immunity.
Boxes featuring Snap, Crackle and Pop also read in big print “Now helps support your child’s IMMUNITY.” (The caps are Kellogg’s.)
The statement from the cereal giant indicates that all the attention to the H1N1 flu virus is to blame. According to this item at NPR.org, the company still stands by its claim that the amount of vitamins A, B, C and E found in the cereal are proven by “science” to help support the immune system.”
I’ve seen the commercials and remember being suspicious of the immunity tagline. But I was hardly surprised by the attempt. The cereal companies have taken a public relations beating as the public has started eyeing the sugar content of many processed foods, especially of high fructose corn syrup, with increased wariness. (For those keeping track, Rice Krispies also contain partially hydrogenated vegetable oils, a source of trans fats, according to the Washington Post.
Have you cut back on box cereals for your kids’ breakfast? If so, which ones?
Photo: Associated Press
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October 8, 2009
Study shows avoiding BPA not easy
Parents trying to avoid bisphenol-A, known as BPA, have their work cut out for them. This is especially true when bottles that advertise being BPA-free have been found to be leaching the chemcal anyway.
Earlier this fall, the Canadian public health department released the names of several bottle brands claiming to be BPA-free that were found by their researchers to leach trace amounts of the chemical. Brands that tested positive included: Dr. Brown’s, Gerber, Born Free, Green to Grow, Medela and Nuby, according to the CBC.
Last year, Canada became the first country to ban the import and sale of bottles containing the chemical. And there are efforts in many states in the United States to do the same. But what bottles should be banned?
While the jury is still out on just how much BPA is dangerous to infants, the results to show how pervasive the chemical is: Even if not used to make the bottles, it may be used in the parts of the machinery that make the bottles.
For parents who are unsure, one recommendation is to avoid washing your bottles in the dishwasher. The high heat causes many plastics to degrade over time, which can lead to leaching. Or, there are always glass bottles, and because of the concern over BPA there are a variety available at many stores that carry baby products.
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September 21, 2009
Flu season already here
When we took our newborn in for her first check-up after being released from the hospital last week, the pediatrician had two words for us: Flu shot.
Elizabeth is too young to be vaccinated this season, but he recommended that Ayanna, Dave and I get our vaccines for the seasonal flu ASAP and then do the same when the H1N1 (aka swine flu) vaccine is available to protect Elizabeth.
We had already planned to get Ayanna vaccinated, but thought we had more time to do ours in October like usual. Apparently not, according to reports from Dell Children’s Medical Center. The hospital is being inundated with early flu cases and is setting up tents to handle the load, according to Salud writer Mary Ann Roser.
Have you encountered the flu already?
It’s not clear what kind of flu it is, but I’m planning to get my vaccine this week, just in case.
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September 14, 2009
Kids may need better relief after tonsil surgery
Next to getting tubes in their ears, tonsil surgery is among the most common childhood medical procedures.
According to the New York Times, children who have had tonsillectomies may suffer needlessly because of inadequate pain relief at home.
During the children’s first day at home after surgery, fully 86 percent of parents rated their child’s pain as significant. But even though the parents had been sent home with appropriate pain medicine, almost one-quarter of the children were given either none at all or just one dose the entire day. The study, financed by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, was published online on Sept. 7 by the journal Pediatrics.
It can be tough to tell when a kid is really hurting, and parents may want to stray on the side of overmedicating, rather than over medicating.
How do you tell? Did you give your kids the recommended pain medicine after surgery? And for how long?
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July 24, 2009
Off to camp, swine flu, beware
On Sunday, we’re sending our 8-year-old to overnight camp for the first time. He’ll be there for nine days. A couple of weeks ago, we received an e-mail about the new check-in procedure. The first thing they will do when we pull up is take his temperature.
Our camp, which has hundreds of kids from Texas and Oklahoma go through it every year, has already had to send home kids for swine flu. While the letter was alarming, it was also reassuring. Any kid who has a fever will be tested right away. Any kid who is flu-positive will be sent home. And they warn not to try to give your feverish kid Tylenol before dropping him or her off. They’ll be on to you and you won’t be helping anyone, including your child.
Mary Ann Roser writes today about flu and schools. Read the story here. For many of us, camp this summer is the testing ground on how to control the outbreak. How are your camps dealing with it?
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July 14, 2009
Planning for the unexpected
There is something about my pregnancies that require me to make at least one “practice run” to labor and delivery.
Yesterday afternoon was our practice run with No. 2. After contracting with some degree of regularity all morning, I went home to rest and hydrate. Worried about pre-term labor (I’m not quite 32-weeks for those of you keeping track.) I called my OB, who told me to go to the hospital to be monitored.
And so off we went. This happened during my pregnancy with Ayanna at 33 weeks, who then went full-term, so I was less worried than I might have been otherwise. And despite the swanky renovations at St. David’s Hospital the ritual of checking in was still the same. And for the most part my answers to all the nurse’s questions hadn’t changed.
“Any tattoos?” No. “Any illegal drug use?” No. Have you smoked during this pregnancy? No. (I have remained on the wagon.) “”Do you plan to have an epidural?” No. (Of course, that plan changed last time, but I remain optimistic.)
In fact, one of the few questions that elicited a different response than the ones I gave two years ago, is one that I’m proudest to have corrected.
“Do you have an advance directive?” Yes. I do.
Yes, in all the baby planning lists, including choosing a crib, writing a birth plan, washing the infants clothes and installing the car seat, advance directives rarely make the “to do” list. After all, the addition of a baby is supposed to be a happy time and contemplating the pain of labor can be frightening enough. Who really wants to think about if, God forbid, something should happen to you in the process?
My husband and I had our advance directives done when we wrote our wills and established our guardianship plans a few months after Ayanna’s birth. I’m glad we did. The only thing more scary than pondering the worst case scenario, is leaving my family to juggle a toddler and a newborn while trying to figure out what my wishes would be. At least this way, everyone knows and I mark it off my checklist.
Now the only thought I have to give to it is remembering to put a copy of it in my bag when I check into the hospital for the real deal and attach a copy to my yet-to-be written birth plan to be carried in my purse from here on out.
And yes, I was released a few hours later. Baby is still where she belongs, hopefully for at least four more weeks.
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June 5, 2009
Don't forget to kid-proof your water heater
A 6-year-old boy has third-degree burns on about 40 percent of his body after being immersed in a scalding hot bath. His mother has been arrested. Read the story here.
While this might not have been an accident, accidents can happen. So, as you’re putting child-proof locks on every cabinet in the house, don’t forget to child-proof your water heater.
From Parenting.com:
Hot tap water accounts for about a quarter of all scald burns but causes more deaths and hospitalizations than other hot liquids, because these injuries tend to be more severe and cover a larger portion of the body. Manipulating the faucet to get water the right temperature for hand washing, or to fill Barbie’s pool, is a skill young children simply don’t have yet. And there’s no need for tap water to be so hot anyway. Most people take a bath at 96-98 degrees.
What to do: Set your water heater so that the temperature is no hotter than 120 degrees. If your water heater doesn’t have numbers, set it somewhere between the medium and low settings. Also ask a plumber to check it. If you’re unable to control the setting, install anti-scald faucets, which turn off the flow when the water gets too hot.
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May 19, 2009
Sunscreen: So many choices, such tiny bottles
The calendar may say that we’ve got more than a month to go until summer hits, but this is Texas, so it’s high time to get serious about kid sunscreen.
We try to use it year round, but are admittedly more conscientious when the temps start to rise into the 90s. Ayanna’s daycare lets them run the playground twice a day and we take to the outside on the weekends, so we slather her with the stuff before we head out the door each morning.
We just finished our bottle from last season, and I was all set to try some of the newer chemical-free, broad spectrum sunscreens on the market until I saw the prices. Or more importantly, the prices for the teeny tiny bottles. A 2.9 oz. bottle of California Baby SPF 30+ Sunscreen Lotion will run you about $18. Compare that to the 8 oz. vat of Kids Coppertone Broad Spectrum lotion for about $11 and you start to see my problem.
If you only take your kid to the lake every now and then, plus the occasional weekend outing, then perhaps the smaller versions make sense. But for everyday use and outdoor roughhousing in Austin, keeping one kid sunscreened for the summer could easily run $100.
So my pick?
Banana Boat Kids Tear Free Broad Spectrum Sunblock, SPF 50 — Cost: $10 for 8 oz. It’s not completely chemical free, but it is PABA free and fragrance free, which is an upgrade, in my opinion from, the Coppertone Water Babies product we used last year. (If it smells, Ayanna wants to taste it. She’s been known to lick fragrance laden wipes as well.) You get UVA and UVB protection and it’s water proof for up to 90 minutes.
Here are some other options to try:
TruKid Sunny Days Every Day Mineral Sunscreen — 4 oz. $12.99 at Target.
Burt’s Bees Chemical Free Sunscreen — 3.5 oz. $15 at Target, Central Market and Whole Foods.
Huggies Little Swimmers SPF 50 — 7.5 oz. $8 at most drug stores. (Comes in a fragrance free formula also)
Aveeno Baby Continuous Protection Sunblock Lotion — 4.0 oz. $10 at most drugs stores and Babies R Us.
Neutrogena Pure and Free Baby Sunblock Lotion SPF 60 — 3.0 oz. $11 at most drug stores.
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May 14, 2009
North Austin Hospital gets respite room for preemie parents
Any parent of a preemie can tell you how exhausting those first weeks can be. Even after mom is released from the hospital and baby is still in NICU, care is still a full time job for mom and dad.
Studies show that parental contact helps these tiny babies thrive, so parents are encouraged to hold the infants skin-to-skin, hold their hands, change diapers and take their temperatures. And of course, most new parents want to spend as much time as possible with their fragile newborns. And that means lots of trips between hospital and home — not a big deal if you live 10 minutes away, but a really big deal if you live in Taylor and the hospital is in Austin.
That’s one of the reasons the folks at the Ronald McDonald House of Austin have built a room for parents in St. David’s North Austin Medical Center near the neonatal unit. The agency has a more traditional house near Dell Children’s Hospital, which housed more than 700 families with sick kids and served 200 more on day passes last year.
Families can only stay overnight at the Ronald McDonald House if they live more than 35 miles away. So the day passes are for those families who live closer, but still need to find a way to do laundry, eat meals and regroup without going all the way back home in Austin traffic, said Ronald McDonald House Charities of Austin and Central Texas CEO Kent Burress.
The family room, which opened Wednesday, is located in the hospital’s new women’s center and will primarily serve families during the day. It’s equipped with a kitchenette, microwave, two computers, a sleeper sofa and two Lazy Boy recliners, Burress said.
The first family to make use of the new digs is Elicia and Jeremy Gasaway of Taylor. They had been staying at the house near Dell, but their daughter Nariah was born at just shy of 23 weeks gestation at North Austin Hospital, 12 miles from the house in the Mueller development.
Elicia Gasaway says that she’s been overwhelmed by the services offered at the house, and now, with the addition of the room just minutes from where her daughter is staying, it’s that much more convenient.
“A lot of people when they think of the Ronald McDonald House they think of it as just a shelter. I didn’t expect it to be what it is; it’s a lot more than just shelter. It’s been a good experience at a hard time.”
Nariah is now 34 weeks gestationally — 6 weeks shy of her original due date — and more than 4 pounds. So the room will get used by the Gasaways for the next few weeks until Nariah makes her target weight of 5 pounds or reaches her original due date.
Burress said the hospital approached him about the possibility of the room in the new St. David’s Women’s Center and the agency budgeted $50,000 for the effort. He expects the final cost to be much less than that because of the local donations of furniture and computers. The room will be staffed largely by volunteers (which he says they are always on the look out for more.)
To check out more information on the room or volunteer opportunities, go here.
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May 13, 2009
Sorry, Doc. No time for you.
Health reporter Mary Ann Roser writes in her Salud! blog about a study by Commonwealth Fund that found 75 percent of women under 65 are uninsured, underinsured, had problems paying medical bills or accessing needed care. The same wasn’t true for men. Read the blog and the study here.
While I’m lucky to have good health insurance, my problem with delaying care is time and money. Currently, I have a dog who needs expensive prescriptions and children who outgrew every piece of summer clothing they owned, so I’ve put all of them first instead of refilling my own prescription or I’ve skipped doses to stretch the length of time one bottle of pills will last. Yes, I know this is wrong and even dangerous.
So, when I finally called to today to get my prescription filled, the nurse told me the doctor needed to see me. I’ll go, but my first thought was, “I don’t have time for this!”
Is medical care one of the things you delay or give up to take care of your family? Is it that you just don’t make time for doing things for yourself?
Update: Maria-Christina Zajac wants me to take my medicine, or at least tell me about a program that offers help for people who cannot afford their prescriptions or deductibles. She represents HealthWell Foundation, a nonprofit that helps underinsured patients with two dozen different life-threatening and life-altering illnesses, including breast cancer, psoriasis, rheumatoid arthritis, macular degeneration, head and neck cancers, colon cancer, and aggressive brain tumors. To apply for the foundation’s help, contact 800-675-8416, or go online: www.healthwellfoundation.org.
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April 30, 2009
Kids, fever and swine flu
I had a good chat yesterday with Austin pediatrician and author Dr. Ari Brown about dealing with kids and worries about swine flu.
She mentioned two things that I wasn’t able to include in today’s story about talking to kids about swine flu.
- Don’t automatically assume that your child has swine flu, if they have a fever. Although fever is a big indicator for flu, this is also the season for for hand, foot and mouth disease — another common childhood illness that is accompanied by fever, and often a tell-tale rash.
If your child has a fever of 100.4 degrees (preferably taken rectally for kids under 2) with no obvious cause then you should contact your doctor, she said.
- Remember, fevers tend to spike in the evening.
“If your kid has a fever the previous night, and then has no temperature at 8 a.m. the next day, that does not mean they are well. Keep them home,” Brown said. Children should be fever free for 24 hours before sending them back to school or daycare.
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April 29, 2009
Do you have a swine flu school closure plan?
Last night the Comal and New Braunfels school districts announced that they were closing all public and private schools until May 11 to contain the swine flu. (That means most day cares, too.)
Health and school officials are taking matters seriously, but that doesn’t make it any easier for parents scrambling to get to work and trying to make arrangements for kids for that length of time.
One of my co-workers had to call his mother for emergency backup after finding out last night that his New Braunfels day care would be closed. They called ahead, but know of other parents who arrived this morning surprised to find that they needed to make other child care arrangements.
Depending on how this flu progresses, especially now with our first U.S. death in Texas, this might be a situation more folks are faced with in the coming weeks.
So do you have a plan? What would you do?
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April 27, 2009
Are you worried about swine flu?
With 40 now confirmed cases in the U.S., two in Texas, are you worried? Are you doing anything differently in your home? Coating kids in Purell? My day care sent an e-mail this morning that staff will be even more diligent about handwashing. And this afternoon, I got an e-mail from AISD about not panicking and how to avoid spreading the flu.
Here are the symptoms of swine flu from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention:
The symptoms of swine flu in people are similar to the symptoms of regular human flu and include fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. Some people have reported diarrhea and vomiting associated with swine flu. In the past, severe illness (pneumonia and respiratory failure) and deaths have been reported with swine flu infection in people. Like seasonal flu, swine flu may cause a worsening of underlying chronic medical conditions.
Here is what the CDC recommends we do:
There are everyday actions people can take to stay healthy.
Cover your nose and mouth with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw the tissue in the trash after you use it.
Wash your hands often with soap and water, especially after you cough or sneeze. Alcohol-based hands cleaners are also effective.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose or mouth. Germs spread that way.
Try to avoid close contact with sick people.
Influenza is thought to spread mainly person-to-person through coughing or sneezing of infected people.
If you get sick, CDC recommends that you stay home from work or school and limit contact with others to keep from infecting them.
We want to hear from you. Tell us what you’re doing or not doing.
Permalink | Comments (5) | Categories: Health
April 13, 2009
Love and postpartum depression are not mutually exclusive
I finally got around to reading Heather Armstrong’s (aka Dooce) book “It Sucked and then I Cried: How I Had a Baby, a Breakdown, and a Much Needed Margarita”
I’m a little late to the party, since Armstrong’s book tour came to Book People last week. But the book by the well-known mommy blogger is worth mentioning on multiple counts.
Despite being a book about a woman’s spiral downhill into the depths of postpartum depression and back again, the book is laugh out loud funny. It’s filled with irreverent tales of Dorito cravings, hemorrhoids and the trials and tribulations of figuring out the inner workings of a newborn.
Of course, my opinion is based on having survived one pregnancy and newborn myself. I think if I were a first time prospective mom this book would scare the ever-loving crap out of me.
Which unfortunately is one of the downsides about most books about PPD, most women don’t read them unless they suspect something is amiss. A friend loaned me one when she found out I was pregnant and despite my voracious appetite to read everything baby-related, that one remained untouched.
By the time you need the information, you are too exhausted, emotionally stretched, consumed by guilt and darkness to read 250 pages — you are just looking for the answer and a checklist to tell you if you need help or not.
I did not suffer from PPD, although I’m pretty sure I had a case of the obnoxiously named “baby blues.”
I was lonely and isolated and had a baby who didn’t nap during the day and didn’t just drift off at night. I remember one day deciding to take walk in the blazing July sun to see if I could find another mom at the park so I would have someone to talk to. Most of my friends were childless or at work, and I wasn’t about to admit to my extended family that I couldn’t hack it.
I also remember crying and praying out loud during a few particularly bad 3 or 4 hour crying marathons that “Mommy needed Ayanna to go to sleep, now.”
There are some women who coast through early motherhood. And then there are those of us who struggle. The nice thing about Armstrong’s book is that its message is that PPD and its cousins are not about how much you love your child. You can still love your baby and your spouse more than life itself and still be clinically depressed.
The fact that I can relate to so many of her emotions also points out the difficulty for some women trying to figure out if they have PPD. I remember talking to one of my co-workers who had her daughter while I was still pregnant. She was describing her battle with a kid who was pretty much inconsolable 18 hours a day. I said something inane like “But she’s so cute it makes it all worth it in the end.” I also remember thinking “Well, all babies cry and scream. That is what they do. Right?”
Armstrong’s book is not a road map to determining if you have postpartum depression, but the answer to that question is something only your doctor can tell you. But usually if you fear something is really wrong, you should go with your instincts. The “worst” thing that can happen is that you don’t need help and you get a pep talk. But if you are right, like Armstrong was, getting help can be a lifesaver.
Permalink | Comments (2) | Categories: Health
March 18, 2009
Black boys more likely to have food allergies?
UPDATE: Here’s a better link to a story written after the study was presented Tuesday. No answers to the questions I pose in the orginal blog, in part, because allergies are not well understood.
Hopefully the wires will move more information about this study later in the day, but a new study apparently shows that black boys may have a greater risk of having food allergies.
This is what I was able to find so far at from Health Day News:
The national survey included 8,203 people, from infants to seniors who tested positive for the allergen antibody linked to possible issues with eggs, milk, peanuts and shrimp. The sensitivity levels to these potential food allergens was then tested in all participants.Based on their analysis, the researchers estimated that 2.55 percent of the general population has food allergies, most often to shrimp and peanuts. But they found that the odds were much greater among blacks, males and children — especially young black boys.
Males and children had nearly twice the risk for food allergy as others, blacks had triple the risk, and black children were four times more likely to have food allergies.
I’m curious about why poverty and race correlate with food allergies, and how are these families coping? Most of the families I know who are dealing with food allergies spend a great deal of time and money on special foods to ensure their kids don’t come in contact with verboten food.
And if you look at the popular media, food allergies are definitely portrayed as an upper- and middle-class problem.
I’ll update here if I find more about the study, which was presented Tuesday in Washington, D.C., at the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology’s annual meeting.
Permalink | Comments (2) | Categories: Health
March 16, 2009
Pediatrician on call
I always wonder why kids and pets seem to get sick on weekends and holidays.
Saturday as we were driving home from a birthday party, JP grabbed his ear and began to cry. Well, scream might be a more accurate description of what he was doing. His ear hurt. I went through the mom check list. Where does it hurt? Did you fall at the party and hurt it? Does it go away and come back? He dozed off in the car and then woke again screaming.
It was time to call the pediatrician’s after hours line. We have called twice before in JP’s 4.5 years on this earth. Once when, as a baby, he rolled off my husband as they were napping and the other time when he did a face planted off the stairs.
I tried to leave my information with the operator as JP howled. I wondered if they take notes….”hysterical child heard in background”.
My doctor called back 15 minutes later. I told him what was going on and he asked if I could meet him at his office in half an hour.
“Excuse me? Your office? at 5:30 p.m. on Saturday?” I was shocked.
“Yes”, he replied, ” Do you need more time?”
” Nope! Be right there!!!!!” I made a quick u-turn, explained to a miserable JP that we were going to see the doctor to make him feel better.
The doctor was waiting when we got there. He took us up to the office and determined that JP had the start of an ear infection. I was relieved there was something wrong because I still could not believe we were at our pediatrician’s office Saturday evening. I would hate to have wasted his time because my kid was just feeling cranky. When we left JP felt better, I felt better and I hoped the doctor had some other work to do and he was just looking for an excuse to come into the office.
Is this normal? Does your pediatrician offer to meet you after hours to look at your kid?
Permalink | Comments (5) | Categories: Health
February 3, 2009
Public Enemy No. 1: Peanuts
A Texas plant run by the same company as the Georgia plant blamed for the salmonella outbreak went years without being inspected. See story.
While the Texas plant has been inspected now and came out clean for salmonella, it made us wonder: Are you pulling peanuts out of your children’s diets? Have you cleaned out the pantry?
Permalink | Comments (1) | Categories: Health
January 14, 2009
Study: Day care not cause of obesity
Finally some good news about day care.
According to Wall Street Journal writer Sue Shellenbarger, University of Washington researchers took a look at obesity rates in kindergarten and what kind of care kids had for pre-school. Only a few types of care are linked with higher obesity rates:
Informal daycare by relatives, friends, sitters or neighbors correlates with a higher chance of a child’s being obese by kindergarten, compared with children in their parents’ care, says a recent study in the journal “Pediatrics.” Care by grandparents, in particular, was cited, perhaps because grandparents may tend to be more sedentary, or to indulge their grandchildren with snacks or TV. But time spent in child-care centers and family child-care homes wasn’t linked to weight gain, says the study by researchers affiliated with the University of Washington, Seattle.
I totally believe this. While shopping for daycare for Ayanna, one of our big criteria was making sure even the youngest kids got time outside and on the playground. Licensed daycare also have nutritional guidelines they must meet if they provide meals, so kids are less likely to snack on carbs and Cheerios all day long.
Our other big sticking point was limited TV time. Our current day care has no television time and that is fine with us. It is easy to park kids in front of the screen, especially at meal times to ease the chaos, but that means they aren’t moving around as much.
Permalink | | Categories: Child care, Health
January 13, 2009
Study: Vicks on infants could make congestion worse?
I’m all for testing age-old remedies, but this particular study has me scratching my head and unconvinced.
According to USA Today, researchers at Wake Forest University studied the windpipes of ferrets to see what the effect of Vicks VapoRub was on their airways. (Apparently ferrets have airways that are similar to humans.)
The researchers applied the Vicks directly to the windpipes of euthanized ferrets. And after incubating the windpipes, they noticed a 63 percent increase in mucus production. If the findings were true in infants, that would be enough to produce breathing difficulties. The limited studies researchers did on live ferrets showed some similar results, but weren’t statistically significant because of the small test group.
My problems with this are two fold:
A) Vicks should be applied externally, not internally.
B) The homespun advice I’ve seen for small children isn’t even to use it on their skin, but on their feet or as an inhalant with a humidifier or vaporizer. Even an 18-month-old is prone to try to lick it off otherwise.
(Vicks labeling says not to use it on kids younger than two years old and then it says to rub it on older kids’ chests.)
We use the inhalant version with Ayanna’s room humidifier when colds strike. I don’t think we’ll be changing that based on this study.
What do you think?
Photo: Procter & Gamble
Permalink | Comments (4) | Categories: Health
January 9, 2009
What are you packing in your kids' lunches?
A study published in the January issue of the Journal of American Dietetic Association found that parents aren’t doing that great of a job.
The authors studied the sack lunches parents provided for their 3- to 5-year-old children in licensed day cares in Texas.
Here’s what they found:
More than 50 percent of the lunches provided less than 33 percent of the Dietary Reference Intakes for energy, carbohydrates, vitamin A, calcium, iron, and zinc. Seventy-one of the 74 children studied received less than 33 percent of the DRI for dietary fiber, yet the mean amount of sodium in the observed lunches was 114 percent of the DRI. The observed lunches did not meet the USDA’s Child and Adult Care Food Program standards for servings of fruits and vegetables or for servings of milk.
The authors wrote: “Sack lunches sent from home may not regularly provide adequate nutrients for the growth and development of young children.”
We recently switched day cares, going from a school that provided two snacks and a hot lunch to a school that has an option hot lunch. Most days we opt to pay extra for the optional hot lunch. It’s not only a convenience. I know that if I packed the lunch, my daughter would be eating a Capri Sun, fruit snacks, maybe some apple sauce and a bean and cheese burrito. She would be getting a whole lot of sugar and no vegetables.
My son, who’s a second-grader, also gets school lunch for the same reasons. I’ve watched his friends pull out their sack lunches filled with convenience foods and wondered about if they’re getting enough good nutrients to get them through the day.
What are you packing in your kids’ lunches? How do you get the milk and vegetables in?
Permalink | Comments (7) | Categories: Health
January 6, 2009
College students create gluten-free Play Doh
I know — Play Doh is not for eating.
But most of us adults remember the taste, and if you have young kids, you’ve had to say more than once “Don’t eat that!” (Or discovered a colorful surprise in the kid’s diapers.)
According to this New York Times story, a team of students at Purdue created a soy-based variety while trying to concoct a gluten-free beer. The experiment went somewhat awry — no drinkable beer was made, but they did create a glob similar to the molding clay by Hasbro.
According to the article, “Hasbro, Play-Doh’s manufacturer, won’t say exactly what is in it but does say that it contains wheat and can cause a reaction in allergic children.”
They are now marketing their product as Soy-Doh, which sells for $2 a container and comes in a dozen colors.
Illustration: New York Times
Permalink | Comments (2) | Categories: Feeding, Health, Toys and gear
January 3, 2009
Study: Parents don't know "third-hand" smoke is harmful, too
A few months ago I wrote about my stealthy smoking habits post-pregnancy.
If the shame of being caught by your kids isn’t enough to make you stop, new research published this month in Pediatrics suggests that you may still be harming your kids if they are no-longer inhabiting you uterus and not in the room when you take a puff.
According to the New York Times:
Parents who smoke often open a window or turn on a fan to clear the air of second-hand smoke, but experts now have identified another smoking-related threat to children’s health that isn’t as easy to get rid of: third-hand smoke.That’s the term being used to describe the invisible yet toxic brew of gases and particles clinging to smokers’ hair and clothing, not to mention cushions and carpeting, that lingers long after smoke has cleared from a room. The residue includes heavy metals, carcinogens and even radioactive materials that young children can get on their hands and ingest, especially if they’re crawling or playing on the floor.
The upshot? Even parents who think they are protecting their kids from the health hazards of smoking may still be exposing them to hazardous chemicals.
For the record, I’ve had three cigarettes in two months. This is just what I needed to stay on the wagon.
Permalink | Comments (25) | Categories: Health
November 28, 2008
Smoking: Legit enough to quit?
Sneaking around and smoking goes hand in hand when it comes to raising kids. And no, I’m not talking about kids as the ones doing the sneaking around.
At family gatherings, once the kids go to bed, the cigarettes come out. I’m what you call a social and stress smoker. I quit while I was pregnant with Ayanna and didn’t think twice about it.
But I’ll be the first to admit that when I’m out with my friends or in the midst of some work crisis I still indulge, knowing I shouldn’t, but promising myself that my daughter will never see me smoke.
There are others out there. We meet on darkened pub patios on kidless nights or fire up on the deck at friend’s houses while the kids are sleeping. I won’t name anyone here, for fear of outing other people of their secret habits.
Debra Davis, one of my co-workers, former smoker and a fellow mom posed the question, “At what age is it OK to come out of hiding, if you choose to light up from time to time?” But schools start early on the dangers of smoking and who really wants to be the one to test out the convoluted logic of a grownup who smokes despite the known risks.
One of my friend’s kids caught his dad and my husband smoking cigars one late night. The three-year-old was supposed to be asleep, but he came out to check on the adults. His father quickly tried to hide the still smoking cigar, only to have the 3-year-old tell mom later that “Daddy was tasting dirt.”
I don’t know the answer to Debra’s question. I suppose that if I’m too embarrassed to tell a preschooler that I smoke, then that maya sign that it’s time to quit. I’m not making any promises, but today is the Great American Smokeout. So if you do choose to quit, today is as good of a day as any.
Permalink | Comments (3) | Categories: Health
November 12, 2008
Exercise? With what time?
Like many women, I spend more time talking to my OB/GYN about my general health than I do with my primary care physician.
No one looks forward to their annual check up, but I knew there was going to be at least one bright spot today: I’m about 10 pound below my pre-pregnancy weight.
But the glow didn’t last for long. More questions like “Are you exercising?”
Even my joke about whether chasing a toddler counts as exercise didn’t dissuade my doctor from pressing on. And then the question I’d been really dreading: “And what about your blood sugar?”
I am not diabetic. Yet. However, almost 18 months after having my daughter my blood sugar levels have not receded to normal levels.
Working against me is a higher risk because I’m African-American and my gestational diabetes required meds to control.
The goal is to make sure I don’t become diabetic. In addition to some blood work, apparently that also means exercise. Like five days a week, 30 minutes a day worth.
My initial reaction was, “Are you kidding me? With what time?”
But for as crazed as my life is, there is some time. The question is how badly do I want to do it. I could take a walk before heading to work, I could go to the gym a few nights a week while Dave watches the kid, I could take a quick walk at lunch.
The question is “What do I give up?” Sleep? Time with Ayanna? Time with Dave? Cramming time at work to make the day care pick up?
The trouble is that I don’t like my choices, not that I don’t have any.
Permalink | Comments (9) | Categories: Health
October 31, 2008
Recalled chocolate not likely sold in Texas
One of the rumors traveling the Web this week warns parents to be wary of chocolate made in China that may find its way into kids’ Halloween sacks.
The emails read much like this one sent from a teacher in the Austin school district:
Please send this message to everyone you know that has kids who are going to be going out for Halloween!With Halloween fast approaching comes a warning to parents and kids regarding Sherwood brand Pirate’s Gold milk chocolate coins imported from China.
The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is warning the public not to eat, distribute or sell the candy.
It is sold across Canada by Costco and may also have been sold in bulk packages or as individual pieces at various dollar and bulk stores.
The chocolate contains melamine which is the same chemical responsible for killing several babies in China, and sickening thousands more.
It is true, that Cadbury and other candy makers issued a recall earlier this fall of some Chinese-made products, which were sold in Asian and Australian markets. And the Canadian government has issued the warnings mentioned in the email.
However, officials say, the risk in the United States is slim and they have been monitoring Asian import markets and other retailers. The FDA’s website says they are not aware of any melamine-related illnesses.
In September, The FDA did announce the recall of seven Mr. Brown instant coffee and milk tea products are being recalled by the Taiwanese company, King Car Food Industrial Co. Ltd., due to possible contamination with melamine.
A call earlier this week to the state health department indicates none of those recalled products were sold in Texas, according to Doug McBride, a spokesman for the department. The department has done spot checks to make sure the products are not on store shelves, he said.
Kids should still let an adult examine their Halloween stash, but melamine poisoning should be low on the list of concerns. Children (or adults) should not eat candy that is unwrapped, appears to have been tampered with or is otherwise suspicious.
Permalink | Comments (1) | Categories: Health
October 29, 2008
The BPA question is still an open one
Eighteen months ago I couldn’t have told you what BPA stood for.
But as a new mom and now parenting blogger, I have been deluged with information on Bisphenol A, a chemical that is used in many plastic food containers.
Health officials have continued to dither over whether chemical is harmful, whether it is harmful to infants (there are signs it leaches out of plastic baby bottles into milk), and how much, if any, is safe.
The most recent dithering came to light yesterday, when a report was made public that the FDA’s science was badly flawed when it decided earlier this year that we had nothing to worry about. According to the report, the FDA did not consider all the evidence and its margin of safety for human exposure to BPA could be off by a factor of ten times or more, the outside scientists said.
There’s this story from the Associated Press today giving consumers some advice about what is known about the chemical.
Sigh.
We had already bought Ayanna’s bottles by the time I first was aware of the concerns about BPA. Rather than chuck more than $40 worth of bottles and nipples, we handwashed them for almost a year.
We’re past the bottle stage and I made sure the sippy cups that replaced them were BPA-free. And then, a few weeks ago, I decided it was time to replace our plastic microwave containers — many were missing their lids and others were stained with spaghetti sauce. Instead of more plastic, we bought Pyrex glassware containers instead.
The glass is lighter than I remember and, frankly, easier to clean than plastic. And, of course, no BPA.
They are also more attractive, meaning I don’t have to find another dish to serve vegetables or side dishes once I’ve nuked them.
Is BPA harmful? I don’t know. Will I throw out every BPA-container in the house? Probably not.
But while the scientists duke it out, I feel better eliminating it where I can.
Have you made a point of avoiding products containing BPA?
Permalink | | Categories: Health
October 23, 2008
Dove to host Austin self-esteem seminar for girls
The folks behind the Dove Campaign for Real Beauty are coming to Austin this weekend to help host a conference for girls and their parents focusing on teen self esteem.
The campaign will be holding workshops as part of the day-long Girls Now! Conference at the Ann Richards School for Young Women Leaders. The Saturday seminar will explore issues of body-image, self-esteem and bullying, with breakout sessions for girls and their guardians.
Austin is one of the cities included in a recent national report commissioned by the Dove campaign taking a look at girls ages 8 to 17 and their perceptions about self-esteem.
According to the report:
Seven in ten girls (71%) in Austin believe they are not good enough or do not measure up in some way, including their looks, performance in school and relationships with friends and family members.
43% of teen girls in Austin reported engaging in negative activities, such as disordered eating, cutting, bullying, smoking, or drinking, when feeling badly about themselves.
24% of teen girls in Austin practice disordered eating, such as starving themselves, refusing to eat, or over eating and throwing up, when feeling badly about themselves.
The Austin findings track closely with the study’s national findings. More than 3,300 girls in 20 cities were surveyed for the June report.
The Austin conference starts at 8 a.m. and is open to the public. Keynote speakers will be Jess Weiner, contributing editor for Seventeen Magazine, and Courtney Martin, author of “Perfect Girls, Starving Daughters.”
Tickets for girls are $10 and tickets for accompanying adults are $5. There is an additional cost of $15 for adults interested in attending the afternoon breakout session. Scholarships are available.
Photo: Dove Campaign for Beauty
Permalink | Comments (2) | Categories: Health
October 13, 2008
New vitamin D recs for kids, breastfed babies
Troubled by the continuing incidence of rickets and other serious diseases, the American Academy of Pediatrics is expected to release recommendations today that double the amount of vitamin D they say kids should get.
The recommendations, according to this article from the Associated Press, even cover breastfed babies because of studies that show moms very often aren’t getting enough vitamin D themselves and therefore aren’t passing it on to infants. According to the Associated Press:
Baby formula contains vitamin D, so infants on formula only generally don’t need supplements. However, the academy recommends breast-feeding for at least the first year of life and breast milk is sometimes deficient.
Most commercially available milk is fortified with vitamin D, but most children and teens don’t drink enough of it — four cups daily would be needed — to meet the new requirement, said Dr. Frank Greer, the report’s co-author.
There remains some debate in the medical community about how much vitamin D is enough, especially given that the best source of the vitamin is sunlight (the skin makes it when exposed to sunlight, but that can be a hurdle for folks in northern climates and modern concerns about skin cancer.)
According to an August article by the New York Times, doctors have known for years about the relationship between rickets, a disease hallmarked by weak bones, and exclusive breast feeding, but have been reluctant to say anything that might discourage breastfeeding, because of its other benefits.
At particular risk, according to the New York Times article, are dark-skinned children, because they do not synthesize vitamin D through the skin as easily as those with light skin.
Photo: MCT
Permalink | Comments (1) | Categories: Health
October 6, 2008
Study: Fan use could reduce sudden infant death
For almost any new parent, the stories about SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) are enough to strike fear in their hearts.
For as much as is unknown about the cause of SIDS, more and more is being learned about how to prevent it. For example, The campaign to put babies on their backs to sleep for the first months of life has slashed the rates in half.
Most recently there is this study out of Chicago about the effects of something as ubiquitous as a ceiling fan. Apparently fan use is linked to lower rates of sudden baby death, according to this story by the Associated Press.
Researchers took into account other risk factors and found that fan use was associated with a 72 percent lower risk of SIDS. Only 3 percent of the babies who died had a fan on in the room during their last sleep, the mothers reported. That compared to 12 percent of the babies who lived.
The study, in this month’s “Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine” falls in line with other research that suggests that ventilation and carbon dioxide levels in a sleeping environment has an effect on a baby’s ability to draw oxygen.
This is the first time researchers have studies the issue of fan use, and experts say its too soon to make a wholesale recommendation. But the findings are promising, nevertheless.
Permalink | Comments (13) | Categories: Health
August 22, 2008
Autism conference for parents comes to Austin
Central Texas parents who are interested in hearing more on autism spectrum disorders are in luck next month.
The U.S. Autism & Asperger Association is holding its annual conference in Austin on Sept. 4. According to the group, the international four-day event at the Hilton Austin Airport Hotel will offer up more than 30 autism spectrum disorder experts to discuss new treatments and therapies, including some of the more controversial treatments such as hyperbaric oxygen therapy.
Although I’m not terribly plugged in yet to the Austin autism community, I know that parents are desperate for any nugget of information that might shine some light on the mysterious disorder. I won’t be able to attend the conference, but I’ll be curious to hear what comes out of it.
Although the medical and professional community is invited, this conference is geared largely towards parents, according to Robin H. Wunsh Barron, who is handling press for the conference. Topics will include: areas of biomedical and educational interventions, research, diet and nutrition, and family issues.
The keynote speaker will be Holly Robinson Peete (actress and wife of former pro football player Rodney Peete) on Thursday. She will talk about the challenges of raising their son Rodney Jr. who was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder.
Registration for the conference is still available: The non-professional rate for all four days is $265 for non members, but single day passes can also be had.
Permalink | Comments (1) | Categories: Health
August 19, 2008
More on 'Eat This, Not That! For Kids!'
A few of you last week took issue with Nicole Villalpando’s item on the new book “Eat This, Not That! For Kids!”
The book is geared to help parents and kids make better choices in a world where a lot of the food offerings for kids are mostly not so great.
Apparently nutritionists and the folks at USA Today had some of the same questions, and they take a stab at some of the advice given. Here’s a bit from Keith Ayoob , who works with overweight children and their families at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York:
For instance, the book says, ‘Get your kids hooked on dark chocolate at an early age.’ I don’t think that’s something parents want to do.
Even so, the book does have some good advice. No one is arguing that Doritos are better than carrots. But for a parent on the run who has to pick something off the menu, this book might be a place to start. Just don’t take every thing as gospel. But that’s true of most things, isn’t it?
Permalink | | Categories: Books/DVDs, Feeding, Health
August 18, 2008
Mama Drama medalist: Dara Torres
I promise not to gush to much, but my favorite Olympian is swimmer Dara Torres.
So what if she didn’t win a gold medal this weekend at the Beijing games. Besting your own world record at the age of 41, after twice retiring and a baby, is inspiring.
I love watching the kids compete, but having Torres around is proof that the best is may be yet to come. I’ll take it, even if personally I can barely swim four laps.
Here’s how the New York Times in June described Torres return to the pool during her pregnancy with Tessa (now 2 years old):
…in the fall of 2005, after struggling for years to have a baby, Torres finally became pregnant with Tessa. At the time, she began swimming again for exercise, because, she says, she had terrible morning sickness and she’d “rather throw up in the pool gutter than next to the StairMaster.” But predictably, Torres soon found herself racing “whoever the middle-aged guy happened to be in the next lane,” even when she was noticeably pregnant. Three and a half months postpartum, she raced at the Masters World Championships. Fifteen minutes after nursing Tessa in the bathroom, she swam the first leg of the 50-meter freestyle relay in 25.98 seconds — fast enough to qualify for this week’s Olympics.
Maybe I’ll hit the gym this week… you never know.
Permalink | Comments (2) | Categories: Health
August 14, 2008
Picked Mr. Wrong? Blame your birth control pills
A new study from England suggests that birth control pills may interfere women’s ability to detect a compatible mate. In addition to all the obvious things that women find attractive (muscles, eye color, brains), we apparently are influenced by smell of the pheromone variety, according to this article on MSNBC.com
According to researchers at the University of Newcastle, women pick men differently when they are on the pill. The hormones in the pill cause our bodies to mimick a pregnant state, when or sense of smell is altered and mate selection (in theory) should be a moot point. Left to our own devices, women tend to pick men with dissimilar pheromone makeup, or MHC, off the pill; we pick more similar men while on it.
Past studies have suggested couples with dissimilar MHC genes are more satisfied and more likely to be faithful to a mate. And the opposite is also true with matchng-MHC couples showing less satisfaction and more wandering eyes.
Mind boggling isn’t it?
Photo: Walgreens Health Library
Permalink | Comments (2) | Categories: Health
How not to leave your kid in the car
I’m not kidding. Most of us know not to leave children in the car alone ever, especially in the Texas heat.
But one of the dirty little secrets of parenting is that almost every one of us have forgotten or nearly forgotten that the kids were in the car in the first place. They are stories that are whispered in terror to our best friends, usually other parents. Tales that leave us shaken, knowing that the worst could have happened, but didn’t.
The worst did happen in Webster yesterday when a grandmother forgot to drop her 3-year-old grandson off at daycare and didn’t realize it until after work.
The moms that I’ve talked to confess that their near misses happen when the kids are asleep and they are distracted. One mom of two said the youngest one wound up in the car seat in the garage for 30 minutes because she and her husband lost track of who was supposed to get him after a day of grocery shopping. Husband got the first kid; she got the groceries. Kid No.2 was sound asleep.
Personally, I have gotten mentally lost on the commute to work and passed the exit for daycare. I snapped out of it before I got to work, when Ayanna started jabbering. Another co-worker realized her son was in the back seat after she stopped for coffee across the street from the office.
So my tip to parents is to put something you need (wallet, ID badge, purse, lunch) in the backseat that forces you to either turn around, or better yet, open the back door, to retrieve. That’s where my purse/backpack goes now. That is where my husband puts his laptop when he goes to work.
It goes right under her car seat, just in case we get forgetful one day.
Anyone have any other tips?
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August 12, 2008
'Eat This, Not That! For Kids'
Men’s Health has a series called ‘Eat This, Not That!’ It shows side-by-side comparisons of foods and tells you which one is more healthful. Now it has one for kids and the parents that feed them. On the front cover, it promises “Be the Leanest, Fittest Family on the Block!” Yeah, right. But it’s always good to get the wakeup call about how bad some of the stuff my kids eat is and how bad some of it is not.
Some of the comparisons in the book are mind-blowing.
The Oscar Mayer turkey bacon we’ve been eating? Not good. Instead, the Oscar Mayer’s America’s Favorite bacon is better for you, less sodium, fewer calories.
Turns out Doritos is a better option than Tostitos multigrain because you can eat more chips for the calorie count. Doritos are also better than Fritos and Sun Chips.
In cereal, the book reaffirms what my kids don’t want to know: Frosted Mini Wheats are better than Frosted Flakes, but surprisingly Cheerios are better than Rice Krispies because Rice Krispies has no fiber.
And SpaghettiO’s is much better than Kraft Macaroni & Cheese because of fat grams and calorie count. (Don’t even try to tell that to my 4-year-old.)
The book also acknowledges that people do eat out. At Burger King, pick the Whopper Jr. with onion rings instead of the cheeseburger with fries. At McDonald’s pick the chicken nuggets not the chicken strips. Pick the Egg McMuffin, not the hotcakes.
The book even goes into their school cafeteria: Choose a hamburger, not the grilled cheese. Choose tater tots, not french fries.
It’s good food for thought.
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August 8, 2008
Diabetic and pregnant? The combination can be tricky
My friend knew that having diabetes would make pregnancy a challenge. We’ll call her L for now, since her co-workers don’t know that she’s pregnant yet.
Diagnosed with Type I diabetes while in college, she’s already in a high risk group and controlling her blood sugar has been troublesome enough that she has an insulin pump — a portable device about the size of a deck of cards that delivers insulin through an implanted port.
L is hardly alone. Since 1999, the number of women with pre-existing diabetes (not the same as gestational) who became pregnant has doubled. Part of the reason is that diabetes rates in general climbing, but the other is that doctors are no longer telling diabetics that they can’t have babies.
L, 37, was shocked when her endocrinologist told her to go for it when she and her husband started talking about having kids.
The road so far has been tricky. Pregnancy affects every woman’s body chemistry and can even cause temporary diabetes, so keeping her blood sugar steady has been a challenge and will get harder as the baby gets bigger. She has to test her blood even more consistently than before and regardless of what she may be craving she still has to watch her carbohydrates while still getting adequate nutrition. Failure to do so increases the changes of complications for her and the baby, plus ups the chances of birth defects.
The most surprising so far is that as her waistline expands its become more difficult to accommodate her insulin pump which usually attaches to the waistbands of her pants. The maternity waist bands are either too soft, or press the pump into her skin, neither is ideal and forget maternity dresses.
Finding maternity clothes are hard enough without trying to figure out where to put a pump that she still needs to access 6 to 8 times a day, sometimes in public.
L and I went hunting for solutions yesterday and found everything from buying a special bra, to wearing it on a thigh band. Both are uncomfortable, but solve the problem of having too much tubing exposed and risk getting caught on a doorknob — ouch.
Our current thought, which she tested yesterday, is to attach the pump to some adjustable ribbons to wear it like a long necklace. That way she can adjust the length depending on her shirts neckline and the fit around the bust.
Anyone else hear of any solutions? Or have any other practical tips for managing diabetes while pregnant?
Permalink | Comments (2) | Categories: Health, Pregnancy
August 1, 2008
Hot summer, bad economy = more drownings?
The bulk of my job is editing the stories that run in the Metro & State section of the newspaper. I sit a few desks away from the newspaper’s cops reporters, so that means that I hear about all the mayhem in Central Texas as it happens.
The worst are the tragedies that involve small kids, and yesterday was one of those days with reports that another 4-year-old had drowned in an apartment swimming pool in Wells Branch. Drownings are up, not only in Austin but also in Houston this summer.
For my part, I suspect that the spike has as much to do with the economy as the heat wave and its steady stream of 100 degree days.
Are more kids in the pool this summer? Probably. Playground equipment is too hot to touch and with the mercury above 90 by mid-morning, there aren’t a lot of outdoor options that don’t involve broiling. Pools are one of the few activities that lets stir crazy kids work out their energy with a more limited risk of heat related illness.
But there’s also the factor of who’s watching kids while mom and dad are at work and using life guards as babysitters. That’s a lot of responsibility to put on what is often a 16-year-old summer employee. And apartment pools are more dangerous. Usually there is no lifeguard present it’s easy for a preschooler to slip out for one more dip in the pool, while mom and dad aren’t looking or while their sitter or siblings are otherwise occupied.
So, here are the reminders:
Never leave a child unsupervised around water, not even for a moment. Drowning can happen quickly and unlike the movies, a child may not thrash or scream.
Don’t prop open gates at apartments or other gated pools. You never know when a small child might be nearby.
Floaties and life guards are not a substitute for parental supervision.
Even if your kids have had all the swim lessons in the world, keep an eye on them. Kids often over-estimate their swimming abilities and may find themselves in situations they don’t expect.
If you’re on the lakes in a boat or other water craft, kids under 13 years old are required to wear a flotation device while the craft is in motion. It’s not a bad idea to have them wearing one even if they are just swimming. Lake water has limited visibility and the depths can be uneven, surprising inexperienced swimmers.
Learn CPR. There’s just a few minutes where a child can be revived once pulled from the water. Immediate CPR can make all the difference.
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July 15, 2008
Teaching infants to swim? One group says it can
Swimming lessons for very young children is a fairly controversial subject. Experts say that lessons build a false sense of security for parents who need to watch children every second they are near water.
But with Austin on a record pace for child drownings this summer, an American-Statesman.com reader pointed out that Austin does have it’s first ISR (infant Swimming Resource) instructor. If you think that swim lessons are controversial, this Florida-based training program takes the cake. The video is from a “Today Show” story from this spring, but the program has been making the mom e-mail circuit for months.
I first saw a video demonstrating the technique about six months ago and it still makes my heart stop.
The program is not new and has been offered by its creators for more than 40 years. According to the literature, instructors teach babies to turn to a floating position if they fall into a pool or lake to give parents time to rescue them if an accident should occur. The program is careful to point out that this is not a substitute for pool gates or adult supervision. The point is to buy time.
At the time I first learned about the ISR program, there was no one listed as a certified instructor in the Austin area and frankly I still am not sure what I think about it. The folks behind the program boasts that more than 780 babies have successfully used the techniques in an emergency situation.
What do you think?
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July 9, 2008
Kids' meals, not just for kids
Fast-food workers tend to get confused if you order anything that’s not a value meal. While I was pregnant and had gestational diabetes, sometimes I was forced to eat on the run during the work week and would try to cherry pick options that wouldn’t send my blood sugar numbers through the roof.
“I’d like chicken nuggets, a side salad and milk.”
With the clerk unable to figure out how to punch it into the register, that meal would turn into $7 instead of $4.59. I’d also have to repeat myself at the drive through, especially the milk part, because clearly milk is for kids not for starving, pregnant women.
But the new push to make more healthy options available for kids, means that calorie conscious adults can make an end run around the system.
I stopped at Chick-Fil-A at the mall today while running some errands. Although not pregnant I have chosen to stick the diet (and lost the baby weight, plus some). I asked for chicken nuggets, fries (not on the diet, but I could have had carrot salad) and milk and the attendant produced a kids meal, even though there were no children in sight, and saved me $2.
Just this week, Burger King got on the nutrition wagon, launching its new kid friendly menu with fresh apple “fries,” milk and macaroni and cheese. And it clocks in at 350 calories. (McDonald’s got its act together awhile ago, offering a Happy Meal (chicken nuggets, milk, apple slices) at 390 calories.
There may be more kids’ meals in my future. Do you ever order off the kids menu for yourself?
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July 1, 2008
4 out of 5 sunscreens don't work?
News out today on CNN.com that might shock those parents who have been dutifully slathering their babes in sunscreen.
Turns out The Environmental Working Group, a nonprofit in Washington, D.C., investigated 1,000 sunscreens and found that four out of five don’t adequately protect consumers.
Coppertone, Neutrogena and Banana Boat were named the worst performers.
The Top 10 recommended: 1. Keys Soap Solar Rx Therapeutic Sunblock, SPF 30
Trukid Sunny Days Facestick Mineral Sunscreen UVA/UVB Broad Spectrum, SPF 30+
California Baby Sunblock Stick No Fragrance, SPF 30+
Badger Sunscreen, SPF 30
Marie Veronique Skin Therapy Sun Serum
Lavera Sunscreen Neutral, SPF 40
Vanicream Sunscreen, SPF 35
UV Natural Sunscreen, SPF 30+
Sun Science Sport Formula, SPF 30
Soleo Organics Sunscreen all natural Sunscreen, SPF 30+
The study found that many sunscreens don’t fully protect against sunlight. Many only protect against UVB rays, not UVA.
The advice: Limit time out in the sun. Apply sunscreen every hour. Look for both UVB and UVA protection. Choose sunscreen that is SPF 30 or higher.
My kids use the Avon Skin So Soft Bug Guard with SPF 30 and bug protection, but they’re probably not the best examples to use. They’re a golden brown right now from all their swimming and the natural melanin their father gave them.
Which brands have you found work best for your kiddos?
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June 25, 2008
The challenge of camp food
The schools have cut back on junk food and turned off the vending machines. But what happens when the kids go to summer camp?
According to this New York Times article not a lot that is healthy. Camps focus more on making sure kids don’t get food poisoning than they do on nutrition and parents, packing lunches for hot field trips, essentially do the same.
So out come the drink boxes, potato chips, sodas and 800-calorie cheese fries.
Kids who stay at home while there parents work have a similar problem, grazing off snack food without the benefit of playing outdoors.
If you are at a loss for ideas for packed lunch, check out these ideas at SchoolLunchIdeas.com They even have a section on summer camp lunch ideas, which include cold spaghetti salad.
What are some of your healthy and creative lunch ideas?
Permalink | Comments (1) | Categories: Feeding, Health, School
April 30, 2008
Lice, Lice Baby
Yes, it was finally our turn. THE LETTER showed up in my son’s backpack, which sent me scurrying through the house, removing bedding, picking through hair, yelling at my husband to go fetch the special burning shampoo, more picking through hair, inspecting the other child’s hair, shampooing everyone in the house, (OK, the dog and the guinea pig got off easy, but the first sign of scratching I’m going to shampoo them, too.), more picking through hair, more washing of bedding, more obsessing, more itching … and what did we find… three tiny little nits in my son’s hair, nothing in the rest of ours. How could something so small cause such a ruckus in my house?
CDC
The worst part: my son feels like he did something wrong. And he didn’t. Lice is an equal opportunity offender. I’m sure he’ll remember first grade as the year he went home with THE LETTER.
Has lice visited your home? Any remedies besides the shampoo to get rid of the pests?
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April 21, 2008
Celebrating an atypical milestone
My niece this weekend made her first communion in Houston. For any Catholic family this is a big deal. In ours it was pretty huge for other reasons as well.
Berit, 8, suffers from selective mutism. It’s a severe anxiety disorder in children (and adults) who are fully capable of speaking but cannot in certain social situations. Some kids go to school and do not speak for years. It’s more than simple shyness, the intensity means that at its often first diagnosed as autism.
I met Berit shortly after she was diagnosed by Texas Children’s Hospital at age 4. She was hardly speaking at all outside home. School was a struggle. Bright and creative, she was pretty much speechless outside of the the nuclear family. Her mother says she suspected anxiety because of other clues, but was confused about the mutism because Berit talked at home all the time.
Four years later, with the help of support groups, group therapy, speech therapy, constant practicing and role playing for social situation and medication, Berit was able to walk in front of a room full of hundreds of people she didn’t know, answer the priest and take communion.
“It is basically preparation, preparation, preparation and practice, practice, practice for life,” says my sister-in-law, Daniette Hunter. “It takes a helluva lot of work on a parent’s behalf to do it.”
Berit is gradually being weaned off her low-dose anxiety medication (which fortunately hasn’t produced any negative side effects). So Saturday’s performance was definitely her and not the meds. She had talked about being nervous and still showed some of the strained facial features and awkward postures that is typical for kids with the disorder, but it was a big day all the same.
For more information on selective mutism:
Selective Mutism Group - Child Anxiety Network
‘The Silence WIthin: A Teacher/Parent Guide to Helping Selectively Mute and Shy Children’
Anxiety Disorders Association of America
The Selective Mutism Resource Manual
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April 2, 2008
Autism Day at CNN
The folks at CNN have devoted an entire day of coverage on the network and online to the subject of autism.
Material includes stories, videos, personal accounts and scientific studies. The coverage is comprehensive, but the tagline “Unraveling the mystery” is misleading. That’s the problem with autism. For all of our scientific advancement, exactly what causes and triggers it is still a mystery.
For years, parents have argued the link between the thermisol in vaccines and the spectrum of the illness. But even with the removal of thermisol from most vaccines the numbers continue to climb.
The best parts of the CNN’s coverage include interviews with adults who were diagnosed with autism as children, articles about insurance for autism and its links for other resources.
Less helpful is the rehash of the scientists saying that vaccines are not to blame and the parents who say otherwise.
Partner publications including Time and Parenting.com have offerings as well.
If you want to see the main page, go here
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March 24, 2008
More companies promote paraben-free products
Among the list of chemicals that have become verboten among online parent groups are parabens.
What are parabens? They are a group of preservatives widely used in cosmetics and hygiene products that help give the products a reasonable shelf life. They can be found in lotions, conditioners, shaving gels, shampoos, makeup and so on.
The problem? Several controversial studies suggest that parabens (which have been used for the past 50 years) might have cancer-causing or estrogen-boosting properties. Because they are in everything, we are exposed to them pretty much nonstop these days.
Although health risks are unproven, the concerns have caused a number of companies, especially those aimed at kids, to produce paraben-free products. Some popular brands include Love Me Baby Me and California Baby. The latest product to cross my desk is Sweetleaf Baby collection from Thymes.
The material from Thymes, which also does not test their products on animals, says that they plan to incorporate the paraben-free model into all of their products. The lines even include Sweetleaf Baby Diaper Balm ($16 retail) and Sweetleaf Baby Massage Oil ($14 retail).
Even for shoppers not worried about parabens, the brands have found appeal for parents of children with sensitive skin. We experimented with California Baby’s Soothing Body Wash (retail $10 for 8.25 ounces), despite receiving several bottles of the old standby (and substantially cheaper) from Johnson & Johnson. The results were good — far less drying on baby skin, which was my original goal.
Have you gone paraben-free?
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February 25, 2008
Ouchless hair care for multicultural kids
The first thing most strangers say when they see my daughter is “Look at that hair!”
She has more than the usually amount baby hair…it’s full and curly. The longer it gets, the harder it gets to tame. It tangles. It frizzes. It knots.
If you look at the baby care books, they recommend a little baby shampoo and maybe some water. They have not met my kid’s hair.
The kinks and curls of kids of African American and Latino descent (some Asians too) are a force to be reckoned with. My nephew would run from a comb well into toddler hood and for the first year of his life, his mom kept him in cornrows to minimize the hassle, and finally buzzed it all off as short as possible.
In my house, we have discovered products and I am in love. The line called Blended Cutie is an offshoot of an adult line Blended Beauty started by two biracial women from Canada who were tired of looking for products that met their needs.
Gentle on the skin, easy on sensitive baby eyes and super moisturizing, the shampoo and conditioner has ended the ratty snarls that plagued Ayanna.
Before you go shaking your head and reprimand me — I mean really, why would an 8-month-old need products — I talked to an expert.
“Multicultural hair care for kids is one of the biggest areas of growth,” said Michelle Breyer, president and co-founder of Austin-based NaturallyCurly.com — an online marketplace that specializes in products for curly hair.
Many of their inquiries come from adoptive parents and those in interracial marriages, where the children’s hair is so different from either parent, that hair care for their offspring is a source of constant frustration. In fact there are several product lines, including Circle of Friends and Little Sprout, which are making the rounds on message boards for parents desperate for solutions.
Johnson & Johnson just doesn’t cut it for everyone.
“These kids need a lot more moisture and need a lot less of the detergent, and they don’t need to be washing their hair every day,” Breyer said. “You do that to a kid with kinky hair it will be a big frizz.”
Even my skeptical husband is sold. Now, if we can just keep peaches, oatmeal and other food out of her hair, we’ll be set.
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February 7, 2008
Are plastic baby bottles dangerous?
A new study by a coalition of U.S. and Canadian environmental groups says they are.
The groups, who released their report “Baby’s Toxic Bottle” today, are calling for moratorium on the use of bisphenol A in food and beverage containers, based on a new study that demonstrates that the toxic chemical leaches from commonly used plastic baby bottles (Avent, Dr. Brown’s, Evenflow, Gerber, Playtex) when heated.
The study confirms what the FDA has known for almost a decade. Tests have shown that the chemical that makes hard, clear plastic used in water bottles, baby bottles and other household plastics deteriorates over time. However, the FDA says the leached amounts are not enough to harm humans.
The coalition behind the study “Baby’s Toxic Bottle” contend otherwise, pointing to evidence in animal studies that low dosage of the chemical can cause prostate and breast cancer, early onset of puberty, obesity, hyperactivity, miscarriage and diabetes.
In the last few years, more and more folks have started paying attention to the issue. Nine states (not Texas) are considering legislation this year to limit infant exposure to the chemical also known as BPA. And bottle makers have started making BPA-free alternatives and advertise it on the labels. Austin-based Whole Foods have rejected BPA containing bottles altogether.
The evidence, even before the study, was enough to give Austin pediatrician and author Ari Brown cause to warn parents in her latest edition of her book “Baby 411” about using bottles that contain bisphenol A.
Her advice if you already have a stash of bottles you don’t want to toss. Hand wash, rather than use the dishwasher, with gentle detergent. And if you are interested in purchasing glass bottles (which can be boiled into oblivion) there are some available with silicon or plastic sleeves (ex. Wee Go bottles and Silliskin) to protect against breakage.
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December 12, 2007
UT study: Pregnancy backache could be worse
Thought that backache you had during pregnancy was bad? Well, according to a study by scientists at the University of Texas is could have been worse.
Research spearheaded by UT shows that the human spine evolved differently in males and females in order to alleviate back pressure from the weight of carrying a baby.
The lumbar differences are documented for the first time in the Dec. 13 issue of Nature.
According to a UT press release:
The researchers believe the adaptation first appeared at least two million years ago, in the early human ancestor Australopithecus. The male-female difference does not appear in chimpanzees, meaning the evolution to walking upright led to the adaptation.
“Natural selection favored this adaptation because it reduces extra stress on a pregnant female’s spine,” said University of Texas at Austin anthropologist Liza Shapiro, who conducted the research with graduate student Katherine K. Whitcome, now a post-doctoral fellow at Harvard University. “Without the adaptation, pregnancy would have placed a heavier burden on back muscles, causing considerable pain and fatigue and possibly limiting foraging capacity and the ability to escape from predators.”
Harvard anthropologist Daniel Lieberman also contributed to the study, which shows the key differences between males and females appear in the lower back, or lumbar portion of the spine.
Human spines have a unique forward curve in the lumbar region, but the curve extends across more vertebrae in females. That helps offset harmful forces that might occur on the spine when pregnant women lean back or hyperextend their spines to balance the weight of the fetus, Shapiro said. The joints between the vertebrae also are larger in females and angled differently than in males to better support the extra weight.
Just remember that the next time you fire up the heating pad.
For the full story (and one scientist’s theory about why men with big beer guts don’t fall over), go here
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November 16, 2007
Mission impossible: the gym
The family has joined a new gym. I want to keep practicing my swimming and my husband wanted some place that was open 24 hours. They have a great kid care area, so it should be a great place for me to work off those lingering post-pregnancy pounds.
So yesterday I leave for work with an extra gym bag, an extra bottle for the baby and pajamas to change her when I leave (She insists on going to sleep before 7 p.m., so then I don’t have to change her after she’s fallen asleep in the car seat.)
I pick Ayanna up from day care and head directly to the gym. I give her a bottle in the car and then — a diaper blowout. Poo on her clothes, poo on the car seat. I had been warned by day care that things were starting to look strange in that department.
So, I go into the gym to clean up what I can and then walk back out and head home. I was so close.
On they way out I saw a super-fit mom carrying her bundle of joy out of the gym after a fulfilling workout. If only I had it that together — maybe in a few months. Tell me how you do it.
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October 18, 2007
Should birth control be available to middle schoolers?
Students at a Maine middle school are being offered birth control pills and patches at the school’s health center. Although parents must consent to having their children treated at the health center, treatment is confidential under state law. Condoms have been available to students at the school since 2000.
Should kids as young as 11 have access to birth control? Would you want that at middle schools in your district?
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October 16, 2007
Free lead screenings for kids
Do all the toy recalls have you worried about your child’s exposure to lead?
The Austin/Travis County Health and Human Services Department is offering free screening for children under 7 years old for lead poisoning on Oct. 25, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. The screenings at the St. John’s Community Center, 7500 Blessing Ave., involve a simple blood test.
Until the recent spate of toy recalls for lead levels, most lead concerns in the United States dealt with lead-based paint chips and dust that children might ingest or inhale. But exposure can occur in a variety of ways, lead-based paint in toys, pottery, folk medicine remedies and in homes constructed before 1978.
Lead-poisoning is especially serious for children whose bodies and brains are still developing. Lead poisoning can damage a person’s kidneys and brain, cause problems with hearing and reflexes and sometimes even death. The primary treatment for mild lead poisoning is to stop the exposure, health department officials say.
For more information about the screenings, call 972-6653.
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October 11, 2007
Infant cold medicines recalled
A few weeks ago I wrote about the controversy over infant cold medicines. (See “Think twice before treating that cough”.)
Well it seems that drug makers have seen the light and are pulling a number of popular infant cold medicines off the shelves, including Johnson & Johnson Pediacare Infant Drops and Tylenol Concentrated Infants Drops, Wyeth’s Dimetapp Decongestant Infant Drops, Novartis’ Triaminic Infant & Toddler Thin Strips and Prestige Brands Holdings’ Little Colds Decongestant Plus Cough.
The decision comes two weeks after the FDA warned of the potential risks to infants of such medicines. The FDA will formally consider relabeling cough and cold medicines formulated for young children later this month.
For the full story, go here
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October 9, 2007
Motherhood can be a pain...
In the back, that is.
I pulled something significant in my back over the weekend. I’d been feeling occasional twinges, but as I was lifting my daughter out of the sink for her bath on Sunday, I felt a definitely pull in my lower back. Ouch.
So out came the heating pad and the Advil. But recovering from a strain is much harder when you’ve got a 14-pound baby to put in the car, out of the car, in the crib, on the changing table and in the swing or high chair. It does not matter how ergonomically correct the handle is on your infant seat, baby plus seat is easily 30 pounds hanging off your arm.
My helpful husband who has had bad back pain for years offered me the not-so-helpful advice of going to the gym. He is correct that my stomach muscles are probably not in the best shape post pregnancy, and some crunches and toning would likely do me some good.
The trouble is I’ve had my gym bag packed since I returned to work in late August. But I have yet to step foot in the gym — not from lack of desire, but lack of time.
Back pain in new moms is not uncommon, according to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Improper breast feeding posture, lifting infant seats, lingering weakness from pregnancy and just handling the baby are all causes.
Their recommendations to try to prevent back pain include:
Stretch your arms out to pick up the baby.
Bring the baby close to your chest before lifting. Avoid twisting your body.
To pick up a child from the floor, bend at your knees, not at your waist. Squat down, tighten your stomach muscles and lift with your legs.
Remove the high chair tray when you are trying to put the baby in or take the baby out of the high chair.
For the full list go here.
I’m choosing to ignore the one that says “Try to return to your prepregnancy weight within six weeks.” Are you kidding?
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October 4, 2007
Surviving the vaccines
It’s been a rough week for the household. Ayanna got her 4-month vaccines this week. I was mentally prepared for the crying this time and thought the worst was over.
At her 2-month vax, she was a little fussy and had a slight fever. No big deal. Well, this time she spiked a fever of 103. Scary for mom and dad, but the pediatrician was completely unphased. Fevers are a normal reaction and a sign that her immune system is active and fighting like its supposed to. The down side: Very little sleeping, a lot of crying and Tylenol. And did I mention she’s already teething?
Of course in the end, I think it was harder on me than it was on her. The fever broke yesterday and she’s all sunshine and smiles today. Me? I feel like I’ve been run over by a truck. And we get to do it all again in two months.
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October 1, 2007
Think twice before treating that cough
Walking down the over-the-counter medicine aisle is dizzying enough when its adult meds. The choices for kids are even more overwhelming.
Toddler’s Dimetapp and Little Colds all convey a sense of safeness when it comes to relieving the yuckiness of a tot’s cold. However, many such medicines have not been lab-tested on children under 6 and reporting for side effects is currently voluntary.
Apparently, there are enough concerns that safety experts at the FDA have suggested that the agency ban all such “infant” formulations sold over the counter as part of a safety review, according to an article in this Saturday’s New York Times.
The same safety experts also recommend standardizing droppers and cups on children’s medicines to lessen the chance of accidental overdose.
After a few incidents of having to give infant Tylenol and Mylicon drops to my daughter, I have to agree that the dropper system is confusing and a little hard to manage.
I suppose an out-and-out ban on such medicines would leave parents with an arsenal of Tylenol and humidifiers to assuage the persistent cough or stuffy nose. It’s something to think about as cold and flu season approaches.
Remember almost all medications say for children under 2 to call your pediatrician anyway. Dosages vary by weight and only a doctor can tell you what is appropriate for your child. Playing fast and loose with your own dosage of adult Dimetapp is one thing. For a small child, it could be fatal.
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September 24, 2007
Surviving D-Day (a preschooler's first trip to the dentist)
Every parent knows that it would be easier to sprout wings and fly than to get a 3-year-old kid to sit completely still for more than 10 seconds.
Our son, Liam, is no exception. The boy is in constant motion. Whether he’s trying to finish off the last piece of an intricate city (complete with a Chick-fil-A) made out of blocks or dancing some type of jig to music that only he hears, Liam rarely stops to smell the roses.
So, it was with some trepidation that we took Liam to his first dentist appointment this morning. How will he do when asked to have an X-Ray taken? Will they take an X-Ray? Will he allow the hygienist to clean his teeth? Will he treat the entire visit like his first haircut and scream bloody murder?
Each morning and night, we have worked to prepare him for this day by pulling out the little blue toothbrush and the starter toothpaste. His first attempt at brushing his teeth on his own went smoothly. Our little mimic has watched us brush our teeth hundreds of times, so he basically knew what to do the first time.
How much of a leap could it be from brushing his own teeth to letting a stranger use giant tools that make lots of noise on his teeth? OK, we feared it could be a big leap.
We took him to Simons Family Dental Center in South Austin. While his mom filled out a medical history sheet and other forms, Liam and I enjoyed the waiting area. This dentist knows how to please 3-year-olds — there were plenty of really cool toys and even a little puppet show stage.
We were called in only a few minutes after our appointed time, and Liam surprised me a bit by happily dropping what he was doing (with the really cool toys) to go back into the patient area.
Within minutes, the hygienist was prepping him for his X-Ray. When asked to sit on a chair and put on a big lead apron, he happily obliged. It probably helped that the hygienist told him the apron was “like a Superman cape.” She then had him bite down on the film. Considering the boy loves to eat, I’m a bit surprised he didn’t try to eat the film. He sat there without fidgeting and followed every direction. I was beginning to think this was going to be easy.
Next, we moved over to the actual dentist chair where he was to get his teeth cleaned. He immediately spotted gumball-like machines filled with toy capsules. The hygienist told him that once they were done, he could get a coin to get a toy. These people are geniuses.
He met the dentist, Dr. Traci Simons, who is obviously very at ease with children. She let him pick out his own toothbrush - no surprise here: he chose blue, which is his favorite color. With Liam comfortably reclined on the chair, they brushed his teeth — just like we have done hundreds of times. He had no problem with that.
Since he was doing so well, Dr. Simons decided to try the polishing tool. Yes, the tool that spins around, makes a ton of noise and tickles your gums. I totally expected Liam to call it a day and hop out of the chair.
Instead, he sat there like a champ and let Dr. Simons do her job. I wouldn’t have been more surprised if Liam started speaking fluent Russian.
Before any of us knew it, he was done. He snagged his coin, hopped out of the chair and took off for the little toy capsule machine. Just like that. We made it all the way through without one angry yell. Not one tear. Not one complaint.
Considering I usually shed at least one tear when I go to the dentist, I’m pretty impressed.
Liam didn’t even hold still for this post-dental visit picture, taken by the hygienist. Thankfully, he did better when it came time to clean his teeth.
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September 21, 2007
A shot that's not a shot
Earlier this week the FDA announced that it has approved FluMist, a nasal flu vaccine, for use in children between the ages of 2 and 5. Young children can now get the inhaled vaccine as an alternative to the needle method, which is usually accompanied with howling and tears.
For parents that wince at the idea of holding their children down for yet another shot, this is good news. Being complicit in the cause of your own child’s pain, even if for good reasons, is enough to reduce the strongest of people to the verge of tears themselves.
The Centers for Disease Control and American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that all children six months and older be vaccinated against the flu. Of course, for tots younger than 2, the shot is still the only way to go, because the FDA reports an increased risk of hospitaliztion and wheezing in clinical trials.
Young children need two doses a month apart the very first year they’re inoculated. Just 21 percent of youngsters ages 6 months to 2 years were fully vaccinated, and just more than 1 in 10 who needed two doses got both, CDC reported.
I must confess, I’ve never had a flu shot and haven’t decided yet whether Ayanna or I will get the flu shot this season. Its just one more thing I have to research before our next pediatrician visit.
