Recently in the Health and Nutrition Category
Posted by Marianne Frederick
Recently, MedPage Today's Crystal Phend highlighted the results of a study that mothers frequently turn a blind eye to their toddlers who are overweight. In the article of May 7, 2012, Phend said instead of being apprehensive about their babies' pudgy cheeks and chubby bodies, mothers seemed to approve of these as signs their babies were on track and normal.
The study and its results, performed by the University of Maryland School of Medicine, in Baltimore, were published in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine. The study also noted that mothers of children whose weights were "healthy" were less satisfied with their babies' body size. Those moms regarded heavier toddlers as the norm.
In the past, heavier babies have been symbols of health and successful parenting; and, therefore, have been perceived to be less at risk for a variety of childhood illnesses. Seventy percent of the mothers in this study did not correctly perceive their baby's body size--possibly indicating that love is truly blind. How often have I heard a mom say when referring to her toddler's weight, "Oh, she's not fat, she's just pleasantly plump, just right!"
But, it is not difficult to recognize, especially with recent publicity, that there is a looming safety and health problem in our country. It is a problem that has become very costly to our society in many ways. It is obesity. And sometimes it begins, sadly, in childhood with parents frequently over-feeding their children or allowing them to eat too many foods which are not healthful--and, certainly, too much fast food. This often sets up a dangerous pattern that is difficult to reverse or conquer as an older child or adult, and can even be the precursor of Type II diabetes, atherosclerosis, high blood pressure, elevated cholesterol levels and a host of weight-related bone structure and tissue problems.
Childsafetyblog.org hopes that to keep your baby healthy, you will be sure to go to all your pediatrician appointments regularly and check your baby's weight-to-length ratio with your pediatrician to make sure your baby's weight and growth are where they should be. Feeding toddlers healthful foods, making sure they have adequate play, exercise, and rest, are just a few ways to help keep your babies happy and healthy, and ultimately reduce their risk of becoming an obese child or adult.
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By Marianne Frederick
A review of a study in an article by Todd Neale in MedPage Today of April 2, 2012, shows that only about half of children preschool age or below are taken outside at least once a day to play! This surprising revelation was also reported in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine.
Examination of the study's results by Seattle (Washington) Children's Research Institute, by Poojah Tandon, MD, MPH, dealt with a large survey group consisting of 8,950 children aged four, or children who were one year away from attending kindergarten-level school. The study data supplied by the Early Childhood Longitudinal Study-Birth Cohort tracking children born from 2001 showed "girls, non-white children and children in some types of daycare were less likely to have a parent take them outside every day."[1] Most of the children in the study (80%) spent almost 30 hours/week in non-parental daycare. Sixty percent of the mothers of the almost 9,000 children worked outside the home, but only 44% of the parents--mothers or fathers--reported taking their kids outside to play once a day.
http://www.medpagetoday.com/Pediatrics/GeneralPediatrics/31977?utm_content=&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=DailyHeadlines&utm_source=WC&eun=g323650d0r&userid=323650&email=liv2ryt@verizon.net&mu_id=5317771.In the study, there was no association to the probability of children playing out of doors regularly vis à vis the amount of time children time spent watching TV or playing video games. Nor were there indicators of the family's household income or the parents' perception of the safety of the neighborhoods in which they lived. The researchers noted that the study's survey was limited in detail and believed that "future studies that better quantify outdoor time" and its benefits to children would be important.[2]
One thing many children's health and safety experts agree about is that outdoor play for children is generally very good and parents as role models for young children can encourage this practice safely. Some simple guidelines for parents of young children for their safe outdoor play are:
- Very young children playing outside need to be closely supervised by a parent, caregiver or family member.
- Play area surfaces should be thick and soft if you have an option! If it's a playground, make sure there is no broken glass or uneven pavement where a little one could trip, fall and hurt themselves.
- Play toys and equipment should be in good condition--no rusty swing sets, no sharp edges, no loose or broken parts, please!
- When riding tricycles or other wheeled toys, put a helmet on their head.
- As with any play, make sure toys and equipment used are age appropriate--young children should not be using the same equipment older children use.
- Watch the weather--if it's too cold or very hot, use caution--young children get can get too chilled or overheated fast. Make sure children are dressed appropriately for the weather outside. Don't forget to use sunscreen on their nose, ears, hands, etc.
- If little shoes get wet during play, make sure to remove their shoes and thoroughly dry their feet (and put on dry socks) when they come indoors; and
- Have fun with your children and at the same time remember to play safely!
by Marianne Frederick
A recent study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), points to the fact that eating patterns favoring salt may begin in children as early as infancy and that this may have a serious effect in later life.
According to the HHS HealthBeat of February 27, 2012, Leslie Stein of the Monell Chemical Senses Center in Philadelphia, PA, examined the "taste preferences" of babies fed starchy table foods which frequently contain additional salt.[1] The infants who received the starchy foods appeared to like "saltier water" and the salt preference continued as the babies aged.
http://content.govdelivery.com/bulletins/gd/USHHS-3059d4Children introduced to starchy table foods by six months of age had a tendency to like the taste of salt when they were in preschool." This is significant because "eating patterns which favor lots of salt are associated with high blood pressure and heart disease in adults." So, parents and caregivers, we are again cautioned to watch our child's intake of salt--even in infancy. So, if you haven't been reading the labels, be sure to check the sodium content, especially of processed baby foods. And, if your children are being fed "starchy" table foods, ensure that they are also eating vegetables, fruit, and the right amount of dairy and protein too.
An article in MedPage Today, February 7, 2012, entitled, "Baby's First Foods Should Be Finger Foods"[2] pointed to the fact that baby-led weaning has had a positive impact on a child's liking for carbohydrates--foods that form the building blocks of healthy nutrition (those found at the bottom of the food pyramid). The author of the article, Nancy Walsh, noted that there has been a lot of interest and support "for baby-led weaning, which encourages a less controlling parental style and can help ease maternal worries about appropriate feeding."
http://www.medpagetoday.com/Pediatrics/Parenting/31059?utm_content=&utm_medium=email&utm_ca
Baby-led weaning emphasizes infant self-feeding with solid finger foods from the outset, rather than parental spoon-feeding, but using the self-feeding method exclusively, worries me--parents need to make sure that not too much, nor too little, food finds its way into baby's mouth. Meanwhile, if parents and caregivers are encouraging baby to feed himself, babies still need to be closely supervised while they eat. A very young child does not know how much they can safely put in their mouth and swallow.
Walsh notes that the study performed by research scientists, Ellen Townsend, PhD, and Nicola J. Pitchford, DPhil, of the University of Nottingham in England, concluded spoon-fed babies preferred sweets. One might say that in health-conscious America of the 21st Century, establishing this sort of pattern for a child will no longer do! This pattern of eating may contain another cause for childhood obesity--or adult Type II diabetes--by establishing a child's preference for sweets in early life by spoon feeding. So, as parents and caregivers, we are cautioned on both accounts--the salt and sugar content of our babies' foods. Perhaps, after all the science, it comes back to a wise grandmother's good advice, "Moderation in everything is best!"
[1] "Kids on Salt", HHS HealthBeat, February 27, 2012,
http://content.govdelivery.com/bulletins/gd/USHHS-3059d4[2] "Baby's First Foods Should Be Finger Foods", Walsh, Nancy, MedPage Today, February 07, 2012, http://www.medpagetoday.com/Pediatrics/Parenting/31059?utm_content=&utm_medium=email&utm_ca
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by Marianne Frederick
Last week, the Food and Drug Administration announced the voluntary recall by VitafloUSA of a powdered medical food labeled as Renastart, due to a possible health risk. Renastart is used in the dietary management of pediatric renal disease, for patients one year and older in the United States. Renastart's Batch 12832 was incorrectly labeled and was shipped throughout the U.S. during from December 29, 2011, through January 26, 2012. According to VitafloUSA, all other Vitaflo products, including Renastart cans in batches other than 12832 and Renastart packed in sachets, are not affected.
Although no cases of illness have been reported at this time, some immediate consequences of using the erroneously labeled product could result in high potassium blood levels (hyperkalemia) or high sodium levels in the blood (hypernatremia). And although the symptoms may be hard for an individual to detect, they can result in significant health consequences potentially leading to death. If parents, caregivers or health care providers are aware that a patient may have consumed any of this batch of Renastart, please have the responsible parties contact the patient's primary care physician immediately. Longer term consequences can result in increased levels of calcium, phosphorus, and protein.
PR Newswire published the following on their website: "All patients who have consumed any Renastart from this batch should contact their health care professional immediately to determine next steps, including nutritional management alternatives."
http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/vitaflo-usa-announces-nationwide-voluntary-recall-of-renastart-1411-oz-400g-cans-batch-number-12832-due-to-possible-health-risk-138360064.html
Since this is a pediatric powdered medical food, many of the patients who consume Renastart will be children or young adults--it is important for parents of children who may be at risk to contact their child's primary care provider. While VitafloUSA believes the error may have occurred in a small number of cans, they are proceeding with the recall of the entire batch. At this time, we have no information on how many cans of the Renastart powdered medical food is involved.
Jennifer Szymanski, General Manager of Vitaflo USA, indicated that Vitaflo has communicated directly with renal centers and health care providers to immediately stop using the specific batch of product. Vitaflo's Clinical Science Liaison is available to answer any questions that health care professionals may have in addressing the needs of their patients. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is informed of all actions Vitaflo is taking with regard to this recall. For additional information, please contact Vitaflo by phone at 1-888-848-2356.
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Following testing, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have concluded that powdered baby formula Enfamil did not cause recent Cronobacter sakazakii bacterial infections in which two infants died and two others were sickened.
Although Mead Johnson Nutrition's product, Enfamil, appears to be cleared for the time being, questions remain about powdered baby formula in general. Walmart and several other grocery distribution companies pulled the powdered formula from their shelves over the Christmas and New Year's holidays.
In addition, CDC announced its conclusion that "powdered baby formula is not sterile." Scientific experts have said there are "no adequate methods to prevent bacteria from creeping into the baby formula." http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504763_162-57351494-10391704/enfamil-infant-formula-cleared-in-kids-bacterial-infections/
The World Health Organization recommends that parents who prepare infant formula should wash their hands with soap and water, sterilize all feeding equipment in hot, soapy water, and prepare only enough formula for one feeding at a time.
Childsafetyblog encourages new moms to focus on the basics of caring for infants:
Watch newborns carefully, making sure they, their areas and their food stuffs are kept clean
Make sure your hands are clean when you handle your child
If you believe there are negative changes in your newborn or there are signs of irritability, jaundice, unstable body temperature or difficulty eating and breathing--all symptoms of Cronobacter infection--call your doctor immediately, go to the Emergency Room of your local hospital, or call 911.
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A third child has become ill due to a rare bacterial infection called Cronobacter sakazakii, and it is not yet known whether this is due to consumption of infant formula. ChildSafetyBlog.org readers will recall the sad news of last week and our posting about the 10-day old infant who had been given the formula, Enfamil Premium Newborn Powdered formula, contracted a bacterial infection called Cronobacter sakazakii, and died.
During the Christmas holidays, many stores besides Walmart -- including Kroger's, Safeway, Walgreen, and SuperValu, all pulled the 12.5 oz. containers of Lot No. ZP1K7G Enfamil Premium Newborn Powdered formula from their shelves. Mead Johnson Nutrition, the manufacturer, didn't pull the product from its distributors or retailers, but began testing their products for the bacterium.
Now, a third child has come down with the rare bacterial infection of which the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says, "Between four and six cases of cronobacter are reported in a typical year. So far, 10 cases have been reported in 2011 which is still within a normal range." http://blogs.webmd.com/breaking-news/2011/12/third-baby-tests-positive-for-cronobacter.html
As of December 23, 2011, Mead Johnson Nutrition said all batches of Enfamil were tested for Cronobacter bacteria before they were shipped, and if an ingredient or batch are found to contain the bacterium, they are rejected. They also said "the lot used by the newborn's family did not test positive for Cronobacter when the company tested it." http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9RQDD881.htm
Mead Johnson Nutrition has been working with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to test the formula. According to a statement from Mead Johnson, no traces of cronobacter have been found.
Also according to a posting on WebMD of December 28, 2011, "Although the babies in Illinois and Oklahoma had been given infant formula, it's not yet known whether the formula was the source of the infection, according to a CDC spokesperson. The baby in Oklahoma was not fed Enfamil, and the baby in Illinois reportedly was fed several different types of formula. The CDC reports that state health authorities are currently testing the formulas and the water they were mixed with to determine the source of the infection and to uncover any possible links between the three cases. So far, no direct connections have been found." http://blogs.webmd.com/breaking-news/2011/12/third-baby-tests-positive-for-cronobacter.html
ChildSafetyBlog.org is following this news and will provide updates as we learn them.
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It was recently reported in Virginia that cases of Pertussis (also known as "Whooping Cough") are on the increase, with 28 cases reported in the Central Shenandoah Valley Health District alone for the month of September and 246 cases reported statewide for the first 9 months of 2011.
Pertussis is a highly contagious bacterial disease common in the United States which can be fatal for infants or young children. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), "periodic epidemics of pertussis occur every 3 to 5 years and frequent outbreaks. In 2010, 27,550 cases of pertussis were reported--and many more cases go unreported."
http://www.cdc.gov/pertussis/outbreaks.htmlA most pronounced symptom is severe coughing which causes children to make a distinctive whooping sound when attempting to breathe. The symptoms of pertussis are similar to those of a bad cold and may remain for several weeks, even sometimes up to 100 days. Because infants and young children are small, their airways are also small; if the airways become inflamed, the inflammation can literally cut off their air supply, according to Dr. Douglas Larsen director of the Central Shenandoah Valley Health District. (The Daily News Record, November 8, 2011, p. B1) Larsen and other pediatricians are encouraging parents to make sure children's vaccinations are current.
According to the CDC, shortages of the Diptheria, Tetanus and Pertussis (D-Tap) vaccine manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) were noted on CDC's list of vaccine shortages. As of May 2011, there were shortages of both GSK's syringe and vial presentations of the D-Tap vaccine which were expected to continue through July 2011, but it was noted that GSK expected to be able to meet the demand for routine usage of their vaccines. To date, CDC has not updated the information on the availability of the D-Tap vaccine on their website, so it falls to parents to check with their children's pediatrician about the pertussis incidence in the area where they live and where their children attend school, and also about the availability of the D-Tap vaccine.
http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vac-gen/shortages/default.htm#chartThere have been reports that the pertussis vaccine can wear off after three years, according to a September 19, 2011, article in The Deseret News by Mike Stobbe of the Associated Press,
http://www.deseretnews.com/article/700180662/Whooping-cough-vaccination-fades.html.This was revealed after a serious outbreak of Pertussis occurred in California in 2010, where more than 9,100 people fell ill and 10 babies died. In a study performed by Dr. David Witt, chief of infectious disease at the Kaiser Permanente Medical Center, San Rafael, California, it was estimated that of the 15,000 children studied, 80 percent of the children studied who got Pertussis were fully vaccinated. "Versions of the vaccine are made by two companies -- Sanofi Pasteur and GlaxoSmithKline. Both companies have acknowledged that the immunity conferred by the vaccine wanes over time," Stobbe's article points out.Now "government health officials recommend that children get vaccinated against whooping cough in five doses, with the first shot at age 2 months and the final one between 4 and 6 years. Then children may get a booster shot at ages 11-12." CDC is encouraging children entering the sixth grade to get the D-Tap vaccine to protect against whooping cough. CDC officials stress that the vaccination is still much better than nothing -- and it reduces how sick a child becomes.
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BPA Revisited
It's not as though people hadn't begun to suspect there might be something negative linked to the presence of BPA in plastic water bottles and can linings. The Department of Health and Human Services' (DHHS) Safety tips website has an entire page devoted to BPA noting that "BPA is a chemical that has been used for more than 40 years in the manufacture of many hard plastic food containers such as baby bottles and reusable cups and the lining of metal food and beverage cans, including canned liquid infant formula. Trace amounts of BPA can be found in some foods packaged in these containers." http://www.hhs.gov/safety/bpa/
There have been some hints along the way that human and animal exposure to BPA in varying degrees might not be too good. Previously performed studies have linked the chemical BPA to asthma in young children. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have compiled data on BPA, otherwise known as bisphenol A, exposure, which show that nearly all Americans have a measurable amount of the chemical in their systems. http://healthland.time.com/2011/10/24/bpa-exposure-in-pregnancy-may-affect-behavior-in-girls/
Findings of a recent scientific study published in the journal, Pediatrics, this week highlight questions about the use of BPA by pregnant women and BPA's effects on their young children. The Time Health™ website, a division of Time Magazine, noted this study "promise[s] to heat up" the debate over the safety of the use of BPA. http://healthland.time.com/2011/10/24/bpa-exposure-in-pregnancy-may-affect-behavior-in-girls/#ixzz1c5RPy6j6
The study, performed by research fellow Joe Braun of the Harvard School for Public Health, found that among "a group of 244 moms with higher BPA levels during pregnancy and their three year olds" (whose BPA levels were also measured), "moms with higher BPA levels were more likely to have children who were aggressive, anxious and hyperactive and showed poor emotional control, compared with moms with lower levels of BPA." The effect was more striking in girls than in boys. "Girls in the study were more than twice as likely as boys to show anxiety and depression if their mothers had been exposed to BPA." The study points to the importance of the relationship of healthfulness in pregnancy to early brain development. Braun stated, "It's possible that the brain is more vulnerable to the effects of BPA during certain parts of pregnancy, such as the early stages, and not as vulnerable later."
Certainly, the results of this study are daunting and something pregnant women should pay attention to, but can we always tell if BPA is in our water bottles or cans? HHS says that we should note that plastic containers have recycle codes on the bottom. "In general, plastics that are marked with recycle codes 1, 2, 4, 5, and 6 are very unlikely to contain BPA. Some, but not all, plastics that are marked with recycle codes 3 or 7 may be made with BPA." And to minimize exposure, parents and caregivers can do the following:
- Do not put very hot or boiling liquid that you intend to consume in plastic containers made with BPA. BPA levels rise in food when containers/products made with the chemical are heated and come in contact with the food.
- Discard all bottles with scratches, as these may harbor bacteria and, if BPA-containing, lead to greater release of BPA.
Of course, these suggestions are only good if you can identify the bottles and cans that contain BPA. If you can't tell, we suggest that you stick to glass containers of baby foods and/or containers you know do not contain BPA--or containers to use to feed baby, (such as glass or stainless steel or china), that can be washed with hot, soapy water and rinsed before and after using.
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CNN's American Morning's
(Christine Romans') sound bite on a possible link between pregnant mothers taking
antidepressants giving birth to children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), set
off some loud alarm bells in many homes throughout the country. This morning, CNN's Romans synopsized a study
the results of which signal the possibility that pregnant women taking
antidepressants which are SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors), such
as Prozac, Zoloft and Celexa, may give birth to children with autism.
The lead author of this study
published in the Archives of General Psychiatry, Lisa Croen, PhD,
director of autism research at Kaiser Permanente Northern
California, noted "This is the first study of its kind to look at the
association, and the findings have to be interpreted with a lot of caution."
She also noted that causality could not be definitely attributed using the
results of a single study.
The study suggests that use of
antidepressants during early pregnancy may pose a greater risk of ASD to the
child. In this study of less than 300
children who have ASD, children exposed to the drugs during the first trimester
were nearly four times more likely to develop an ASD, compared with unexposed
children. http://www.cnn.com/2011/HEALTH/07/04/antidepressant.pregnancy.autism.risk/
The study's
researchers found that "any exposure to the drugs in the womb increased the
risk of ASD diagnosis 2.2-fold, while first-trimester exposure increased the
risk 3.8-fold." Slightly more than 2
percent of all autism cases among children born in the late 1990s could be
attributed to SSRI exposure, Croen and her colleagues estimate." And, she says, this percentage could be
higher today, "because SSRI use during pregnancy has become more common." A study
in 2005 study found that 6.5 percent of pregnant women were taking SSRIs.
While physicians aren't quite ready to tell pregnant mothers to
stop using antidepressants, the results of this study should be noted and
definitely will spawn further research into the possible link between the use
of antidepressants by pregnant women and ASD in their offspring.
Childsafetyblog.org will continue to keep its blog followers
posted on the results of additional research in this possible link between
antidepressants and ASD.
--"Kids should not have energy drinks!" http://www.medpagetoday.com/Pediatrics/GeneralPediatrics/26763?utm_content=&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=DailyHeadlines&utm_source=WC&userid=323650
I don't know about you folks, but I am so relieved. Everyone interested in child safety and health has been awaiting the report by the
For years, doctors have warned parents and caregivers about giving kids too much sugar in candy, snacks, ice cream, sodas, sweetened juices and other foods; the evils of high fructose corn syrup and caffeine have been preached to us almost incessantly by nutrition activists--and then into the marketplace--as if in defiance of everything we've been taught--come energy drinks for kids. You could have knocked me over with a feather! Caffeine and other stimulants contained in energy drinks "have no place in the diet of children and adolescents," cautioned Marcie Beth Schneider, MD, of Greenwich Adolescent Medicine in
The APA says, "Frequently downing Gatorade, Powerade and other sports drinks can substantially boost risk of weight problems for the average child." And here in the
But what the APA says parents really need to be aware of is that "sports and energy drinks are being marketed to kids for a wide variety of inappropriate uses." Energy drink advertisements target kids' desire to excel in sports, suggesting better athletic performance and replacement of fluid and electrolytes lost in sweat, as well as a boosting energy, enhancing concentration and mental alertness." Nice huh... and meanwhile as sports enthusiasts, parents are concerned about a trend in adult sports figures (who shall remain nameless) consuming performance enhancing drugs in everything from bicycling competitions to baseball... Wouldn't sanctioning energy drinks be kind of like programming our kids to do the same when they become adult sports enthusiasts or athletes?
One survey cited by the APA report says that "56.4% of
So, parents, if you want more information on the APA report, go to: Schneider MB, et al "Clinical report-Sports drinks and energy drinks for children and adolescents: Are they appropriate?" Pediatrics 2011; 127: 1182-1189. But with this report, we can all breathe a sigh of relief, that water is still the best choice of drink for our kids!
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