Why Should Girls Play Sports?

 

by: Mary L. Gavin, MD 
Sept. 20, 2009

Why play sports? You might say “to get exercise” and you’d be right. To have fun? That’s true, too. But there’s more. In fact, there are at least 5 more reasons. According to the Women’s Sports Foundation, girls who play sports get a lot more than just fit.

 

Girls who play sports do better in school. You might think that athletics will take up all your study time. But research shows that girls who play sports do better in school than those who don’t. Exercise improves learning, memory, and concentration, which can give active girls an advantage in the classroom.

 

Girls who play sports learn teamwork and goal-setting skills. Sports teaches valuable life skills. When you working with coaches, trainers, and teammates to win games and achieve goals, you’re learning how to be successful. Those skills will serve you well at work and in family life.

Sports are good for a girl’s health. In addition to being fit and maintaining a healthy weight, girls who play sports are also less likely to smoke. And later in life, girls who exercise are less likely to get breast cancer or osteoporosis.

Playing sports boosts self-confidence. Girls who play sports feel better about themselves. Why? It builds confidence when you know you can practice, improve, and achieve your goals. Sports are also a feel-good activity because they help girls get in shape, maintain a healthy weight, and make new friends.

Exercise cuts the pressure. Playing sports can lessen stress and help you feel a little happier. How? The brain chemicals released during exercise improve a person’s mood. Friends are another mood-lifter. And being on a team creates tight bonds between friends. It’s good to know your teammates will support you — both on and off the field!

Source: Kids Health

 

Editor’s Note: We would like to know what you think? dan@youngchronicle.com

Warning About Swine Flu Vaccine

 

by: Dr. Mercola 
September 12, 2009

The swine flu vaccine has been hit by new cancer fears after a German health expert gave a shocking warning about its safety.

Lung specialist Wolfgang Wodarg has said that there are many risks associated with the vaccine for the H1N1 virus. The nutrient solution for the vaccine consists of cancerous cells from animals, and some fear that the risk of cancer could be increased by injecting the cells.

The vaccine can also cause worse side effects than the actual swine flu virus.

Sources:  Bild.com August 21, 2009   Reuters August 22, 2009

Socio-Economics History Blog July 15, 2009   Mercola.com

 

Editor’s Note: We would like to know what you think? dan@youngchronicle.com

Nick Jonas Inspiring to Others with Diabetes

By Linda von Wartburg
Sept. 5, 2009

 

Editor’s Note: This story was first published April 27, 2009 in Diabetes Health. We feel it is worth repeating. We would also love to hear your story if you or someone you know has it. And how this story has affected you dan@youngchronicle.com

Nick Jonas is a personable boy of fourteen who happens to be a member of the Jonas Brothers Band, a group of three brothers with a devoted following of very passionate young fans. In November 2005, Nick Jonas found out that he had type 1 diabetes.

A month or two before he was diagnosed, he began to notice “the usual symptoms: losing weight, the bad attitude, being thirsty, going to the bathroom all the time.” He lost about fifteen pounds in two to three weeks, and “it was just insane.  I had a terrible attitude, which was totally odd for me because I’m actually a nice person.  Especially being on the road around people all the time, you have to keep that positive energy going. And it was hard.”

Nick took some time off from the band’s tour to see a doctor, who packed him off to the hospital immediately when she heard his symptoms.  His blood sugar was over 700.  “For someone who had no bad medical history ever,” he says, “to suddenly have the shock of diabetes was a bit overwhelming in itself, and then I had to learn all about it, learn all these things in such a short period of time.  All of it was crazy.  I also wondered if I could continue making music…but I had the support of my friends and the band to be there with me.  My dad was back at home with my three other brothers, but my mom stayed at the hospital with me every night.”

The day after Nick left the hospital, he performed in a concert and jumped right back into the flow of doing shows and touring.  He started out taking multiple daily injections of NovoLog with Lantus, checking his blood sugar about twelve times a day.  He says, “When we were on the road, I’d be in the back of the band trying to give insulin shots and manage my diabetes, and it was just too hard.  I was getting frustrated with it. I knew that I needed something different, a solution to the problem, which in fact was the OmniPod [by Insulet].  It’s really changed my life in a big way.  I started using it in about April and absolutely loved it.  And all my friends think that it’s a really cool device.”  He says he was shown other pumps, but he adamantly refused them all because he wanted an OmniPod.  He says, “Before I got the OmniPod, I heard about the other ones and they showed me examples and prototypes, but I was like, no, I want this.”

In his OmniPod, Nick uses NovoLog insulin. When he was touring and performing outside at up to 100 degrees last summer, he could set the basal down a little bit so he wouldn’t go low.  He reports that he hasn’t had too many episodes of low blood sugar.  “The past couple months have been awesome for managing my diabetes, and I’m doing well.  My A1c has come down a lot.  It is in about the 7% to 8% range, and it was 11% to 12% when I first was diagnosed.”

“What’s awesome about the OmniPod,” Nick says, “is that it works as a FreeStyle meter, so I just put the FreeStyle test strip in it. He tries to check about nine to ten times a day, and his blood sugar is usually 150 to 175 mg/dl.  He acknowledges this is high, but because he is so fit and active and has a tendency to go low, this is what he has been advised should be his normal range. His friends are very supportive.  “I’ll check my sugar and they’re all concerned, what’s it at right now?”  He’s thought about using a continuous monitor and may be using one soon.

Nick doesn’t follow any special diet. He can pretty much eat whatever he wants as long as he makes sure to take the right amount of insulin for it.  He is a huge steak eater: “I could eat all the steak in the world,” he says, but “I’ll eat pretty much anything.”  He notes that with the OmniPod, he can enter the carbs and it’ll give him a suggested amount of insulin.  It also has a food database, in case he ever has a question about how many carbs are in something. When he gets low, he prefers to drink orange juice or some other liquid because they work so quickly.

In March 2007, about a year and a half after his diagnosis, Nick publicly announced that he has diabetes at Carnival For a Cure, in an appearance sponsored by Insulet. He had known from the get-go that he knew he wanted to go public with his diabetes; it was simply a matter of when.  He notes that he’s still new to diabetes and feels “like a freshman coming into a senior’s class.”  He waited until he felt comfortable with managing his diabetes before telling everyone about it. Of course, he didn’t test in public until after his announcement, but now he tests wherever he is.

As an example of the intense scrutiny to which he is subjected by his fans, there is now a game on line called “Spot the OmniPod, ” in which fans examine old photos of him, trying to spot his pump.  Some of them write his name on their arm where he wears it. Everyone in his whole family has a fansite, even his father and his little six-year-old brother.

After Nick announced that he had diabetes, he says, “I found it amazing just how many people know somebody with diabetes or have diabetes themselves. We’d get these stories about how some of the kids were really afraid to tell their friends and how my situation gave them courage to do that. The fact that I’m able to have somewhat of a spotlight to share my story, I just feel blessed.” He carries a supply of guitar picks in his pocket, and “whenever I meet another diabetic buddy as I call them, I give them a pick, a cool little thing.”

Nick appreciates the fact that “I have a platform to be able to share my story.  I have this passion to be able to share with young people my age and be a positive light in a situation that might not be so positive.  I’ve heard stories about kids who were in depression because after they got diagnosed they were just so upset about what was going on.  That just touched my heart, and I wanted to be able to do something about it. I hope that I can be that positive light.”

Asked to describe the biggest hassle of diabetes, Nick tells about the times when it’s been a long day, and he has to go back and deal with some of the annoying things about diabetes.  When he gets a low blood sugar, “it’s like, oh, what do I do, and you just get kind of overwhelmed. That’s one of the biggest things for me.  And also when people don’t understand too much about diabetes and you have to explain.  I try to make it work.  I say, well, it’s a little bit different than you might have heard.”

Being on tour adds a dimension of difficulty to managing his diabetes because the schedule is “kind of insane.” It’s getting easier now because he’s been doing it a little bit longer.  “It’s a team effort and it’s all good,” he says. His mom travels on tour with him. His mom “is awesome.” She helps him with everything he does, especially in managing his diabetes. He takes supplements and vitamins because his mom favors them.  He describes his parents as his biggest influence, totally amazing people whom he’s blessed to have in his life.

He knows that diabetes “is a huge part of my life and I can’t just forget about it, obviously. I have to keep taking care of it and managing it, and learning more things about it.  Hopefully one day they’ll come up with some type of cure, and I hope I’ll be one of the first to know about it.

Nick comes across as extremely well-spoken and mature for his age. He describes himself as “more the quiet guy in the bunch,” not the kind of person who will just go up to somebody and start a conversation.  But “I consider myself somewhat of a leader, hopefully.” He is planning to be very involved with the diabetes community.  “This is just the beginning of what’s to come with all this.”

To newly diagnosed kids with diabetes, Nick would say, “Don’t let it slow you down at all.  I made a promise to myself on the way to the hospital that I wouldn’t let this thing slow me down and I’d just keep moving forward, and that’s what I did. Just keep a positive attitude and keep moving forward with it. Don’t be discouraged.”

Nick Jonas and his two older brothers, Kevin and Joe, form the Jonas Brothers Band.  They hail from New Jersey, where their parents were both musicians. Nick sings, plays guitar and drums.  The band is very popular with young girls, who have numerous fansites in which they declare their love for Nick and his brothers. Their first album, “It’s About Time,” was released in August 2006.  Their newest record comes out August 7, 2007, full of new songs.

Source: Diabetes Health,Children with Diabetes

Brain Damage from Cell Phone

By Dr. Mercola
Sept. 3, 2009

A collaborative team of international EMF activists has released a report detailing eleven design flaws of the 13-country, Telecom-funded Interphone study.

The exposé discusses research on cell phones and brain tumors, concluding that:

• There is a risk of brain tumors from cell phone use
• Telecom funded studies underestimate the risk of brain tumors
• Children have larger risks than adults for brain tumors

The Interphone study, begun in 1999, was intended to determine the risks of brain tumors, but its full publication has been held up for years. Components of this study published to date reveal what the authors call a ‘systemic-skew’, greatly underestimating brain tumor risk.

The design flaws include categorizing subjects who used portable phones (which emit the same microwave radiation as cell phones,) as ‘unexposed’; exclusion of many types of brain tumors; exclusion of people who had died, or were too ill to be interviewed as a consequence of their brain tumor; and exclusion of children and young adults, who are more vulnerable.

Ronald B. Herberman, MD, Director Emeritus of the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute has stated,

“Based on substantial evidence, especially from industry-independent studies that long term exposure to radiofrequency radiation may lead to increased risk for brain tumors, I issued a precautionary advisory last year to faculty and staff of the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute.

Since then, my particular concern about exposure of children to radiofrequency has been supported by a report from Dr. Lennart Hardell. Some of my scientific colleagues have expressed skepticism about the reported biological effects, especially DNA0A damage by radiofequency radiation, because of the absence of a demonstrated underlying molecular mechanism.

However, based on the precautionary principle, I believe it is more prudent to take seriously the reports by multiple investigators that radiofrequency can damage DNA and increase the risk for brain tumors, and for industry-independent agencies to provide needed funding for detailed research to ascertain the molecular basis for such effects.”

Lloyd Morgan, lead author and member of the Bioelectromagnetics Society says,

“Exposure to cell phone radiation is the largest human health experiment ever undertaken, without informed consent, and has some 4 billion participants enrolled.

Science has shown increased risk of brain tumors from use of cell phones, as well as increased risk of eye cancer, salivary gland tumors, testicular cancer, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and leukemia.

The public must be informed.”

Sources: Business Wire Radiation Research Mercola.com
Editor’s Note: We would like to know what you think? dan@youngchronicle.com

Disciplining Your Child

 

By Jennifer Shroff Pendley, PhD
August 22, 2009

 

How do you keep a 1-year-old from heading toward the DVD player? What should you do when your preschooler throws a fit? How can you get a teenager to respect your authority?

Whatever the age of your child, it’s important to be consistent when it comes to discipline. If parents don’t stick to the rules and consequences they set up, their kids aren’t likely to either. 

Here are some ideas about how to vary your approach to discipline to best fit your family.

 

Ages 0 to 2

Babies and toddlers are naturally curious. So it’s wise to eliminate temptations and no-nos — items such as TVs and video equipment, stereos, jewelry, and especially cleaning supplies and medications should be kept well out of reach.

When your crawling baby or roving toddler heads toward an unacceptable or dangerous play object, calmly say “No” and either remove your child from the area or distract him or her with an appropriate activity.

Timeouts can be effective discipline for toddlers. A child who has been hitting, biting, or throwing food, for example, should be told why the behavior is unacceptable and taken to a designated timeout area — a kitchen chair or bottom stair — for a minute or two to calm down (longer timeouts are not effective for toddlers).

It’s important to not spank, hit, or slap a child of any age. Babies and toddlers are especially unlikely to be able to make any connection between their behavior and physical punishment. They will only feel the pain of the hit.

And don’t forget that kids learn by watching adults, particularly their parents. Make sure your behavior is role-model material. You’ll make a much stronger impression by putting your own belongings away rather than just issuing orders to your child to pick up toys while your stuff is left strewn around.

 

Ages 3 to 5

As your child grows and begins to understand the connection between actions and consequences, make sure you start communicating the rules of your family’s home.

Explain to kids what you expect of them before you punish them for a certain behavior. For instance, the first time your 3-year-old uses crayons to decorate the living room wall, discuss why that’s not allowed and what will happen if your child does it again (for instance, your child will have to help clean the wall and will not be able to use the crayons for the rest of the day). If the wall gets decorated again a few days later, issue a reminder that crayons are for paper only and then enforce the consequences.

The earlier that parents establish this kind of “I set the rules and you’re expected to listen or accept the consequences” standard, the better for everyone. Although it’s sometimes easier for parents to ignore occasional bad behavior or not follow through on some threatened punishment, this sets a bad precedent. Consistency is the key to effective discipline, and it’s important for parents to decide (together, if you are not a single parent) what the rules are and then uphold them.

While you become clear on what behaviors will be punished, don’t forget to reward good behaviors. Don’t underestimate the positive effect that your praise can have — discipline is not just about punishment but also about recognizing good behavior. For example, saying “I’m proud of you for sharing your toys at playgroup” is usually more effective than punishing a child for the opposite behavior — not sharing. And be specific when doling out praise; don’t just say, “Good job!”

If your child continues an unacceptable behavior no matter what you do, try making a chart with a box for each day of the week. Decide how many times your child can misbehave before a punishment kicks in or how long the proper behavior must be displayed before it is rewarded. Post the chart on the refrigerator and then track the good and unacceptable behaviors every day. This will give your child (and you) a concrete look at how it’s going. Once this begins to work, praise your child for learning to control misbehavior and, especially, for overcoming any stubborn problem.

Timeouts also can work well for kids at this age. Establish a suitable timeout place that’s free of distractions and will force your child to think about how he or she has behaved. Remember, getting sent to your room doesn’t have an impact if a computer, TV, and video games are there. Don’t forget to consider the length of time that will best suit your child. Experts say 1 minute for each year of age is a good rule of thumb; others recommend using the timeout until the child is calmed down (to teach self-regulation).

It’s important to tell kids what the right thing to do is, not just to say what the wrong thing is. For example, instead of saying “Don’t jump on the couch,” try “Please sit on the furniture and put your feet on the floor.”

 

Ages 6 to 8

Timeouts and consequences are also effective discipline strategies for this age group.

Again, consistency is crucial, as is follow-through. Make good on any promises of discipline or else you risk undermining your authority. Kids have to believe that you mean what you say. This is not to say you can’t give second chances or allow a certain margin of error, but for the most part, you should act on what you say.

Be careful not to make unrealistic threats of punishment (”Slam that door and you’ll never watch TV again!”) in anger, since not following through could weaken all your threats. If you threaten to turn the car around and go home if the squabbling in the backseat doesn’t stop, make sure you do exactly that. The credibility you’ll gain with your kids is much more valuable than a lost beach day.

Huge punishments may take away your power as a parent. If you ground your son or daughter for a month, your child may not feel motivated to change behaviors because everything has already been taken away.

 

Ages 9 to 12 

Kids in this age group — just as with all ages — can be disciplined with natural consequences. As they mature and request more independence and responsibility, teaching them to deal with the consequences of their behavior is an effective and appropriate method of discipline.

For example, if your fifth grader’s homework isn’t done before bedtime, should you make him or her stay up to do it or even lend a hand yourself? Probably not — you’ll miss an opportunity to teach a key life lesson. If homework is incomplete, your child will go to school the next day without it and suffer the resulting bad grade.

It’s natural for parents to want to rescue kids from mistakes, but in the long run they do kids a favor by letting them fail sometimes. Kids see what behaving improperly can mean and probably won’t make those mistakes again. However, if your child does not seem to be learning from natural consequences, set up some of your own to help modify the behavior.

 

Ages 13 and Up

By now you’ve laid the groundwork. Your child knows what’s expected and that you mean what you say about the penalties for bad behavior. Don’t let down your guard now — discipline is just as important for teens as it is for younger kids. Just as with the 4-year-old who needs you to set a bedtime and enforce it, your teen needs boundaries, too.

Set up rules regarding homework, visits by friends, curfews, and dating and discuss them beforehand with your teenager so there will be no misunderstandings. Your teen will probably complain from time to time, but also will realize that you’re in control. Believe it or not, teens still want and need you to set limits and enforce order in their lives, even as you grant them greater freedom and responsibility.

When your teen does break a rule, taking away privileges may seem the best plan of action. While it’s fine to take away the car for a week, for example, be sure to also discuss why coming home an hour past curfew is unacceptable and worrisome.

Remember to give a teenager some control over things. Not only will this limit the number of power struggles you have, it will help your teen respect the decisions that you do need to make. You could allow a younger teen to make decisions concerning school clothes, hair styles, or even the condition of his or her room. As your teen gets older, that realm of control might be extended to include an occasional relaxed curfew.

It’s also important to focus on the positives. For example, have your teen earn a later curfew by demonstrating positive behavior instead of setting an earlier curfew as punishment for irresponsible behavior.

 

A Word About Spanking

Perhaps no form of discipline is more controversial than spanking. Here are some reasons why the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) discourages spanking:

       Spanking teaches kids that it’s OK to hit when they’re angry.

       Spanking can physically harm children.

       Rather than teaching kids how to change their behavior, spanking makes them fearful of their parents and merely teaches them to avoid getting caught.

       For kids seeking attention by acting out, spanking may inadvertently “reward” them — negative attention is better than no attention at all.

 

Source: Kids Health

 

Editor’s Note: We would like to know what you think? dan@youngchronicle.com

Healthy Exercises For Kids

By Julia Gaynor
August 14, 2009

Overweight and out-of-shape kids are more and more common in America, but it’s more than just a “kid” problem. The trouble is that unhealthy kids often turn into unhealthy adults.

Help your kids start healthy now and stay healthy later by making sure they get enough exercise as well as the right kind of exercise for their age.

How Much Exercise?

According to the National Association for Sport and Physical education, all kids 2 years and older should get at least 60 minutes of moderate to rigorous exercise most days of the week.

For those under school age, there should be an hour of structured exercise and an hour of “free play.” School-aged children should not be active for periods of more than two hours or more. That means that one movie on the couch is all the couch surfing they’re allowed!

The Right Exercises For Kids

Kids aren’t just exercising to stay in shape – they’re growing and developing muscles, bones, joints and ligaments, so it’s important that they get all three of the most important kinds of exercise. Here are the three types of exercise that kids need:

Endurance: This is what you see when kids run around chasing each other on a playground. It strengthens their cardiovascular system and builds physical and mental strength.

Strength: This kind of fitness is what we normally associate with weight-lifting, but with kids, it can come from push-ups, pull ups, climbing and other wrestling activities.

Flexibilty: Building great flexibility in kids can come from bending down to tie their shoes to practicing different gymnastic moves like cartwheels, splits and other stretching moves. The great thing about stretching is that it can be done almost any time, anywhere.

Raising Healthy Kids

The thing about kids is that they’re exercising almost every time they do what they love most – play. As long as they’re not planted in front of the TV set, they will find ways to run and jump, climb and have adventures which will all burn calories and build muscle.

And remember that old expression “monkey-see, monkey-do”? Well, if you live a fit and healthy lifestyle, just think of what a power of example you can be for your kids. You don’t have to run marathons to show how to be fit and healthy. Here are a few ideas:

• Walk your errands when you could drive
• Take the stairs when you could take the elevator
• Go for nightly walks or jogs with your family.
• Take weekend bike rides when the weather allows.
• Cook healthy meals for your whole family.

Just to remind you of all of the fun things that kids love to do, here’s a list of kid-friendly exercises that will give them strength, flexibility and endurance!

• Basketball
• Playing “tag”
• Jumprope
• Bicycling
• Ice-skating
• Gymnastics
• Inline skating
• Cheerleading
• Soccer
• Hiking
• Swimming
• Tennis
• Walking
• Jogging
• Running
• Wii-Fit (yes, even this!)

Source: Eversave

Editor’s Note: We would like to know what you think? dan@youngchronicle.com

Understanding Cerebral Palsy

 

by: Steven J. Bachrach, MD
August 7, 2009

 

Cerebral palsy (CP) is a disorder that affects muscle tone, movement, and motor skills (the ability to move in a coordinated and purposeful way). Cerebral palsy can also lead to other health issues, including vision, hearing, and speech problems, and learning disabilities.

CP is usually caused by brain damage that occurs before or during a child’s birth, or during the first 3 to 5 years of a child’s life. There is no cure for CP, but treatment, therapy, special equipment, and, in some cases, surgery can help a child who is living with the condition.

 

About Cerebral Palsy

Cerebral palsy is one of the most common congenital (existing before birth or at birth) disorders of childhood. About 500,000 children and adults of all ages in the United States have the condition.

 

The three types of CP are:

1. spastic cerebral palsy — causes stiffness and movement difficulties
2. athetoid cerebral palsy — leads to involuntary and uncontrolled movements
3. ataxic cerebral palsy — causes a disturbed sense of balance and depth perception.

Cerebral palsy affects muscle control and coordination, so even simple movements — like standing still — are difficult. Other vital functions that also involve motor skills and muscles — such as breathing, bladder and bowel control, eating, and learning — may also be affected when a child has CP. Cerebral palsy does not get worse over time.

 

Causes of Cerebral Palsy

The exact causes of most cases of CP are unknown, but many are the result of problems during pregnancy in which the brain is either damaged or doesn’t develop normally. This can be due to infections, maternal health problems, or something else that interferes with normal brain development. Problems during labor and delivery can cause CP in some cases.

Premature babies — particularly those who weigh less than 3.3 pounds (1,510 grams) — have a higher risk of CP than babies that are carried full-term, as are other low birth weight babies and multiple births, such as twins and triplets.

Brain damage in infancy or early childhood can also lead to CP. A baby or toddler might suffer this damage because of lead poisoning, bacterial meningitis, malnutrition, being shaken as an infant (shaken baby syndrome), or being in a car accident while not properly restrained.

 

Diagnosing Cerebral Palsy

CP may be diagnosed very early in an infant known to be at risk for developing the condition because of premature birth or other health problems. Doctors, such as pediatricians and developmental and neurological specialists, usually follow these kids closely from birth so that they can identify and address any developmental delays or problems with muscle function that might indicate CP.

In a baby carried to term with no other obvious risk factors for CP, it may be difficult to diagnose the disorder in the first year of life. Often doctors aren’t able to diagnose CP until they see a delay in normal developmental milestones (such as reaching for toys by 4 months or sitting up by 7 months), which can be a sign of CP.

Abnormal muscle tone, poorly coordinated movements, and the persistence of infant reflexes beyond the age at which they are expected to disappear also can be signs. If these developmental milestones are only mildly delayed, the diagnosis of CP may not be made until the child is a toddler.

 

Preventing Cerebral Palsy

In many cases the causes of CP are unknown, so there’s no way to prevent it. But if you’re having a baby, you can take steps to ensure a healthy pregnancy and carry the baby to term, thus lowering the risk that your baby will have CP.

Before becoming pregnant, it’s important to maintain a healthy diet and make sure that any medical problems are managed properly. As soon as you know you’re pregnant, proper prenatal medical care is vital. If you are taking any medications, review these with your doctor and clarify if there are any side effects that can cause birth defects.

Controlling diabetes, anemia, hypertension, seizures, and nutritional deficiencies during pregnancy can help prevent some premature births and, as a result, some cases of cerebral palsy.

Once your baby is born you can lower the risk of brain damage, which could lead to CP. Never shake an infant, as this can lead to shaken baby syndrome and brain damage. If you’re riding in a car, make sure your baby is properly strapped into an infant car seat that’s correctly installed — if an accident occurs, the baby will be as protected as possible.

Be aware of lead exposure in your house, as lead poisoning can lead to brain damage. Remember to have your child get his or her immunizations on time — these shots protect against serious infections, some of which can cause brain damage resulting in CP

 

How Cerebral Palsy Affects Development

Kids with CP have varying degrees of physical disability. Some have only mild impairment, while others are severely affected.

Associated medical problems may include visual impairment or blindness, hearing loss, food aspiration (the sucking of food or fluid into the lungs), gastroesophageal reflux (spitting up), speech problems, drooling, tooth decay, sleep disorders, osteoporosis (weak, brittle bones), and behavior problems.

Seizures, speech and communication problems, and mental retardation are also common among kids with the severe form of CP. Many have problems that may require ongoing therapy and devices such as braces or wheelchairs.

 

Treatment of Cerebral Palsy

Currently there’s no cure for cerebral palsy, but a variety of resources and therapies can provide help and improve the quality of life for kids with CP.

Different kinds of therapy can help them achieve maximum potential in growth and development. As soon as CP is diagnosed, a child can begin therapy for movement, learning, speech, hearing, and social and emotional development.

In addition, medication, surgery, or braces can help improve muscle function. Surgery can help repair dislocated hips and scoliosis (curvature of the spine), which are common problems associated with CP. Severe muscle spasticity can sometimes be helped with medication taken by mouth or administered via a pump (the baclofen pump) implanted under the skin.

A team of professionals will work with you to meet your child’s medical needs. That team may include therapists, psychologists, educators, nurses, and social workers.

Many resources are available to help and support you in caring for your child. Talk to your doctor about finding those in your area.

 

Source: Kids Health

Editor’s Note: We would like yo know what you think? dan@youngchronicle.com

Tools Be a Fit Kid

By Mary L. Gavin
July 12, 2009

 

There’s a lot of discussion these days about fit kids. People who care (parents, doctors, teachers, and others) want to know how to help kids be more fit.

Being fit is a way of saying a person eats well, gets a lot of physical activity (exercise), and has a healthy weight. If you’re fit, your body works well, feels good, and can do all the things you want to do, like run around with your friends.

Some steps only parents can take – such as serving healthy meals or deciding to take the family on a nature hike. But kids can take charge, too, when it comes to health.

Here are five rules to live by, if you’re a kid who wants to be fit. The trick is to follow these rules most of the time, knowing that some days (like your birthday) might call for cake and ice cream.

 

Eat a Variety of Foods, Especially Fruits and Vegetables

You may have a favorite food, but the best choice is to eat a variety. If you eat different foods, you’re more likely to get the nutrients your body needs. Taste new foods and old ones you haven’t tried for a while. Some foods, such as green veggies, are more pleasing the older you get. Shoot for at least five servings of fruits and vegetables a day – two fruits and three vegetables.

Here’s one combination that might work for you:

• at breakfast: ½ cup (about 4 large) strawberries on your cereal
• with lunch: 6 baby carrots
• for a snack: an apple
• with dinner: ½ cup broccoli (about 2 big spears) and 1 cup of salad.

 

Drink Water and Milk Most Often

When you’re really thirsty, cold water is the No. 1 thirst-quencher. And there’s a reason your school cafeteria offers cartons of milk. Kids need calcium to build strong bones, and milk is a great source of this mineral. How much do kids need? If you are younger than 9 years old, drink 2 cups of milk a day, or its equivalent. Aim for 3 cups of milk per day, or its equivalent. You can mix it up by having milk and some other calcium-rich dairy foods. Here’s one combination:

• 2 cups (about half a liter) of low-fat or nonfat milk
• 1 slice cheddar cheese
• ½ cup (small container) of yogurt

You probably will want something other than milk or water once in a while, so it’s OK to have 100% juice, too. But try to limit sugary drinks, like sodas, juice cocktails, and fruit punches. They contain a lot of added sugar. Sugar just adds calories, not important nutrients.

 

Listen to Your Body

What does it feel like to be full? When you’re eating, notice how your body feels and when your stomach feels comfortably full. Sometimes, people eat too much because they don’t notice when they need to stop eating. Eating too much can make you feel uncomfortable and, over a period of time, can lead to unhealthy weight gain.

 

Limit Screen Time

What’s screen time? It’s the amount of time you spend watching TV or DVDs, playing video games (console systems or handheld games), and using the computer. The more time you spend on these sitting-down activities, the less time available for active stuff, like basketball, bike riding, and swimming. Try to spend no more than 2 hours a day on screen time, not counting computer use related to school.

 

Be Active

One job you have as a kid – and it’s a fun one – is that you get to figure out which activities you like best. Not everyone loves baseball or soccer. Maybe your passion is karate, or kickball, or dancing. Ask your parents to help you do your favorite activities regularly. Find ways to be active every day. You might even write down a list of fun stuff to do, so you can refer to it when your mom or dad says it’s time to stop watching TV or playing computer games!

Speaking of parents, they can be a big help if you want to be a fit kid. For instance, they can stock the house with healthy foods and plan physical activities for the family. Tell your parents about these five steps you want to take and maybe you can teach them a thing or two. If you’re a fit kid, why shouldn’t you have a fit mom and a fit dad?

Source: Kids Health

 

Editor’s Note: We would like to know what you think? dan@youngchronicle.com

Children Bleeding Disorders

By Michael K. Davis, MD
July 3, 2009

Bleeding is the leakage of blood from blood vessels.  This may be due to injury or illness.  Bleeding after a minor injury is typically quickly controlled with the normal process of blood clotting and constriction of blood vessels.  There are disorders of blood clotting that can lead to excessive bleeding from even minor injuries.  Mild clotting disorders may actually be helpful later in adulthood when strokes and heart attacks result from blood vessel damage and blood clots. 

Clotting is a complex process which involves multiple proteins in the blood and tissues as well as platelets.  Platelets are formed in the bone marrow and act as first responders to sites of blood vessel injury.  Platelets help plug blood vessel holes by sticking to the damaged areas and “spinning” a fibrin web to keep blood cells from leaking out.  Hemophilia and Von Willebrand disease are blood clotting disorders that some children are born with.
What is abnormal bleeding?
Bleeding is considered abnormal when it occurs at unexpected times, in unexpected places or lasts longer than expected.  Some examples of abnormal bleeding would include:

• excess bleeding from circumcision in a newborn male
• frequent nose bleeds
• frequent bleeding from the gums
• excess menstrual bleeding in females
• easy bruising
• blood in urine or stools
• excess bleeding after an injury or surgery
• bleeding into muscles or joints
• <>small pinpoint bruises under the skin or mucous membranes (called petechiae)

What causes abnormal bleeding?
Genetic causes

• Hemophilia and Von Willebrand disease – caused by the absence or deficiency of a clotting protein.
• Platelet deficiency or abnormal platelet function
• Abnormal blood vessel diseases or syndromes

Drugs or vitamins

• Many medications can slow down the production of platelets and other blood products
• Deficiency of vitamin K
• Deficiency of vitamin B12 or folate
• Aspirin and other medications impair the function of platelets

Illness

• Production of platelets and clotting proteins can be impaired
• Blood vessels may become leaky due to abnormal inflammation
• Abnormal uncontrolled blood clotting and bleeding may occur in severe illness (i.e., sepsis)

Low platelet count

• Decreased production (i.e., illness or genetic causes)
• Increased consumption (i.e., idiopathic thrombocytopenia, sepsis, bleeding)

Liver disease or malnutrition

• Poor production of clotting protein
• Poor absorption of vitamin K or other nutrients

How is a bleeding disorder diagnosed?

• Your doctor will perform a history and physical exam.
• Blood tests include “coags” or prothrombin time (PT), partial thromboplastin time (PTT), and a platelet count.
• More sophisticated blood tests are available if necessary

How is a bleeding disorder treated?
This depends on the cause.  Acute bleeding should be treated by applying pressure and seeking medical care.  Bleeding disorders are often referred to a hematologist (blood specialist).

Source: Dr Tummy

Editor’s Note: We would like to know what you think? dan@youngchronicle.com

Next week we will talk about: Hypothyroidism.

Kids and Eating Disorder- The Signs

by: Michelle New, PhD
June 26, 2009

Humans need food and water to live. Kids especially need to eat healthy food – and enough of it – to grow and develop. But for some kids, they hear about food making them “too fat” or they start to worry about food – and some kids stop eating right, eat too little, or try to make themselves throw up after they eat.

Doing this can make kids get very sick – without enough food, or if a kid keeps throwing up – it makes our bodies stop growing and developing in a healthy way. If this goes on for a long time, kids can get very sick and need to go to hospital to be fed through a tube in their nose. Sometimes people can’t stop their bodies getting so sick, and it can even lead to death. Why, then, would anyone do it? Well, there isn’t just one answer – there are many.

Some say it’s because there are lots of too-thin models and movie or TV stars. We see these people’s bodies on TV, the computer, or in a magazine and might feel that we want to look like that too because they seem rich and happy all the time. A lot of us like the way that TV stars and sports celebrities look, or they wish their own bodies looked different.

But that’s probably not the whole story. Most kids just enjoy looking at pictures of famous people and seeing them on TV, but it doesn’t make them change their own lives. Some might start trying to eat healthy and exercise, or ask their parents if they can help them to be more healthy.

But some people go on a diet, which means they start eating less food – and sometimes dieting can get out of control. Some kids at school might start competing about how little they have eaten that day. Some brag about having a diet soda for breakfast. But this can be the start of unhealthy eating problems.

Anyone can have an eating disorder: boys and girls, kids, teens, and adults. Let’s find out more about eating disorders.

What Is Anorexia?

You’ve probably heard about anorexia, which is also called anorexia nervosa (say: an-uh-rek-see-uh nur-voh-suh). With this problem, the main thing is that someone becomes very afraid of gaining weight and also thinks his or her body is too fat (even if the person is thin). Some people just lose a lot of weight by extreme dieting (not eating enough), and some also might vomit after they eat.

People with anorexia often have depression or anxiety. To help someone with anorexia, it is important to have a doctor, therapist, and nutritionist to help, as well as your family.

Some of the symptoms of anorexia include:

• losing lots of weight
• denying feeling hungry (saying you are not hungry even if you are)
• exercising too much
• feeling fat
• withdrawing from social activities (not wanting to go to parties or out for dinner)

What Is Bulimia?

Instead of starving themselves, people who have bulimia nervosa (say: boo-lee-mee-uh nur-voh-suh) will binge and purge. That means they will binge (that is, eat a huge amount of food, like a tub of ice cream, then a big bag of chips, then a box of cookies in 2 hours or so), then purge (try to get rid of it by vomiting or taking laxatives, usually in secret).

Kids who have bulimia usually feel helpless and that they can’t get control over what they eat or other things in their lives. Bingeing and purging can be a way for them to have some control. Kids sometimes develop bulimia when something new or stressful enters their life, like a move to a new town or a parents’ divorce. Kids with bulimia can sometimes be harder to spot than kids with anorexia because their weight is often in the range of what’s normal.

Some of the symptoms that kids with bulimia might have include:

• making excuses to go to the bathroom immediately after meals
• eating huge amounts of food without weight gain
• using laxatives or diuretics (medicine that makes you poop and pee)
• withdrawing from social activities

What Causes Eating Disorders?

There really is no single cause for an eating disorder. Most kids who develop anorexia do so between the ages of 11 and 14 (although it can start as early as age 7), and there are many reasons why. Some kids just don’t feel good about themselves on the inside and this makes them try to change the outside. They might be depressed or stressed about things and feel as though they have no control over their lives. They see what they eat (or don’t eat) as something that they can control.

Sometimes kids involved in certain sports might feel they need to change their body or be thin to compete. Girls who model also might be more likely to develop an eating disorder. All of these girls know their bodies are being watched closely, and they may develop an eating disorder in an attempt to make their bodies more “perfect.”

When boys develop eating disorders, it’s usually because they’re in a sport that emphasizes weight, such as wrestling. Wrestlers compete based on weight classes. For instance, there’s one class for 75-pound boys and another for 80-pound boys. Wrestlers feel pressure to stay in their weight class, which is called “making weight.”

Eating disorders also may run in families, which means if someone in your family has one, you might be at risk for developing one, too. A kid may be more likely to develop an eating disorder if a parent is overly concerned with the kid’s appearance or if the parent isn’t comfortable with his or her own body.

Can Somebody Catch an Eating Disorder?

You can’t catch an eating disorder from someone the way you can catch a cold. But the friends who you spend time with can influence you and how you see yourself. If your friends think the most important thing is to be thin, you may start to feel that way, too. And if they are doing unhealthy things to be thin, you might feel pressure to do so, too

Eating Disorders Do Damage

No one wants to be overweight, but your body needs some fat to work properly. Someone whose weight gets too low will start having health problems. If this goes on too long, those problems may be severe and can cause death.

Anorexia may do damage to the heart, liver, and kidneys. A girl with anorexia may be delayed in getting her period or stop getting her period. Breathing, blood pressure, and pulse also may drop – this is the body’s way of shifting into low gear to protect itself. Fingernails may break and hair may fall out, too.

Kids with anorexia often do not feel well – they suffer from headaches, dizziness, and concentration difficulties. They also may become withdrawn and moody. And people with anorexia will feel chilly even in warm weather because they don’t have enough body fat to keep them warm.

For kids with bulimia, the most serious problem is that their purging means a loss of potassium, an important nutrient. Potassium is found in foods such as bananas, tomatoes, beans, and melons. Too little potassium can lead to dangerous heart problems.

Someone who has bulimia might have problems with tooth decay because puke is acidic. Too much throwing up also can cause “chipmunk cheeks,” when glands in the cheeks actually expand. People with bulimia also may damage their stomachs and kidneys and have constant stomach pain. Like girls with anorexia, girls with bulimia also may stop menstruating.

In addition to the health problems, kids who have an eating disorder are probably not having much fun. Typically, these kids miss out on good times because they pull away from friends and keep to themselves. They don’t want to have pizza with their friends or enjoy a birthday party

Signs of Eating Disorders

Weight loss is not normal, or healthy, for kids because they are growing. If you or someone you know is losing weight, you should talk with a parent, teacher, coach, or other adult that you trust. If a friend is skipping meals, becomes obsessed with how many calories are in food, or starts exercising all the time, these may be additional signs something is wrong. With bulimia, the signs would be someone who’s storing or buying a lot of food, then hiding out to binge and purge.

Getting Well

Talking about having a problem and getting help is the first step to getting back to being healthy again. It’s important to take action as soon as possible. Someone with an eating disorder may see a doctor, a dietitian, and a counselor or therapist. Together, the team can help the person achieve the goals of reaching a healthy weight, following a nutritious diet, and feeling good about himself or herself again.

Source: Kids Health

Editor’s Note: We would like to know what you think? dan@youngchronicle.com

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