Archive for the ‘Health Alerts’ CategorySafety at Sea: Precautions to Help Parents Protect Kids on BoatsThursday, May 19th, 2011
Central Texas has many lakes where boating is a favorite pastime enjoyed by the whole family. Others head to the coast for fishing and other water sports. Here are some tips to go over before boarding. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children should always wear jackets when boating or when near bodies of water. Boats are required by the U.S Coast Guard to have a life jacket for every person on board, and some states require fire life jackets to always be worn by adults and children. The U.S. Coast Guard does not recommend taking infants on boats because like jackets available for infants–18 pounds and under–might not fit properly. All life jackets should be tested yearly in pools or shallow water. The AAP advises parents to select personal floatation devices based on the child’s weight. Devices should be labeled as approved by the U.S. Coast Guard and tested by Underwriters Laboratories. A jacket fits well if it cannot be lifted over a child’s head after it has been fastened and should be able to keep the chin above water. There are 3 types of life jackets to keep children safe on boats this summer:
Parents can set a good example by wearing life jackets at all times. They also should keep a watchful eye on children playing in or near the waster. For more information on water safety, visit www.healthychildren.org Posted in Health Alerts | 1 Comment » Controlling Austin Allergies So Your Child Can Play OutsideTuesday, April 19th, 2011In today’s fight against childhood obesity, one of the most important components is to encourage children to be more active. “Being active” can simply mean playing, which children love to do. It’s in children’s nature to play, and it’s vital. But the most active play takes place outside… and playing outside can be uncomfortable and even dangerous for children who suffer from allergies. In Central Texas, the passage of time is marked by the onset of Cedar Fever symptoms from December through February. The annual itchy eyes and dripping nose are as regular in the Central Texas as snowfall is in Boston. In most parts of the country, the winter months provide respite to allergy sufferers, but in the Austin area, the pollination of the Mountain Cedar takes place during these months, and this tree is highly allergenic. Of course, Cedar Fever is just one type of allergy; kids everywhere also suffer from allergies to food, pets, dust, mold, latex, and more. Children who suffer from allergies are more likely to have asthma. In fact, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics, 70-80% of school-aged children with asthma also have allergies. Parents must take allergies seriously. What Should Parents Do if They Suspect Allergies?When a parent suspects her child suffers from allergies, the first thing she must do is to confirm her suspicion. At the Pediatric Center of Round Rock, pediatricians can diagnose allergies by taking a complete medical history with questions specific to allergy symptoms. They can also perform a RAST (radioallergosorbent) blood test to determine what substances are causing the allergic reaction. After allergies have been diagnosed, the doctors at the Pediatric Center of Round Rock may refer patients and their parents to an allergy specialist, depending on the severity of the symptoms. Allergies can’t be cured, but they can be controlled. What Should Parents Do after their Child Has Been Diagnosed with Allergies?Parents of children with allergies must reduce the child’s exposure to the allergen. For example, children with pet allergies should, ideally, not have a pet in the home. If that’s not acceptable to the family, then the pet should be kept out of the child’s room and must be bathed frequently. Vacuuming pet hair frequently is also a must. Children who are allergic to specific foods, such as peanuts, must be vigilant to avoid the hidden peanuts that are present in many foods. Parents must teach their children to read labels thoroughly. Children who suffer from Cedar Fever, Hay Fever, or other pollen allergies should not play outside when the pollen count is high. The National Allergy Bureau tracks pollen counts across the country. The pollen count for the Austin area is tracked from Georgetown. Parents should sign up for an email alert so they will always know when the pollen count is dangerously high. At those times, the windows should be closed and the air conditioner turned on in the home. Print Our Austin Allergy Chart to Help Track Allergy Reactions in Your Family
We’ve created a chart for the Austin area that you can print and post in your home to help you learn when to expect allergies and some tips to help you control allergy reactions in your child. If you determine that your child is having consistent and long-term allergy reactions, please call us at (512) 733-5437 to schedule an evaluation. Austin is known for having some of the most severe allergies in the country, contact us, we can help. > Print the Austin Allergy Chart How Can Parents Encourage Children with Allergies to Be Active?When “go outside and play” is not an option for a child who suffers from outdoor allergies, how can parents encourage him to be active and fit? As a family, parents and children with allergies should come up with strategies for remaining active when allergy season hits. Games such as Wii Fit and X-Box Kinect can help, as long as games are chosen that will truly get the child moving. Old-fashioned games such as Twister, too, can make being active fun for children forced to stay indoors. Childhood obesity is as significant a health concern as allergies are. It’s important that all children, regardless of allergies, get regular exercise through play. Posted in Health Alerts | No Comments » Do You Know the Facts About Autism?Tuesday, April 12th, 2011
Most parents turn to the Internet in search of information, only to find conflicting opinions, equivocal answers and no real help. What do we know about this disorder? What causes it? Are vaccines responsible for this epidemic? Where can a parent go for help? The truth is that we still don’t have clear answers to all those questions. Investigations continue without evidence of a single cause. But we are learning something through all the research going on in this field. Most experts agree that the condition starts before birth. We also observe that it is four times more frequent in boys than girls and the symptoms appear during the first 3 years of life. We can also identify many different forms of autism that now belong to what we call Autism Spectrum, which are a group of related disorders that affect behavior, social and communication skills. If you, as a parent, suspect autism in your child, then you must contact your pediatrician immediately. During health supervision visits, pediatricians provide questionnaires to parents to help detect early signs of autism that may be present but may not be obvious during the visit. Again, the information provided by the parents is essential. If you are concerned, share your thoughts with your child’s doctor. The easy questionnaire administered by pediatricians is called M-CHAT, and it should be administered at the 18 and 24 month visit, or any time the parent expresses concern. How can a parent identify signs of autism?There are multiple resources out there. One of them is provided by Autism Speaks, a non-profit organization established to create awareness of autism and to raise funds for research. Together with First Signs and First Words organizations, they produced video clips, glossaries and early signs to identify developmental delays. This information can be found at www.autismspeaks.org, www.firstsigns.org and www.firstwords.fsu.edu. The American Academy of Pediatrics, through their Healthy Children section, provides information about diagnosis and resources for children. Check out www.healthychildren.org for more information. It is going to be through the combined effort of researchers, doctors, parents and educators that we are going to find answers to the many questions we have. To some ,we already have an answer. We know, for example, there is no relationship between autism and vaccines; we learned that exposure to the mercury containing the preservative thimerosol does not increase the risk for developing the disorder, and we are also learning, through on-going research, other characteristics of the disease that may or may not be significant. One study, for example, points out that autism is more frequent in children conceived after an inter-pregnancy interval of less than 12 months. Another recent study from Denmark points at jaundice during the newborn period as a risk factor. The same study found the disorder is more common when mothers had previous children. Why? Because in Denmark women who had previous children go home soon after delivery, while those who are first time mothers have a longer hospital stay, and jaundice is more easily identified and treated earlier. It is going to take the efforts of many individuals and the continuous observation of children with autism that will lead us to the right answers. For those families who need help, The National Center of Medical Home Initiatives for Children with Special Needs is a good resource to gain access to educational, resource and advocacy materials, guidelines for care, evaluation tools and technical assistance. They can be reached at 847- 434-4000 or at www.medicalhomeinfo.org. If you are concerned about your child’s risk for autism, please call (512) 733-5437 to schedule an appointment for an evaluation.You can find more resources on our web site at www.pediatriccenterofroundrock.com/austim-asperger-disorder. Posted in Health Alerts, Newborns & Infants | 22 Comments » Whooping Cough on the RiseMonday, March 28th, 2011
Whooping cough can be fatal to infants who have not yet been fully vaccinated. The best way to protect babies is to make sure the adults in their lives are vaccinated. Learn more about the Texas statistics: http://www.dshs.state.tx.us/idcu/disease/pertussis/statistics/ What Is Whooping Cough?Whooping cough, known clinically as pertussis, is a disease caused by bacteria. It starts out with the symptoms of the common cold – runny nose, sneezing, a low grade fever, and a cough. But the cough worsens after the first or second week and eventually causes coughing fits that are so strong they can cut off the air supply. In babies, this can lead to pneumonia, seizures, brain damage, or even death. When a person with whooping cough sneezes, coughs, or even talks, the bacteria can enter another person’s body through the air. The bacteria is also spread through things touched by the infected person. However, the first symptoms usually appear with 5 to 21 days after the person is infected, which means that the bacteria can spread before one even has an inkling that he or she has been infected with the pertussis bacteria. You might infect your baby with whooping cough before you even realize you’re sick. That’s why it is vital that every member of the family of an infant must see a doctor to be vaccinated for whooping cough. Visit the Pediatric Center of Round Rock to learn more about the importance of the pertussis vaccine. Other Ways to Protect Your Baby from Whooping Cough
Make sure everyone in your family has been vaccinated, and that everyone who cares for your baby has been vaccinated When Can Your Baby Be Vaccinated?Children receive a total of five doses of the pertussis vaccine before they are considered to be fully immunized. These doses are given at 2 months, 4 months, 6 months, 15-18 months, and at 4-6 years. Until your child has been fully immunized, you must protect him or her by getting vaccinated yourself, and by making sure that every adult in his or her life has been vaccinated as well. This is one of the most fundamental ways you can take care of the baby you love. Posted in Health Alerts, Newborns & Infants | 1 Comment » Austin Area Chefs Want to Help Improve School LunchesSunday, February 27th, 2011
School lunches must be made healthier. The Let’s Move! campaign has invited chefs around the country to work with their local schools to come up with delicious, healthful ways to feed their children, and ways to get children excited about eating better. The Chefs Move to Schools initiative provides sign-up forms for interested schools and interested chefs. Within a week after signing up, chefs receive an email with information on how to connect with aschool in their area. Central Texas Chefs Want to Help Bring Healthy Meals to SchoolsIn this graphic, pulled from the Chefs Move to Schools page [link: (same as above)], the pencil icon indicates the schools that have signed up, asking for a chef’s help. The fork/knife icon indicates a chef who has signed up for the initiative. As you can see, Central Texas chefs are eager to do their part to help area children eat healthier. Participating chefs work with their local school to develop a plan to improve kids’eating habits. Chefs might invite local farmers to talk to children about local produce. They might provide healthy snacks at school functions, to replace the customary high-sugar, high-fat fare. They might teach hands-on cooking classes with an emphasis on whole grains and fresh fruits and vegetables. They might help the kids plant and tend a school garden. Each school and chef can work together to develop a plan that works for them. The important thing is that children learn that eating healthy doesn’t have to be a punishment. Healthy food can taste delicious. What Parents Can (and Should) Do to Improve School LunchesAccording to the map above, the Austin chef community knows about the Chefs Move to Schools initiative, but only a handful of schools are seeking the help of a local chef. Ask your school principal if they’re aware of the program. Or better yet, forward this article to him or her. One out of three American children is overweight or obese. Together, we can change that statistic. Chefs Move to School could be an important step in improving our children’s health. Posted in Health Alerts, Healthy Eating | No Comments » Upper Respiratory Virus (RSV) Season is HereMonday, November 15th, 2010
Each year, 2.1 million children younger than 5 years of age in the United States develop an RSV infection requiring medical attention, says Dr. Caroline Breese Hall, an expert in infectious diseases in children. RSV causes one of every 334 hospitalizations, one of every 38 emergency room visits, and one of every 13 primary care visits each year. Since there is no vaccine available (yet), the only way to prevent it is to administer an injection of antibodies every month, during the winter months, to those at risk for suffering the more severe consequences of the infection. Premature babies and babies with underlying chronic conditions receive antibodies every month, from October to April, in order to prevent the disease. Premature babies have an increased risk when they attend day care and when they have young siblings at home. With the shopping and family gathering season approaching, it is a good idea to leave the baby at home with grandma, instead of risking unwanted exposures at the shopping malls. Posted in Health Alerts, Newborns & Infants | No Comments » Childhood Obesity Could Create Lifelong Joint PainFriday, October 29th, 2010
To put it plainly, extra weight can make the bones grow improperly. That can create joint problems, and those joint problems could haunt the child through the rest of his life. As people age, everyone experiences aches and pains. No parents wants her child to endure an adulthood of crippling pain. At the extreme, too much weight is believed to cause Blount’s Disease in young children. In a toddler afflicted with Blount’s, the leg bows inward, and the shin develops wrong. This gets progressively worse and can have lifelong ramifications. The child may need to wear braces or even have surgery to correct the problem. But how much better it would be if the problem never occurred because the child maintained a healthy weight. Blount’s Disease, arthritis and cartilage deterioration, are serious, painful problems. And one of the worst things about the pain is that it makes children even less willing to be active. Which makes it likely that the child will grow even more overweight. Parents must take control of their children’s weight immediately. The sooner, the better – but it’s never too late. The short-sighted way of approaching mealtime and snacks is to give into a child’s pleas for junk food and too much of it. Parents want to make their children happy, and too often this leads to allowing the child to set the menu. Sometimes parents give in because it’s easier than saying no. But parents need to take a longer view that children are, by their very nature, incapable of seeing. Children believe they’re invincible. Young children think 25 is old. They do not understand the concept of the pain they might face in their 30s, 40s, and beyond because of the choices they make today. It’s up to parents to make those tough decisions for their children, and to say “no” when “no” is what should be said. Posted in Health Alerts, Healthy Eating | 1 Comment » Sleep Behaviors Linked to Childhood Obesity in TeensSunday, September 26th, 2010
But why? It seems counterintuitive that spending more time in bed would help a teen stay fit. However, to put it quite simply, teens who don’t get enough sleep gain weight because they eat more. 3 Reasons Lack of Sleep Makes Teens Eat Too Much
So what can parents do about it? 3 Strategies to Ensure Teens Get Enough Sleep
For their Teen’s Sake, Parents Must Make Sleep a PriorityMany people excuse their family’s lack of sleep by saying, “There aren’t enough hours in the day.” But when weighed against the very real health consequences of a lack of sleep, what could be so important? Life is only as busy as a person allows it to become. Simplifying life and getting rid of unnecessary obligations that take too much time can lead to a healthy night’s sleep. Posted in Health Alerts | No Comments » TV Commercials Tied to Childhood ObesityMonday, March 22nd, 2010It probably won’t surprise parents that the amount of TV their children watch can impact the ability to maintain a healthy weight. After all, watching TV is a sedentary activity, so the more TV a kid watches, the less exercise he or she gets. However, parents must also be aware that the type of TV their children watch can also have an enormous effect.
In February, the UCLA School of Public Health issued a press release in February titled “Childhood Obesity: It’s not the amount of TV, it’s the number of junk food commercials.” [link:http://newsroom.ucla.edu/portal/ucla/it-s-not-how-much-tv-kids-watch-153255.aspx ] Researchers Frederick J. Zimmerman and Janice F. Bell found that children who watch commercial TV programming with junk food commercials are more likely to be overweight than children who watch other types of TV.
Everyone has experienced the siren call of the refrigerator after a commercial for a popular snack chip. The viewer sees the ad, feels a pang of hunger, and checks the pantry. Children have less impulse control than adults, and less awareness of the consequences of their actions.
And children are bombarded with junk food commercials.
For every half-hour television program, there are about eight minutes of commercials. Adult programs come with ads for cars and life insurance and all sorts of things that won’t make anyone gain weight, but commercials during children’s programs advertise toys and food, and that’s about it. This wouldn’t matter so much if the food ads touted the benefits of leafy green vegetables and smaller portion sizes. But no, the food commercials advertise high sugar, high fat, high salt, high calorie foods with little to no nutritional value. Junk.
The ads are loud, bright, and entertaining, and they feature attractive people singing catchy little songs that kids hear over and over again in their heads. At the grocery store, many kids sing jingles or re-enact commercials when they see a heavily promoted product. That’s a good sign that the children are being brainwashed by junk food companies, and it’s the parents’ job to put a stop to it.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no TV viewing whatsoever for children under the age of 2. For older children, they recommend no more than 1-2 hours of TV… but specifically of educational, nonviolent TV. To that, I’ll add my own personal recommendation that children avoid commercial TV altogether. If parents find that to be impossible, then I recommend that at a minimum, they develop a family habit of muting the TV during commercials.
According to the UCLA study, “Non-commercial viewing, including watching DVDs or educational television programming, had no significant association with [childhood] obesity.”
Parents on a budget can often get DVDs for free at their local library, or purchase used DVDs at yard sales and video stores. Even if the children watch the same programs on DVD that they would have been watching on TV, they won’t be tempted by the commercials.
Children may complain about the change in their routine, but parents should stand firm as they remember the long-term goal of helping their child to reach and maintain a healthy weight. This is one change that every parent can make, and that will show positive, measurable results.
In February, the UCLA School of Public Health issued a press release in February titled “Childhood Obesity: It’s not the amount of TV, it’s the number of junk food commercials.” Researchers Frederick J. Zimmerman and Janice F. Bell found that children who watch commercial TV programming with junk food commercials are more likely to be overweight than children who watch other types of TV. Everyone has experienced the siren call of the refrigerator after a commercial for a popular snack chip. The viewer sees the ad, feels a pang of hunger, and checks the pantry. Children have less impulse control than adults, and less awareness of the consequences of their actions. And children are bombarded with junk food commercials. For every half-hour television program, there are about eight minutes of commercials. Adult programs come with ads for cars and life insurance and all sorts of things that won’t make anyone gain weight, but commercials during children’s programs advertise toys and food, and that’s about it. This wouldn’t matter so much if the food ads touted the benefits of leafy green vegetables and smaller portion sizes. But no, the food commercials advertise high sugar, high fat, high salt, high calorie foods with little to no nutritional value. Junk. The ads are loud, bright, and entertaining, and they feature attractive people singing catchy little songs that kids hear over and over again in their heads. At the grocery store, many kids sing jingles or re-enact commercials when they see a heavily promoted product. That’s a good sign that the children are being brainwashed by junk food companies, and it’s the parents’ job to put a stop to it. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no TV viewing whatsoever for children under the age of 2. For older children, they recommend no more than 1-2 hours of TV… but specifically of educational, nonviolent TV. To that, I’ll add my own personal recommendation that children avoid commercial TV altogether. If parents find that to be impossible, then I recommend that at a minimum, they develop a family habit of muting the TV during commercials. According to the UCLA study, “Non-commercial viewing, including watching DVDs or educational television programming, had no significant association with [childhood] obesity.” Parents on a budget can often get DVDs for free at their local library, or purchase used DVDs at yard sales and video stores. Even if the children watch the same programs on DVD that they would have been watching on TV, they won’t be tempted by the commercials. Children may complain about the change in their routine, but parents should stand firm as they remember the long-term goal of helping their child to reach and maintain a healthy weight. This is one change that every parent can make, and that will show positive, measurable results. Dr. Marta Katalenas Posted in Health Alerts, Healthy Eating | No Comments » Herd Immunity: Creating a Shield of Protection from Disease.Monday, February 8th, 2010Ever since the beginning of time mankind and every other animal creature on earth had to learn to defend against predators. Animals kill each other for food and territory and we all battle disease and pain. Human beings don’t kill each other for food and territory any more, at least it doesn’t happen in our civilized, modern society; but we spend lots of money and effort trying to investigate diseases in order to learn how to prevent and treat them. Over the last 100 years the life expectancy for humans has been increased by a couple of decades. During the 19th century, a person of 40 years of age was already considered old, since he/she could expect to have about 20 more years around the mortals, if lucky. Today, a 40 year-old man or woman is in his prime time. We don’t consider a person old until in his 80’s. I can tell you that my personal definition of “old” has changed as I added birthdays to my calendar. One of the biggest success stories of the 20th century includes the discovery and world-wide use of serums that, when injected, stimulates the production of defenses against infectious agents in such a way that, when you are in contact with the infective organism, it reduces the chances of getting sick by it. Very cool, right? That is the way vaccines work. And some vaccines have a double advantage: they protect you against the disease, but they also protect the whole community you live in. Every one of us becomes a vehicle to spread disease when we get sick with an infectious agent. When we are immune to it, we create a shield of protection for those around us, even those who are not immunized. If we all become immunized, the infectious agent will have nowhere to go and it could be eliminated from the face of the earth. This is exactly what happened with Smallpox; when enough people became vaccinated, the virus didn’t have any more susceptible hosts and disappeared. The World Health Organization had the goal of eradicating Polio from the earth by the beginning of the 21st Century. The goal is not going to be met and many countries still suffer from this devastating disease. I just read an article explaining how politicians in some countries in Africa are discouraging their citizens from obtaining the vaccine, brought to them free of charge, because they don’t trust the intentions of those trying to promote it. Sounds familiar? During the yearly flu outbreak many people can’t get vaccinated. It may be because they are allergic to some of the components of the vaccine; it may be because they have some disease of their immune system that keeps them from responding to the vaccine; they may be too young or too old. Some groups are at increased risk of getting sicker with the influenza virus, such as the elderly or pregnant woman. When you immunize a significant number of people, those individuals are more likely to be protected. Immunized individuals are not going to pass the flu along to their 80-year-old neighbor who may have asthma; they are not going to transmit it to the pregnant woman waiting in line next to them at Target; they are less likely to infect the small child on chemotherapy sitting next to them in church. This is HERD immunity. This is the way vaccines protect even those who are not vaccinated, by creating a shield of immune people around those who are susceptible. In order for herd immunity to be effective the majority of the population must be immunized, that is, the number of susceptible persons must be minimized and the number of immunized persons must be maximized. Talk to your doctor about this issues. Get informed. Get the facts. Like Dr. Laura would say: “Go and do the right thing”. Marta Katalenas M.D. Posted in Health Alerts | No Comments » |
Concerns about autism are in the minds of new parents these days. It is alarming to learn that the disorder affects 1 % of our children; it is a lifelong condition for which there is no cure.
The Let’s Move! campaign against childhood obesity just celebrated its first anniversary. The goal of this campaign is to reverse the childhood obesity epidemic within one generation. Although the goal is an ambitious one, I believe it is achievable, and I believe it must be achieved. Each parent must take responsibility for the health of his or her own child. But society plays an important role, too, especially in the lives of the children who rely on schools for much of their daily nutrition.
