The phones have been ringing consistently and emails flying from parents with questions around influenza H1N1. The news makes it seem as though the vaccine is readily available but right now at least that is not the case. The vaccine took longer to produce than expected. The nasal form of the vaccine has found its way to children sooner because it takes less time to produce than the injection. Continue reading ‘Influenza H1N1 Vaccine’
Monthly Archive for October, 2009
A common question that comes up in clinic is around when to transition to a booster seat. Typically for most children it is around 4 years of age. In our household we initially did this at 4 but briefly transitioned back to a traditional car seat because with my active daughter, the shoulder strap was everywhere but her shoulder.
In Washington State, all children need to be in a safety seat until 8 years of age or at least 57 inches (4′9″). Very few children in this State will be at the height requirement under 8 years of age. For children under 13 years of age, it is also recommended that they be transported in the rear seats.
A recent study published in the journal Pediatrics supports the use of booster seats in children 4-8 years of age. Below is the link and the article.
http://www.reuters.com/article/healthNews/idUSTRE59I4BE20091019?sp=true
Study reaffirms benefit of car booster seats
Mon Oct 19, 2009 1:19pm EDT
By Megan Brooks
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) – Using a booster seat instead of just a seat belt significantly reduces the risk of injury in children aged 4 to 8 years old who are involved in a car crash, according to an updated assessment of booster seat effectiveness released today. Continue reading ‘The Booster Seat’
Since the recent announcement that Washington State is lifting the ban on thimerosal in order to vaccinate children against influenza H1N1 otherwise known as swine flu, I have been asked many questions on this topic.
The ultimate question is “is the vaccine safe” and “what about thimerosal”? The quick answer is that getting the H1N1 vaccine is important. The scientific literature does not support an association between thimerosal and autism. When the vaccine becomes available, I have no concerns about my children getting whatever form of the vaccine is available.
Some background on Thimerosal from the CDC and FDA websites. Thimerosal is a mercury-containing preservative used in some vaccines and other products since the 1930s. There is no convincing scientific evidence of harm caused by the low doses of thimerosal in vaccines, except for minor reactions like redness and swelling at the injection site. However, in July 1999, the Public Health Service agencies, the American Academyof Pediatrics, and vaccine manufacturers agreed that thimerosal should be reduced or eliminated in vaccines as a precautionary measure.
Thimerosal, which is approximately 50% mercury by weight, has been one of the most widely used preservatives in vaccines. It is metabolized or degraded to ethylmercury and thiosalicylate. Ethylmercury is an organomercurial that should be distinguished from methylmercury, a related substance that has been the focus of considerable study.
Evidence from several studies examining trends in vaccine use and changes in autism frequency does not support such an association. Furthermore, a scientific review* by the Institute of Medicine (IOM) concluded that “the evidence favors rejection of a causal relationship between thimerosal-containing vaccines and autism.” CDC supports the IOM conclusion.
The above is from the FDA website
http://www.fda.gov/BiologicsBloodVaccines/SafetyAvailability/VaccineSafety/UCM096228
http://www.cdc.gov/vaccinesafety/updates/thimerosal.htm
I was reading this morning and stumbled across an interesting article that was in the New York Times recently. I found it quite amusing because I have often been told by my wife that I talk too much at times. Now I can say it was helping our children out with their communication skills.
Here is the link.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/29/health/29brod.html?_r=1&ref=health&pagewanted=all
Below is the article:
September 29, 2009
Personal Health
From Birth, Engage Your Child With Talk
By JANE E. BRODY
I recently stopped to congratulate a young mother pushing her toddler in a stroller. The woman had been talking to her barely verbal daughter all the way up the block, pointing out things they had passed, asking questions like “What color are those flowers?” and talking about what they would do when they got to the park.
This is a rare occurrence in my Brooklyn neighborhood, I told her. All too often, the mothers and nannies I see are tuned in to their cellphones, BlackBerrys and iPods, not their young children. Continue reading ‘Talk to your child.’
Is your child getting enough Vitamin D?
Vitamin D is important for bone growth and preventing osteoporosis later in life. In the last few years it has become clear that more and more kids are Vitamin D deficient. A recent study published in the magazine Pediatrics showed that nine percent of U.S. children are vitamin D deficient and another 61 percent have insufficient levels. The solution here is not to do a blood test but to ensure that your child is getting adequate intake of vitamin D.
Why We Need the D
Vitamin D is important to bone growth because it makes it possible to absorb calcium. The studies also showed that children lacking the “sunshine vitamin” were also more likely to have high blood pressure and lower levels of lipoprotein (the “good cholesterol”) which can be risk factors for heart disease later in life.
The current recommended daily allowance of Vitamin D for children is 400 IUs (international units) a day. Previously it was thought that 200 IUs were enough. It’s also important that your child doesn’t get a very excessive amount of it because Vitamin D is fat soluble, meaning it is stored in the fat where it stays for longer periods of time, posing a risk for toxicity. Potential side effects from too much Vitamin D include nausea, vomiting, nervousness, weakness, high blood pressure and even kidney stones.
Where We Get D
Vitamin D comes naturally from two sources: certain foods and sun exposure. There’s some thought that we are lacking in Vitamin D due to increased time spent indoors as well as the use of sunscreen.
Many families can’t get enough Vitamin D through their diet. That’s of course assuming your children, like mine, don’t eat lots of herring (high in D with 1383 IUs for three ounces). If your child drinks two glasses of milk a day, then or she is getting about 200 IUs. Other dairy items such as cheese and most yogurts typically do not contain D although I am seeing more brands advertising this recently. Other foods high in Vitamin D are not necessarily “kid friendly”: shitake mushrooms, mackerel and sardines are not found in many lunch boxes.
To receive adequate Vitamin D from sunshine, your child needs to go outside in the sun with enough skin exposed for about ten minutes, several times a week. However as we know, even in the summer, sunlight is unpredictable. And as we enter into the darker days of fall and winter, sunlight will be even scarcer. There is also the concern of direct sunlight exposure without sunscreen leading to skin cancer later in life.
What to Do
Because getting adequate D naturally is difficult, it makes perfect sense to give your child a supplement. Shop carefully though, many children’s vitamins do not have enough D. Again, the current recommendation is 400 IUs a day.
You can also offer your child foods fortified with Vitamin D. Many food manufacturers are taking advantage of heightened awareness of Vitamin D and are now marketing Vitamin D fortified products.
Though please remember that supplements can never take the place of an overall healthy lifestyle.
Natural food sources and IU per serving
- Herring 1383 per 3 ounces
- Herring, pickled 578 per 3 ounces
- Salmon, pink, canned 530 per 3 ounces
- Halibut 510 per 3 ounces
- Mackerel, Atlantic 306 per 3 ounces
- Shitake mushrooms, dried 249 per 4
- Tuna, light meat, canned in oil 200 per 3 ounces
- Egg, cooked 26 per whole egg; 25 per yolk
Fortified sources and IU per serving
- Tofu, fortified 120 per 1/5 block
- Cow’s milk, all types 100 per 8 ounces
- Rice milk, fortified 100 per 8 ounces
- Soy milk, fortified 100 per 8 ounces
- Orange juice, fortified 100 per 8 ounces
- Pudding, made with fortified milk 50 per 1/2 cup
- Cereal, fortified 40 per serving
- Yogurt, fortified (such as Danimals) 40 per 1/2 cup
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