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Monday, October 29, 2007
Autisim Check-ups
(submitted by Amisha)
Pediatricians urge autism screening
By LINDSEY TANNER, AP Medical Writer
CHICAGO - The country's leading pediatricians group is making its strongest push yet to have all children screened for autism twice by age 2, warning of symptoms such as babies who don't babble at 9 months and 1-year-olds who don't point to toys.
The advice is meant to help both parents and doctors spot autism sooner. There is no cure for the disorder, but experts say that early therapy can lessen its severity. Symptoms to watch for and the call for early screening come in two new reports. They are being released by the American Academy of Pediatrics on Monday at its annual meeting in San Francisco and will appear in the November issue of the journal Pediatrics and on the group's Web site — http://www.aap.org/.
The reports list numerous warning signs, such as a 4-month-old not smiling at the sound of Mom or Dad's voice, or the loss of language or social skills at any age.
Experts say one in 150 U.S. children have the troubling developmental disorder.
"Parents come into your office now saying 'I'm worried about autism.' Ten years ago, they didn't know what it was," said Dr. Chris Johnson of the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio. She co-authored the reports.
The academy's renewed effort reflects growing awareness since its first autism guidelines in 2001. A 2006 policy statement urged autism screening for all children at their regular doctor visits at age 18 months and 24 months. The authors caution that not all children who display a few of these symptoms are autistic and they said parents shouldn't overreact to quirky behavior.
Just because a child likes to line up toy cars or has temper tantrums "doesn't mean you need to have concern, if they're also interacting socially and also pretending with toys and communicating well," said co-author Dr. Scott Myers, a neurodevelopmental pediatrician in Danville, Pa.
"With awareness comes concern when there doesn't always need to be," he said. "These resources will help educate the reader as to which things you really need to be concerned about." Another educational tool, a Web site that debuted in mid-October, offers dozens of video clips of autistic kids contrasted with unaffected children's behavior. That Web site — http://www.autismspeaks.org/ — is sponsored by two nonprofit advocacy groups: Autism Speaks and First Signs. They hope the site will promote early diagnosis and treatment to help children with autism lead more normal lives.
The two new reports say children with suspected autism should start treatment even before a formal diagnosis. They also warn parents about the special diets and alternative treatments endorsed by celebrities, saying there's no proof those work. Recommended treatment should include at least 25 hours a week of intensive behavior-based therapy, including educational activities and speech therapy, according to the reports. They list several specific approaches that have been shown to help. For very young children, therapy typically involves fun activities, such as bouncing balls back and forth or sharing toys to develop social skills; there is repeated praise for eye contact and other behavior autistic children often avoid.
Mary Grace Mauney, an 18-year-old high school senior from Lilburn, Ga., has a mild form of autism that wasn't diagnosed until she was 9. As a young girl, she didn't smile, spoke in a very formal manner and began to repeat the last word or syllable of her sentences. She was prone to intense tantrums, but only outside school. There, she excelled and was in gifted classes.
"I took her to a therapist and they said she was just very sensitive and very intense and very creative," said her mother, Maureen, 54.
Pediatricians should send such children for "early intervention as soon as you even think there's a problem," Johnson said. Dr. Ruby Roy, a pediatrician with Loyola University Medical Center, who treats at least 20 autistic children, applauded the reports. "This is a disorder that is often missed, especially when it's mild, and the mild kids are the ones ... who can be helped the most," Roy said.
Dr. Dirk Steinert, who treats children and adults at Columbia St. Mary's clinic in suburban Milwaukee, said the push for early autism screening is important — but that it's tough to squeeze it into a child's regular wellness checkup.
Some pediatricians have tried scheduling a visit just to check for developmental problems, when children are 2 1/2. The problem is that insurance doesn't always cover these extra visits, Steinert said.
Pediatricians urge autism screening
By LINDSEY TANNER, AP Medical Writer
CHICAGO - The country's leading pediatricians group is making its strongest push yet to have all children screened for autism twice by age 2, warning of symptoms such as babies who don't babble at 9 months and 1-year-olds who don't point to toys.
The advice is meant to help both parents and doctors spot autism sooner. There is no cure for the disorder, but experts say that early therapy can lessen its severity. Symptoms to watch for and the call for early screening come in two new reports. They are being released by the American Academy of Pediatrics on Monday at its annual meeting in San Francisco and will appear in the November issue of the journal Pediatrics and on the group's Web site — http://www.aap.org/.
The reports list numerous warning signs, such as a 4-month-old not smiling at the sound of Mom or Dad's voice, or the loss of language or social skills at any age.
Experts say one in 150 U.S. children have the troubling developmental disorder.
"Parents come into your office now saying 'I'm worried about autism.' Ten years ago, they didn't know what it was," said Dr. Chris Johnson of the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio. She co-authored the reports.
The academy's renewed effort reflects growing awareness since its first autism guidelines in 2001. A 2006 policy statement urged autism screening for all children at their regular doctor visits at age 18 months and 24 months. The authors caution that not all children who display a few of these symptoms are autistic and they said parents shouldn't overreact to quirky behavior.
Just because a child likes to line up toy cars or has temper tantrums "doesn't mean you need to have concern, if they're also interacting socially and also pretending with toys and communicating well," said co-author Dr. Scott Myers, a neurodevelopmental pediatrician in Danville, Pa.
"With awareness comes concern when there doesn't always need to be," he said. "These resources will help educate the reader as to which things you really need to be concerned about." Another educational tool, a Web site that debuted in mid-October, offers dozens of video clips of autistic kids contrasted with unaffected children's behavior. That Web site — http://www.autismspeaks.org/ — is sponsored by two nonprofit advocacy groups: Autism Speaks and First Signs. They hope the site will promote early diagnosis and treatment to help children with autism lead more normal lives.
The two new reports say children with suspected autism should start treatment even before a formal diagnosis. They also warn parents about the special diets and alternative treatments endorsed by celebrities, saying there's no proof those work. Recommended treatment should include at least 25 hours a week of intensive behavior-based therapy, including educational activities and speech therapy, according to the reports. They list several specific approaches that have been shown to help. For very young children, therapy typically involves fun activities, such as bouncing balls back and forth or sharing toys to develop social skills; there is repeated praise for eye contact and other behavior autistic children often avoid.
Mary Grace Mauney, an 18-year-old high school senior from Lilburn, Ga., has a mild form of autism that wasn't diagnosed until she was 9. As a young girl, she didn't smile, spoke in a very formal manner and began to repeat the last word or syllable of her sentences. She was prone to intense tantrums, but only outside school. There, she excelled and was in gifted classes.
"I took her to a therapist and they said she was just very sensitive and very intense and very creative," said her mother, Maureen, 54.
Pediatricians should send such children for "early intervention as soon as you even think there's a problem," Johnson said. Dr. Ruby Roy, a pediatrician with Loyola University Medical Center, who treats at least 20 autistic children, applauded the reports. "This is a disorder that is often missed, especially when it's mild, and the mild kids are the ones ... who can be helped the most," Roy said.
Dr. Dirk Steinert, who treats children and adults at Columbia St. Mary's clinic in suburban Milwaukee, said the push for early autism screening is important — but that it's tough to squeeze it into a child's regular wellness checkup.
Some pediatricians have tried scheduling a visit just to check for developmental problems, when children are 2 1/2. The problem is that insurance doesn't always cover these extra visits, Steinert said.
Prepare to be buzzed- even if you ordered decaf.
(submitted by Amisha)
Dave Yoder for The New York Times
You may be getting an unwanted jolt from that morning decaf. Coffee sleuths from Consumer Reports recently tested cups of decaf ordered at Dunkin' Donuts, Starbucks, Seattle's Best Coffee, 7-Eleven, McDonald's and Burger King. They visited six locations of each chain, evaluating 36 cups of decaf in all.
A regular cup of coffee has from 85 to 100 milligrams of caffeine. Most of the 10- to 12-ounce decafs tested had less than five milligrams, the magazine reports in its November issue. But one decaf from Dunkin' Donuts contained 32 milligrams of caffeine — about the same amount in 12 ounces of Coca-Cola Classic. A cup of Seattle's Best was found to contain 29 milligrams of caffeine, while a tall Starbucks decaf packed 21 milligrams. Results varied at each chain, but the magazine found that the decaf at McDonald's consistently had the lowest levels of caffeine.
It's long been known that the decaffeinating process doesn't eliminate 100 percent of the caffeine in coffee, but there are no standards for acceptable levels in brewed decaf. Last year, University of Florida researchers also tested several 16-ounce servings of decaf, finding the caffeine content ranged from nine to 14 milligrams, according to a study published in the Journal of Analytical Toxicology.
By testing nearly four times more cups of coffee, Consumer Reports showed there is wide variability in caffeine levels in both decaffeinated and caffeinated coffees. Notably, even the caffeinated coffees purchased at the chains varied widely in terms of caffeine content, ranging from just 58 milligrams all the way up to 281 milligrams.
The findings are important for people with certain health issues. Caffeine can increase heart rate, interfere with sleep, cause heartburn and increase anxiety, and heavy consumption isn't advised for women who are pregnant or breastfeeding and for those who take certain medications. The findings show that one or two cups of decaf will contain some caffeine, but probably not enough to cause a health concern. Still, people who drink several cups of decaf coffee a day may be getting far more caffeine than they bargained for.
Dave Yoder for The New York Times
You may be getting an unwanted jolt from that morning decaf. Coffee sleuths from Consumer Reports recently tested cups of decaf ordered at Dunkin' Donuts, Starbucks, Seattle's Best Coffee, 7-Eleven, McDonald's and Burger King. They visited six locations of each chain, evaluating 36 cups of decaf in all.
A regular cup of coffee has from 85 to 100 milligrams of caffeine. Most of the 10- to 12-ounce decafs tested had less than five milligrams, the magazine reports in its November issue. But one decaf from Dunkin' Donuts contained 32 milligrams of caffeine — about the same amount in 12 ounces of Coca-Cola Classic. A cup of Seattle's Best was found to contain 29 milligrams of caffeine, while a tall Starbucks decaf packed 21 milligrams. Results varied at each chain, but the magazine found that the decaf at McDonald's consistently had the lowest levels of caffeine.
It's long been known that the decaffeinating process doesn't eliminate 100 percent of the caffeine in coffee, but there are no standards for acceptable levels in brewed decaf. Last year, University of Florida researchers also tested several 16-ounce servings of decaf, finding the caffeine content ranged from nine to 14 milligrams, according to a study published in the Journal of Analytical Toxicology.
By testing nearly four times more cups of coffee, Consumer Reports showed there is wide variability in caffeine levels in both decaffeinated and caffeinated coffees. Notably, even the caffeinated coffees purchased at the chains varied widely in terms of caffeine content, ranging from just 58 milligrams all the way up to 281 milligrams.
The findings are important for people with certain health issues. Caffeine can increase heart rate, interfere with sleep, cause heartburn and increase anxiety, and heavy consumption isn't advised for women who are pregnant or breastfeeding and for those who take certain medications. The findings show that one or two cups of decaf will contain some caffeine, but probably not enough to cause a health concern. Still, people who drink several cups of decaf coffee a day may be getting far more caffeine than they bargained for.
Sunday, October 28, 2007
QUESTION OF THE WEEK, 10-29-07
Are you a working mommy or do you stay at home with your kids? Be specific! Are you full time or part time? Does your husband work full time too? Are you on the same shifts? What do you do for childcare? What is your long term plan?
What do you find to be the advantages/disadvantages of your situation?
What do you find to be the advantages/disadvantages of your situation?
Member of the Month- November
Member of the Month: Jodi
Age: 32
Spouse: Dave
Kids: Kara, 1
Pet: Jack the Cat
Woman Plus: I am a teacher as well as a mom. Trying to do both of these well leaves little time for other hobbies right now.
Your favorite song to sing loud in the car?
“This is the Day”
Guilty indulgence?
Any type of ice cream and French fries with ranch dressing! (not together!)
Your favorite children’s book?
The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams
A way you stay focused?
I make lists… list after list!
Favorite Gift from one of your kids or a memorable gift from a friend?
My friend just made my daughter a pumpkin at her ceramics class, and in the mouth it says “Kara”. It is really cute and my daughter can have it as a keepsake.
A discovery you’ve made recently?
I can’t do everything and do it well all of time…something ends up having to give!
Three things you love:
Vacationing~ being on the beach in the warm sun with my family!
Christmas time~ decorating, buying gifts, food, the spirit that comes with the season, Santa, the radio station playing Christmas songs all the time, Wigilia (Polish tradition I married into)… indulging!
Any minute that I am not at work and get to be with my daughter Kara!
Woman Plus: I am a teacher as well as a mom. Trying to do both of these well leaves little time for other hobbies right now.
Your favorite song to sing loud in the car?
“This is the Day”
Guilty indulgence?
Any type of ice cream and French fries with ranch dressing! (not together!)
Your favorite children’s book?
The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams
A way you stay focused?
I make lists… list after list!
Favorite Gift from one of your kids or a memorable gift from a friend?
My friend just made my daughter a pumpkin at her ceramics class, and in the mouth it says “Kara”. It is really cute and my daughter can have it as a keepsake.
A discovery you’ve made recently?
I can’t do everything and do it well all of time…something ends up having to give!
Three things you love:
Vacationing~ being on the beach in the warm sun with my family!
Christmas time~ decorating, buying gifts, food, the spirit that comes with the season, Santa, the radio station playing Christmas songs all the time, Wigilia (Polish tradition I married into)… indulging!
Any minute that I am not at work and get to be with my daughter Kara!
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Interesting Article
(submitted by Kim)
NEW YORK (CNN) -- Michelle Hammond and Jeremiah Holland were intrigued when a friend at the Oakland Tribune asked them and their two young children to take part in a cutting-edge study to measure the industrial chemicals in their bodies. Michelle Hammond and Jeremiah Holland were surprised to learn the extent to which industrial chemicals were present in their kids' bodies.
"In the beginning, I wasn't worried at all; I was fascinated," Hammond, 37, recalled.
But that fascination soon changed to fear, as tests revealed that their children -- Rowan, then 18 months, and Mikaela, then 5 -- had chemical exposure levels up to seven times those of their parents.
"[Rowan's] been on this planet for 18 months, and he's loaded with a chemical I've never heard of," Holland, 37, said. "He had two to three times the level of flame retardants in his body that's been known to cause thyroid dysfunction in lab rats."
The technology to test for these flame retardants -- known as polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) -- and other industrial chemicals is less than 10 years old. Environmentalists call it "body burden" testing, an allusion to the chemical "burden," or legacy of toxins, running through our bloodstream. Scientists refer to this testing as "biomonitoring."
Most Americans haven't heard of body burden testing, but it's a hot topic among environmentalists and public health experts who warn that the industrial chemicals we come into contact with every day are accumulating in our bodies and endangering our health in ways we have yet to understand. See which household products contain industrial chemicals »
"We are the humans in a dangerous and unnatural experiment in the United States, and I think it's unconscionable," said Dr. Leo Trasande, assistant director of the Center for Children's Health and the Environment at the Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City. Watch Anderson Cooper get his blood drawn for testing »
Dr. Trasande says that industrial toxins could be leading to more childhood disease and disorders. "We are in an epidemic of environmentally mediated disease among American children today," he said. "Rates of asthma, childhood cancers, birth defects and developmental disorders have exponentially increased, and it can't be explained by changes in the human genome. So what has changed? All the chemicals we're being exposed to."
Elizabeth Whelan, president of the American Council on Science and Health, a public health advocacy group, disagrees.
"My concern about this trend about measuring chemicals in the blood is it's leading people to believe that the mere ability to detect chemicals is the same as proving a hazard, that if you have this chemical, you are at risk of a disease, and that is false," she said. Whelan contends that trace levels of industrial chemicals in our bodies do not necessarily pose health risks.
In 2004, the Hollands became the first intact nuclear family in the United States to undergo body burden testing. Rowan, at just 1½ years old, became the youngest child in the U.S. to be tested for chemical exposure with this method.
Rowan's extraordinarily high levels of PBDEs frightened his parents and left them with a looming question: If PBDEs are causing neurological damage to lab rats, could they be doing the same thing to Rowan? The answer is that no one knows for sure. In the three years since he was tested, no developmental problems have been found in Rowan's neurological system.
Dr. Trasande said children up to six years old are most at risk because their vital organs and immune system are still developing and because they depend more heavily on their environments than adults do.
"Pound for pound, they eat more food, they drink more water, they breathe in more air," he said. "And so [children] carry a higher body burden than we do." Studies on the health effects of PBDEs are only just beginning, but many countries have heeded the warning signs they see in animal studies. Sweden banned PBDEs in 1998. The European Union banned most PBDEs in 2004. In the United States, the sole manufacturer of two kinds of PBDEs voluntarily stopped making them in 2004. A third kind, Deca, is still used in the U.S. in electrical equipment, construction material, mattresses and textiles.
Another class of chemicals that showed up in high levels in the Holland children is known as phthalates. These are plasticizers, the softening agents found in many plastic bottles, kitchenware, toys, medical devices, personal care products and cosmetics. In lab animals, phthalates have been associated with reproductive defects, obesity and early puberty. But like PBDEs, little is known about what they do to humans and specifically children.
Russ Hauser, an associate professor of environmental and occupational epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health, has done some of the few human studies on low-level phthalate exposure. His preliminary research shows that phthalates may contribute to infertility in men. A study led by Shanna Swan of the University of Rochester in New York shows that prenatal exposure to phthalates in males may be associated with impaired testicular function and with a defect that shortens the space between the genitals and anus.
The Environmental Protection Agency does not require chemical manufacturers to conduct human toxicity studies before approving their chemicals for use in the market. A manufacturer simply has to submit paperwork on a chemical, all the data that exists on that chemical to date, and wait 90 days for approval.
Jennifer Wood, an EPA spokeswoman, insists the agency has the tools to ensure safe oversight.
"If during the new-chemical review process, EPA determines that it may have concerns regarding risk or exposure, the EPA has the authority to require additional testing," she said. EPA records show that of the 1,500 new chemicals submitted each year, the agency asks for additional testing roughly 10 percent of the time. The EPA has set up a voluntary testing program with the major chemical manufacturers to retroactively test some of the 3,000 most widely used chemicals.
Dr. Trasande believes that is too little, too late. "The problem with these tests is that they are really baseline tests that don't measure for the kind of subtle health problems that we're seeing," Dr. Trasande said.
In the three years since her family went through body burden testing, Michelle Hammond has become an activist on the issue. She's testified twice in the California legislature to support a statewide body burden testing program, a bill that passed last year. Michelle also speaks to various public health groups about her experience, taking Mikaela, now 8, and Rowan, now 5, with her. So far, her children show no health problems associated with the industrial chemicals in their bodies.
"I'm angry at my government for failing to regulate chemicals that are in mass production and in consumer products." Hammond says. "I don't think it should have to be up to me to worry about what's in my couch."
NEW YORK (CNN) -- Michelle Hammond and Jeremiah Holland were intrigued when a friend at the Oakland Tribune asked them and their two young children to take part in a cutting-edge study to measure the industrial chemicals in their bodies. Michelle Hammond and Jeremiah Holland were surprised to learn the extent to which industrial chemicals were present in their kids' bodies.
"In the beginning, I wasn't worried at all; I was fascinated," Hammond, 37, recalled.
But that fascination soon changed to fear, as tests revealed that their children -- Rowan, then 18 months, and Mikaela, then 5 -- had chemical exposure levels up to seven times those of their parents.
"[Rowan's] been on this planet for 18 months, and he's loaded with a chemical I've never heard of," Holland, 37, said. "He had two to three times the level of flame retardants in his body that's been known to cause thyroid dysfunction in lab rats."
The technology to test for these flame retardants -- known as polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) -- and other industrial chemicals is less than 10 years old. Environmentalists call it "body burden" testing, an allusion to the chemical "burden," or legacy of toxins, running through our bloodstream. Scientists refer to this testing as "biomonitoring."
Most Americans haven't heard of body burden testing, but it's a hot topic among environmentalists and public health experts who warn that the industrial chemicals we come into contact with every day are accumulating in our bodies and endangering our health in ways we have yet to understand. See which household products contain industrial chemicals »
"We are the humans in a dangerous and unnatural experiment in the United States, and I think it's unconscionable," said Dr. Leo Trasande, assistant director of the Center for Children's Health and the Environment at the Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York City. Watch Anderson Cooper get his blood drawn for testing »
Dr. Trasande says that industrial toxins could be leading to more childhood disease and disorders. "We are in an epidemic of environmentally mediated disease among American children today," he said. "Rates of asthma, childhood cancers, birth defects and developmental disorders have exponentially increased, and it can't be explained by changes in the human genome. So what has changed? All the chemicals we're being exposed to."
Elizabeth Whelan, president of the American Council on Science and Health, a public health advocacy group, disagrees.
"My concern about this trend about measuring chemicals in the blood is it's leading people to believe that the mere ability to detect chemicals is the same as proving a hazard, that if you have this chemical, you are at risk of a disease, and that is false," she said. Whelan contends that trace levels of industrial chemicals in our bodies do not necessarily pose health risks.
In 2004, the Hollands became the first intact nuclear family in the United States to undergo body burden testing. Rowan, at just 1½ years old, became the youngest child in the U.S. to be tested for chemical exposure with this method.
Rowan's extraordinarily high levels of PBDEs frightened his parents and left them with a looming question: If PBDEs are causing neurological damage to lab rats, could they be doing the same thing to Rowan? The answer is that no one knows for sure. In the three years since he was tested, no developmental problems have been found in Rowan's neurological system.
Dr. Trasande said children up to six years old are most at risk because their vital organs and immune system are still developing and because they depend more heavily on their environments than adults do.
"Pound for pound, they eat more food, they drink more water, they breathe in more air," he said. "And so [children] carry a higher body burden than we do." Studies on the health effects of PBDEs are only just beginning, but many countries have heeded the warning signs they see in animal studies. Sweden banned PBDEs in 1998. The European Union banned most PBDEs in 2004. In the United States, the sole manufacturer of two kinds of PBDEs voluntarily stopped making them in 2004. A third kind, Deca, is still used in the U.S. in electrical equipment, construction material, mattresses and textiles.
Another class of chemicals that showed up in high levels in the Holland children is known as phthalates. These are plasticizers, the softening agents found in many plastic bottles, kitchenware, toys, medical devices, personal care products and cosmetics. In lab animals, phthalates have been associated with reproductive defects, obesity and early puberty. But like PBDEs, little is known about what they do to humans and specifically children.
Russ Hauser, an associate professor of environmental and occupational epidemiology at the Harvard School of Public Health, has done some of the few human studies on low-level phthalate exposure. His preliminary research shows that phthalates may contribute to infertility in men. A study led by Shanna Swan of the University of Rochester in New York shows that prenatal exposure to phthalates in males may be associated with impaired testicular function and with a defect that shortens the space between the genitals and anus.
The Environmental Protection Agency does not require chemical manufacturers to conduct human toxicity studies before approving their chemicals for use in the market. A manufacturer simply has to submit paperwork on a chemical, all the data that exists on that chemical to date, and wait 90 days for approval.
Jennifer Wood, an EPA spokeswoman, insists the agency has the tools to ensure safe oversight.
"If during the new-chemical review process, EPA determines that it may have concerns regarding risk or exposure, the EPA has the authority to require additional testing," she said. EPA records show that of the 1,500 new chemicals submitted each year, the agency asks for additional testing roughly 10 percent of the time. The EPA has set up a voluntary testing program with the major chemical manufacturers to retroactively test some of the 3,000 most widely used chemicals.
Dr. Trasande believes that is too little, too late. "The problem with these tests is that they are really baseline tests that don't measure for the kind of subtle health problems that we're seeing," Dr. Trasande said.
In the three years since her family went through body burden testing, Michelle Hammond has become an activist on the issue. She's testified twice in the California legislature to support a statewide body burden testing program, a bill that passed last year. Michelle also speaks to various public health groups about her experience, taking Mikaela, now 8, and Rowan, now 5, with her. So far, her children show no health problems associated with the industrial chemicals in their bodies.
"I'm angry at my government for failing to regulate chemicals that are in mass production and in consumer products." Hammond says. "I don't think it should have to be up to me to worry about what's in my couch."
Sunday, October 21, 2007
Thursday, October 18, 2007
October Meeting- Dinner Thyme!
Amanda, Mel, Jodi, Danielle, Maria & Kim(CONGRATS NEW MAMA KIM!!!!)
Jodi, Melanie & Danielle
Maria, Kim & Amanda
Kelly did a great job of representing our dear friend Amy!
Amanda
Jodi
Sunita & Shilpa
Tara & Melanie
Jodi, Melanie & Danielle
Maria, Kim & Amanda
Kelly did a great job of representing our dear friend Amy!
Amanda
Jodi
Sunita & Shilpa
Tara & Melanie Dinner Thyme was sooo much fun! The meals look outstanding! Thanks so much to everyone who attended! The November meeting evite will go out soon! We are looking forward to doing a fun holiday craft and other holiday festivities!
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Question of the Week: 10/15/07
Send Amy some well wishes for a speedy recovery! Post on the comments section.
Thursday, October 11, 2007
Do you put your bottles in the microwave or dishwasher?
(submitted by Jodi)
Read this article!
http://health.usnews.com/articles/health/2007/09/21/the-problem-with-plastic-bpa.html
Read this article!
http://health.usnews.com/articles/health/2007/09/21/the-problem-with-plastic-bpa.html
Drugmakers Recall Infant Cough/Cold Medicine
(submitted by Kevin, NMF dad :))
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20071011/us_nm/usa_recall_coldmedicine_dc
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20071011/us_nm/usa_recall_coldmedicine_dc
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Don't Pay Kids to Be Good!
"Can you believe it?" seven-year-old Kayla's mom moaned to her friend. "I have to take her with me to my cleaning job. She drives me nuts getting into everything she's not supposed to touch. I have to pay her to be good or she drives me crazy. It worked for a while, but now that's not even working. Yesterday she told me that I wasn't paying her enough!"Mom's mistake of paying or bribing her child to be good ranks close to the top of mistakes parents make. If she keeps this up she will soon suffer from "extortion inflation."
By the time Kayla becomes a teen, no amount of money will buy good behavior. How many times have you heard parents in the store saying, "Now if you're good, I'll let you buy a treat?" Every time I hear this I have fantasies of shaking the parent, or at least yelling, "BIG MISTAKE!"
Recently I watched two young boys following their dad into the store as they were saying, "Daddy, what do we get if we're good in the store today?"His answer was, "A happy family. That's what you get!" Now there's a dad I like!
By the way, Kayla's mom needs to listen to our CD, Love and Logic Magic When Kids Drain Your Energy. The technique specified there would work on Kayla.
Thanks for reading.
Jim Fay
Upcoming Love and Logic Seminars: Salt Lake City, UT; Rochester Hills, MI; and Portland, OR.
Visit this page for all my dates and locations.
By the time Kayla becomes a teen, no amount of money will buy good behavior. How many times have you heard parents in the store saying, "Now if you're good, I'll let you buy a treat?" Every time I hear this I have fantasies of shaking the parent, or at least yelling, "BIG MISTAKE!"
Recently I watched two young boys following their dad into the store as they were saying, "Daddy, what do we get if we're good in the store today?"His answer was, "A happy family. That's what you get!" Now there's a dad I like!
By the way, Kayla's mom needs to listen to our CD, Love and Logic Magic When Kids Drain Your Energy. The technique specified there would work on Kayla.
Thanks for reading.
Jim Fay
Upcoming Love and Logic Seminars: Salt Lake City, UT; Rochester Hills, MI; and Portland, OR.
Visit this page for all my dates and locations.
Monday, October 8, 2007
Sunday, October 7, 2007
Saturday, October 6, 2007
Vaccine Safety
Check out this link:
Thimerosal Content in Some US Licensed Vaccines
updated July 27, 2007
http://www.vaccinesafety.edu/thi-table.htm
Thimerosal Content in Some US Licensed Vaccines
updated July 27, 2007
http://www.vaccinesafety.edu/thi-table.htm
Thursday, October 4, 2007
Outbreak! Tell us your thoughts on the MMR???
(submitted by Nicole)
Possible measles outbreak hits Ann Arbor school
Advertisement
ANN ARBOR -- Students at an Ann Arbor elementary school who haven't gotten their shots are being told to stay home as health officials work to confirm a possible measles outbreak.
At least one case has been confirmed and two other students at Burns Park Elementary may have been infected.
District spokeswoman Liz Margolis tells The Ann Arbor News that the first case involves a student who apparently contracted the disease overseas. Two more students reported symptoms on Wednesday. Tests are being run on those students to determine if they have measles.
The district mandates all students provide proof of immunization when enrolling.
Margolis says 10 students at the school are not immunized.
***The article does not say that all three students WERE immunized with the MMR.
Possible measles outbreak hits Ann Arbor school
Advertisement
ANN ARBOR -- Students at an Ann Arbor elementary school who haven't gotten their shots are being told to stay home as health officials work to confirm a possible measles outbreak.
At least one case has been confirmed and two other students at Burns Park Elementary may have been infected.
District spokeswoman Liz Margolis tells The Ann Arbor News that the first case involves a student who apparently contracted the disease overseas. Two more students reported symptoms on Wednesday. Tests are being run on those students to determine if they have measles.
The district mandates all students provide proof of immunization when enrolling.
Margolis says 10 students at the school are not immunized.
***The article does not say that all three students WERE immunized with the MMR.
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
Do you like to read???
NMF Member Andrea said:
I just joined Shelfari to connect with other book lovers. It is a site where you can list all of your favorite books and your friends can look at them to see what they might like to read next! Click on the link below to join
(it's free and VERY easy to use)
http://www.shelfari.com/invite/k9STD18Wm0dCJEqaIBDHyQ
I just joined Shelfari to connect with other book lovers. It is a site where you can list all of your favorite books and your friends can look at them to see what they might like to read next! Click on the link below to join
(it's free and VERY easy to use)
http://www.shelfari.com/invite/k9STD18Wm0dCJEqaIBDHyQ
Doctors Report Rare Heart Attacks In Kids
(submitted by Kim)
Doctors at first didn't believe her. That's because her son had just turned 13.
A report from Ohio doctors documenting nine cases over 11 years in kids as young as 12 says heart attacks in children are a rare but under-recognized problem.
For Beth's son, Dan, it took a month to see a specialist who confirmed the diagnosis. Luckily, 1½ years later, the Strongsville, Ohio, teen is on heart medicine but is doing well. "Pediatricians need to understand that this is a true and real condition," Mrs. Meter said. "Don't just push aside any kid that's complaining of chest pain."
Dan Meter was among nine children included in a report by Drs. John Lane and Giora Ben-Shachar at Akron Children's Hospital in Akron, Ohio. All were stricken between 1995 and 2006 and most were treated at the Akron hospital. Lane treated a few of the earlier patients when he was at Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital in Cleveland.
All lacked common risk factors for heart problems, such as obesity, family history, high blood pressure, unhealthy cholesterol levels and drug abuse. The cause of their heart attacks was most likely a heart spasm that briefly cut off blood supply, Lane said. It is also a rare cause of heart attacks in adults. All but one of Lane's patients were boys. Doctors are uncertain whether girls face a lower risk because there's little in medical literature about this type of heart attack.
Lane called it "an under-appreciated phenomenon." His report appears in October's issue of the medical journal Pediatrics.
Chest pain is a common symptom in children, but 95 percent of the time, it's not heart-related and it is rarely life-threatening, said Dr. Reginald Washington, a Denver children's heart specialist. Muscle strains and stress are among common causes of kids' chest pain. Most heart-related chest pain in kids is caused by infections, structural abnormalities or problems other than heart attacks, Washington said. He said the Akron doctors' report "does a good job of telling physicians" they shouldn't dismiss heart attack as a possibility in children.
Dan Meter said the pain hit him during seventh grade social studies class in March 2006. A teacher noticed he looked pale, and Dan figured it was a stretched muscle. He didn't tell his mom at first. "I didn't think that could happen to a kid," said Dan, now 14 and in ninth grade.
His mother took him to the doctor the next day, then to the hospital, where the pain returned and spread to his arm. Staffers there dismissed her concerns about a heart attack.
Dan was hospitalized for two days. Despite abnormal blood tests and imaging tests, he was told he likely had a heart infection and was sent home. His pediatrician ultimately sent him to see Lane. Lane said parents should consult a doctor any time a child has sudden chest pain. A heart attack in children is typically a crushing-type pain that radiates to the arm or jaw or neck -- similar to adults' symptoms, Lane said.
It is uncertain what causes spasm-related attacks, which don't involve the issues usually seen -- narrowed arteries with plaque that bursts, leading to a clot that blocks blood flow. Some overweight children have signs of early artery disease. But it takes years for that to lead to clot-related heart attacks, said Dr. Dianne Atkins, an American Heart Association spokeswoman and pediatrics professor at the University of Iowa.
The conditions of the patients in the Pediatrics report were diagnosed through blood tests that showed abnormal levels of an enzyme made by injured or dying heart tissue. Many also had abnormal heart-imaging tests. Both methods are used to diagnose heart attacks in adults.
"In most cases we didn't see any permanent long-term injury in the heart function," and none of the patients has experienced any long-term problems, Lane said.
Although Dan takes heart medicine daily and nitroglycerin pills when occasional chest pain returns, he still snowboards, shoots hoops and does other hobbies he enjoyed before the attack.
"I try to keep it out of my mind," he said. "I don't want to be known as the kid who had a heart attack."
Doctors at first didn't believe her. That's because her son had just turned 13.
A report from Ohio doctors documenting nine cases over 11 years in kids as young as 12 says heart attacks in children are a rare but under-recognized problem.
For Beth's son, Dan, it took a month to see a specialist who confirmed the diagnosis. Luckily, 1½ years later, the Strongsville, Ohio, teen is on heart medicine but is doing well. "Pediatricians need to understand that this is a true and real condition," Mrs. Meter said. "Don't just push aside any kid that's complaining of chest pain."
Dan Meter was among nine children included in a report by Drs. John Lane and Giora Ben-Shachar at Akron Children's Hospital in Akron, Ohio. All were stricken between 1995 and 2006 and most were treated at the Akron hospital. Lane treated a few of the earlier patients when he was at Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital in Cleveland.
All lacked common risk factors for heart problems, such as obesity, family history, high blood pressure, unhealthy cholesterol levels and drug abuse. The cause of their heart attacks was most likely a heart spasm that briefly cut off blood supply, Lane said. It is also a rare cause of heart attacks in adults. All but one of Lane's patients were boys. Doctors are uncertain whether girls face a lower risk because there's little in medical literature about this type of heart attack.
Lane called it "an under-appreciated phenomenon." His report appears in October's issue of the medical journal Pediatrics.
Chest pain is a common symptom in children, but 95 percent of the time, it's not heart-related and it is rarely life-threatening, said Dr. Reginald Washington, a Denver children's heart specialist. Muscle strains and stress are among common causes of kids' chest pain. Most heart-related chest pain in kids is caused by infections, structural abnormalities or problems other than heart attacks, Washington said. He said the Akron doctors' report "does a good job of telling physicians" they shouldn't dismiss heart attack as a possibility in children.
Dan Meter said the pain hit him during seventh grade social studies class in March 2006. A teacher noticed he looked pale, and Dan figured it was a stretched muscle. He didn't tell his mom at first. "I didn't think that could happen to a kid," said Dan, now 14 and in ninth grade.
His mother took him to the doctor the next day, then to the hospital, where the pain returned and spread to his arm. Staffers there dismissed her concerns about a heart attack.
Dan was hospitalized for two days. Despite abnormal blood tests and imaging tests, he was told he likely had a heart infection and was sent home. His pediatrician ultimately sent him to see Lane. Lane said parents should consult a doctor any time a child has sudden chest pain. A heart attack in children is typically a crushing-type pain that radiates to the arm or jaw or neck -- similar to adults' symptoms, Lane said.
It is uncertain what causes spasm-related attacks, which don't involve the issues usually seen -- narrowed arteries with plaque that bursts, leading to a clot that blocks blood flow. Some overweight children have signs of early artery disease. But it takes years for that to lead to clot-related heart attacks, said Dr. Dianne Atkins, an American Heart Association spokeswoman and pediatrics professor at the University of Iowa.
The conditions of the patients in the Pediatrics report were diagnosed through blood tests that showed abnormal levels of an enzyme made by injured or dying heart tissue. Many also had abnormal heart-imaging tests. Both methods are used to diagnose heart attacks in adults.
"In most cases we didn't see any permanent long-term injury in the heart function," and none of the patients has experienced any long-term problems, Lane said.
Although Dan takes heart medicine daily and nitroglycerin pills when occasional chest pain returns, he still snowboards, shoots hoops and does other hobbies he enjoyed before the attack.
"I try to keep it out of my mind," he said. "I don't want to be known as the kid who had a heart attack."
Member of the Month, October
Member of the Month: HOLLY
Age: 28
Spouse: Jody
Kids: Addison, 6 months
Pet: Tahoe- beloved cat
Woman Plus: party planner! 2007 has proved to be a big year for family friends and has kept me busy.
Your favorite song to sing loud in the car?
Anything by Dixie Chicks
Guilty indulgence?
Anything chocolate
Your favorite children’s book?
Stone Soup. I am not sure of the author!
A way you stay focused?
I make lists. Lots and lots of lists!!
Favorite Gift from one of your kids or a memorable gift from a friend?
I am very lucky to have very creative friends. There is no way I could pick one!
A discovery you’ve made recently?
That Addison will remember me when I leave for more then 24 hours! (Just got back from a small vacation for the first time.)
Three things you love:
1. Addison when she gets up from sleeping
2. My friends- they keep me sane, when I just might lose it!!
3. Fall—I love this time of year, Halloween, apple orchards and sweaters!!
Monday, October 1, 2007
QUESTION OF THE WEEK! 10/1/07
What are your little ones going to be for Halloween? Where did you get their costume?
The Debate Is Over! Who do your Children look more like? Mom or Dad???
Although this may not be very scientific or true it is fun to do! Just upload your pictures and in minutes you will have the answer you have finally been waiting for!
http://www.myheritage.com/FP/Company/look-alike-meter.php
(submitted by Jodi who found this on Kara, our on-line NMF member's website! :)
http://www.myheritage.com/FP/Company/look-alike-meter.php
(submitted by Jodi who found this on Kara, our on-line NMF member's website! :)
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