Bambini Pediatrics PC
Wholesome Care for Kids
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2009 Blogs
December 2009
Tylenol After Shots
Most pediatricians recommend parents give their children Tylenol after the baby gets vaccinated. Good idea? Well, in a recent study published in Lancet, doctors from the Czech Republic did confirm that giving paracetamol (the name for acetaminophen outside the US and Canada) lessened the chance of fever (but 42% still got one). However, it also significantly reduced the amount of protective antibodies the children made after the shot. Can't have your cake and eat it too!
Avoid the Flu
We all know the flu season came exceptionally early this year. How will the rest of it go? Will our families make it through February? Virginia Hopkins, an associate of the late Dr. John Lee, offers a handy list of weapons in the war on coodies. I like her reminders about beta-glucans. We should probably be making better use of medicinal mushrooms, especially in the day-care set.
Not mentioned in this arsenal is another option that the current issue of Life Extension Magazine describes. I'll write about it next month but give you a clue: it's also used to treat ulcers.
The Food Imprint
Doesn't it seem like much of our food favorite choices gets hard-wired in early on in life? Can we do anything about that? Can we do a better job with our little ones? This two-part video addresses these questions. Part I is cute, part II offers some practical suggestions.
Safe Bed Sharing
Touchy subject for some reason. It seems that pediatricians discourage the practice, so parents are a little reluctant to discuss. How common is co-sleeping? Is it risky? If your child does sleep with you, what are the guidelines? What's a reasonable age to phase it out? Some practical ideas may be found here.
Raw Baby Food
How did humans feed their offspring hundreds, yes thousands of years ago? Gerber and Beechnut weren't around. Likely, much of what infants first consumed while being weaned was prepared by mom -- and without a microwave. Lisa Miller, a health counselor from Carmel, offers some thoughts on first foods.
November 2009
Swine Flu VaccineFamilies continue to express concerns about "the flu shot."
"Should my child get the swine flu shot? The seasonal shot? The spray? One of each? Two of each? What can I do instead? How can I reduce the risk of my child getting the flu?"
What a mess! Complicating matters still more, perhaps, were rumors of new preservatives (mainly squalene) in the domestic swine flu vaccine, apprehensions engendered by the decision of the federal government to give the manufacturers complete protection from litigation, and the backlash of New York state healthcare workers -- who until a few days ago, were looking at either getting two flu shots or losing their jobs.
Other integrative pediatricians, including Dr. Bob Sears and Dr. Larry Rosen, are lukewarm at best about recommending the vaccines. They do feel that the decisions should be individualized.
Increasingly, the last two questions are taking on significance -- since there currently is a shortage of both vaccines, and we are certainly seeing influenza in the community.
Probiotic News
Speaking about reducing the chance of getting the flu, how would you like to reduce your child's chances of getting colds too? Well, in an article published this summer, Dr. Gregory Leyer and others reported that daily probiotic administration to children between ages 3 and 5 years, reduced the occurence of fever, cough, and runny nose by about 50 to 70 percent compared to placebo!
There are a wide variety of probiotic products out there. They can get expensive, but there are ways to reduce cost while actually boosting effectiveness.
MMR: Goodbye to Separate Entities
On October 21, Merck announced their decision to stop producing separate mumps, measles, and rubella vaccines. Likely, this decision will cause a certain degree of frustration and concern among families that have worry about the safety of the MMR.
New Autism Database
Dr. Sidney Baker, one of the grandfathers of the biomedical autism (DAN) movement, has put together a new website called Autism 360. Looks interesting!
Video Worth Watching
Although diced up into 16 slices, this film should help motivate many families to move toward healthier eating habits. With the incidence of Type II diabetes now dramatically increasing even in teenagers, this is timely information. Remarkably, the film is narrated by a medical student who overcame type I (juvenile) diabetes with a change in diet.