Teens and Healthy Bones

Children and teens in the United States need more milk, sunshine, and exercise! We know this because there is actually a resurgence of rickets - a childhood disease that results in bowleggedness. Rickets is a vitamin D deficiency that causes bones to soften and bend. The main sources of vitamin D are sunlight, as well as vitamin-D fortified cow's milk and infant formula, suggesting that breast-fed babies, or those who only drink rice or soy milk, need extra sunlight or vitamin supplements.

To build strong bones people need calcium, vitamin D and exercise starting in childhood. Specifically, young children need 800 milligrams of calcium a day, and between 9 and 18 years old, they need 1,300 mg. That is about three glasses of milk plus some broccoli, cheese, and yogurt. Children and teens also need at least 200 international units of vitamin D, which they can get from 10-15 minutes of sun exposure a week. Finally, children of all ages need at least one hour of physical activity daily, preferably a weight-bearing exercise, which means the arms or legs bear all the body's weight.

Scientists are very concerned that millions of our seemingly healthy children aren't building as much strong bone as they should - which could lead to osteoporosis later in life. Cincinnati Children's Hospital recently led a national study to document how bone mass is accumulated in healthy children ages 6 to 17 producing the first bone-growth guide, just like a height-and-weight chart, for pediatricians. The next step in their research is to follow those participants for ten years to see how their bones turn out.

You may not know that half of peak bone mass develops during adolescence, and many people are worried that as this generation grows older, they will experience thinning bones at a higher rate then their parents. By the time people are in their 30s it is normal for bone to break down faster than it is rebuilt. Sadly though, our children may be experiencing the consequences of our sedentary lifestyle earlier - as suggested by an increase in the number of broken bones each year, particularly in obese children and teens.

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Labels: Teen Development

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Six Steps to Increase the Number of Unintended Pregnancies

According to a brochure that I got in the mail today from Planned Parenthood, women's reproductive rights are in jeopardy. I thought I would translate the brochure into one for parents who want to encourage their teenagers to have a baby before they are 18.

Here is what parents can do:
1. Do not provide your children with real sex education. If you want to increase your child's chance of having an unintended pregnancy, teach only abstinence and do not discuss contraception or condom use.
2. Do not let the facts get in your way. Don't believe that condoms can protect from sexually transmitted infection and pregnancy, and don't teach your children to use them.
3. Refuse to let your children use birth control and do not tell them that after the age of 12 (in California) they are guaranteed confidential reproductive health care by law.
4. Make emergency contraception hard to get. Do not tell your children that they can get Plan B within 72 hours of unprotected intercourse.
5. Do not let your kids see condoms ads - watch only Fox and CBS who are resisting condom ads.
6. Do not support family planning services that provide free or low cost contraception to women and vote for congress people who who refuse to increase funding to Title X programs.

There you have it - early grandparenthood, guaranteed!

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Labels: Pregnancy

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Youth Suicide Rates Rising, Especially Among Young Teenage Girls

A September edition of the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report reported that the U.S. suicide rate among preteens and teens rose to its highest rate in 15 years in 2004, with the biggest jump among 10 to 14 year-old girls. Between 1990 and 2003, the total suicide rate for 10-24 -year-olds declined by 28.5 percent to 6.78 deaths per 100,000 yet between 2003 and 2004, the overall rate for that age group climbed 8 percent to 7.32 deaths per 100,000, the largest single-year increase in 15 years. The study also found that suicide rates among 10-14-year-old girls doubled between 2003 and 2004, and the number of suicides among 15-19-year-olds of both sexes also increased.

It is important that parents and health care professionals, as well as teachers, coaches, and employers recognize the warning signs of depression and suicide in youth. The warning signs about suicide include talking about suicide or death, changes in eating or sleeping habits, and feeling sad or hopeless about the future. In 2004 approximately 161,000 youth and young adults received emergency medical care for self-inflicted injuries - so we cannot sit back and just pretend it cannot happen to us! Talk to your kids and get them in to see a counselor if you think something is going on that you do not know about!

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United States #1: In Chlamydia Cases

Every year the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) releases a report on three sexually transmitted diseases caused by different bacteria - chlamydia, gonorrhea, and syphilis, which are reportable - and therefore countable. The last report was not good news! More than one million cases of chlamydia were reported in the United States last year - the highest number ever reported! The rates of gonorrhea also are getting higher, especially one "superbug" version resistant to common antibiotics. Congenital syphilis, which can deform or kill babies, is also rising for the first time in years.

Last year's number of chlamydia cases beat the 1978 record number of gonorrhea cases, which might not be a bad thing if it means more people are being tested, and therefore treated. Since 1993 the CDC has recommended annual screening for all sexually active women ages 15 to 25, which is the group most likely to be infected. If, on the other hand, it just reflects more unprotected sex, the news cannot be good.

The test for the bacteria that causes chlamydia can easily be done with urine or a swab, on both males and females. More than three quarters of women with chlamydia have no symptoms, making the screening extremely important. Left untreated in women, chlamydia can cause pelvic inflammatory disease (PID) as well as infertility later in life. Sadly, the CDC believes that chlamydia is actually underreported and the actual number of cases may be closer to 2.8 million annually.

The CDC also recommends that doctors send information and medication for the sexual partner home with the person diagnosed as sexual partners can be hesitant to seek treatment if they do not experience any symptoms. A "test for cure" three months after the first diagnosis is also suggested, to make sure the treatment was successful.

The story with gonorrhea is a little bit different. In 2004 the rates of gonorrhea infection were at the lowest level they had been since 1941, when the government started tracking the number of infections. However, in 2005 the rates went up and in 2006 there was another 5.5% increase. There are also research reports that suggest between 7% and 14% of the cases are the infections resistant to common antibiotics.

There are actually about 19 million new cases of sexually transmitted diseases in the United States and genital herpes, HPV and trichomonas infections are the most common, but not reportable. For teens, this means that safer sex is a necessity - every act of vaginal intercourse should be protected with a reliable method of birth control, as well as a condom to protect against disease. Oral sex should include the use of a condom to avoid the exchange of semen. This is not rocket science - all three of these diseases can be 100% avoided by not exchanging body fluids during sexual contact - which is easily accomplished with proper use of a male or female condom.

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Labels: Chlamydia, STD

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Happy Thanksgiving - Generations

Happy Thanksgiving to all of the readers of Teen Health 411. I hope your day is peaceful and full of blessings, love, and happiness. Today is an opportunity to remember everything we are grateful for and tell those people we appreciate how lucky we are to share our life with them.

One of the things I love about the holidays is the opportunity to spend time with my family and watch the different generations of family members interact with each other. As a child I remember playing with all the cousins outside on holidays (it was Southern California) while the women cooked and the men watched TV. Apart from the usual family drama, holidays were fun and we all enjoyed them.

As the middle generation, and with a much smaller family, I share my own children with my mom on the holidays and am very conscious that the rituals we create now will become part of the girls' futures. We usually do a long drive, help her put up holiday decorations, and share a meal that includes everyone's favorite dish. During the (media free) day, the girls play games, help cook, play in the snow, and relax, which is wonderful to watch and enjoy. We share long conversations about the things the kids are learning in school, hobbies, and the future, conversations that are not usually had with my mom, and I love listening to them share and appreciate each other's perspective.

I always fall asleep at the end of these days happy and a little emotional about how lucky I am and how much I appreciate the time with my mom and my children, who are growing up too fast and will within the next decade start their own lives and traditions.

Enjoy every minute of your day - and blessings for the coming holiday season! Thank you for sharing my life! Here is an affirmation (from Mark Husson, 2006) for your day: "There is not enough paper in the world to write down everything I am thankful for."

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Labels: Holidays

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Thank You - Grand Rounds 4.09

I would like to thank Enrico at Mexico Medical Student for hosting Grand Rounds 4.09 this week and including my post about gratitude, families and holidays.

This week was uplifting and I loved the music playing in the background. Thank you!

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Labels: Holidays

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High Blood Pressure Undiagnosed in Children and Teens

The rise in childhood obesity have brought increases in pediatric hypertension. Unfortunately many cases are going undiagnosed among children and adolescents according to a recent article in the Journal of the American Medical Association. The study reported that of 507 children and adolescents with hypertension, just 131 had a diagnosis of that condition or high blood pressure in the medical records. The study also found that if a pediatrician did not recognize the problem, it would be years before it was diagnosed and treated, resulting in unnecessary end-organ damage.

Blood pressure should be part of every office visit and high values recorded and attended to, particularly if children are overweight or obese. Blood pressure measurements are the result of the force of the blood produced by the heart and the size and condition of the arteries. Many factors can affect blood pressure, including how much water and salt you have in your body, the condition of your kidneys, nervous system, or blood vessels, and the levels of different body hormones.

High blood pressure can affect all types of people. You have a higher risk of high blood pressure if you have a family history of the disease. High blood pressure also is more common in African Americans than Caucasians. There are rarely symptoms, although headaches may be associated with high blood pressure in youth.

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Labels: Health Care, Obesity

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Gratitude and Abundance:Can You Feel the Love?

It's Thanksgiving this week (in the United States) and families everywhere are traveling, shopping, cleaning, cooking eating, and preparing themselves for the holiday season, which will run at least five weeks, and sometimes longer. This is a perfect time of the year to prepare yourself for the frenzy by identifying which of the rituals associated with the holidays you celebrate actually mean something to the people in your family, and then choosing to really focus on those parts that nurture you and bring joy, rather than irritate and exhaust you.

First, remember that the holiday season starts with a celebration of community and gratitude - a celebration of abundance. The holidays may be a good time to start a meditation practice, or just a grateful practice, as I call it, which is simply making my first thought in the morning and my last thought at night "I am so grateful for ....." No matter how bad a day is, finding something that I am grateful for and breathing and smiling brings me peace. It must be some law of the universe that peace follows every grateful thought.

To help get you in the grateful zone, here are some of my favorite quotes about gratitude:

Buddha: Let us rise up and be thankful, for if we didn't learn a lot today, at least we learned a little, and if we did not learn a little, at least we didn't get sick, and if we got sick, at least we didn't die; so let us all be thankful.
Cicero: Gratitude is not only the greatest of virtues, but the parent of all of the others.
Ralph Waldo Emerson: I awoke this morning with devout thanksgiving for my friends, the old and the new.

With gratitude and abundance in mind, I want to encourage families to slow down, enjoy the extra time off from work and school that holidays provide and enjoy each other's company. If your days off are full of errands, you feel irritable and angry, or are just stretched too far, or if whenever you are all at home your family is separated throughout the house, chances are good that you are not enjoying this holiday season, and the rituals that matter are not the focus.

Try this: Ask everyone in your family to identify the most important thing about Thanksgiving and Christmas/Hanakah, or Kwanza. Next, ask them what food they need to "make the holiday special," and keep a list of what everyone says. Then, over a meal, talk about your desire to make the holidays as simple, rewarding and fun as possible and ask everyone to help identify what is important, and "must" happen, and which things are usually more bother than they are worth. You might be surprised at what comes out of their mouths.

Please try not to pout when no one really cares about the fancy wrapping, or special brining for the turkey that takes three days - no wincing, begging, or bribing either. Just listen and if you must, you can ask questions - are the house lights important, is seeing the nutcracker an important part of our holiday, would people rather be home or at grandma's on Christmas morning, is there a community service project we could do that would be fun and we could do as a family? After everyone has voted an opinion - and I mean everyone - even he most withdrawn, angsty teen, try and describe the holiday that includes only what everyone really wants, and see if the family "buys" it.

Next step is the plan, who will do what, which may knock a few other things off the "gotta do" list, and viola, you have a holiday that means something - a conscious process that celebrates what is important to everyone in your family.

Now sit down with a cup of tea, enjoy the peace and feel the love! Happy holidays from Teen Health 411.

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Labels: Holidays

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Staph infections and School

Good hygiene is the best defense against a "superbug" that has affected schools nationwide, and even killed people. The Superintendent of Public Instruction, Jack O'Connell told students last week in a Burlingame school that there is an aggressive antibiotic-resistant staph infection that can kill you out there - and it is serious. He encouraged students to wash there hands frequently and not share towels to reduce the spread of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, or MRSA.

MRSA undermines the body's defenses by causing germ-fighting cells to explode, and the infection may be killing as many people each year as AIDS. Staph infections have been associated with hospitals and people with reduced immune functioning, but the recent outbreaks are on sports teams, in prisons, on cruise ships where people are relatively healthy, making it more dangerous.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), MRSA is spread by skin-to-skin contact with someone who has the staph infection; as well as contact with the germs on surfaces that contain the bacteria; cuts and scrapes; crowded living conditions; and poor hygiene. The infection can look like pimples or boils, and may be red, swollen, painful and have pus. There is a parents guide available at the CDPH.

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Labels: Health Care, safety

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Stroke - Do You Know The Warning Signs?

The commercials on TV lately that say - "we care - know the signs of a stroke" - have really annoyed me, so I had to go find out what the signs of a stroke are, and teach them to my children, using the acronym "FAST." Face (numbness); Arm (weakness); Speech (Slurred), and Test (Act fast to get a test).

The symptoms of a stroke are sudden:

• Numbness or weakness of the face, arm, or leg, sometimes only on one side;
• Confusion, trouble speaking or understanding speech;
• Trouble seeing;
• Trouble walking or dizziness; loss of balance or coordination;and
• Severe headache with no known cause.

Did you know that each year in the United States there are more than 700,000 strokes? Stroke is actually the third leading cause of death in the country, and nearly 3/4s of all strokes occur in people over the age of 65. This may shake you up - the risk of having a stroke more than doubles each decade after the age of 55.

For African American, strokes are more common, and more deadly. Everyone can help prevent strokes by maintaining a healthy lifestyle including daily exercise, plenty of whole grains, fruits and vegetables, not smoking, managing diabetes and high blood glucose with diet, exercise, and medications, keeping blood pressure under control, and maintaining a healthy weight.

A stroke occurs when blood flow to the brain stops because it is blocked by a clot. here are two types of stroke - an ischemic stroke, which is caused by a clot plugging he blood vessel, and a hemorrhagic stroke, which is when a blood vessel breaks and bleeds into the brain. Both deprive the brain of blood, and brain cells start dying off immediately.

Everyone has a better chance of benefiting from treatment if they arrive at a hospital within 60 minutes after symptoms start, so knowing the symptoms of a stroke and calling 911 are critical! Stroke damage to the brain can cause paralysis, trouble thinking and speaking, and even emotional problems. If you suspect a stroke, act FAST!

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Labels: safety

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Safety and Empowerment - How to Balance Risks for Teens

Lately, the world seems to be a little crazier to me, and although I refuse to watch the news on TV, there have been several "events" involving young girls being abducted, raped, or threatened that have managed to creep into my reality, shaking me up and creating a parenting dilemma that I imagine some of you are struggling with as well. Be warned - I do not have the answers, just the struggle - right now!

I am big on safety - from the time the kids were little we talked with them about not keeping secrets, trusting the feelings in their tummies, not letting anyone touch them in their private areas, strangers and being aware of their environment, what to do if they were threatened or approached by strangers, etc... The messages were never fear-based - just factual. I have never wanted to make them fear people, feel like targets or potential victims, or be afraid to move through the world.

On the contrary, I have wanted them to feel empowered to speak their voice, carry themselves with strength and move through the world with confidence. That seems really hard to do when the world is crazy and schools are installing cameras, telling kids not to go anyone without a buddy and making parents wear name tags. Do I become fearful and not let my kids walk the dog in our very safe neighborhood? Am I a bad parent if they are allowed to walk to the store or ride their bike to school? Where is the line between fearful and reasonable?

My kids are struggling with the same feelings. They say they are not afraid, have never felt afraid in our neighborhood, but are a little more aware of who is around them, and more conscious of "what they would do" if a stranger approached them. They know which places in our community they would go to, which houses have people we know living in them, and sadly, that there are people in the world that could hurt them - randomly.

I would love to hear from readers who have solved this dilemma for themselves, and thanks in advance for your ideas and perspectives.

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Labels: Parenting

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Holiday Letters - Are you Ready?

Dread or delight? Maybe you write holiday letters to keep people you care about involved in your life. Maybe you hate holiday letters because they sound so "cheery" and make your own reality seem "dim" in comparison. Whichever reality you call your own, here is a perspective for you.

Creating the family holiday letter does not have to be a headache and if you try it, you might like it! Holidays in most cultures and religions are rituals and therefore contain an opportunity for reflection, assessment, and goal setting. By trying to write a holiday letter, you guarantee yourself a little time to take a break from the daily grind, pull yourself "out of the soup," and look at the broader issues in life. You also create a history of the year - although brief, which will become a keepsake for your children about their childhoods.

There are different types of things you can mention in the letter - large themes or concepts, events or accomplishments. Some letters are just collages of photos or quotes from kids. Anything is possible and most things are enjoyed by the readers of the letters - just keep it light. The "real" story about the high conflict divorce and legal bills might not warm the souls of the reader - and will not make you happy or feel like you have accomplished something, either. Amidst the worst year of our lives, there is always something we are proud of!

Here are some suggestions to get you thinking about what you might want to share with your friends and loved ones.

• What phase are the kids at, what are they trying to accomplish or striving for?
• What are they proud of, what would they change if they could?
• How is your life balance between family and career working?
• Where does community service fit in?
• What rituals in your day make you happy?
• What changes have happened in your family this year?
• Did you implement a family game night or mandatory sit down dinner?
• Did you start a hobby you always dreamed of?
• Did the family have a family meeting or negotiate rules for driving, curfews, dating?
• Did you plan or take a family vacation?
• Is your life as a parent what you thought it would be?

If after reading this you decide life is just a daily grind of work, school, laundry, cleaning, and car repair, then set a new goal with your family and write the letter about it - a promise to yourselves about what next year will include.

I admit, I am a holiday letter writer - mostly because my life is really busy and I never seem to make the time to email friends, no less write old-fashioned letters. I alleviate some of the guilt by sending the annual holiday letter some time between November and January. In it, we cover the events of each season, the kids contribute text, quotes, or pictures to the letter, and if I am really lucky, they Photoshop the letter and help address and stamp the envelopes, usually at our favorite camping cabin, without school, homework or work to worry about.

There are a few basic rules about these letters:

• They should be brief - about one page
• Be upbeat
• Include art or photos

Go ahead, try it! Have fun, and by the way, happy holidays - they are coming, whether we are ready or not!

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Labels: Holidays

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Thank You - Grand Rounds 4.08

Thank you Dr. A at Dr Anonymous for hosting Grand Rounds 4.8 this week and including a link to the post about teens needing flu shots at Teen Health 411.

This week was very eclectic, but always good reading, and I am impressed you managed this during a vacation

Thank you very much!

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Preteen Summit - Food for Thought

I had the pleasure of attending a luncheon the other day sponsored by the Preteen Alliance and the Lucile Packard Children's Hospital called "What does growing up have to do with my future? Important questions on the minds of preteen and strategies for answering them." The speakers were Robert Lehman, MD and Julie Metzger, RN, MN, both specialists in adolescent health care and parent-child communication.

It was a nice reminder for the parents, teachers, health professionals, and juvenile justice workers in the room that being a preteen is as tough on them as trying to know what is best for them is on us. We are all involved in the process of moving from control to independence, and the more involved we are with them at this phase of their life, the better of they will be. It was nice to hear mostly moms sigh in relief when they realized they were not the only ones struggling with issues around homework, cells phones, curfews, and the struggle to remain engaged with a tween who seems to want you to disappear off the planet. I was very impressed that both speakers did reinforce the research that says "stay involved" - do not let go too early, as some of the pop psychologists suggest is better for kids.

Preteens need all of the health and information support they can get, and the speakers encouraged parents to welcome all of the adults in their tween's life - doctors, teachers, clergy, extended family - starting at about 11 to become providers of information and support. This means talking to kids about everything you are comfortable with, and maybe some you aren't, as well as helping them identify adults they might ask questions of, if they cannot talk to you. Parents also need to reinforce that tweens are going to find themselves needing support and information that will help them make good decisions about their health and heart, and that the adults in their lives are here to help!

Some strategies to help busy parents stay in touch included: 1) make sure you are looking at your kids every day - eye-to-eye contact is not as frequent as you might imagine; and 2) Spend one minute a day talking about an important subject that might not come up on it's own - add another minute every day, and the conversation will build. Finally, the speakers reminded us that we are always teaching by example - how we handle stress, work and communication are the skills we are passing on to our children.

Listening to the parents who asked questions did make me reminisce about the old days of the choices in my parenting - car seats, naps, breast feeding, family bed, safety limits - decisions that seem so easy now when facing teens who are driving, getting jobs, and falling in love. Every phase has joys and struggles - thank goodness I am along for the ride!

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Labels: Parenting

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New Web Resource for Parents of Tweens & Teens

The Palo Alto Medical Foundation (PAMF) just went live with their revised health sites for the parents of teens and preteens. Supported in part by a grant from the Lucile Packard Foundation for Children's Health (LPFCH), the health care team that bring you We're Talking Teen Health and We're Talking, Too: Preteen Health have done it again. The revised site is easy to read and includes links to the information in the teen and preteen site for parents to give their children, or read themselves to know what their children already know.

On each page parents will not only find links to the "We're Talking Health" content, but also book reviews, and links to other relevant resources outside PAMF. To make the site more interactive, there also are polls about parenting issues, a good search function, and links to a portion of the site where you can rate the books that have been recommended. It is a one-stop information shop for parents looking for resources and information about their teens and tweens. You can access the new parent site, as well as the complementary site for parents of younger children, at http://www.pamf.org/parents/. Happy searching!

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Labels: Media, Parenting, Web Resource

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Manhunt 2 Rating: Mature or Adults Only?

California State Senator Leland Yee's campaign against a gory video game was set back a little last week when the National Ratings Board declined to give Manhunt 2 an "Adults Only" rating, which would have kept it off shelves. For those of you parents who might not know it, Manhunt 2 is a slasher game released on Halloween with a "Mature" rating in which gamers control an asylum escapee bent on slaughtering adversaries in the grisliest manner possible.

The game has been banned in the United Kingdom, and although I am not usually in support of this heavy-handedness, I may agree with this action. Although the "Mature" rating technically prohibits sales to minors, unaccompanied youths can usually buy these titles as they are on shelves everywhere. Much of the literature on violent video games is pretty clear - having children exposed to the depictions of brutal slayings is harmful and encourages young people to use violence as a way of dealing with frustration.

Again, if you have not played these games with your kids, you may not have any idea what they are being exposed to, and whether or not it bothers you. Please, watch or play so you can at least talk about the experience.

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Labels: Media

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Fashion Bullies in Middle School

The Wall Street Journal recently included an article about fashion bullies by Vanessa O'Connell that I really enjoyed, in a sick, kind of irritated beyond belief kind of way. The article talked about the fact that adolescent girls have long used fashion as a social weapon, but today some professionals say that fashion bullying has reached a new level of intensity as more designers launch collections targeted at kids. Girls in places where this is a problem are expected to wear not just any designer brands, but the "right" brands, and the better (read more expensive) the brand, the higher the level in the social pecking order.

Ms. O'Connel also discussed some of the ways school and community programs focused on girl-on-girl bullying are addressing peer pressure and the role of clothing plays in girls' identify. It seems there might be a connection between fashion bullying and the proliferation of designer brands and the labels of ads. Retailers, too are helping this phenomenon with boutiques for children and tweens. The greater focus on fashion in teen magazines and on TV has increased girls' awareness of designer labels. Kids today follow what celebrities wear on the show and off the show, and can even follow the style of celebrity's children.

If having access to designer clothes affords some kids the opportunity to become popular, which protects and gives youth social power, my vote is that schools make labels "contraband" and that young girls wanting to fight the pressure to conform remove the labels from the inside of their clothes as well! Maybe it will be a new fad hat will also empower young girls - label removing - and we can make buttons that say "please do not judge me by what is on the outside."

PLEASE!! Isn't it enough that kids are worried about their futures, the future of the planet and their safety? Now they have to worry about fashion, too? Young girls do not have to suffer and parents can help - talk about the fact that what we wear is not who we are and become label-blind. Do not feed the madness!

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Labels: Bullying, Media

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Thank You: Grand Rounds 4.7

Thank you Terry at Everyday Nurses for hosting Grand Rounds 4.7 this week and including a link to my post about teens living with borderline parents at Teen Health 411.

This week was really interesting, and I loved the art you selected. Thank you very much!

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Does my Tween or Teen Need a Flu Shot?

Yes! Last year 200,000 people were hospitalized with the flu and 36,000 died of complications from the virus!

Flu vaccine supplies are plentiful this year and health care experts are encouraging everyone to get a flu shot within the next few weeks. People who really should get a flu vaccine include those considered high risk - infants, small children (under 5), seniors (over 50), people with chronic diseases, women who may become pregnant during the flu season, as well as those household members who live with someone with a chronic disease - because they are more vulnerable to complications than people without chronic diseases.

Getting a flu shot may save you lost days of school or work and school-aged children, tweens and teens are more likely to spread the flu among themselves and bring it home to younger siblings. The flu vaccine may also decrease the incidence of ear infections and other upper respiratory complications. The trick is that you need to get one every year, and if your child is under 9 year of age, and has never received a flu shot before, s/he may need two doses, at least 30 days a part.

To clear up any misconceptions you might have: the flu vaccine cannot really give you the flu - it is an inactivated vaccine with killed virus that triggers your body to produce antibodies against certain strains of the flu. A few people may have some soreness or redness around the site, but these side effects are mild and rarely last more than two days. So, do not delay!

Most large medical providers have flu shot clinics already set up, you can get one from your PCP, and even drugstores are providing them for a low cost.

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Labels: Parenting

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In Case of Emergency (ICE)

Here is an important topic I had not given much thought, but I believe parents should put on their "to-do" list. First, the police suggest that you program an "In Case of Emergency" (ICE) number into all the phones in your household. This is a number that safety people will look for if someone is found unconscious or need emergency medical treatment, and should be a person to call who can identify the owner of the phone and give permission to treat in an emergency.

The second thing I want to encourage parents to do, is to work with your child to program some adult numbers into their phone. Recently I used my daughter's phone and realized that all the numbers in her phone were her friends, which makes perfect sense, but what if she needed a grown-up to help her deal with an emergency situation, and I was not available? We picked several parents of friends that she would be comfortable asking for help, and then I sent them an email letting them know I had put their phone number into my daughters' phones. I feel better knowing they can reach someone at all times.

While we are on the subject, do you have an emergency plan for your family? The earthquake the other night made me check in with my kids about what they would do if we were separated during a natural disaster, most likely an earthquake in California. We had not really talked about it since they were in elementary school and had to make an emergency plan as an assignment.

Have a plan - there are some hints about where to start and what to include at "We're Talking, Too: Preteen Health." Good luck and have fun!
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Labels: Parenting

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