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By Vincent Iannelli, M.D., About.com Guide

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Are you working too hard?

Tuesday May 15, 2012

If you ask most people, they will say they are working too hard.

But what if you ask their kids?

A new study by the Australian Institute for Family Studies found that about one in three 10-year-old children say their parents work too hard.

It is an important reminder that kids notice when their parents aren't around and that they like spending time with their parents. We can't always control how much we have to work, but it is important to make sure that we spend quality time with our kids. And if how much you work is something you can control, then this might be a reminder to make sure you aren't working so much that it is affecting your relationship with your kids and spouse, etc.

The Latest Hand Sanitizer Dangers

Saturday May 12, 2012

We have all heard about the dangers of hand sanitizer over the years.

Dr. Gupta first warned us about the dangers of hand sanitizer back in 2007, when he highlighted the fact that hand sanitizer contains ethyl alcohol, the "same stuff in wine, beer and Jack Daniels." He went on to talk about all of the calls to poison control, likely from parents of kids who accidentally ingested hand sanitizer.

Fortunately, as the Texas Poison Center Network states, "while hand sanitizers can be dangerous if swallowed, actual symptoms from their misuse are extremely rare." The reason is that while Dr. Gupta is correct that "a little 2-ounce bottle = 4 shots of vodka," most children don't get more than a very small taste of the stuff because it tastes so bad.

We got another warning about hand sanitizer a few weeks ago - teens are drinking hand sanitizer to get high. At least a handful of teens in California drank hand sanitizer a few months ago and there are some youtube videos of kids tasting hand sanitizer.

And of course there have always been the warnings from people who are worried about hand sanitizer ingredients, like triclosan. Remember that while the FDA is reviewing things, they do state that they do "not have evidence that triclosan added to antibacterial soaps and body washes provides extra health benefits over soap and water."

There may be a new hand sanitizer danger to warn you about now though.

Teens are using hand sanitizer to set their schools on fire.

Woodburn High School in Woodburn, Oregon was set on fire by kids "messing around with hand sanitizer" in class. At least one of the students decided to light the hand sanitizer on fire, a bad idea since it is mostly alcohol, and then "tried to put it out with a paper towel."

Three 15-year-old students now face arson charges in connection with the 4-alarm fire that destroyed part of their school.

Does this mean that we have another reason to take hand sanitizer out of our schools and away from our kids?

Of course not. But it likely is a good reminder to talk to your kids about National Arson Awareness Week.

Drinking Water Week

Saturday May 12, 2012

Drinking Water Week - Photo courtesy of the American Water Works Association This is Drinking Water Week, a great time to remember that "the United States has one of the safest public drinking supplies in the world."

Remember, "tap water not only provides water for daily activities such as drinking, bathing, and cooking, it also benefits the entire community by providing water to serve businesses, schools, and hospitals, and to promote overall health."

Most of us take it for granted, but it is a great alternative to soda, juice, and other drinks with calories for your kids.

Drinking Water Week is also a good time to remember that over 884 million people around the world don't have access to clean water.

Saturday Safety Roundup

Saturday May 12, 2012

This week's Saturday Safety Roundup includes stories of:

a 5-year-old girl in Lancaster, Pennsylvania who is in critical condition after being shot in the head with a BB gun (Crosman Recruit) by her brother
a 2-year-old girl in Aiken, South Carolina who drowned in the family's backyard pool. She had been left in the front yard with her three siblings for just a moment, after which her father couldn't find her, until he discovered her in their above ground pool.
a 15-month-old girl in Las Cruces, New Mexico who was mauled to death by her family's pit bull
a 15-year-old in Franklin, Tennessee who died when the golf cart she was riding in with other kids down a steep hill blew a tire and crashed
a 2-year-old in Columbus, Ohio who died when the minibike he was riding on with two older children crashed into a pickup truck
a 15-year-old in Boulder City, Nevada who is in a medically induced coma after crashing because he hit a rock while riding his skateboard. He was not wearing a helmet.
a 4-year-old in Vermillion, Ohio who is in critical condition after being run over by her mother on a riding lawnmower
a 5-year-old in Forest Hill, Maryland who had both feet amputated after her father backed over her on his lawnmower
a 13-year-old in Livermore, California who died while riding his skateboard and colliding with the side of a pickup truck at the bottom of a hill
a 4-month-old in Erlanger, Kentucky who was hospitalized after being left in a hot car for at least 45 minutes. His mother and grandmother both thought he was with the other person.
a 3-year-old in West Jordan, Utah who had head trauma after falling out of a 2nd story window. He had pushed on a screen and fell out the window onto the concrete patio below.
a 2-year-old in Nebraska who died after falling off a horse
a 5-year-old in Clarksville, Tennessee who nearly drowned after falling into the grease pit near the picnic tables at a Sonic restaurant when she stepped on a dislodged man hole cover
a 4-year-old boy in Steuben County, New York who drowned in a pond after he likely fall off a newly built dock
a 2-year-old girl in Harrison County, Texas who drowned in an above ground pool in the family's backyard when her floatie slipped off and she got overlooked while a lot of kids were swimming in the pool
an 8-year-old in Pell City, Alabama who drowned in Logan Martin Lake while visiting with family and friends
an 18-month-old in Penbrook Pines, Florida who drowned in a lake near her home
a 4-year-old in Texas who drowned while playing with other children near the bank of a park in Lake Waco
a 6-year-old in Houston, Texas who drowned in an apartment complex pool
a 7-year-old in Tomah, Wisconsin who was hospitalized for four days and required 100 stitches after being attacked by a stray pit bull. He was taking his new bike, an early birthday present, for a test ride in his driveway.
a 3-month-old in Milwaukee who died after being electrocuted by a baseboard heater after falling out of her mother's bed
two children, including a 4-year-old, in San Antonio, Texas who died in a rollover accident. Neither was properly restrained in the SUV and they were both ejected during the accident.

Many of the accidents and tragedies are ones that we see week after week, including drownings, falls, ATV accidents, accidental shootings, and even lawn mower accidents.

Spread the word about child safety to help save lives and reduce these types of accidents and tragedies.

Little things can help prevent tragedies, like removing the ladder or steps whenever you get out of your above-ground pool and making young children who can't swim well wear a coast guard approved life-jacket instead of floaties.

Trampoline Recall

Wednesday May 9, 2012

Trampoline Recall - Photo courtesy of the CPSC About 92,000 Sportspower BouncePro 14' Trampolines are being recalled because "the netting surrounding these trampolines can break, allowing children to fall through the netting and be injured."

The recalled trampolines were made in China and sold at Wal-Mart from February 2009 to 2012 for about $275.

The recall includes Sportspower BouncePro 14' Trampolines with brown netting that have UPC codes 68706404210 or 68706404244 printed on the trampoline box and model number TR-14-63-A printed on a plate on the leg of the trampoline frame.

There have been at least 17 reports of the nets on these trampolines breaking, including at least 11 reports of injuries, including "broken bones, back and neck injuries, and contusions."

If you have a recalled trampoline, stop using it until you can get free replacement black netting from Sportspower Limited.

Parents should keep in mind that home trampolines can be dangerous, even with an intact net surrounding the trampoline. Many of the injuries and deaths on trampolines are caused by children colliding with each other, landing improperly while jumping or doing stunts, or falling on the trampoline springs or frame. A net can help keep your child from falling off the trampoline, if it doesn't tear, but it won't prevent these other types of injuries.

To help avoid injuries from trampolines, you should follow the recommendations of the American Academy of Pediatrics and simply never 'purchase a home trampoline or allow children to use home trampolines' and don't make trampolines a part of outdoor playgrounds or play equipment.

Bad Parents

Wednesday May 9, 2012

Sure, there are a lot of different parenting styles and methods of parenting, and while most parents think their way is the best, there are some things that will get you labeled as being a bad parent.

Need some examples? And no, I'm not talking about the tanning bed mom.

How about the bad parent who:

drove in Fort Wayne, Indiana with his four kids, ages four to seven years old, strapped to the hood of his car
drove in Sarasota, Florida while towing their 7-year-old grandchild behind them in a toy car attached to their SUV with two dog leashes while they were drunk
supervised a party in Breezy Point, New York where 43 underage teens were drinking alcohol, including two who were taken to the hospital
left her 2-year-old in a hot car in Dallas, Texas while she was inside having four margaritas

It is perhaps not surprising that alcohol was involved in all of the episodes.

If alcohol helps adults make poor decisions, is that a good reason for adults to supervise their kids while they are drinking, in the hopes that they won't be drinking somewhere else? Of course not!

According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, "Parents' ability to influence whether their children drink is well documented and is consistent across racial/ethnic groups. Setting clear rules against drinking, consistently enforcing those rules, and monitoring the child's behavior all help to reduce the likelihood of underage drinking."

Teens who drink are more likely to have school problems, social problems, legal problems, and have unwanted, unplanned, and unprotected sexual activity, in addition to being more likely to be victims of physical and sexual assault. Good parents do everything they can do to decrease the chances that their kids will drink.

You may think that you are teaching them to drink responsibly, but you are just teaching them to drink.

National Arson Awareness Week

Tuesday May 8, 2012

House Fire - Photo by Ada Be/Creative Commons National Arson Awareness Week doesn't usually get as much attention as Children's Mental Health Awareness Week or Mental Health Month, which we also observe in May, but it is important too.

According to the U.S. Fire Administration, "each year in this country, fires set by children are responsible for more than 100 fire deaths, nearly 1,000 painful burn injuries, and hundreds of millions of dollars in property loss."

To help prevent youth firesetting, the USFA recommends that parents:

teach young children that fire is a tool, not a toy
keep matches and lighters out of reach, in high, ideally locked cabinets
set a good example by safely using matches, lighters and fire
use child-resistant lighters

Several recent stories should highlight the need to talk to your kids about playing with fire, including three juveniles in Baltimore who face charges of setting multiple small fires in a school, a 13-year-old in Akron, Ohio who set fire to his neighbor's house, and a 17-year-old who set a series of fires on her family's farm in Pennsylvania.

Will you be talking to your kids about fire safety during National Arson Awareness Week?

Improving Teen Vaccination Levels

Monday May 7, 2012

With the increasing reports of pertussis outbreaks and epidemics these days, anything that could improve vaccination levels would likely be welcome. This is especially true for teens, as the protection from the pertussis vaccines that they received when they were younger has likely diminished over the years.

Although a dose of Tdap and Menactra is recommended by the latest immunization schedule from the CDC when kids are 11 to 12 years old, that doesn't mean that all kids get them.

How do we improve teen vaccination levels?

One easy way is that in addition to having vaccine requirements for entering school and daycare, states should add school entry requirements for middle school too.

A new study that will appear in the June issue of Pediatrics, "Middle School Vaccination Requirements and Adolescent Vaccination Coverage," has found that middle school vaccine requirements improve coverage for the Tdap and Menactra vaccines over education only requirements.

Fortunately, only fifteen states don't have a middle school requirement that students receive the Tdap vaccine. Thirty don't have a middle school requirement for Menactra though.

Have your kids had their Tdap and meningococcal vaccines (Menactra or Menveo), protecting them against tetanus, diptheria, pertussis, and meningococcal disease?

Remember that they are recommended by the AAP and are a part of the latest immunization schedule, so make sure your kids are fully vaccinated, even if those vaccines aren't required for school in your state yet.

Salmonella from Dog Food

Sunday May 6, 2012

Dog Food - Photo by Javier Pierini/Getty Images At least 14 people in 9 states have gotten sick with Salmonella that is likely linked to multiple brands of dry pet food produced by Diamond Pet Foods.

Of the 14 people who have gotten sick since October 8, 2011, at least 5 have required hospitalization. Cases have been reported in Alabama, Connecticut, Michigan, Missouri, North Carolina , New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. The youngest case is an infant who is less than twelve-months-old.

In addition to watching out for salmonella symptoms if you have any of the recalled dry pet food from Diamond Pet Foods, it is important to remember to encourage your kids to wash their hands after handling pet food and pet treats.

Parents who aren't aware of this danger should keep in mind that this isn't a new thing. Safety experts have longed warned about the risks of dry pet food to kids, both as a choking hazard and as a risk for Salmonella. Some parents will remember that a Salmonella outbreak from dry dog food in 2007 got a lot of attention, as 62 people got sick in 18 states.

Lessons from the Nutella Lawsuit

Sunday May 6, 2012

Nutella - Photo by Inga Beretta / Creative Commons It's a little surprising that the recent lawsuit over the Nutella TV commercials has people on different sides of the issue.

While many people agree that the commercials were probably misleading in depicting Nutella, the chocolate hazelnut spread, as healthy, despite that it has a lot of sugar and fat, they don't see how anyone could have fallen for the whole Nutella as a healthy breakfast spiel.

The moms who brought the class action lawsuit against Ferrero, the maker of Nutella, have won a $3 million settlement though. If you bought Nutella in California between August 1, 2009 and January 23, 2012, or in other states between January 1, 2008 and February 3, 2012, you may be eligible to receive a payment from the Nutella class action settlement.

More importantly, "Ferrero also has agreed to prospective relief by agreeing to modify the Nutella label, modify certain marketing statements about Nutella, create new television ads, and change the Nutella website."

Sounds like there may be a lesson for everyone in this story. We all need to read the nutrition labels to know what we are eating and what we are feeding our kids. That is especially important at is often just a small number of extra calories each day that can add up extra weight gain and problems with child obesity.

On the other hand, it is not a terrible idea to use a product like Nutella to get your picky eater to eat other healthier foods. Nutrition experts often recommend that parents use "dippers" to help get kids to eat raw vegetables, like broccoli, carrots, or cauliflower, etc., and fruit chunks. Parents can use low-fat yogurt, low-fat ranch dressing, cheese, and even peanut butter as a dip for fruits and vegetables that kids won't eat by themselves.

What about Nutella for breakfast? If it helps your kids eat whole wheat bread and drink a glass of low-fat milk, when they normally wouldn't, and keeps them from eating a big bowl of sugary cereal, then why not? You can almost certainly find healthier breakfast alternatives though, and could just offer Nutella as a special treat, or just skip it.

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