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Thursday, March 04, 2010
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There has been a flood of activity in the pediatric literature about childhood obesity recently. The rate of overweight children continues to increase, and we are continuing to recognize the short-term and lifelong health impact of this. In the current issue of the journal Pediatrics, a study finds that children who eat meals regularly with their family, get adequate sleep, and limit their TV time to no more than two hours per day had a 40% reduction in obesity compared to kids who had none of these routines. I would also add avoiding high-fructose corn syrup to this list. High-fructose corn syrup is a cheap industrially manufactured (i.e., not natural) sweetener that is an indicator of highly-processed, low nutritional value foods. It is also extremely common and challenging to avoid, but it is worth looking for this on the ingredient list when you are shopping.
Other new resources for you:
www.healthychildren.org -- A new website from the American Academy of Pediatrics with information on multiple health topics, not just obesity.
www.letsmove.gov -- First Lady Michelle Obama is leading a new initiative to improve access to healthy food and exercise opportunities.
www.getkidzfit.org -- The Dallas Area Coalition to Prevent Childhood Obesity is sponsoring "Get Kidz Fit" on Saturday, April 24 at Fair Park in Dallas. This is a free festival to engage children and families in fun ways to exercise and eat well.
Monday, February 22, 2010
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There is a great article this weekend in the New York Times about a Brooklyn-area lactation consultant, Freda Rosenfeld. Lots of accurate observations about the joys and trials of breastfeeding in here; my favorite are her two simple rules of breastfeeding:
Rule #1: Enjoy your baby.
Rule #2: Feed your baby.
Our personal "breast whisperer" was Judy Eastburn -- she saved our bacon when Walt was traumatizing my dear wife with his Hoover-like suction, and she helped the twins learn to nurse in tandem. Getting breastfeeding started can be a stressful and sometimes painful experience, and we are happy to refer you to a board-certified lactation consultant if you are having any difficulties.
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
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A very interesting article in the Wall Street Journal yesterday describes the difficulties of accurately diagnosing and treating food allergies. Essentially, modern allergy testing still can have issues with false positives and false negatives, making interpretation of these test results difficult. Ultimately, what happens in the "real world" is what counts. If your child has a reaction that is concerning for a serious allergic reaction, we will typically refer you to a board-certified pediatric allergist for appropriate management. They are trained and equipped to decipher your child's symptoms, consider diagnostics such as blood tests or skin tests, and then discuss what the results mean for you. On one hand, we do not want to eliminate certain categories of foods if no true allergy exists -- it is hard enough to get our kids to eat a well-balanced diet! On the other hand, it is still felt that the best way to "outgrow" food allergies is strict avoidance. It is also possible to do a supervised "food challenge," under close observation by an allergist, to reintroduce foods that were previously felt to be allergenic. Oral allergy immunotherapy is another exciting new technique -- basically, the child is given gradually increasing amounts of the offending food in order to develop tolerance. Again, it is vitally important to consider the risks and benefits of this for your child with an experienced allergist. There is also a great deal of fascinating information coming out about the prevention of food allergies and the ideal timing for introduction of foods in the first few years of life, so look out for new findings in the future.
Monday, January 25, 2010
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Sorry for the lengthy gap between blog posts. For a while there, it was “all swine flu, all the time.” Currently, we are seeing very little influenza activity, but we expect seasonal flu to arrive soon, and we are also expecting another wave of H1N1 activity at some point later in the season.
On a non-medical note, I wanted to share a few other things. Leigh and I are proud to announce that we are expecting our fourth child in June, and by the looks of the ultrasound, it is another boy. Our house is already busy and noisy, so I suppose it is best that we keep our chaos all dressed in blue.
Speaking of boy stuff, I took the kids to the Heard Natural Science Museum and Wildlife Sanctuary in McKinney this weekend to see the Dinosaurs Alive! exhibit. Along their nature trails, they have a variety of life-size animatronic dinosaurs to entertain/terrify the kids. Who knew that a huge T. rex roaring in the distance would be so frightening for a two-year old? Recommended for ages four and up, this is the last week for the dinosaurs. They also have a small museum, lots of nature trails, and other outdoors-y stuff to explore, and I think it will be even more enjoyable in the spring.
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
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2009 is coming to a close, and it has been an exciting an unpredictable year. The biggest story, of course, has been the 2009 H1N1 “Swine Flu” virus. After experiencing a true pandemic with unprecedented numbers of sick kids in September and October, flu activity has dropped dramatically over the past month. Historically, seasonal flu activity peaks around January and February every year. In addition, we do expect a return of H1N1 activity at some point this winter or spring. It is certainly not too late to get the vaccine for both seasonal and H1N1 influenza. We have good supplies of both vaccines for all age groups, 6 months and older. You can call for an appointment for a nurse visit to receive the vaccines. Unfortunately, there have been two product recalls of H1N1 vaccine. These were not safety-related recalls, but the affected lots had dropped below the ideal level of potency. We did have some of our lots of the injectable vaccine for children 6-35 months of age recalled, but none of our nasal spray vaccines have been recalled. Fortunately, there is no need to do anything differently. The recalled vaccines are still felt to be adequately effective, especially if a booster dose is given as recommended 28 days or more after the first dose. With the decrease in flu activity and questions about the vaccines, it is easy to become complacent and forget how severe influenza can be. Even though for many people, influenza can be a self-limited viral illness that gets better on its own, it can still be a serious and unpredictable illness. It is very clear that children are at higher risk for more severe complications from either seasonal or 2009 H1N1 influenza, with a higher rate of hospitalization, secondary infection, and death compared to otherwise healthy adults. At even greater risk are children with any serious underlying medical conditions, especially asthma or any neurologic condition. Overall, we still feel strongly about the safety and importance of the influenza vaccines.
We at Forest Lane Pediatrics wish you a happy holiday season and a healthy new year!
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
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Certain lots of the H1N1 vaccine have been recalled due to a lower than desired level of protective antigen in the vaccine. This is not a safety-related recall. The affected lots are for children 6 - 35 months of age, and unfortunately, the lots in Dallas County are among those affected. The CDC announcement here has full details. Children who have received this vaccine should still develop a good immune response, particularly if they receive the recommended second booster dose 28 days later. It is not necessary to repeat the first dose. Please contact us if you have specific questions about your child's vaccine. Again, this is not a safety issue and is unlikely to be a clinically significant issue for children.
Monday, December 07, 2009
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All children under age 10 need two doses, given a minimum of 28 days apart, for full protection. Currently we only have enough vaccine supply to offer boosters for those under 3 years old. If your child is 6-35 months of age, you can call and schedule an appointment at any time to receive their first or second dose of the H1N1 vaccine.
We will not be automatically contacting you for this, so you do need to call if your child is due for a booster.
For older kids, we are still utilizing the e-mail waiting list, which you can access by e-mailing vaccinations@forestlanepediatrics.com .
If you would prefer not to wait on availability here at Forest Lane Pediatrics, the Dallas County Health Department is now offering the 2009 H1N1 Vaccine to any county resident, regardless of risk group status. The Health Department is dispensing H1N1 doses from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday at its three walk-in clinics:
• 2377 N. Stemmons Freeway, near downtown Dallas
• 440 S. Nursery Road, Irving
• 2774 Valwood Parkway, Farmers Branch
Call 972-205-3370 for more information about the health department clinics.
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
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Our very own Dr. Damien Mitchell participated in a press conference yesterday to increase awareness about toy safety. This was organized by the Texas Public Interest Research Group to help parents make safe choices in their holiday shopping. CBS Channel 11 aired this report -- check it out!
The TPIRG press release is available here. They also offer a list of unsafe toys formatted for your smartphone or mobile phone here, so you can access it while you shop.
Thursday, November 19, 2009
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All children ages 6 months and older are now welcome to get on the waiting list for the 2009 H1N1 "Swine Flu" Vaccine. Because our vaccine supply is continuing to improve, we are now happy to offer the vaccine for any of our patients, including healthy children older than 5 years of age. If you are able to receive the vaccine elsewhere, you are welcome to do so. To get on the waiting list, send an e-mail containing your child's name and age in the subject line to the following address: vaccinations@forestlanepediatrics.com . We are rapidly working through our existing waiting list, so if you have already sent an e-mail, we will be contacting you soon.
We have seen a dramatic decrease in the number of cases of flu-like illness over the past few weeks. We still anticipate the usual wintertime peak of Influenza in January or February. This year, it is likely that 2009 H1N1 will come back, in addition to the usual strains of Influenza A and B. We are hopeful that the availability of both the H1N1 vaccine and the seasonal influenza vaccine will minimize the severity of this flu season for our patients and families.
Wednesday, November 04, 2009
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Halloween Fun at Forest Lane Pediatrics...
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