Utah Valley Pediatrics strives to keep parents up to date on the latest health topics and advisories. Our newsletter covers medicine changes and news, pediatric news, seasonal and age specific topics and what's new at Utah Valley Pediatrics.
Archives
Spring 2010
Vol. 4 Issue 1
Medicine Changes and News
Whooping Cough — Are You Putting Your Baby at Risk?
Pediatric News
Another Nail in the Coffin of the Thimerosal-Autism Hypothesis
Seasonal and Age Specific
Making the Decision to Breastfeed
What's the Right Weight for My Child?
How Much Do You Know About Munching?
How to Fight Portion Distortion
Contacts
Kevin Moffitt
Administrator
801-373-8930
Katie Jenkins
HR Manager
801-373-8930
Quick Links
Medicine Changes and News
Whooping Cough — Are You Putting Your Baby at Risk?
Article at a Glance
• Whooping cough (pertussis) can be deadly for infants.
• About 50 percent of babies with whooping cough catch it from their parents.
• You could be putting your baby at risk if you haven't been vaccinated for the whooping cough in the past ten years.
If you haven't been vaccinated for whooping cough in the past ten years, you could be placing your baby at risk. Although the infection is usually not deadly for adults, it can be fatal for infants. Babies less than eight weeks old are especially at risk because they have not yet received the vaccine.
Pediatric News
Another Nail in the Coffin of the Thimerosal-Autism Hypothesis
Article at a Glance
• A federal court rules that thimerosal, an additive once used in vaccines, does not cause autism.
• Recent ruling joins mounting scientific evidence that there is no link between thimerosal and autism.
• The ruling offers additional reassurance to parents concerned about vaccinating their children.
As a parent it is hard not to be worried about claims made by the anti-vaccine movement that autism is connected to vaccines. However, parents can rest easier knowing that yet again, the theory has not stood up to scrutiny.
Seasonal and Age Specific
Making the Decision to Breastfeed
Article at a Glance
• Breastfeeding protects your baby against a range of health problems.
• Breastfeeding also has health benefits for you.
• There are numerous resources available to help you be successful at breastfeeding.
Did you know that breast milk is not only the best source of nutrition for your baby, but it also helps protect your baby against a whole range of health problems? Breastfeeding even carries health benefits for you! It is no wonder that the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months.
Weathering My Child's Asthma
Article at a Glance
• Weather can affect your child's asthma.
• Keeping an asthma diary can help you and your child's doctor identify any triggers.
• You can help reduce your child's asthma attacks by avoiding triggers.
Whether it is wind, rain or sun, it isn't uncommon for weather conditions to cause problems for people with asthma. In fact, numerous studies have shown increases in asthma-related ER visits during certain weather conditions.
Unplug Your Weekend!
Article at a Glance
• Create unforgettable memories by unplugging all your electronic entertainment devices for one weekend.
• The goal is to find simple, inexpensive activities you can all enjoy together.
Are you afraid that your kids are going to have more fond memories of Saturday morning cartoons than they do of spending time with the family? Then unplug your weekend! Turn off the TV, unplug the computer, and set down the video game controller.
Being Sneaky With Fitness
We're all guilty of sneaking veggies into our kids' foods, but did you know that you can also sneak fitness into your kids' everyday activities? Need some help getting creative? Here are some ideas.
1. Why walk somewhere when you can hop, skip, run or jump? Think of fun ways to get from one place to another.
2. Place things like hula-hoops, fitness balls or mini-trampolines in front of the TV so that your kids can keep active while watching their favorite shows. Adolescents can earn time watching TV by riding the family's exercise bike.
What's the Right Weight for My Child?
Article at a Glance
• There are many factors like age, gender, body type, and activity level to consider when determining a healthy weight for your child.
• If you are concerned about your child's weight, the pediatrician can help you evaluate the different factors.
• Even if your child doesn't have a weight problem, it is important to develop healthy habits now.
It isn't always easy to know what the right weight is for your child — there are so many different factors to consider. Children are still growing and not all children grow at the same rate. Children also have different body types. If you think your child might be overweight or underweight, talk to your child's pediatrician.
What is BMI?
Article at a Glance
• BMI is a calculation that can be used to determine whether or not a person is at a healthy weight.
• Charting your child's BMI can help identify any potential weight problems early on.
Traditionally doctors have used weight and height to determine if a person is a healthy weight, but now doctors are also using BMI (body mass index).
BMI is used to help indicate how much body fat a person has. While it is not a perfect measurement of body fat, it does help doctors identify potential weight problems. This allows parents and doctors to help at-risk children make lifestyle changes early on. Children with high BMI measurements are at a higher risk for developing health problems like Type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure, and heart disease.
How Much Do You Know About Munching?
Article at a Glance
• Healthy snacks help keep your energy up during the day and improve your health.
Test your snack savvy by answering the following true or false questions.
Snacking during the day will make me gain weight.
FALSE
If you are a healthy snacker snacking can actually help you lose weight. Eating smaller portions during the day keeps your metabolism up and helps prevent overeating during meal times.
I Can't Get No Snackisfaction
Article at a Glance
• Our bodies are programmed to crave sugar, salt, and fat.
• If we want to stay healthy and feel great, it is important to reprogram our cravings.
Your kids come home from school and within minutes are begging for potato chips or a bowl of ice cream. And to be frank, you wouldn't mind a bowl of ice cream yourself. So why does our body always seem to want what we shouldn't be eating? Our bodies are naturally programmed to love sugar, salt, and fat. Unfortunately the comfort food we crave doesn't provide much comfort at all. After we have stuffed ourselves on junkfood, the buzz doesn't last long. We still feel stressed, a little icky, and guilty about how much we just ate.
Luckily we can retrain our bodies as we develop healthy habits.
How to Fight Portion Distortion
Article at a Glance
• In the last twenty years, our portion sizes have increased dramatically, which has helped contribute to a corresponding increase in obesity.
• Learn more about appropriate portion sizes by visiting mypyramid.gov.
Research has shown that over the past two decades, portion sizes have increased dramatically. Larger servings at restaurants and bigger single serving sizes at grocery stores have changed our definition of a full plate. For example, a large order of fries at McDonald's today weighs the same as a “Supersize” fry in 1998. The average bagel is now six inches in diameter instead of only three inches 20 years ago.
Not surprisingly, the United States has also seen a dramatic increase in obesity over the past 20 years, which is having a profound effect on our children. Doctors are starting to see children with type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, metabolic syndrome, and high cholesterol — conditions traditionally only seen in adults.
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