Several new traffic laws take effect Sept. 1 in Texas. Here are the highlights of four of the new laws we thought Houston parents and teens should be aware of, but check with the Texas Department of Public Safety for more details.
Teen drivers: Starting Sept. 1, the laws that apply to teenage drivers are tougher. Drivers younger than 18 are banned from using cell phones while driving (including dialing, talking and texting). Total hours of behind-the-wheel driving instruction teens need before they can get licenses increases from 14 to 34.
Driving in a school zone: Effective Sept. 1, the use of a wireless device within a reduced-speed school zone is prohibited. Cellular phones can be used while vehicles are stopped in a school zone or with a hands-free device. The law also applies to bus drivers. Violators are subject to a fine of up to $200. Cities or counties must post a sign at the beginning of each school zone to inform drivers that using a wireless communications device is prohibited and the operator is subject to a fine. Signs already are up in some areas of town.
Seat belts: Beginning Sept. 1, all occupants of a vehicle, no matter their age, front and back seat, must wear seat belts.
Child safety seats: Any child younger than 8 years of age must be restrained in an approved child passenger safety seat unless the child is at least 4 feet, 9 inches tall.
Any time you search a subject, Wikipedia often tops the list of search results. I sometimes start there when I know absolutely nothing about a topic and want a starting point.
But some recent research and a blog post on last week's Chron.com shows that readers should use a healthy dose of skepticism when using this online encyclopedia and many other sites for health information.
While they found no completely wrong answers, they also didn’t find answers to 60 percent of their questions on Wikipedia, compared to 17.5 percent on Medscape.
The difference in results could lie in the fact that Wikipedia allows anyone to edit entries. That means companies can edit information on their own medicines, devices and even the health conditions treated by their pharmaceuticals. It also means that negative information about meds can be deleted, a practice traced back to some drug company computers.
For trustworthy and comprehensive drug information, visit www.medlineplus.gov, Medscape and our list of 7 Reliable Sites for Children’s Health Information.
Editor's note: See our new page Free/Cheap Shots for Houston Children for this month's Care Van schedule.
If your child needs to catch up on shots, look no further than your local fire station.
The BlueCross BlueShield Care Van gives free childhood vaccinations to children (birth to 18 years) at select Houston Fire Stations.
Each child must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. Be sure to bring your child's immunization records.
Sept. 3, 2009, 4 to 7 p.m Fire Station 29 -4831 Galveston, 77017
Sept. 17, 2009, 4 to 7 p.m Fire Station 59 - 13925 S. Post Oak, 77045
Oct. 1, 2009, 4 to 7 p.m Fire Station 44 - 675 Maxey, 77013
Oct. 15, 2009, 4 to 7 p.m. Fire Station 70 - 11410 Beamer, 77089
Nov. 5, 2009, 4 to 7 p.m. Fire Station 76 - 7200 Cook, 77072
Nov. 19, 2009, 4 to 7 p.m. Fire Station 32 - 8614 Tidwell, 77028
Since 2005, more than 3,500 children have been vaccinated through this program. While there, maybe you can get a tour of the fire station too!
Editor's note: Mental Health Notes brings you news about children's mental health issues. If you have topics you'd like us to cover or news you'd like to share, please contact HealthyHoustonKids (at) gmail (dot) com.
Depression in children?
If you missed MomHouston’s live chat with Dr. Richard Pesikoff, clinical professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Houston’s Baylor College of Medicine, not to worry. You can replay the chat and learn more about mental illness in children.
Psych Central’s back-to-school line-up
No matter what your child’s grade, you’ll find age-appropriate tips for common back-to-school issues covered here.
Improve children’s health by teaching resilience
Teaching resilience, positive emotion and a sense of purpose in school can protect children against depression, increase their life satisfaction and improve their learning power. New research shows that children who don’t get these lessons grow up to be adults that die earlier, have more health problems, less satisfaction with jobs and relationships, and higher rates of depression.
Risk of suicidal behavior with antidepressants strongly linked to age
Yet another study shows that the human brain isn’t ‘adult’ until the mid-20s.
Risk for depression seen in sleep Patterns of children and teens
Just up the road in Dallas, researchers have found that REM sleep patterns and cortisol levels can predict which teens will develop depression within five years.
Houston Independent School District (HISD) performs health screenings at all schools during the school year.
Evelyn Henry, HISD’s director of health and medical services, says free tests include:
- Vision and hearing tests in grades one, three, five, seven and nine.
- Visual check of student’s neck for acanthosis nigricans. This is done during vision and hearing tests. These velvety, light-brown-to-black markings often show up when kids are overweight, and they may signal type 2 diabetes.
- Spinal exams in grades six and nine for scoliosis (curvature of the spine) and other common health problems of childhood.
In addition, Henry says, several schools participate in Project Save A Smile, a program that applies anti-cavity dental sealer to children’s teeth for free.
Plus, several schools team up with community groups to provide glasses for children whose parents can't afford them.
Check with your school’s nurse if you have questions about the health services available in your child's school.
Toxic school supplies may be lurking among the pencils, pens and backpacks in your shopping cart. But, with a little research, it’s becoming easier to send your kids back to school a little greener.
While these are often more expensive, green school supplies are now more common in the big box stores like Office Depot and Target. And, they can be found on many Web sties.
Try these tips to go green this school year.
Just say no to waste
- Pack reusable lunch bags and containers
- Buy safe plastic or metal water bottles instead of plastic
- Use pencils and papers made of recycled wood
Get the lead out
The Center for Environmental Health found high levels of lead in several products, including Staples' pencil pouches and Walgreen's Everest-brand backpack. Plastic lunch boxes also contained lead. Visit their Web site for a complete list of materials to watch out for.
Check Good Guide for safe crayons too.
Avoid PVC
PVC, a toxic plastic, is found in many school supplies, including lunch boxes, binders, backpacks, clothes and art supplies. The Center for Health, Environment and Justice publishes a guide on ways to find PVC levels in school supplies.
Find a list of 10 green product suggestions at Blisstree.
Additional sources: Non-Toxic Kids
Tell us: Are you buying green school supplies -- or is it just too much to worry about?
Regular bedtimes go by the wayside every summer in most families. I know they do in mine. With school back in session, it’s time to reintroduce your child or teen to a regular bedtime and wake time.
After all, a consistent night’s sleep promotes success in school just as much as good nutrition and study.
How much sleep do kids need?
The National Sleep Foundation recommends school-age children (5 to 11 years old) need 10 to 11 hours of sleep per night. And don’t be fooled by your teen who says he doesn’t need so much sleep. The foundation says 11- to 17-year-olds need 8.5 to 9.25 hours per night!
For the younger set, it's usually easier to set a sleep schedule. Just like when your child was a toddler, institute a bedtime routine. Start the evening shower or bath at a specific time and stop all TV, computer or games within 30 minutes of bedtime.
Some tips to help establish a sleep schedule:
- Set a time that works for most nights. Yes, sports and other activities may cut into the regular bedtime, but do your best to be consistent. It helps promote good sleep.
- Look for ways to cut your morning routine so your child can sleep a little later. For example, pick out school clothes for the week on Sunday.
- Make sure the bedroom is conducive to sleep – cool, dark and quiet.
Teen sleep is critical
Most parents agree it’s almost impossible to mandate a bedtime for teens. You can encourage your teen to go to bed by:
- Require cell phones be turned off at a certain time. If you need to, take the phone and keep it with you since texting often eats into sleep time.
- If your child has a computer or TV in his room, set a turn-off time. Or put the electronics in a shared area of your home to monitor use.
- Track your teen’s caffeine use at home. This includes coffee drinks and many popular sports drinks. Remind him that caffeine consumed later than noon to 4 p.m. can interfere with a good night’s sleep.
Finally, introduce your teen to the power nap. Many sleep experts agree that a 30-minute nap can give a teen (and his parents) the energy needed to plow through any pile of homework without caffeine.
Remember, there’s more for parents to think about and plan for besides supplies, clothes, back-to-school checkups, immunizations, sports and after-school activities. It’s time for sleep!
By: Heather Wiederhoeft, guest columnist
The fifth Spirituality in Pediatrics conference explores the impact pediatric care providers can have on the spiritual needs and concerns of children and their families during illness.
The conference, which is sponsored by The Auxiliary to Texas Children's Hospital, is Oct. 21-23.
Key leaders in spirituality and pediatrics will present the latest research and share best practices.
This three-day event touches on subjects including:
- Palliative care for children
- Children’s spiritual development
- Meeting spiritual needs of families, children and caregivers
- Spiritual care by care-team members
Attendance is limited. Register online and learn more about the conference program, speakers and scholarships on Texas Children's web site.
The good news is that 93 percent of Healthy Houston Kids readers follow medical advice and get their children vaccinated according to schedule.
One in seven poll takers do space out the recommended shots a little, and only one reader said some shots weren’t needed. Though there is not scientific evidence to support it, some parents allow more time between immunization shots because they think it will decrease the risk of side effects.
Luckily, no readers checked “Huh? What immunizations?,” even in jest.
Editor's note: See our new page Free/Cheap Shots for Houston Children for where to get your child vaccinated for free or low-cost before school starts.
Autistic spectrum disorders (autism) are being investigated in several studies at Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children’s Hospital.
Autism study topics include:
- Autism Treatment Network Registry
- Genetic causes of autism
- Sleep problems and autism
- Folate supplements
- Brain imaging
- Eye movement preferences
Check Baylor’s Web site for more information.
Swine flu shot tested at Baylor
Baylor College of Medicine (BCM) in Houston will test the new H1N1 virus (swine flu) vaccine in children between 6 months and 17 years beginning Aug. 19.
Two hundred children will be accepted into the study.
BCM is one of eight federally funded centers researching the best dose of experimental vaccines against the 2009 H1N1 (swine) influenza.
If you’re interested in your child participating in the study, e-mail H1N1FLUVAX@bcm.edu. Include contact information, including names and phone numbers.
HISD's H1N1 policy differs from CDC
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) says children with H1N1 virus (swine flu) can return to school as early as 24 hours after their fever goes away. Current Houston school policy is for parents to keep children home a week.
The CDC says states and schools should begin planning for schoolwide vaccinations beginning in October. Schools should rarely close, even if students and teachers have swine flu, it says.
It also recommended schools set aside a room where students who show up sick or develop symptoms can wait to be sent home. Learn more about HISD's policy on swine flu.
Swine flu survival kit?
Consumer Reports says you should put together a swine flu emergency kit – just in case.
It feels a little like over-reaction, but it probably couldn’t hurt. In Houston, it’s a good idea to be prepared this time of year anyway in case a hurricane hits.
Here’s what they suggest:
- Two-week supply of food and water
- Fever reducers, like acetaminophen, ibuprofen or naproxen
- Cough and cold medications
- Electrolyte drinks, like Gatorade or Powerade
- Hand sanitizer with at least 60 percent alcohol, for when soap and water aren't available
- Surgical masks with an FDA rating of at least N-95
Tell us: Will you have your child vaccinated for swine flu?
Food allergies in children require special planning even before the first day of school.
You’ll need to make a plan and talk to several people at your child’s school. This can be time-consuming and frustrating, but it’s necessary to ensure a safe year.
About 3 percent of kids have food allergies, according to The Methodist Hospital. Although most of these allergies go away as the child gets older, some may linger.
What are kids allergic to?
The most-common food allergies in children are to:
- Eggs
- Milk
- Peanuts
Make a plan
Before your child starts school, you need to:
- Get a letter from your child’s doctor that outlines the allergies
- Find out if your school has a policy on food allergies
- Meet with the school principal
- Meet with the school nurse to develop an Individualized Health Care Plan (IHP)
- Reduce your child's risk of allergy exposure
- Recognize symptoms of an allergic reaction
- Treat your child when necessary
- List of the child’s allergies and symptoms
- Emergency treatment plans and list of medications
- What staff members should do if a reaction occurs
- Parent, child, nurse and other school staff responsibilities
- Changes in the classroom, cafeteria, etc.
In some cases, if your child’s needs are complex or there is resistance from the school, a Section 504 Plan may be needed. The 504 Plan is part of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, a federal law that stops schools from excluding or discriminating against students with disabilities.
If you haven’t already, join a group for parents of children with allergies. It really helps to talk to someone who has been there, and you can learn tips for what really works at school.
Sources: The Methodist Hospital, Kids With Food Allergies
Tell us: Does your child have a food allergy? Is the school cooperative?
Healthy school lunch ideas. Can you ever have enough?
Make it easy on yourself – and healthier and tastier for your child – by following a few healthy lunch tips. After all, nobody wants to be the mom whose kid trades his lunch every day.
- Keep them guessing by packing a variety of foods.
- Don’t send sweets every day. Schedule a “treat day” (maybe Friday). But don’t use food as an award or punishment. That can cause or aggravate eating disorders.
- Consider giving your child money one day a week to buy a treat.
- Minimize processed packaged foods such as chips, cookies, cupcakes, and other snack foods. Of course, you knew that.
- Limit soda and sports drinks to one a day MAX. It’s not just the sugar and calories; these drinks interfere with the body’s use of calcium.
Healthy essentials
Try to pack at least one of each of these types of food every day:
- Protein (meat, cheese, beans)
- Whole grain (bread, tortillas, crackers, rice)
- Fruit
- Vegetable
Healthy lunch prep
To make weekdays go more smoothly, spend a few minutes every weekend putting together a bunch of small plastic bags filled with nutritious and tasty foods. Stash them in your fridge and just grab as needed. Try:
- Finger fruits like grapes, strawberries, oranges, apples
- Carrots, celery, broccoli, or other veggies, cut in bite-size pieces
- Dried fruits or trail mix with fruit and nuts
- Low-salt pretzels, baked chips and whole-wheat crackers
- Ham and cheese roll-ups
Remember, a sauce for dipping makes any food taste a little better. How about:
- Apple wedges and low-fat caramel sauce
- Celery and carrot sticks with low-fat ranch dressing
- Strawberries or grapes with lightly sweetened cream cheese
- Veggie sticks with cheese sauce
Get the most current information on care, education and research for Down syndrome at a seminar presented by doctors from Texas Children’s Hospital and Baylor College of Medicine. The event is open to families, teachers and health care providers.
Speakers include:
- Dr. Carlos Bacino, director, Genetics Clinic, Texas Children's
- Dr. Nirupama Madduri, clinic director, Developmental Pediatrics, Texas Children's
- Rosa Rocha, president, Down Syndrome Association of Houston
Doors open at 6:30 p.m.
Light refreshments will be served.
Seating is limited. Please register by calling Susan Fernbach at 1-800-364-5437 or 832-822-4182 or emailing fernbach@bcm.edu.
Back-to-school is around the corner, and that means it’s time to plunk down a sizable sum for new athletic shoes – whether or not your child is a star athlete.
The best exercise shoe for your child, according to the doctors at the Sports Medicine Clinic of Texas Children’s Hospital, is one that is made to support your child’s foot structure.
Don’t know what type of foot your child has? Try this test:
- Place a dry towel on the floor
- Have your child press his wet foot into the towel
- Examine the impression his foot makes on the towel
Normal foot: Imprint shows a forefront and heel connected by a wide band. While running, a person with a normal foot lands on the outside of the heel, then rolls slightly inward to absorb shock. Children with normal feet need cushioned shoes.
“Flat” or pronator foot: Imprint looks like the entire sole of the foot. While running, a person with a flat foot usually strikes on the outside of the heel and rolls inward excessively. Pronators need stability or motion control shoes.
“High-arch” or supinator foot: Imprint shows a very narrow band connecting the forefoot and heel. This foot type is not an effective shock absorber, and children need cushioned shoes.
Choose carefully
The American Podiatric Medical Association says sport-specific shoes (basketball, tennis, running, soccer) improve performance and help keep kids safe.
Look for these essentials:
- Stiff heel cup. Press on both sides of shoe just about heel. The area shouldn’t collapse.
- Toe flexibility. Should bend with your child’s toes, not be too stiff or bend too much
- Rigid middle. You should never be able to "twist" the shoe.
Tell us: Don’t you just love shopping for shoes for your kids? Whose shoes cost more: yours or your child’s?
Editor's note: This week, Healthy Houston Kids begins a new column to keep parents updated on H1N1 swine flu news.
Houston schools ready for H1N1
As Houston schools prepare to open their doors, they are planning to prevent – and deal with – H1N1, which is better known as swine flu.An article in the Houston Chronicle last week said good hygiene and health education are key. Schools have been cleaned, and hand-sanitizer dispensers, hand-washing stations and antibacterial wipes have been added.
Students and staff who get the flu will be required to stay home for at least seven days.
H1N1 nasal spray vaccine may appear first
A nasal spray vaccine against H1N1 may arrive in doctor’s offices before the vaccines that are expected this fall, says the New York Times.
Makers of H1N1 flu shots have had problems producing the vaccines, but there’s been no such problem with the sprays. One company expects to make 200 million doses by next spring.
CDC: Who should get vaccine?
Last week the Centers for Disease Control recommended the top groups to get the H1N1 vaccine when it is available this fall, are:
- Pregnant women
- People who have contact with children younger than 6 months old
- Health care workers
- Children from 6 months old to 18 years old
- Young adults from 19 to 24 years old
- People from 25 years old to 64 years old with complicating health conditions
The H1N1 vaccine, which probably will require two shots, is separate from the regular annual flu shot.
Tell us: Are you worried about the swine flu? Do you think it's more or less scary than the media paints it?
Community National Bank (CNB) will sponsor its eighth annual Free Child I.D. Kit Day from 9 a.m. to noon, Saturday, August 8 in the bank’s Bellaire Room,
The bank, along with the Bellaire Police Department; Bellaire Lions Club; and McGruff, the Crime Dog, will distribute the free child identification kits to area families as a community service.
Geared to children from 2-1/2 years to early teens, this event includes on-site instant photos and fingerprinting of children for family records. Also on tap: free lemonade, donuts and goody bags for the kids.
Call Community National Bank's Child ID community service program at 713.664.4777 with questions.
The emergency room at the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) in Galveston reopened Aug. 1, almost a year after being closed by Hurricane Ike.
This eagerly awaited reopening takes pressure off several area hospitals, which had to absorb the 60,000-plus patients UTMB would have treated in the past 11 months. It’s been particularly hard on the other two Level 1 trauma centers in the Houston-Galveston area: Ben Taub and Memorial Hermann.
Level 1 centers care for patients with the most serious injuries.
Overcrowded ERs
In March, the Harris County Medical Society reported that Houston hospitals were treating 300 patients a day who before would have gone to UTMB’s ER. This means almost 100,000 since the ER closed -- far more than the 64,000 the UTMB ER saw the year before Ike.
Memorial Hermann took care of the largest number of patients because it has a heliport that allows emergency patients to be flown in. Other hospitals that reported increases in ER visits include Mainland Medical Center in Texas City, Clear Lake Regional Medical Center, The Methodist Hospital and San Jacinto Methodist Hospital.
Level 1 status
While it was closed, the UTMB ER lost its Level 1 status. UTMB officials expect the ER to regain the official status again in a few months since it offers the same services as before.
UTMB reported that a large number of former employees have been rehired to work in the ER.
On its first day back in business, the UTMB ER had seen 75 patients by early evening.
Sources: Houston Chronicle, Galveston Daily News
Tell us: Been to the ER lately? Got any tips for our readers on how to handle an emergency?
Researchers at The University of Texas Health Science Center (UTHSC) here in Houston recently found one tiny bug that may cause 50 percent of colic in infants.
Colic, as most baby mamas know, is non-stop crying in an otherwise healthy baby. It usually occurs in infants three months old or younger and lasts for more than three hours a day, at least three days a week.
The bug in question is a bacterium called Klebsiella. It normally lives in the mouth, skin and intestines. However, in their study of 36 babies, half of whom had colic, the researchers found the bacterium plus gut inflammation in the intestines of the babies with colic.
The findings are important for several reasons.
- Right now there is no evidence-based treatment for colic. Pediatricians usually recommend special hypoallergenic infant formula, but they aren't proven to work. Understanding the causes of colic may lead to better treatment.
- More than half of infants who die as a result of abuse have colic. Deaths may be prevented if treatment is found.
- A mother’s frustration over the crying can contribute to postpartum depression, so finding a treatment may help moms too.
Learn more about this study on the UT Health Science Center web site.
Tell us: Have you ever had a colicky baby? How did you handle it?
Today, we offer a roundup of some good advice on two common problems parents have with their otherwise lovely children: toddler tantrums and fights between siblings.
Tantrum survival guide for parents
Nothing prepares you for the first time your angelic toddler morphs into a kicking, screaming stunt double for the “Bad Seed” – usually in front of seemingly perfect people with perfect kids.
The writers at UT Health Sciences Center explain why toddler tantrums are normal for a child’s development and how to deal with the storm. They even make plenty of suggestions for heading off tantrums before they start.
Sibling conflicts - Break them up or let kids argue?
Can’t decide what to do when your kids start going at it? (Again?!) Licensed counselor Erika Krull offers some practical advice on how to teach your children to get along before the name calling and fights become routine.
Editor's note: Mental Health Notes brings you news about children's mental health issues. If you have topics you'd like us to cover or news you'd like to share, please e-mail us at HealthyHoustonKids at gmail dot com.
Dads, daughters and body image
Dads can play a major role in shaping their daughter’s body image. This article offers practical tips for fathers who want to help their girls maintain a healthy body image.
How to talk to your kid about ADHD
As with everything else in life, there are positive and negative aspects to ADHD. Here's how to talk to your child if he is diagnosed with this condition.
Depressed dads (and moms) linked to baby’s crying
A crying, colicky baby might not just be hungry or need a diaper changed. Instead, she might be reacting to a depressed dad, found new Dutch research.
Survey shows 15% of teens expect to die young
New research challenges the widely held belief that teens underestimate the dangers of risky behavior because they think they are invincible.
A new study found that teens who engaged in risky behaviors such as drug use, fighting and unsafe sex, were more likely to believe they would die young than those who didn't.
Cyber bullying affects 10% of students
A new study shows that many children in grades 6 through 10 have either bullied classmates or been bullied by them, sometimes online or through cell phones.
The study by the National Institutes of Health and released in the Journal of Adolescent Medicine, looked at data from a World Health Organization's survey of human behavior in school-aged children.
