by Mindy Calandro | Feb 5, 2020 | In The News, Kid's Health
This week the Louisiana Office of Public Health reported that 5 students at LSU have tested positive for mumps. It seems that in recent years we have been seeing outbreaks of mumps, particularly on college campuses (the last cases reported at LSU occurred in 2017), so here is what you need to know about mumps and how to protect yourself and your children. What is Mumps? Mumps is a viral illness that is spread through respiratory droplets or saliva (so coughing, sneezing or sharing drinks). An infection with the mumps virus may begin as nonspecific fever, headache, and malaise, but then often progresses to the most common symptom of mumps which is pain and swelling of the parotid gland. As you can see in the pictures below, the parotid gland is located just in front of the ear and at the upper part of the jaw. Swelling of the parotid gland, called parotitis, can be quite impressive and cause the ear to push outwards and the angle of the jaw to no longer be easily seen. More serious complications of mumps include orchitis (which is swelling of the testicles that may lead to sterility) or oophoritis (which is swelling of the ovaries), encephalitis (swelling around the brain) or deafness. Death from mumps is very rare (even in the pre-vaccine era). How common is Mumps? Mumps vaccination became commonplace in 1967, but prior to that time, there were over 186,000 cases each year here in the US. Since routine vaccination, there has been a 99% reduction in the number of...
by Mindy Calandro | Nov 24, 2019 | Kid's Health
Take a moment and consider the first time mother who had a prolonged labor, attempted a vaginal delivery only to require a c-section hours later. There is a high likelihood that this mother had been awake for over 24 hours. Now, she has her newborn exclusively in her hospital room, and while nurses and care staff come in to check on them every few hours, the use of the newborn nursery is discouraged. Instead this mother, who is both mentally and physically exhausted, will need to do as much skin to skin time as possible while attempting to breastfeed, something that everyone told her would be so “natural” and “easy.” As the frustration mounts when her newborn doesn’t latch well and then begins the normal pattern of wanting to feed hourly (also known as cluster feeding), this new mother is likely running on minimal to no sleep as well as postpartum hormones. When inquiring about formula or a pacifier, she is then told that those things are really not recommended and that this is all normal. After all, the hospital is “baby friendly” and considering the option of formula would really just be “giving up.” Is this where the pendulum with breastfeeding has swung? Well, for those hospitals going for “Baby-Friendly designation”, it seems that this just might be the case. “I can assure you that I have not spent 21 years of schooling, 3 years of residency training, 9 years in general pediatric practice, and 9 years as a mother to be unfriendly to babies.” The Baby-Friendly Hospital Initiative (BFHI) was launched in 2001 in the United States...
by Mindy Calandro | Apr 19, 2019 | In The News, Kid's Health
Do you remember 1964? If you need a jog down memory lane or if that’s ancient history to you, let me give you a quick rundown…the cost of new house was $13,050, a gallon of gas was 30¢, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. received the Nobel Peace Prize, and the Beatles held the top 5 spots on the Billboard Top 40 singles. That was also the year that for the first time ever, the US Surgeon General issued a warning that cigarette smoking could lead to cancer. In the 55 years since this first warning, additional research has shown just how harmful cigarette smoking can be and ultimately led to a dramatic decline in the rates of cigarette smoking here in the US. When the “Truth Initiative” youth anti-smoking campaign was launched in 1998, 23% of teens were smokers. By 2017, that number had declined to 2.1% of middle schoolers and 7.6% of high schoolers…a successful endeavor for sure. However, now, a new rising epidemic of electronic cigarettes and vaping is poised to cause the gains of the prior 5 decades to go up in (vapor) smoke . “Many of those liquids which are marketed as “nicotine free” were found to, in fact, contain nicotine.” The term “e-cigarette” encompasses a wide array of devices which can look like anything from a traditional cigarette to a sleek USB stick. These devices use a battery powered heating coil that transforms a solution containing nicotine, flavoring chemicals and other additives into an aerosol that is inhaled into the lungs. Currently, the top selling e-cigarette brand in the United States is JUUL which...
by Mindy Calandro | Sep 17, 2018 | Kid Nutrition, Kid's Health
After reading my last post (you can catch it here if you missed it), you know that cow’s milk is not a required part of a child’s diet as long as they are eating a wide variety of foods. But let’s say that your child might not be the most robust or diverse eater and you are wanting to include a beverage that can help to balance out their diet. You might be wondering if traditional cow’s milk is the best choice because if the milk aisle at your grocery store is anything like mine above, you know there are many milk alternatives that are now available. Read on to find out about these other milk choices and see which might be best for your kiddos. Cow’s Milk Ok, so you might be thinking that I did not give much love to good ol’ cow’s milk in my last posting after saying that it is not really needed for most children. However, cow’s milk does have good nutritional value if you are choosing to include it as part of your child’s balanced diet. Here’s the nutritional low down (per 8 ounces): Calories: 150 kcal Fat: 8 g Protein: 8 g Calcium: 280 mg Vitamin D: 128 IU (international units) Iron: < 0.1 mg The Good: As you can see, whole cow’s milk is a great source of calories, fat, protein, vitamin D and calcium. If you are choosing cow’s milk for your child, between 1 and 2 years of age, most children should drink whole cow’s milk and then drop to 2% (or less) after 2 years of age....
by Mindy Calandro | Aug 28, 2018 | Kid's Health
Ahhh the first birthday! In the blink of an eye, a year has gone by and after the party is over and the smash cake has been cleaned off of your little one’s face, you realize you now have a toddler on your hands. Perhaps one of the biggest questions I get from families is “What should my toddler be drinking?” Well, you may be surprised to find out. “For children who are eating a wide variety of fruits, vegetables and dairy such as cheese and yogurt, there is absolutely no reason that your child MUST drink milk.” Prior to 9 months of age, the majority of nutrition that infants receive comes from what they are drinking whether that is breastmilk, formula or a combination of these. Around 9 months of age as infants are starting to do more substantial solid foods (i.e. eating from the table and not just pureed baby foods), the balance of nutrition will begin to tip a bit, and by their first birthday, children should be getting a solid amount of their daily intake of fat and calories from the foods they are eating. When that first birthday comes around, what goes in your toddlers cup should be considered more of an accessory to the foods that they are eating. Whole cow’s milk in moderation of no more than 16-20 ounces per day total is typically what I recommend. Now, let’s say your child hates whole milk and wants nothing to do with it. That is perfectly A-OK!!! Wait? You might be thinking, “Did she mistype something there?” NOPE! For...
