by Mindy Calandro | Mar 1, 2015 | In The News, Kid's Health
PB&J…thirty years ago, the debate was not if children should enjoy this staple food but rather what flavor of jelly should be used (I have always been a traditionalist - grape all the way) or should you mix the peanut butter and jelly together before applying it to the bread (I was a peanut butter on one side and jelly on the other side kind of girl). However, given that the rate of peanut allergies in children in the United States has more than quadrupled, rising from 0.4% in 1997 to over 2% in 2010, the majority of daycares, schools and now, even some airlines, have strict policies to eliminate peanut products in their facilities. “The study entitled “Randomized Trial of Peanut Consumption in Infants at Risk for Peanut Allergy” was published by the New England Journal of Medicine, and many are calling it “landmark” and one that will likely impact future recommendations on introduction of peanuts to infants.” In 2000, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) made a recommendation that parents should avoid giving peanut products to children until at least 3 years of age. However, in the years following this recommendation, the rates of peanut allergy continued to rise despite (or perhaps because of) avoidance of peanuts, so this recommendation was retracted in 2008. Over the past five years, there have been several studies looking at the timing of introduction of other allergenic foods such as milk and eggs, and these studies have found that earlier introduction of these foods actually decreases the risk of allergy development in kids. However, none have been quite so stark...
by Mindy Calandro | Feb 20, 2015 | Developmental Lowdown, In The News
Do you remember the last time you got 8-10 hours of sleep per night? For me, I think it was about 4 ½ years ago just before my first kiddo, Mr. J, was born. Oh, how I miss those days, or more correctly, those wonderful nights. But enough daydreaming! Eight to ten hours is actually how much sleep per night the National Sleep Foundation recommends for 14-17 year olds. Studies show that chronic sleep deprivation in childhood and adolescence can lead to a multitude of health problems ranging from obesity and high blood pressure to depression and poor academic performance. So exactly how much sleep are teens getting these days and what can be done to improve the quality of sleep they are getting? After age 16, the majority of teens reported getting less than 7 hours of sleep per night, let alone the recommended 8-10 hours. A study that will be published in the March 2015 issue of Pediatrics (click here to read the full study) evaluated the sleep patterns of over 270,000 teens spanning a 21 year period from 1991-2012. The teens in the study were asked two important questions: 1) “How often do you get at least 7 hours of sleep?” and 2) “How often do you get less sleep than you should?”. The study found that while ⅔ of 13 year olds reported getting at least 7 hours of sleep per night, only ⅓ of 18 years old reported getting that much sleep. After age 16, the majority of teens reported getting less than 7 hours of sleep per night, let alone the recommended 8-10...
by Mindy Calandro | Feb 5, 2015 | In The News, Kid's Health, WBRZ
The vaccine discussion has certainly been re-ignited with the recent outbreak of a disease once considered eradicated in the US, measles. I had the opportunity today to talk with WBRZ News 2 at Four’s Brittany Weiss about three very common vaccine myths and concerns. You can check out the segment above. At the bottom of this post, I have included several links to various scientific studies as well as scientifically sound and reputable websites that address the three vaccine myths that I addressed today in the news segment. If you have a question about these myths or are wondering about any other topics dealing with vaccines (the possibilities are endless when it comes to discussing vaccines), send me an email at mindy@themommydoctor.com, and I would be happy to discuss it with you. I will also plan to compile a list of questions that I receive and make them into a post for the future. Hopefully, by discussing some of these common questions and concerns about vaccines, parents will feel confident in their decision to protect their children with life-saving vaccinations. After all, knowledge is power. http://vec.chop.edu/service/vaccine-education-center/home.html - Great site from Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia that covers the spectrum of vaccines including information about each vaccine, the schedule of vaccines to common questions and concerns, etc. http://vec.chop.edu/export/download/pdfs/articles/vaccine-education-center/vaccine-ingredients.pdf http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa021134#t=articleResults http://www.medscape.com/medline/abstract/10376617 http://www.fda.gov/BiologicsBloodVaccines/SafetyAvailability/VaccineSafety/ucm187810.htm http://www.iom.edu/~/media/Files/Report%20Files/2013/Childhood-Immunization-Schedule/ChildhoodImmunizationScheduleandSafety_RB.pdf...
by Mindy Calandro | Jan 26, 2015 | In The News, Kid's Health
In medicine you are taught to be on the look out for “zebras in the horse pasture.” In other words, you should always keep in mind that an uncommon diagnosis could be sitting right in front of you. My typical day during the winter months often involves at least a few kiddos coming to see me for fever, runny nose, and a cough. While my first thought is that what I’m seeing is probably a common virus like the cold or the flu, it’s always in the back of my mind that there could be a zebra lurking out there that is trying to lose its stripe and become just like one of the other horses in the pasture. Unfortunately, right now, that zebra is the measles virus. “Measles, which is a virus, is one of the most contagious diseases known to man.” You have likely heard about the current outbreak of measles that began in Disneyland and has now spread to 6 additional states and Mexico. The most current numbers indicate a total of 68 cases of measles so far this year in the US with the majority of these being traced back to the Disneyland outbreak. I use the term “so far” because this number is almost surely going to rise. Measles, which is a virus, is one of the most contagious diseases known to man. The virus is easily spread through coughing or sneezing, and the virus is able to “hang around” in the environment for about 2 hours. It is estimated that a person with measles will infect up to 90% of those around...
by Mindy Calandro | Dec 8, 2014 | In The News, Kid's Health
“Mutated Flu Strain…” “Early data suggests potentially severe flu season…” “The flu vaccine isn’t effective…” I have seen all of these headlines in various forms from news outlets and social media in the last week. So what does all of this really mean? Let’s break this one down to the scientific level… Viruses can be quite tricky little characters, and one thing they do very well is mutate as they replicate. There are two types of changes that can occur in the structure of a virus. First, there is drift which means that the structure of the virus changes ever so slightly, but the majority of the virus remains the same. These changes can accumulate overtime and eventually lead to the virus looking different than it did before. This is what occurs with the common cold and stomach viruses which is why you can get these several times a year let alone over your lifetime. Think of drift as a changing of accessories. If you just change earrings, you might not look so different to others, but if you “drift” from your usual look and put your hair in a ponytail and add a hat with sunglasses, people might not recognize you right away. “Think of virus shifting like someone getting a drastic face lift…they look nothing like they did before.” Then there is shift. This occurs when the entire structure of the virus down to its core proteins changes, and these changes often happen abruptly. When shifting occurs, the virus becomes completely unrecognizable to the body’s immune system. This is what occurred with the H1N1 swine flu pandemic in 2009....
by Mindy Calandro | Nov 24, 2014 | In The News, Kid Nutrition, Kid's Health
Diarrhea…perhaps one of those things that I, as a parent, dread the most. Well, vomiting may come in first place, but they are pretty close. In children, diarrhea is most often seen with viral infections, but can also be a common side effect of antibiotics. Medications that stop diarrhea are not recommended in children since we want them to “get rid of” the virus that is usually causing this most unpleasant symptom. But what if there was something that could safely improve diarrhea or shorten just how many days you will be held up at home fearing an outing could bring the next “blowout?” Well, you are in luck - say hello to pre- and probiotics. “When infants are born, their intestines are sterile or basically like a blank canvas waiting to be “painted” by the nutrients they ingest.” So, first, a quick biology primer. While the word “bacteria” typically conjures up thoughts of infection and illness, there are certain places in our body where we need beneficial bacteria, and the gut happens to be one of those places. When infants are born, their intestines are sterile or basically like a blank canvas waiting to be “painted” by the nutrients they ingest. Within the first few hours to days of their life, an infant’s gut becomes colonized with various forms of healthy bacteria that will aid in digestion, absorption and overall gut health. Now, this is probably not the first time you have heard of the “biotics” as they have become quite popular not only in the medicine aisle, but also down the main grocery aisles. Prebiotics are a...
