by Mindy Calandro | Sep 24, 2016 | Kid's Health, The Safety Files
It is something that parents do on an almost daily basis, and you probably don’t think twice about it. Putting your kiddos into their car seat when you head out on the road. But did you know that studies estimate that 75% of car seats are installed or used incorrectly?!! Car crashes are the leading cause of death in children 1 to 13 years of age. This week is National Child Passenger Safety Week, so over the next few posts, I hope to answer some of the most important questions parents may have about car seats. Today, we will focus on perhaps the biggest “error” I see parents making…turning their child forward facing too soon. The American Academy of Pediatrics along with every car safety organization now recommends that ALL children remain rear-facing until AT LEAST 2 years of age. In fact, children can remain rear-facing until they reach the height and weight limit for the specific car seat in the rear-facing position. In most cases, the weight limit will be between 35-40 pounds (some even up to 45 pounds), and the height limit is the same for all car seats- the top of the child’s head should be at least 1 inch below the top of the car seat. Many parents, websites, and most state laws still cite the out-dated recommendation for rear-facing only until 1 year of age or 20 pounds. However, this recommendation was changed more than 4 years ago. “In a front-end collision, can you imagine putting 25% of your body weight as a rapid forward, force onto your delicate spine?” So what is...
by Mindy Calandro | Aug 25, 2016 | In The News, Kid's Health
If you or your family member has serious, life threatening allergic reactions, called anaphylaxis, then you are very familiar with the image above. For everyone else, this is an EpiPen which contains a dose of a medication called epinephrine that can be lifesaving in an allergic reaction. EpiPen has been manufactured by the Mylan company since 2007. For those that have severe allergies, they are instructed to carry these pens with them 24-7, 365 days per year, and this is especially true for children while they are in school. Those that have these pens at home are likely also acutely aware of the absolutely shameful price gouging that Mylan has done with EpiPens in the past 9 years. Wondering how this could happen? Yeah…so am I. These EpiPens come as what are called a “twin pack” meaning that one prescription will get you two of these pens. The reason that is so important is that sometimes, in life-threatening situations, one dose of epinephrine is not enough. Back in 2007, a twin pack cost around $94. Some may even be surprised by that cost knowing that it is a prescription that expires every year and that it is a medication you must get but hope to never use. Want to know the current cost of an EpiPen? How about just above $600?! That is an increase of over 400%. Insurance you say? That $600 price tag is the cost that many families are forced to pay given the higher deductible plans that are in the insurance marketplace these days. Shocked? Angry for those that MUST have this medication? Yeah…me too....
by Mindy Calandro | Aug 18, 2016 | In The News, WBRZ
Devastation. It is all around us. “You can expect rain for the next week or so.” That was the forecast from last week for here in Southern Louisiana…Baton Rouge to be exact. It started on Thursday with our “typical” summer afternoon shower, but then things began to change as the rain didn’t stop. Over the next 48 hours, we saw an estimated 4 trillion gallons of rainfall! The rivers began to swell and when all was said and done, every major river in and around Baton Rouge had broken prior records with some of these rivers reaching almost 18 feet ABOVE flood stage. The National Weather Service has called it a “1,000 year rain” meaning there was a 0.1 percent chance of that much rain in a given time period over a year. By the end of it all, the statistics are absolutely unfathomable: Over 30,000 people rescued as flood water rapidly rose 2 major highways closed as flood waters reached 4 feet on the roadways stranding thousands Over 10,000 people displaced to area shelters Between 75-90% of homes in hardest hit communities that have been flooded A death toll currently at 13 and will likely continue to rise as waters recede I had the opportunity to sit down with Sylvia Weatherspoon and Michael Shingleton on WBRZ News a few days ago to discuss important ways to help our children deal with this tragedy. You can check that video out below: Now, a few points I want to make about health issues and concerns for those that have waded in flood waters and experienced this tragedy first hand. If...
by Mindy Calandro | Aug 11, 2016 | Kid's Health
As I sit here tonight, I am filled with a mix of emotion. I will put my first born on a school bus tomorrow morning that will whisk him off to his first day of Kindergarten. He is so excited! I have not let him see my tears that start streaming down my face when I think of this huge milestone. These are not tears of sadness, of course, but tears for my worry, anxiety, and realization that my “baby” is becoming a big boy. As parents, I know we all have these “moments” in life with our children that are momentous occasions. It was the first day of daycare after maternity leave. It will be when they pull out of the driveway behind the wheel of a car for the first time. It will be when they proudly walk across the graduation stage. And it will be when we drive away after moving them into a college dorm. All moments in a parent’s life that we look forward to but at the same time secretly hope that time will just stop and we can continue to enjoy the innocence of childhood with them. The questions in my mind are endless. Will he be ok on the bus? What if someone is mean to him? Have we done everything in our power to prepare him for success in school? I have heard people say that when watching their children, it is like watching a part of your heart outside of your body. It is absolutely true. So for all of those other moms, dads, and caregivers who...
by Mindy Calandro | Aug 11, 2016 | Kid's Health
If there is a mosquito within a 1 mile radius, it will find me. I am that person in the family that mosquitos seem to love which my husband finds as a convenient thing for him. Unfortunately, my two boys, Mr. J and Mr. L, “inherited” this trait from me. Not only do mosquitos bites cause lots of itching and huge red welts if you are like my boys and me, but the bite of a mosquito can be the culprit of unwanted illness such as West Nile Virus and Zika virus which we are still learning a lot about. In order to protect yourself and your kids from the bite of not only mosquitoes but also ticks for those who are hunting or spending time in wooded areas, it is important to understand the options out there for insect repellents. Let’s take a look at the most common ingredients in some of these products. N,N dimethyl-m-toluamide (DEET)- This compound has been used as an insect repellent since the 1940s, and it is the insect repellent that is likely most widely known. DEET insect repellents may last anywhere from 2-8 hours depending on what percentage of DEET is contained in the products. On average, products with 10% DEET will last about 2 hours while those closer to 30% DEET will last closer to 8 hours. There are products available with DEET concentrations higher than 30%, but studies show that these products do not provide any longer/additional protection. DEET can protect against not only mosquitoes that transmit West Nile Virus and Zika virus but also against biting flies, gnats and...
by Mindy Calandro | Aug 1, 2016 | Kid's Health
It was only a matter of time. On July 29, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) announced the first 4 cases of Zika virus that were acquired through the bite of the Aedes mosquito here in the United States (Florida to be exact), and on August 1st, another 10 cases were added to that total. These cases were all traced back to a small area of Miami-Dade county (click here to see a map showing this specific area). Until this announcement, there were 1,658 cases of Zika virus diagnosed here in the US, but all of these cases had been acquired outside of the US. As of July 21, 2016, there have been 13 babies born with birth defects as well as 6 pregnancy losses that have been attributed to Zika virus in the US. But with this most recent information, Zika has arrived in mosquitoes in the US. As I said, it was just a matter of time. It is our interconnected global society that makes the journey of mosquito borne illnesses possible. You may recall from my prior article about Zika (you can click here to for a quick refresher), but since May 2015, the Zika virus has become an epidemic throughout much South America, Mexico and the Caribbean. It is our interconnected global society that makes the journey of mosquito borne illnesses possible. It is believed that someone who had been infected with the Zika virus abroad was then bitten by an Aedes mosquito here in the US which then allowed the virus to be transmitted to the next unsuspecting person bitten by that mosquito. Here...
