Health-nibbles are brief bits of health news that I have read about in my journals. These are cutting edge, may not be fully proven, but are from reputable journals, and most are quite interesting.

Moms need shots, too! Pertussis (whooping cough) is still a major cause of disease in children, even though most children are vaccinated. Where are they getting it from? New studies show that they are catching the bacteria from their moms or other adults in most cases. Adults lose immunity after so many years, so they are more susceptible to catching pertussis and carrying it to their own children. When adults get whooping cough, it seems like a regular cold, so they don't realize that they are endangering their children. A new vaccine combines pertussis with your standard tetanus shot, so be sure to ask your doctor to get this new combination shot for you!

Paper Shredders! Now that more homes use paper shredders, we are starting to see some serious injuries in toddlers who stick their hands into them! Be very careful not to let your children have access to the area, and buy the safest product. Most products are made for adult safety, but still allow tiny children's fingers to easily enter the opening. (Pediatrics, February 2006)

Preventing SIDS (crib death). New evidence shows that babies who use a pacifier have a much lower chance of SIDS, probably because the sucking reflex stimulated by the pacifier gets babies to swallow more secretions and have less in the mouth to choke on. Of course the leading risk factor for SIDS is parental smoking, so be sure to keep your house smoke-free!

How do you spot "health fraud"? The health fraud industry has found a haven in the food market, where drugs are not controlled by the FDA. Many of the foods that are billed as "health foods" are actually merely health fraud in disguise. For example, sports drinks such as "Spark" "Red Bull" and many others, are marketed as performance enhancers. They actually just contain high amounts of caffeine, which of course is NOT healthy. By the way, even main stream sports drinks like Gatorade and Power Ade are nothing more than sugar water with a pinch of salt, basically liquid junk food!

New look at hand-washing! Hand-washing is a very important preventive practice. It should be an automatic part of our everyday routine. When preparing food, it is essential to wash before you start, and AGAIN right after handling any form of raw meat! Doctors and other health care workers wash hands often, but recent studies show that using 60% alcohol solution is actually more effective in removing (or killing) both bacteria and viruses. Dr Shadowen recommends Cal Stat, which I am using now. It is 63% alcohol, evaporates quickly, it's easy on your skin and doesn't smell too bad.

Mint tea for colic? (not a good idea) Many people have tried various herbs for colic, but the menthol in mint can relax the muscle at the top of the stomach allowing more reflux (spitting up). Some mint is much stronger than others, and even a single teaspoon of mint oil can put a child into a coma. I have seen a report of a child actually dying after just a few bottles of mint tea. I generally teach patients that all herbal medicines must be considered as drugs, and handled very carefully. (Pediatric News, May 2000)

Relief for vomiting! With the increased concerns about the safety of Phenergan, the FDA has recommended not using it at all under 2 years of age, and only in extreme cases over 2 years. I have rarely used Phenergan in the last several years, and have been recommending Emetrol (fructose syrup) mostly. It is about as effective as Phenergan, but much safer and cheaper. You can also find fructose syrup in canned fruit: just give 1 or 2 tsp of the "juice" in canned peaches or pears,etc, and repeat in 10 minutes if not better. The fructose coats the stomach lining, and relieves the irritation which causes nausea. Of course the first line treatment of vomiting is to rest the stomach (no solid food), and to drink small frequent amounts of clear liquids.

Should we get smallpox vaccine? The scare from terrorists has brought fears of biologic warfare, and some people are wondering about such agents as smallpox. The CDC has sent out copies of their guidelines on smallpox, recommending NOT to be vaccinated, because the supply of virus is essentially zero, and the risks of serious side effects of the vaccine are far greater than other vaccines. (MMWR, June 2001 and re-issued Sept 2001)

Is bottled water healthy? Depends on where it was put in the bottle, but in general your Bowling Green tap water is far more pure than water that you buy at the grocery store. (Water Quality Report, Summer 2000)

Vitamin Supplements Lead to Allergies? A study in Washington DC  showed that early vitamin supplements led to increased risk of asthma and allergies. It is not recommended to use vitamin supplements in children unless there is some reason that the child is not able to eat a normal healthy diet. (Pediatrics, July 2004)

Take antibiotics after a tick bite? The CDC recommends that children with deer tick bites DO NOT get treated with antibiotics unless they develop the signs and symptoms of Lyme Disease. Even in areas where Lyme Disease is common (not Kentucky!) the risk of developing Lyme Disease is very small after a tick bite. Studies have shown that "preventive" antibiotics are not effective in preventing Lyme Disease, and furthermore caused many cases of serious side effects from the medicine. If the tick is removed within 48 hours, the risk of Lyme Disease is almost eliminated; removal of ticks is by far the best prevention. (AAP News, Sept 2001 and New England J of Med, 2001)

Multivitamin recommended for all teens and women! The US Public Health Service has launched a national campaign to prevent birth defects (such as spina bifida). The CDC estimates that 70% of such birth defects can be prevented if all women take a multivitamin containing folic acid. Folic acid found in natural foods cannot be digested and absorbed! So take your vitamins every day! (Kentucky Epidemiologic Notes, July 2000)

Creatine and steroids for young athletes? A study in North Carolina showed that 13% of high school boys were taking creatine, and 3.5% were taking steroids (androstenedione), attempting to improve their athletic performance. These substances have not been adequately studied, but I have seen disc athletes "burn out" quickly after using these, and I suspect the same happened to Mark McGuire, the baseball player. Even the stronger "anabolic" steroids have not been shown to improve performance. They do increase muscle mass, but having "fat" muscles is not necessarily a good thing! (Pediatric News, July 2000)

Are you protecting your children from the sun? Think sunscreen is the answer? Not really! Sunscreen can cut down your UV exposure if you must be out in the sun, but it is far more effective to teach your children to avoid being in the sun during the 10 AM to 4 PM hours, and to avoid getting sunburned. Remember, a sunburn in childhood is one of the strongest risk factors for getting skin cancer as an adult! (Archives of Ped and Adolescent Medicine, Aug 2001 and Peditrics, Aug 1999)

Does smoking cause depression? 700 seventh grade smokers were studied for one year, and many became addicted long before they were smoking on a daily basis. Another study shows this may be due to depression induced by even a light smoking habit. (Medical Economics, Jan 2001)

Risks of watching TV! Over 1000 studies have shown that watching violence on TV makes children and teens more violent, more aggressive, and more fearful of the world. Watching more than 2 hours of TV per day makes children more likely to use drugs, and far more likely to be obese. (Pediatrics, Aug 1999)

Maternal smoking causes SIDS?  Doctors in Canada have discovered neuroendocrine cells in the lungs of babies who died from SIDS (crib death) which were damaged by cigarette smoke. This might explain why I have not seen any babies die from SIDS who were in a smoke-free home. Nationally, the chance of SIDS is 5 times greater in a baby exposed to tobacco smoke. (Pediatrics, Oct 1996)

Injuries from infant walkers.  Because of serious injuries and deaths from falls (mostly down stairs) the AAP has called for a ban on manufacture of infant walkers. (Pediatrics, Sept 2001)

Low oxygen in carseats. Researchers found that babies (both full term and premature) dropped the oxygen level in their blood to as low as 90% after an hour of sitting strapped into a carseat. They concluded that babies should only use the carseat in the car and not in the home where they would be left for longer periods of time. (Pediatrics, Sept 2001)

Iron deficiency makes you dumb. An 8-year long study of children 6-16 showed lower math scores in children with low iron levels (not necessarily to the point of being anemic). We already knew that iron is essential to brain growth in babies. (Pediatrics, Jun 2001)

Television viewing is bad for the bones.  In both boys and girls, the more hours of TV watched per day, the weaker the bones, measured by bone mineral density. (Pediatrics, Jun 2001)

Snoring may lead to poor grades.  Snoring may be a sign of obstructive sleep apnea, which leads to sleep deprivation, and then poor school performance. (Pediatrics, Jun 2001)

Smoking in pregnancy can reward you with a colicky baby.  Colic occurs in 10% of all babies, but smoking during the pregnancy increases the chances by 50%. (Pediatrics, Aug 2001)

Good news on Lyme disease. Lyme disease can cause long-term problems like arthritis and neurologic damage, but luckily they are very rarely seen in children. Lyme disease is carried by deer ticks. (Contemporary Pediatrics, July 2001)

New guidelines for sinusitis.  Practice guidelines were recently published by the AAP for sinusitis. They restrict the use of antibiotics to two situations only: (1) high fever and "pus" (not mucus!) from the nose lasting over 3 days, and (2) daytime cough or heavy nasal discharge lasting over 10 days and not yet improving. If you don't qualify for these two, your cold is due to allergy or viral infection, and antibiotics should NOT be used. (Pediatrics, Sept 2001)

Sleep may be best treatment for migraines.  Fatigue, vomiting, looking pale, sensitivity to light or sound, seeing wavy lines, and stomach ache may all be signs of a migraine headache in children. Taking a nap is usually the best treatment. If that is not helping, ibuprofen or sumatriptan may help. (Pediatric News, June 2001)

Fruit juice is bad for you?  A small glass of juice can provide some vitamin C and sugar, but making juice a fluid source for children can lead to stomach aches, diarrhea, and even obesity. (Giving your kid 5 glasses of juice a day is about equal to giving 5 cans of coca-cola! Not healthy!) (Pediatrics, May 2001)

Verve and Jolt hit the internet.   Verve and Jolt are street names for two related chemicals used as intoxicant drugs, but are highly dangerous, leading to rapid respiratory arrest, shock, slow heart beat and death. Children have been obtaining these drugs over the internet, where they are hyped as sexual enhancers, all-natural party drugs,  fat burning products, and dietary supplements. (Pediatrics, Oct 2000)

Prevent SIDS.  Almost all SIDS (crib death) can be avoided by following a few simple rules: (1) Always put baby to sleep on her back, (2) use a firm mattress, (3) never allow smoke in the house, (4) never drink alcohol in the house, and (5) never put objects in the baby's crib that could cause suffocation. (Contemporary Pediatrics, Mar 2001)

D.A.R.E. revamps its methods.  Many studies have shown that the huge D.A.R.E. program (which sends policemen into schools to teach about the dangers of drugs) is virtually useless. A new 13 million dollar grant will teach the officers new methods to get kids to actively participate, working on attitudes and beliefs. (Contemporary Pediatrics, Mar 2001)

Down Syndrome.  Children with Down Syndrome (extra #21 chromosome) should be checked for low thyroid hormone on a yearly basis, as they are at high risk of thyroid disease. (Pediatrics, Feb 2001)

Trampolines can cause crippling injuries. The AAP has issued a policy recommending against the use of trampolines as a recreational pasttime. Over 80,000 injuries occur every year, including falls, fractured bones, and head and neck injuries which can lead to paralysis or death. (Pediatrics, June 1999)

Loud music makes you deaf.  Exposure to loud noise (or music) has caused at least partial deafness in 12.5 % of children aged 6-19 in the USA. This is permanent damage, so take it easy on the headphones! (Pediatrics, July 2001)

Smoke in the home may give you meningitis! Maternal smoking was shown to increase the risk of meningococcal meningitis by 500% in the children exposed to the smoke. Second hand smoke damages your immune system. (Am Journal of Public Health, 1999)

Douching a dangerous practice. Many teens and young women are encouraged to use douche products (such as Massengill) by ads on TV and magazines. Normal vaginal bacteria are removed by douching. This increases the risk of PID (pelvic inflamatory disease) and ectopic pregnancy. (Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, Aug 1999)

Dexamethasone effective in treating croup.  A single oral dose of dexamethasone (about 50-cents worth, 1 tsp) is the treatment of choice for viral croup. (Pediatric News, Aug 1999)

A dangerous world for gay teens. 40% of gay teen boys surveyed are having unprotected sex, and 60% of them have not been tested for HIV (ie, might be positive for HIV). (Pediatric News, Oct 1999)

Smoking for weight control.  Many teens, especially girls, still believe that smoking is an effective means of weight control. Smoking is a rebellious behavior which has very little effect on weight control. ( Pediatrics, Oct 1999)

Apathy about marijuana. Many parents see marijuana as a soft drug, and don't teach children of the serious dangers of its use (namely, brain damage). Also, marijuana cultivated today is far more potent and addictive than that used 20 years ago. (Pediatrics, Oct 1999)

Bad news about fireworks. In 1999, 8500 Americans went to the ER for fireworks injuries, 16 of them died.  The AAP recommends that private use of fireworks be banned. Even sparklers produce extremely high temperatures, and burns from them result in permanent blindness for many children. In 1997, there were 20,100 fires caused by fireworks, resulting in $22.7 million in damage. (Pediatrics, July 2001)