Elixir

For pregnant women, getting a flu shot might not be such a bad idea, both for her own benefit and for the benefit of her unborn child. Even though the flu shot is currently not licensed for infants younger than six months, a recent study at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, indicates that babies whose mothers got the flu vaccination during pregnancy were less likely to contract the influenza virus.

In fact, in this study there was a 63 percent decrease in proven influenza illness among infants born to vaccinated mothers. In addition, the number of serious respiratory illnesses to both mothers and infants dropped by 36 percent.

These findings are particularly important because this age group is the most vulnerable to influenza. “Infants under six months have the highest rates of hospitalization from influenza among children in the U.S. These admission rates are higher than those for the elderly and other high-risk adult groups,” says Mark Steinhoff, MD, the study’s senior author and professor in the Bloomberg School’s Department of International Health.

Despite these recent findings, and the fact that the flu shot has been recommended for pregnant women in the U.S. since 1997, only 15 percent of pregnant women are vaccinated each year.

The study, conducted in Bangladesh, observed 340 mothers and their infants as part of the Mother’s Gift vaccine evaluation study.

With the findings, health officials will continue to urge expecting mothers to get the vaccination.

“Pregnant woman should be encouraged to be vaccinated for the flu to protect their infants and themselves,” Steinhoff says.

If you think about it, it’s two for the price of one.

While the benefits of an animal companion to those aging or chronically ill are well known, the help of our four-legged friends may actually be ageless. According to a survey conducted at Ohio State University, college students also find comfort in their pets during difficult times.
The survey of students at a Midwest commuter campus and other adults in the area found that young people attribute comfort in stressful situations and a hedge against loneliness to owning a cat or a dog.

“We might not think of college students as being lonely, but a lot of freshman and sophomores are in an early transition from living at home to living in dorms or off-campus,” says Sara Staats, lead author of the study and professor emeritus of psychology at Ohio State’s Newark Campus. “Many feel their pets will help get them through these difficult and stressful situations. And many more say that without their pet, they would feel lonely.”

The study, based on survey responses from nearly 350 college students, showed that avoiding loneliness was the top reason given for owning a pet, but that pets also helped students stay active and improve their overall health in a number of ways.

“Many students said that their pets fulfill a significant role that is missing in their lives,” Staat says. “The pets are not a substitute for human social interaction and support, but do provide important interaction for these kids who might otherwise feel isolated from their current environment.”

Cold and flu season is a challenging time for any parent, especially those with a sick kid in-tow, but doctors at the University of Michigan are encouraging parents to skip over-the-counter cough and cold medications for children under the age of 6.
Esther Yoon, M.D., general pediatrician at the University of Michigan Health System, Ann Arbor, says findings by the Food and Drug Administration shows that such medications potentially can have serious side effects on the smallest of children – symptoms include hives, drowsiness, difficulty breathing and even death.

“Some 7,000 children end up in the emergency room each year because of problems associated with these medicines,” Yoon says.
Nearly two-thirds of these incidents arose when children drank medication while unsupervised, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta. Many problems have also resulted from administering improper doses.So what’s a parent to do? According to Yoon, to lessen pain from productive coughs or throat pain, use over-the-counter acetaminophen and ibuprofen in age-appropriate doses.

To relieve symptoms, Yoon recommends the following:

• For blocked noses, parents should use nasal saline drops and a bulb suction to loosen up and remove mucus or have the child blow their nose.

• For coughs, the child should be given a teaspoon of honey or corn syrup if over the age of 1. Have the child drink warm fluids like water, apple juice and chicken broth to help with coughing.

• Take the child into the bathroom and run a hot shower. The steam relaxes the airways and helps with coughing spasms.

• Increase the humidity in the home to help reduce nasal congestion and coughing.

According to a new study published in to an article published in Chest, the peer-reviewed medical journal of the American College of Chest Physicians, the use of Vicks VapoRub on infants and toddlers could exacerbate symptoms.

The study found that the rub actually can stimulate mucus production and spark inflammation of the airways, making it difficult for children to fight off chest congestion.

According to the article posted at the Chicago Tribune, a spokeswoman for Vicks believes the product to be safe.

“We have conducted human safety studies in over 1,000 children, 1 month to 12 years of age,” Harrell said to the Tribune. “We did not see any of the types of adverse events . . . mentioned in this paper.”

South of the chin, it’s pretty obvious where a woman plumps up during pregnancy. Less noticeably, her gums become swollen, too. Not only are puffy gums painful, but they also pose a risk to the unborn baby.

During pregnancy, blood vessels expand throughout the body, including the gums, says Dr. Dana Keiles, who practices dentistry in Yorktown Heights, N.Y. Enlarged vessels make the gums tender and more likely to bleed.

On top of that, about 50 percent of women experience pregnancy gingivitis, a gum disease caused by elevated hormone levels, according to the American Academy of Periodontology. The hormones react with plaque at the gum line, causing inflammation. Studies show that women with gum disease are more likely to give birth prematurely or bear full-term babies with low birth weights, which puts the infants at risk of developing serious health problems such as cerebral palsy, blindness and deafness. In addition, a study published in the April 2008 issue of the Journal of Dental Research suggests that women with gum disease are more likely to develop gestational diabetes.

The transfer of bacteria from a mother’s mouth to her unborn child and the rest of her body is probably to blame for these systemic health problems; however, other factors such as stress may come into play as well, says Dr. Jennifer Holtzman, assistant professor of clinical dentistry, University of Southern California, Los Angeles.

In the general population, gum disease has been linked to heart disease and stroke.

“The best way to prevent and control gum disease is to make sure you clean the plaque off your teeth,” Holtzman says, adding that there are over-the-counter “disclosing agents” people can buy to dye and reveal any bacteria they missed while brushing and flossing.

Keiles recommends that women undergo a thorough dental exam if they are planning to get pregnant and that they have their teeth professionally cleaned every three months once they’re expecting.

She also recommends that pregnant women who suffer morning sickness or nausea rinse their mouths out if they vomit because stomach acid can damage tooth enamel.

“There’s a saying, ‘Have a baby, lose a tooth.’ It’s an old wives’ tale,” she says, “but there are a lot of hormonal things going on during pregnancy that can cause serious problems, so it’s important to practice good oral hygiene.”

Conventional wisdom would lead one to believe that kids with milk allergies should be kept away from milk, but new research from Johns Hopkins Children’s Center, Baltimore, finds that the opposite could be true.

In a very small study of 19 children, researchers found that children with milk allergies who were given increasingly higher doses of milk over time were eased - and the relief could be make it possible for them to  completely overcome their allergic reactions.

“Our findings suggest that oral immunotherapy gradually retrains the immune system to completely disregard or to better tolerate the allergens in milk that previously caused allergic reactions,” says Robert Wood, M.D., senior investigator on the study and director of Allergy & Immunology at Hopkins Children’s. “Albeit preliminary and requiring further study, these results suggest that oral immunotherapy may be the closest thing yet to a ‘true’ treatment for food allergy.”

In a report released Oct. 22, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, estimates that food allergies are on the rise with three million children in the United States now having at least one food allergy, an 18 percent jump from 10 years ago. Milk allergy is the most prevalent type of food allergy.

“Given that the quality of life of a child with a food allergy is comparable to the quality of life of a child with diabetes, we urgently need therapies that go beyond strict food avoidance or waiting for the child to outgrow the allergy,” Wood says. -Matthew M. F. Miller

According to researchers from Harvard Medical School, women who are stressed during pregnancy may cause their children to be more sensitive to allergen exposure when born. This stress may even influence a baby’s developing immune system and possibly develop a future risk of asthma.

“This research adds to a growing body of evidence that links maternal stress, such as that precipitated by financial problems or relationship issues, to changes in children’s developing immune systems, even during pregnancy,” says Dr. Rosalind J. Wright, assistant professor of medicine at Brigham & Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School.

The researchers analyzed levels of maternal stress and a mother’s exposure to dust mite allergen in the home while pregnant, examining how a child’s immune response at birth was altered. The result was clear regardless of race, class, education or smoking history: Stress magnified the effect of dust exposure on a child’s immune system.

“This further supports the notion that stress can be thought of as a social pollutant that, when ‘breathed’ into the body, may influence the body’s immune response similar to the effects of physical pollutants, like allergens, thus adding to their effects,” Wright says. –Melanie Wanzek

Be careful when giving your infant water this summer – it could be the difference between a day at the beach and a day at the hospital.

“Babies need extra fluids in the hot weather, but straight water is not one of them,” says Dr. Allen Walker, a pediatrician and head of the Emergency Department at Johns Hopkins Children’s Center, Baltimore. “Too much water can disrupt the delicate balance in a baby’s body, leading to water intoxication. Before you know it, the baby is seizing.”

Water intoxication is one of the leading causes of healthy infant seizures because it dilutes sodium in the blood and flushes it out of the body, which alters brain activity. Infants under one year of age are more prone to intoxication, as are children who are already dehydrated – look for warning sign, like if a child has fewer than three wet diapers in 24 hours, Walker says.

Though the seizures have no lasting effects, stick to breast milk and formula instead of water to keep a child under one year of age who isn’t eating solid foods hydrated. If concern does arise, check for these common symptoms: changes in mental status (unusual irritability or drowsiness), low body temperature (usually 97 degrees or less), facial swelling or puffiness and seizures.

What color is your child’s parachute? If it’s Red 40 or Yellow 5, it could be the reason they’re bouncing off the walls – and you’re pulling your hair out. Earlier this week the Center for Science in the Public Interest petitioned the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to ban eight food dyes linked to hyperactivity in children.

The dyes in question are:

• Yellow 5
• Red 40
• Blue 1
• Blue 2
• Green 3
• Orange B
• Red 3
• Yellow 6

Red 40 and Yellow 5 are the most popular dyes used in processed foods, and all of the dyes are responsible for bringing the rainbow of fruit flavors to Skittles, Starbursts, Fruity Pebbles, Fruit Loops and Fruit Roll-ups – and even the comforting yellow glow of instant potatoes.

Many of these dyes are already banned in the United Kingdom where, if you buy a McDonald’s strawberry sundae, the red color of the topping arrives via the natural redness of the strawberry. In the US version, it comes from Red 40.

So how concerned should we be about the color of our food? And why do we even care what color our food is so long as it tastes good? –Matthew M. F. Miller