5 Questions Your Pediatrician Wishes You’d Ask:
1. What are some good Internet sources for medical information? There’s a lot of misinformation out there, so I like AAP.org for information on child growth and development (the Web address as published has been corrected in this text); CDC.gov for information on immunizations and communicable diseases (the Web address as published has been corrected in this text); and mypyramid.gov, a great site for healthy diets, and good hints on exercise.
2. Does my behavior really affect my child’s? The research is overwhelming: Parents’ behavior really predicts a similar outcome in children. If parents demonstrate good habits, such as regular exercise, no tobacco and a good diet, their children are more likely to do the same. Also, many studies have demonstrated that parents who bully and are abusive have children who turn out similarly.
3. The kids don’t like their car seats, and I can never find their bike helmets. If we go without these things once in a while, is it that big a deal? After the first year of life, trauma is the greatest cause of death in children, and in fact all the way to age 44, when cancer takes over. Properly install car seats, make the kids wear bike helmets, baby-proof the house, make sure smoke and CO detectors are working and that guns are properly locked and hidden.
4. My baby isn’t doing what my friend’s baby does. Should I be concerned? No. We all compare our children with others way too much. Children do not come with an operator’s manual; they develop at different rates. Express your concerns instead to your pediatrician, who sees many children and can make a proper assessment.
5. When should I call a doctor? It has to do with age. Basically, if the parents are worried and need an answer and it is not life-threatening they should call. In the first two months of life, definitely call when there’s a fever–the immune system is not geared to fight infection as well then–or listlessness, green vomit or trauma.
–Dr. Irwin Benuck, pediatrician at Children’s Memorial Hospital and professor of clinical pediatrics, Northwestern University
5 Superfoods To Indulge In:
1. Baby bananas: New in food stores and slightly sweeter than regular bananas, these babies are still high in potassium, but kids will think they’re sized especially for them.
2. Dried mangos: These are an intense source of vitamins and minerals. Buy them by the bag–they’re an easy snack and will help you get your five daily servings of fruits and vegetables when you’re on the run.
3. Low-fat ricotta cheese: The new yogurt, ricotta is a good source of low-fat dairy. Choose one without pectin or gum additives, or make your own (recipes on the Internet are easy and fun to try with the kids). Eat it for breakfast, a meal or a snack. It’s popular on South Beach as an evening snack with cinnamon or lemon juice.
4. Almonds: Munch a small handful for a daily snack, grind some up and heat in milk (like the new chai) or try almond butter instead of peanut butter on sandwiches. Almonds have been shown to decrease the level of bad blood fats when substituted for other fats in the diet.
5. Dark chocolate: It contains antioxidant flavonoids (including procyanidins and epicatechins) that, at high levels in the blood, are linked to a lower risk of heart disease and certain cancers. Other ingredients in dark chocolate act as mild mood elevators. Pick one with at least 70 percent cocoa solids, and don’t heat it in milk–it will bind the antioxidants.
–Judith Beto, professor of nutrition sciences, Dominican University
5 Ways To Avoid The Emergency Room:*
1. Take a chill pill: One of the leading reasons people go to the ER is for a headache, usually brought on by stress (especially if it’s not accompanied by fever or vomiting). So keep ibuprofen (Advil) and acetaminophen (Tylenol) on hand.
2. R.I.C.E.: As a basic first step to treating all new musculoskeletal injuries, strains and sprains, remember to “Rest, Ice and Elevate.” And no matter what you’ve heard, do not apply heat to new injuries.
3. Don’t go with the flow: If a wound is bleeding, apply direct pressure for at least 5 minutes. Too many people do nothing, or just put on a Band-Aid and head to the hospital. It doesn’t mean you won’t still need to go, but it’s a good first step in treatment.
4. Preserve and protect: We know you’ve heard it before, but the surest way to avoid serious injury or illness is to act preventively at the outset: Wear a helmet when motorcycling, bicycling and roller-blading; wear seat belts; practice safe sex; have a designated driver; and get those kids immunized.
5. Easy does it: Eat in moderation to maintain a healthy weight. Drink red wine in moderation because studies show lower rates of stroke and heart disease in red-wine drinkers than in teetotalers or hard-liquor drinkers. And exercise in moderation–every year, ER docs see some guy who really overdid it by running his first half-marathon without ever having trained.
*Doctor’s advice: Of course, if you think it’s an emergency, it’s better to err on the side of caution and get to an ER. “We’d much rather see 10 times the number of non-emergencies than not see the one true emergency because someone decided to stay home.”
–Dr. Mary Ann Cooper, professor, Department of Emergency Medicine, University of Illinois at Chicago
5 Drug Interactions To Keep On Your Radar:*
1. Diuretics or antibiotics plus sunlight. Water pills such as hydrochlorothiazide and Lasix (often used to treat high blood pressure), nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen (Advil) and antibiotics such as tetracycline and Cipro can cause photosensitivity when exposed to the UV rays in sunlight. That can lead to sunburn, sometimes severe. To avoid it, patients should minimize exposing skin to sunlight by wearing hats, long sleeves, long pants and/or applying sunscreen with an SPF greater than 30.
2. Cholesterol-lowering drugs plus antibiotics and some foods. Cholesterol-lowering statins such as Zocor, Lipitor and Crestor, in combination with antibiotics like Diflucan and Bactrim, can lead to liver, muscle and kidney problems. Avoidance of these drug combinations, or perhaps using the statin Pravachol (pravastatin), may minimize the risk of this interaction.
3. ADHD prescriptions plus over-the-counter cold remedies. Drugs like Adderal and Ritalin in combination with over-the-counter or prescription cough and cold preparations that contain decongestants like pseudoephedrine can reduce the efficacy of the ADHD drugs and can increase hyperactivity and inattention because the decongestants have stimulant properties.
4. Erectile dysfunction drugs plus nitrates. “E.D.” drugs like Viagra, Revatio, Levitra or Cialis, in combination with nitrates (used to treat chronic chest pain, clogged arteries and other heart conditions) like NitroDur, Nitrostat, Isordil or Imdur, can lead to a significant drop in blood pressure that can lead to heart attacks or even death.
5. Blood thinners plus Tylenol, alcohol or certain foods. Coumadin (or its generic, warfarin), which can be used either temporarily by people who’ve had a blood clot, or indefinitely by people with heart arrhythmia, taken with large amounts of alcohol, acetaminophen, ibuprofen, grapefruit or cranberry juice, can lead to bleeding complications because the substances can elevate Coumadin levels. Also, when patients taking Coumadin consume large quantities of vitamin K-rich foods like leafy green vegetables, the effectiveness of Coumadin may be decreased.
*Doctor’s advice: To avoid potentially serious drug interactions, patients taking prescription medication who are considering taking a nonprescription drug for another ailment should consult first with a pharmacist or physician, telling them what medications they are taking.
–Dr. Robert DiDomenico Jr., clinical associate professor, UIC College of Pharmacy
5 Home Remedies That Are OK With M.D.S:
1. Gatorade: Try drinking two glasses of it to cure a headache.
2. Honey: For a sore throat, mix 1/4 cup of it with 1/4 cup vinegar and take 1 tablespoon of it six times a day. To heal a skin blemish, cover it with a dab of honey and a Band-Aid. Works overnight.
3. Horseradish: For sore, aching muscles, mix a tablespoon of horseradish with a cup of olive oil, let sit for half an hour and then apply like massage oil.
4. Listerine: To cure toenail fungus, soak toes in it. To clean and disinfect broken blisters, dab some Listerine on them.
5. Toothpaste: For burns, apply toothpaste as a salve.
–Handed down by Dr. Jonathan Muraskas, professor of pediatrics and neonatal-perinatal medicine, Loyola University Medical Center; and his wife, Jovenna, pharmacist at Gennaro Drugs, Oak Lawn
