Health Tips

We recently discovered my lil’ guy has food allergies. Hunter can not eat milk, eggs, wheat or nuts. A few months ago I was babysitting my two nephews. I was feeding the kids french toast and scrambled eggs. Hunter is such a little begger when it comes to food and he was eyeing the scrambled eggs. I didn’t even think about allergies, Lexi ate eggs very early and never had any problems. Well, about two minutes after Hunter ate the eggs his face swelled up like a balloon. He has reacted to food and other things before so I gave him some Benadryl, but his face just kept swelling. I ran and picked him up and he started throwing up everywhere. I didn’t know if his air way was getting blocked off, but I didn’t wait around to see that happen. I told the other three kids I was taking care of that we had to get into the car and take Hunter to the hospital. We made it to the hospital, I walked in carrying Hunter with three other little ones trailing close behind me. They got us right in to see a doctor. His air way was fine and his oxygen levels were good. When we left the hospital the tears finally started running down my face. My six year old nephew said “Why are you sad, Hunter is okay?”. Hunter was okay, but every parent loses it sometimes right? Anyway, I called my pediatrician and he had me bring Hunter right in. He checked him out and said that he was fine, but that we should have some blood work done to find out exactly what Hunter is allergic to. This is how we found out what we need to stay away from. My pediatrician said that the trick is to keep him away from these foods and then the chances of him growing out of the allergy are better. Now the trick will be to keep a one year old away from all that yummy stuff! Wish me luck!

My baby boy, Hunter, has been teething like crazy! This little guy is only nine and a half months old and he already has eight teeth! That is hard on a baby as young as he is. He has been extra fussy lately, he just cries and nothing will soothe him. But, my husband has discovered the best teething trick for our baby. Drum roll please… APPLES!

I was up early this morning with an unhappy Hunter. He was just crying, and crying, and throwing his frustrated body all over the place while I tried to calm him down. Hunter is a Daddy’s Boy, so my husband was able to calm him for a minute, but he had to go to work. So, my husband handed Hunter back to me and then went into the kitchen and came back to me with an apple. He said that Hunter had been eyeing his apple and so I should have one and share it with him. Man was he right! It did just the trick! Hunter got that apple in his mouth and he was my happy baby boy again!

If we give him a whole apple that we have peeled, or just eaten part of ourselves, Hunter is a happy baby! He just naws on the apple and smiles at us with this look of “Thank you, you finally figured something to make my teeth feel better!”.

We watch him closely when he is chewing on his favorite new teething toy. I don’t want my little man choking on any of those small pieces he breaks off, so if you try this with your baby make sure they are used to eating some solid foods. Hunter loves it and it has made Mommy’s life much easier!

An apple a day keeps the teething monster away!!!

My little guy, Hunter, is 9 months old and loves his walker. I am thinking that he loves his walker so much he will never crawl. Hunter weighs 22 lbs. , last time we checked, so when he is in his walker he is moving fast! He looks like a football player pushing one of those big training things at practice. His walker has given him so much freedom and has saved my arms from having to carry him around all the time, but this weekend it became a nightmare for Mommy.

We were visiting my Mom and I had put Hunter in the walker in her family room. The family room is just off of the kitchen in her house and there is a step seperating the two rooms, so it is the perfect place for him to be in his walker and contained in one room as well. My Mom had just come home from the grocery store, so I went outside to help her unload the car. During this time my sister came in the house and picked Hunter up to say hello. When she put him back down she moved Hunter’s walker into the kitchen and then set him in it. For some reason she got distracted or something and she left Hunter alone in the kitchen in his walker. Meanwhile my Mom and I are out at her car getting the groceries. I had a handful of grocery bags and as I walked into the garage I could see Hunter just at the top of the three concrete stairs that go into garage. I just started screaming at him, “No, no, no!” But, I was too late. I dropped the groceries and dove to catch Hunter all at once, but I just could not move fast enough. It was like it all was happening in slow motion and then after he fell everything moved fast. I picked my screaming baby boy up and surveyed the damage as I cried my eyes out. Surprisingly Hunter looked fine, he had a small bump on his head but nothing like what you would have expected. Luckily my parents have a large rubber mat at the bottom of those stairs and I think that saved my little guy from a lot of trouble.

My Mom ran into the house and found my husband who came out and comforted Hunter and his basket case of a wife. He took Hunter in the backyard to play, and within minutes Hunter was fine. I was still crying, but so relieved that my baby boy was okay. Later that night our friend who is a nurse came over and checked Hunter out, she said he looked fine and everything seemed to be normal. Thank goodness!

I have not been that scared for a long time! So, here is a warning for all of those parents out there with babies and walkers. Keep an eye on your child at all times when they are in a walker, you don’t want to make the same mistake I did!

Swimming with my kids is my favorite part of summer. Yesterday we had a great day at the pool with a bunch of friends. I used to teach swimming lessons and my goal for this summer is to get my 2 year old swimming this summer. So, we will be spending a lot of time at the pool. Last year our community had a huge issue with Cryptosporidiosis. It got so bad that they ended up not letting any children who wear diapers in public pools. In an effort to prevent this from happening this year, I thought I would share a fact sheet my pediatrician had on Crypto. Lets enjoy swimming with our kids this summer without Crypto outbreaks.

(Don’t forget the SUNSCREEN too!!!)

Cryptosporidiosis

What is Crypto?

A microscopic parasite (Cryptosporidium) that causes diarrhea.

Crypto is found in infected people’s stool.

The parasite is protected by an outer shell that allows it to survive for long periods of time and protects it from normal pool chlorine levels.

Why should I be concerned about crypto?

In the past 20 years, crypto has become one of the most common causes of waterborne illness in the United States. In fact, crypto is found in every part of the United States and the world.

How is crypto spread?

By swallowing water contaminated with crypto. Swimming pools, hot tubs, jacuzzis, fountains, lakes, rivers, springs, ponds, or streams can become contaminated with crypto if exposed to the feces of a human or animal that is infected with crypto.

By putting an object in your mouth or swallowing something that has come in contact with the stool of a person or animal infected with crypto.

How do I protect myself and my family?

Don’t swim when you have diarrhea. Wait 2 weeks after diarrhea has ended before swimming.

Don’t swallow swimming pool water.

Take a shower with soap & warm water before swimming, and focus on cleaning the area around the bottom.

Wash your hands after using the toilet or changing diapers.

Change diapers in the bathroom and not at the poolside.

Wash your child with soap & water, especially the rear end.

Take children for bathroom breaks and change diapers often.

For More Information Contact Your Local Health Department.

Since my daughter has been so sick lately I have become very interested in all the news stories about Swine Flu. Instead of getting all paranoid about it I decided to go to WebMD, a site I seem to be on a lot lately, and get all the info about Swine Flu and how I can protect my kids from it.

Here it is…

What is swine flu?

Like people, pigs can get influenza (flu), but swine flu viruses aren’t the same as human flu viruses. Swine flu doesn’t often infect people, and the rare human cases that have occurred in the past have mainly affected people who had direct contact with pigs. But the current swine flu outbreak is different. It’s caused by a new swine flu virus that has spread from person to person — and it’s happening among people who haven’t had any contact with pigs.

What are swine flu symptoms?

Symptoms of swine flu are like regular flu symptoms and include fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, headache, chills, and fatigue. Some people have reported diarrhea and vomiting associated with swine flu. Those symptoms can also be caused by many other conditions, and that means that you and your doctor can’t know, just based on your symptoms, if you’ve got swine flu. It takes a lab test to tell whether it’s swine flu or some other condition.

If I think I have swine flu, what should I do? When should I see my doctor?

If you have flu symptoms, stay home, and when you cough or sneeze, cover your mouth and nose with a tissue. Afterward, throw the tissue in the trash and wash your hands. That will help prevent your flu from spreading.

If you’ve got flu symptoms, and you’ve recently been to a high-risk area like Mexico, CDC officials recommend that you see your doctor. If you have flu symptoms but you haven’t been in a high-risk area, you can still see a doctor — that’s your call.

Keep in mind that your doctor will not be able to determine whether you have swine flu, but he or she would take a sample from you and send it to a state health department lab for testing to see if it’s swine flu. If your doctor suspects swine flu, he or she would be able to write you a prescription for Tamiflu or Relenza. Those drugs may not be required; U.S. swine flu patients have made a full recovery without it.

How does swine flu spread? Is it airborne?

The new swine flu virus apparently spreads just like regular flu. You could pick up germs directly from an infected person, or by touching an object they recently touched, and then touching your eyes, mouth, or nose, delivering their germs for your own infection. That’s why you should make washing your hands a habit, even when you’re not ill. Infected people can start spreading flu germs up to a day before symptoms start, and for up to seven days after getting sick, according to the CDC.

The swine flu virus can become airborne if you cough or sneeze without covering your nose and mouth, sending germs into the air.

The U.S. residents infected with swine flu virus had no direct contact with pigs. The CDC says it’s likely that the infections represent widely separated cycles of human-to-human infections.

How is swine flu treated?

The new swine flu virus is sensitive to the antiviral drugs Tamiflu and Relenza. The CDC recommends those drugs to prevent or treat swine flu; the drugs are most effective when taken within 48 hours of the start of flu symptoms. But not everyone needs those drugs; many of the first people in the U.S. with lab-confirmed swine flu recovered without treatment. The Department of Homeland Security has released 25% of its stockpile of Tamiflu and Relenza to states. Health officials have asked people not to hoard Tamiflu or Relenza.

Is there a vaccine against the new swine flu virus?

No. But the CDC and the World Health Organization are already taking the first steps toward making such a vaccine. That’s a lengthy process — it takes months.

I had a flu vaccine this season. Am I protected against swine flu?

No. This season’s flu vaccine wasn’t made with the new swine flu virus in mind; no one saw this virus coming ahead of time.

If you were vaccinated against flu last fall or winter, that vaccination will go a long way toward protecting you against certain human flu virus strains. But the new swine flu virus is a whole other problem.

How can I prevent swine flu infection?

The CDC recommends taking these steps:

• Wash your hands regularly with soap and water, especially after coughing or sneezing. Or use an alcohol-based hand cleaner.
• Avoid close contact with sick people.
• Avoid touching your mouth, nose, or eyes.

Can I still eat pork?

Yes. You can’t get swine flu by eating pork, bacon, or other foods that come from pigs.

What else should I be doing?

Keep informed of what’s going on in your community. Your state and local health departments may have important information if swine flu develops in your area. For instance, parents might want to consider what they would do if their child’s school temporarily closed because of flu. That happened in New York City, where St. Francis Preparatory School in Queens closed for a couple of days after eight students were found to have swine flu.  Don’t panic, but a little planning wouldn’t hurt.

How severe is swine flu?

The severity of cases in the current swine flu outbreak has varied widely. In Mexico, there have been deaths and other severe cases. Early cases in the U.S. have been mild. But that could change. The virus itself could change, either becoming more or less dangerous. Scientists are watching closely to see which way the new swine flu virus is heading — but health experts warn that flu viruses are notoriously hard to predict, as far as how and when they’ll change.

Why has the swine flu infection been deadlier in Mexico than in the U.S.?

It is unclear why U.S. cases have been milder compared to those in Mexico. Among the first 20 reported cases in the U.S., only one patient required hospitalization and that person has fully recovered. CDC researchers are actively investigating to learn more about the differences between the cases in Mexico and those in the U.S.

Have there been previous swine flu oubtreaks?

Yes. There was a swine flu outbreak at Fort Dix, N.J., in 1976 among military recruits. It lasted about a month and then went away as mysteriously as it appeared. As many as 240 people were infected; one died.

The swine flu that spread at Fort Dix was the H1N1 strain. That’s the same flu strain that caused the disastrous flu pandemic of 1918-1919, resulting in tens of millions of deaths.

Concern that a new H1N1 pandemic might return in winter 1976 led to a crash program to create a vaccine and vaccinate all Americans against swine flu. That vaccine program ran into all kinds of problems — not the least of which was public perception that the vaccine caused excessive rates of dangerous reactions. After more than 40 million people were vaccinated, the effort was abandoned.

As it turned out, there was no swine flu epidemic.

I was vaccinated against the 1976 swine flu virus. Am I still protected?

Probably not. The new swine flu virus is different from the 1976 virus. And it’s not clear whether a vaccine given more than 30 years ago would still be effective.

How many people have swine flu?

That’s a hard question to answer, because the figure is changing so quickly. If you want to keep track of U.S. cases that have been confirmed by lab tests and reported to the CDC, check the CDC’s web site. If you’re looking for cases in other countries, visit the World Health Organization’s web site. And when you hear about large numbers of people who are ill, remember that lab tests may not yet have been done to confirm that they have swine flu. And there may be a little lag time before confirmed cases make it into the official tally.

How serious is the public health threat of a swine flu epidemic?

The U.S. government has declared swine flu to be a public health emergency.

It remains to be seen how severe swine flu will be in the U.S. and elsewhere, but countries worldwide are monitoring the situation closely and preparing for the possibility of a pandemic.

The World Health Organization has not declared swine flu to be a pandemic. The WHO wants to learn more about the virus first and see how severe it is and how deeply it takes root.

But it takes more than a new virus spreading among humans to make a pandemic. The virus has to be able to spread efficiently from one person to another, and transmission has to be sustained over time. In addition, the virus has to spread geographically.

My 2 year old little girl has been sick for it seems like the last month. (See “When it rains, it pours!” post.) Lexi’s fever has left and the swelling is down, but her rash will not go away. It is a red rash, sometimes it is little dots, sometimes it looks like bug bites, sometimes it is itchy, and sometimes it looks like little swollen stringy lines. The heat makes it worse, like when she takes a warm bath or when she gets warm running around. Her energy is back, but this rash is just hanging on. I have talked to my pediatrician this week and they said not to worry, that the rash could be around for another week or two. But, as a mom I am still a little worried about it. Has anyone out there ever heard of a child with a rash like this?

Just when I thought my little girl could not possibly get sick with anything else…

Lexi, my sweet 2 year old, woke up with a horrible rash yesterday. I called my pediatrician, who I talk to on a regular basis lately, and they said that it is very common for little kids to get a rash at the very end of having something serious like pneumonia.

By the end of the day Lexi wouldn’t walk any more. Every time I would try to stand her up she would cry. I figured that she must have fallen or twisted something in one of her legs, but I couldn’t figure out which leg was bothering her. I called my pediatrician again and they had me bring her right in for X-rays. The X-ray’s showed that nothing was broken and when my pediatrician examined her he said that she has a type B flu. This kind of flu attacks little kids joints and makes them feel like they are an 80 year old woman. He said that it should go away in a few days and to keep her comfortable with Motrin.

Last night her rash broke out into hives, so we were on the phone with Insta Care and the Pharmacy finding out the dosage for giving Benadryl to a 2 year old. (FYI for a 2 year old that weighs 28 lbs. it is 0.5 teaspoon.)

Then this morning she woke up and her hands, ankles, knees and feet are all very swollen. I called the doctor again and he said the swelling is common, but that he wants to see her again if there is any bruising, fever, or if she is still limping in a week.

Poor little girl! We are watching lots of movies and cuddling a ton! Please let this be the end of my kids being so sick!

Has anyone ever heard of anything like this before?

In the last two weeks I have been to the Doctor 7 times and filled 9 prescriptions for our family! It has been a little crazy for all of us.

It all started with pink eye, Lexi, my little two year old, showed up with that on a Sunday of course. Do kids ever get sick during your pediatricians normal business hours? After that Hunter, my 7 month old baby, got pink eye too, that’s what happens when your have a two year old who likes to “help” with the baby.

Then it was an ear infection for Hunter, and since we were there I had Lexi checked too because she was coughing and had a horrible runny nose. The InstaCare Doc (it was a weekend again) told me that my little girls ears looked perfect, so no worries for her.

Later on that week Lexi still had a horrible cough and was super cranky, so I decided to take her to our pediatrician on Thursday. He checked her out and said that she probably just had a little bug and that she was fine. I felt like a paranoid mom for taking her in again and being told for the second time that she was fine.

That night my hubby and I went out to dinner with his sister and her husband. I ended up sleeping on the bathroom floor that night, because of Food Poisoning! Friday I was still not keeping any food down and by the time my husband got off work I was in pretty bad shape. Luckily I have a great mom and mother-in-law who helped me out with the kids that day. Travis, my hubby, came home from work and took me in to the Doctor. After they pumped me with 3 IV bags I started to feel better.

That night Lexi was coughing, throwing up and had a fever of 103.2. We called the ER and they told us to give her Tylenol and Motrin to get her fever down. We gave he the medicine and her fever slowly dropped and she fell asleep. We considered waking her up and taking her to the ER, but we figured that she needed to get a little sleep. I also was still recovering and needed a little sleep too.

The next morning Lexi was playing and seemed better, but her cough was still there and her fever kept creeping up. By six that night I wanted to take her to the Kids Care InstaCare. Granted she had been seen by a doctor twice already this week and her last visit was two days ago. My husband said that if it would give me peace of mind it was worth taking her in. So, there we are sitting in the waiting room at the Kids Care watching our little Lexi climb all over the chairs, color, and scream “I want to play!”. I don’t think any of the parents in the waiting room, with their sick kids, could figure out why we had brought this girl to the doctor. Finally, we were called back to see the doctor. She looks at Lexi and says that she looks pretty good. Then she listens to her lungs and keeps listening for a long time. The next thing we know she is ordering chest X-rays for Lexi and we are discovering that she has pneumonia. YAY, for Mothers Intuition! We were so glad we took her in! She was started on a bunch of medications and an inhaler.

It has been ten days and our little Lexi is doing great and getting back to her old self again. To all the Mommy’s out there: ALWAYS go with your gut, because a mother really does know best!

Halloween is such a fun time for the kids to get all dressed up in their costumes and go trick-or-treating. However there are a lot of things that can make such a fun occasion go sour real quick. Make sure you are watching out for your kids, and make sure to keep them out of harm’s way. To avoid the many dangers children face while trick or treating, use common sense. Be aware of potential Halloween hazards and take precautions to eliminate them. Consider heading for an indoor Halloween party and bypass any chaos or danger.

One thing that is gaining in popularity is trunk-or-treating. This is where a bunch of people meet at a central location, usually with a big parking lot, and hand out candy from the trunks of their car. This eliminates the risk of drivers not seeing your children as they walk around the neighborhoods. Also, it eliminates the risk of going to a house that has people that can harm your children.

One idea I have heard and will use with my children is to feed them before they go Trick-or-Treating. By doing this they will not be tempted to sneak some candy while they are out knocking on doors. That way we can inspect all of the candy before any of it is consumed.

I have compiled a list of things we can do to make sure our kids are safe this halloween. If I have missed anything please leave us a comment and let us know any additional safety tips you have.

Halloween Safety Check List:

• Wear flame retardant costumes.
• Make sure your Halloween costume is colorfast so the color doesn’t run onto your other clothes if it rains.
• Try on costumes before Halloween to allow time for altering.
• Hem your costumes so you don’t trip and fall.
• Apply reflective tape to your Halloween costumes.
• Avoid cumbersome masks. Use make-up instead.
• Make-up should be hypoallergenic and non-toxic.
• Wear comfortable, practical shoes.
• Double tie your shoelaces so you don’t trip.
• Keep your costume and wig away from candles.
• Don’t carry fake swords, guns, knives or similar accessories that look authentic. Make sure they’re flexible and cannot harm anyone.
• Carry a flashlight with fresh batteries after dark.
• Take along money for a phone call.
• Wear identification that’s easy to read.
• Always trick or treat in groups, accompanied by an adult.
• Follow a curfew and take a watch with a backlight.
• Plan your route ahead of time.
• Stay on the sidewalks and out of the streets. Cross only at intersections and designated crosswalks.
• Walk. No running.
• Don’t trample through flower beds and gardens.
• Watch out for open flames in jack-o-Lanterns.
• Trick or treat in familiar neighborhoods.
• Walk with your head up and be aware of your surroundings.
• Only visit well lit houses. Don’t stop at dark houses.
• Don’t enter any houses unless you know the people.
• Carry a spare Halloween bag — in case yours breaks or you fill your original one.
• Don’t approach unfamiliar pets and animals.
• Don’t cut across yards and stay out of back yards.
• Follow traffic signals and don’t jaywalk.
• Always watch for cars backing up or turning.
• Review the “stop, drop and roll” procedure in case your costume catches on fire.
• Never accept rides from strangers.
• Respect other people and their property.
• Be polite and say “thank you.”
• Don’t eat any candy until it’s inspected for tampering under bright lights.
• Avoid candy that has loose wrappings, is unwrapped, has puncture holes, or is homemade.
• Small children should not be allowed hard candy they may choke on.
• Report any suspicious or criminal activity to an adult or the police.
• Consider having a party instead of Trick or Treating.

Also, there has been a candy recall of “Pirate Chocolate Coins”. Here is the link:
http://www.snopes.com/food/warnings/coins.asp

With Halloween upon us you can’t be too careful!

Last Thursday my husband took me on what will be one of our last dates before the baby comes. We went to see The Dark Night. Great movie by the way! Well, during the movie I started having contractions. This is my second pregnancy and I was induced with my first one and never had any contractions until I was in the hospital. So, these contractions caught me a little off guard. I was thinking that maybe the creepy Joker part that Heath Ledger played was putting me into labor! Unfortunately the contractions only continued that night and were gone in the morning.

The next day we talked to one of our friends who is due to have her second baby in September. She said that she went to go see The Dark Night and sat next to a lady that was jumping with fright the entire movie. She said that every time this lady would jump she would have a contraction. Eventually she had to lean over to the lady and tell her that she needed to stop jumping or she was going to put her into full on labor.

So, my question to the world out there is; has The Dark Night given anyone else contractions or put anyone into labor?

I went to the Doctor yesterday and told him that I had started having contractions during The Dark Night and he had another theory. He asked me if I was eating popcorn during the movie, which of course I was. What pregnant woman doesn’t crave the saltiness of movie popcorn? Anyway, he said that I was probably a little dehydrated from not getting enough fluids and eating the salty popcorn. Apparently dehydration can cause those annoying “just getting your hopes up” contractions.

Maybe it was Batman? Maybe it was the popcorn? Whatever it was I hope it comes back soon! I am due in 8 days and feeling very ready to have this little guy come out. My husband is a hunter and since the deer hunt opens on the 16th he is very anxious for this baby to get here sooner than later. If anyone out there has some tricks for me to try to get this baby out please let me know!