While its causes are still unclear, many prenatal and early childhood medical procedures have began showing themselves as risk factors for autism, recent studies show.
In August 2006, Yale School of Medicine found that pregnant mice that had undergone various durations of ultrasound birthed offspring with brain damage consistent with damage found in the brains of autistic children.
When ultrasounds are done, high-frequency sound waves are sent out into the uterus, which increase the fetus’ temperature. Since a fetus in unable to sweat, its cells contain something called heat shock (HS) proteins, which temporarily stop the formation of enzymes when temperatures become dangerously high ( heat normally damages enzyme-creating proteins). With activation of the HS response, survival is achieved but at the expense of normal development.
In countries with nationalized health care, where the nearly all pregnant women are exposed to ultrasound, the autism rates are even higher than in the United States (1 in 166 children). Whether the benefits of ultrasound outweigh the risks is still highly debated and unclear.
Whichever decision you choose to make for your baby, be sure you know the risks of any prenatal procedure.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Preventing Childhood Obesity
The World Health Organization reports a 400% increase in childhood obesity since 1982, meaning that 1 of every 3 kids is considered overweight. That accounts for 9 million obese children in the United States alone.
Maintaining a healthy weight for your child will help not only to prevent diseases such as type II diabetes (1 in 4 kids are already showing signs of it) and asthma, but also help them improve their overall lifestyle.
Fortunately, there are many ways of promoting healthy habits.
1) Make physical activity a routine. Pick an activity that the whole family enjoys, such as riding bikes or playing tennis and be sure to incorporate it at least twice a week.
2) Walk to pick up your child from school, or if distance is an issue, walk around the track with them before going home.
3) Encourage them to be part of school or team sports.
4) Try to avoid allowing your child to play video games or watch TV for more than an hour a day. Encourage physical games such as tag or hide and go seek instead to keep them active.
1) Cook your meals together. Not only will you be teaching your child how to prepare healthful meals, but you’ll also be spending quality time with them.
2) Avoid serving portions that are too large.
3) Eat meals together around the same time every day.
4) Don’t use food as a reward or a lack of food as punishment.
5) Keep healthy snacks around the house such as fruits, vegetables and raw nuts rather than crackers and cookies.
6) Avoid watching TV or reading during meal times.
7) Limit fast food to no more than once every two weeks.
8) Make sure to implement the same health diet to the entire family, not just one child.
Maintaining a healthy weight for your child will help not only to prevent diseases such as type II diabetes (1 in 4 kids are already showing signs of it) and asthma, but also help them improve their overall lifestyle.
Fortunately, there are many ways of promoting healthy habits.
Exercise
1) Make physical activity a routine. Pick an activity that the whole family enjoys, such as riding bikes or playing tennis and be sure to incorporate it at least twice a week.
2) Walk to pick up your child from school, or if distance is an issue, walk around the track with them before going home.
3) Encourage them to be part of school or team sports.
4) Try to avoid allowing your child to play video games or watch TV for more than an hour a day. Encourage physical games such as tag or hide and go seek instead to keep them active.
Nutrition
1) Cook your meals together. Not only will you be teaching your child how to prepare healthful meals, but you’ll also be spending quality time with them.
2) Avoid serving portions that are too large.
3) Eat meals together around the same time every day.
4) Don’t use food as a reward or a lack of food as punishment.
5) Keep healthy snacks around the house such as fruits, vegetables and raw nuts rather than crackers and cookies.
6) Avoid watching TV or reading during meal times.
7) Limit fast food to no more than once every two weeks.
8) Make sure to implement the same health diet to the entire family, not just one child.
Six Steps to Physical Rehabilitation
After an injury it is extremely important to know how to adjust your body back into it’s daily routines. These steps are meant as guidelines to assist in your recovery.
1) Natural Pain Relief: If you experience pain or swelling after exercise, apply ice to decrease the swelling. If you experience pain or stiffness before exercise, apply heat to the trouble area.
2) Stretch Within Your Limits: Overstretching can be just as troublesome as not stretching. When you do your stretches, it is crucial to stretch the muscles around the painful area. Because the muscles work together, if one stays tight, the other ones will also be pulled tight again. Talk to your doctor or health professional to create an individualized stretching routine.
3) Increase Endurance: Instead of concentrating on increasing your ability to do something with more intensity, try increasing the amount of repetitions. Building this kind of endurance is extremely important to those with back pain. If you push yourself too hard, you are more likely to become fatigued and do things the wrong way, which could cause you to reinjure the area you are trying to improve.
4) Find Balance: Regardless of where your pain is, balance is a key part of rehabilitation. Try lifting weights and doing a variety of stretches to build up your ability.
5) Strength-Train: As with stretching, doing too much too fast can cause you to reinjure the area you are trying to help. It is usually best to begin with isometric exercises, which will help improve your range of motion without pain. Once you can accomplish these exercises at all angles, try slowly progressing into light weights and elastic bands.
6) Functional Training: Practice the activities you did on a daily basis prior to the injury. It can be harmful to just jump back into what once you thought routine. Repeat these activities multiple times, taking it easier than you are used to.
1) Natural Pain Relief: If you experience pain or swelling after exercise, apply ice to decrease the swelling. If you experience pain or stiffness before exercise, apply heat to the trouble area.
2) Stretch Within Your Limits: Overstretching can be just as troublesome as not stretching. When you do your stretches, it is crucial to stretch the muscles around the painful area. Because the muscles work together, if one stays tight, the other ones will also be pulled tight again. Talk to your doctor or health professional to create an individualized stretching routine.
3) Increase Endurance: Instead of concentrating on increasing your ability to do something with more intensity, try increasing the amount of repetitions. Building this kind of endurance is extremely important to those with back pain. If you push yourself too hard, you are more likely to become fatigued and do things the wrong way, which could cause you to reinjure the area you are trying to improve.
4) Find Balance: Regardless of where your pain is, balance is a key part of rehabilitation. Try lifting weights and doing a variety of stretches to build up your ability.
5) Strength-Train: As with stretching, doing too much too fast can cause you to reinjure the area you are trying to help. It is usually best to begin with isometric exercises, which will help improve your range of motion without pain. Once you can accomplish these exercises at all angles, try slowly progressing into light weights and elastic bands.
6) Functional Training: Practice the activities you did on a daily basis prior to the injury. It can be harmful to just jump back into what once you thought routine. Repeat these activities multiple times, taking it easier than you are used to.
Antibiotics: A Cause of Asthma?
Asthma affects 12 percent of children in the United States, making it the most common chronic childhood illness.
It has been previously known that exposure to tobacco smoke as well as respiratory infections and nasal allergies are risk factors in causing asthma, but it has only just recently been discovered that antibiotics taken within the first year of life may also be to blame.
The recent study, published in Pediatrics medical journal, evaluated over 250,000 infants during their first 12 months of life and the potential correlation of the development of asthma during their first two years. The results were adjusted to eliminate other possible factors, defining an independent association between antibiotic use and asthma. The results showed a small risk that increased with the amount of antibiotics prescribed, the highest risk being among those treated with four or more courses during the first year.
As well as possibly causing asthma, antibiotics taken in early life can reduce their effectiveness over time. They also come with a list of potential side effects from minor to life threatening. Be cautious when giving your child antibiotics and always ask your doctor any questions you have regarding their use.
It has been previously known that exposure to tobacco smoke as well as respiratory infections and nasal allergies are risk factors in causing asthma, but it has only just recently been discovered that antibiotics taken within the first year of life may also be to blame.
The recent study, published in Pediatrics medical journal, evaluated over 250,000 infants during their first 12 months of life and the potential correlation of the development of asthma during their first two years. The results were adjusted to eliminate other possible factors, defining an independent association between antibiotic use and asthma. The results showed a small risk that increased with the amount of antibiotics prescribed, the highest risk being among those treated with four or more courses during the first year.
As well as possibly causing asthma, antibiotics taken in early life can reduce their effectiveness over time. They also come with a list of potential side effects from minor to life threatening. Be cautious when giving your child antibiotics and always ask your doctor any questions you have regarding their use.
Keeping Your Food Safe
With increasing reports of contaminated foods, it’s hard to know what is and what isn’t safe to consume. While it’s true that food poisoning is on the rise, there are many ways to protect yourself and your family from the dangers of food-borne disease.
Eating out:
1) Check the dates on inspection reports and/or safety certificates
2) Observe the cleanliness of the staff. Is their hair pulled back? Are their clothes clean?
3) Make sure any salad bars are kept cold (41 degrees F or below). Also, check for someone monitoring the cleanliness of the bar.
The supermarket:
1) Fill your cart with nonperishables before picking up your produce and refrigerated items. Make sure to get all perishable items into your refrigerator as soon as possible after purchase.
2) Always check expiration and “sell-by” dates. It’s believed that E. Coli grows quicker in aging greens, so it is imperative to buy the freshest items possible.
3) Don’t buy produce that is dented or bruised.
4) Buy unprocessed produce whenever possible. The majority of food-borne illness comes from packaged products.
Picnics, BBQ’s and farmers markets:
1) Transport foods in the passenger seat. Trunks can reach up to 150 degrees F.
2) When grilling, make sure to keep your cooked and uncooked food separate.
3) Keep foods on ice or in coolers and away from the sun and insects.
4) Bring hand sanitizer or moist towelettes just in case there are no nearby washing facilities.
5) Only sample foods from the market that have evidence of cleanliness (gloves, clean water, etc.).
6) Skip the samples with flies, or ones that are clustered together.
Eating out:
1) Check the dates on inspection reports and/or safety certificates
2) Observe the cleanliness of the staff. Is their hair pulled back? Are their clothes clean?
3) Make sure any salad bars are kept cold (41 degrees F or below). Also, check for someone monitoring the cleanliness of the bar.
The supermarket:
1) Fill your cart with nonperishables before picking up your produce and refrigerated items. Make sure to get all perishable items into your refrigerator as soon as possible after purchase.
2) Always check expiration and “sell-by” dates. It’s believed that E. Coli grows quicker in aging greens, so it is imperative to buy the freshest items possible.
3) Don’t buy produce that is dented or bruised.
4) Buy unprocessed produce whenever possible. The majority of food-borne illness comes from packaged products.
Picnics, BBQ’s and farmers markets:
1) Transport foods in the passenger seat. Trunks can reach up to 150 degrees F.
2) When grilling, make sure to keep your cooked and uncooked food separate.
3) Keep foods on ice or in coolers and away from the sun and insects.
4) Bring hand sanitizer or moist towelettes just in case there are no nearby washing facilities.
5) Only sample foods from the market that have evidence of cleanliness (gloves, clean water, etc.).
6) Skip the samples with flies, or ones that are clustered together.
Get Some Sun, Better Your Health
Vitamin D does more than build strong teeth and bones; it can also help keep you trim, boost your mood, ward off colds, and even help fight heart disease. According to one study, 150,000 cases of cancer could be prevented annually if we increased vitamin D to optimal levels of 2,000 IU daily.
While drinking milk provides this crucial vitamin, the most significant source of the vitamin is good old-fashioned sunlight. However, with increasing awareness of skin protection from UV rays, Vitamin D levels have plummeted. In fact, 75 percent of women lack high enough amounts of the vitamin for it to provide optimal benefits.
So what is the key to obtaining adequate sunshine? Depending on your complexion, you should spend at least 5 minutes, 3 days a week between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. in the sunshine without sunscreen (with the exception of at least SPF 30 on your face). People with fair complexions should spend 5-10 minutes; medium tones 15 to 20 minutes; and darker skinned tones up to 30 minutes a day of exposure. If you have a family history of skin cancer, make sure to be extra careful when exposing yourself and talk to your doctor for an individual evaluation.
Vitamin D can also be obtained by eating oily fish such as salmon, sardines, and tuna a few times a week. Fortified foods like orange juice, soy milk, yogurt, and butter substitutes are also rich in the vitamin. Still not getting enough? Try taking vitamin D supplements or multivitamins. These should contain about 1,000 IU, half of the recommended daily dose.
While drinking milk provides this crucial vitamin, the most significant source of the vitamin is good old-fashioned sunlight. However, with increasing awareness of skin protection from UV rays, Vitamin D levels have plummeted. In fact, 75 percent of women lack high enough amounts of the vitamin for it to provide optimal benefits.
So what is the key to obtaining adequate sunshine? Depending on your complexion, you should spend at least 5 minutes, 3 days a week between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. in the sunshine without sunscreen (with the exception of at least SPF 30 on your face). People with fair complexions should spend 5-10 minutes; medium tones 15 to 20 minutes; and darker skinned tones up to 30 minutes a day of exposure. If you have a family history of skin cancer, make sure to be extra careful when exposing yourself and talk to your doctor for an individual evaluation.
Vitamin D can also be obtained by eating oily fish such as salmon, sardines, and tuna a few times a week. Fortified foods like orange juice, soy milk, yogurt, and butter substitutes are also rich in the vitamin. Still not getting enough? Try taking vitamin D supplements or multivitamins. These should contain about 1,000 IU, half of the recommended daily dose.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Steps to Quality Sleep
1) Consistency: Go to bed and wake up about the same time as much as possible. This scheduling creates repetition in your sleep-wake cycle, helping you to fall asleep more easily.
2) Eat right: Try to eat your last meal about two hours before sleeping, avoiding spicy and greasy foods, which can prevent restful sleep as your body works to digest. Drinking too many fluids before bed can disrupt the sleep cycle as you get up to use the restroom.
3) Exercise: Make sure you exercise on a regular basis at least 3 hours before going to bed. Physical activity helps facilitate restful sleep by de-stressing.
4) The right environment: Your bedroom should be dark, cool, quiet, and comfortable. Fans, extra blankets, and blackout coverings are great aids.
5) Minimize naps: Try to keep naps to 30 minutes or less in the mid-afternoon. If you work nights, keep windows covered to prevent sunlight from interrupting your internal clock.
6) Bedtime routine: Create repetition in your pre-sleep activities to let your body know it's time to wind down. Take a warm bath, listen to soothing music, meditate, or stretch lightly to clear your mind and relax your body.
7) Positive thinking: Avoid watching, listening to or talking about negative issues or news before sleep. Even watching TV news can create tension in your mind, which can prevent restful sleep.
8) Timing: If you can't fall asleep within 15 to 20 minutes, don't try to force it. Get up and do something else until you feel tired.
2) Eat right: Try to eat your last meal about two hours before sleeping, avoiding spicy and greasy foods, which can prevent restful sleep as your body works to digest. Drinking too many fluids before bed can disrupt the sleep cycle as you get up to use the restroom.
3) Exercise: Make sure you exercise on a regular basis at least 3 hours before going to bed. Physical activity helps facilitate restful sleep by de-stressing.
4) The right environment: Your bedroom should be dark, cool, quiet, and comfortable. Fans, extra blankets, and blackout coverings are great aids.
5) Minimize naps: Try to keep naps to 30 minutes or less in the mid-afternoon. If you work nights, keep windows covered to prevent sunlight from interrupting your internal clock.
6) Bedtime routine: Create repetition in your pre-sleep activities to let your body know it's time to wind down. Take a warm bath, listen to soothing music, meditate, or stretch lightly to clear your mind and relax your body.
7) Positive thinking: Avoid watching, listening to or talking about negative issues or news before sleep. Even watching TV news can create tension in your mind, which can prevent restful sleep.
8) Timing: If you can't fall asleep within 15 to 20 minutes, don't try to force it. Get up and do something else until you feel tired.
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