Marijuana, the safe drug? Think again.

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Now that laws in some states (though not in Kentucky) are easing in regard to marijuana possession and usage, some teens and adults believe it must be a harmless drug.

Not so, especially for teens.

Marijuana, according to an article by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), affects many aspects of a young person’s mental, physical and emotional health, and it’s certainly addictive.

For someone who smokes or ingests marijuana regularly, clear thinking and good judgment are often affected.  This can cause school work (and grades) to falter, and can lead to bad decision-making.  The AAP states that marijuana users are more likely to engage in “unwanted or unprotected sex” because their judgment is impaired.  Also, “Those who drive or take other risks after smoking marijuana are much more likely to be injured or killed.”

According to the same article, because teens are still growing and developing, marijuana usage “can lead to a wide range of serious health problems, including heart and lung damage, cancer, mental health problems, and addiction. Depression, anxiety, and schizophrenia occur more often in marijuana users.”

How to prevent addiction to marijuana and other drugs in your teen?

  • Educate.  Make sure you know about drug usage and its signs, and educate your teenager.  When you see someone else acting irresponsibly, or hear about a situation of driving under the influence, initiate a calm discussion.
  • Monitor.  Don’t assume your child will never try drugs.  Marijuana, say teens, isn’t that hard to come by.  Watch for signs.  Pay attention to the people your kids hang out with.
  • Be an example.  Don’t abuse drugs or alcohol.  Make sure illegal drugs have no place in your home.
  • Get help.  Make sure your teen sees a counselor if needed—not just if she is using drugs, but for any emotional or educational issues.  This is a serious concern and outside help is sometimes needed.
  • Be aware.  If you think your child could be using drugs, you may contact our office for a drug screen.

Your teen needs you to keep an eye on his total well-being, and that includes making sure he stays away from addictive substances.

© 2014 MBS Writing Services, all rights reserved.

When to start fighting tooth decay? When the baby’s FIRST TOOTH starts to come in.

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You are so excited about your child’s first teeth that it doesn’t occur to you to think about tooth decay yet.  But the fight against tooth decay, according the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), starts from the first baby tooth. That is also when they recommend starting to brush with a tiny amount of fluoride toothpaste.

You may be thinking, “What?!  My pediatrician (or dentist) told me no fluoride before the age of two years.”  You’d be right.  This is a BIG change in recommendations, and it is indeed new.

Dental health is important for overall health, and tooth decay can start early.  Decay in a young child’s teeth “is the single greatest risk factor” for decay in permanent teeth, according to a recent article by the AAP, which also states that “59% of 12- to 19-year-olds” have at least one cavity.

The administration of fluoride in a proper amount is still one of the best ways to prevent tooth decay, as it preserves the enamel that coats the tooth.  Many children and teens don’t get enough fluoride to act against tooth decay.

How to make sure your child is getting enough fluoride:

  • Start at the very beginning.  As soon as you see the first tooth erupting from the gum, you should brush it with a fluoride toothpaste, but only a very small amount.  The AAP guidelines, which you can find here, recommend a “smear” about the size of a grain of rice until the age of three.
  • For 3- to 6-year-olds, increase the amount to pea-sized.  Brush teeth twice a day, with adult assistance, and make sure that the child doesn’t swallow the toothpaste.  It’s even best if they don’t rinse with water.
  • Drink tap water.  In Scott County the public water is fluoridated, but if you use a well or cistern your water will only contain minimal amounts of fluoride.  Bottled water typically doesn’t contain much, if any, fluoride.  If you worry about tap water, use a filter.
  • Check with your pediatrician or dentist especially if you don’t have public water to make sure your child or teen is getting enough fluoride.

Are there any downsides to using fluoride?  Yes, it’s possible to get too much and create a rare condition called fluorosis, that causes discoloration of the teeth.  You can read about fluorosis here.  Again, this is rare, but if you’re concerned about it, speak to your pediatrician or dentist.

For other information on preventing tooth decay, check out these AAP articles:

Take good care of your child’s teeth for beautiful smiles throughout their lives.

© 2014 MBS Writing Services, all rights reserved

Dangers of e-cigarettes for children and teens

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The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has recently expressed their concerns about electronic cigarettes at a congressional hearing and on their website.  In an article entitled “E-cigarettes: Dangerous, Available & Addicting,” the AAP warns parents about the problems with e-cigs, and those problems are many.

Many adults use e-cigs to try to end their smoking habit.  E-cigs deliver nicotine through a battery operated device that resembles a cigarette, but without the tobacco or smoke.  The e-cigs use water vapor to deliver the nicotine.

You may think that e-cigs are safer than tobacco cigarettes, but you should know that, according to the AAP, an e-cig “can have as much nicotine as a whole pack of cigarettes. In addition, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has found cancer-causing chemicals in electronic cigarettes.”

This presents a host of dangers.

  • Teens, apparently believing that e-cigs are safe, have doubled their use of these devices, bringing the usage to about 1 in 10 high school students.  They may be avoiding tobacco, but nicotine is highly addictive.
  • The AAP is concerned about some e-cig flavors (e.g., vanilla, chocolate, peach schnapps and gummy bears).  In the congressional hearing Dr. Suzanne Tanski answered “yes” when asked if she believed these flavors would be appealing to children.
  • Nicotine is a poison.  The cartridges that contain nicotine are not childproof, and, says the AAP article, “Most cartridges have 20 milligrams of nicotine, and a dose of as little as 10 milligrams of nicotine can be fatal for a child. In addition, children can easily become hooked on the nicotine.”
  • E-cigs are widely available.  Even though Kentucky law prohibits their sale to minors under the age of 18, they can be purchased online.

Keep your children away from electronic cigarettes and keep them safe from nicotine addiction or poisoning.  If you are trying to quit smoking, nicotine patches or gum are safer alternatives.

 

© 2014, MBS Writing Services, all rights reserved

Back in School, Part 4: Friends

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While you are worrying about your child’s academic year, he is probably more concerned about friends.  Honestly, he has a point.  While academic skills are an important part to future success and happiness, so are the social skills that help us make and keep friends.

Children at a very young age are usually too self-centered to have friends.  This isn’t their fault; it is just a normal developmental stage.  If you watch a couple of toddlers on a play date, they will usually engage in what is called “parallel play,” meaning they play side-by-side, but not really together.  Even so, you can start to teach them to share, not to grab toys away, etc.

By school age, most children want friends, whether it is just one or many.  Good social skills are learned from parents, teachers and peers.  Here are some behaviors you can teach your kids that will serve them in school and throughout their lives.

  • Kindness.  Use kind words and tones around the house.  Don’t allow your children to be unkind to their siblings, to pets or to adults.  Everyone responds positively to kindness, and no one likes a bully.
  • Politeness.  (See our post on manners.)
  • Assertiveness.  You don’t want your child to be aggressive toward others, but you want her to be able to assert her opinions and express her feelings without being overbearing.  This takes practice, and it can be something you encourage through conversation, questions, and even role playing.  For example, “What will you say if your friend wants to play kickball and you’d rather swing?”  They can learn from you the give-and-take of good relationships.
  • Meeting and greeting.  Teach your youngster to introduce himself and to ask questions about another person.  They can learn to shake hands, make eye contact, smile.
  • Listening.  Hearing what another person has to say is as important as expressing your opinion.

Here’s a really nice FREE online resource entitled 101 Ways to Teach Social Skills to Children.  While the games and activities are designed for groups, many of them can be adapted for use within the family—a fun way to learn appropriate ways of behaving in different settings.

Every school in Scott County has a counselor who can observe behavioral issues both in and out of the classroom, and who can meet with your child and/or other students if needed.

A final word:  pay attention to the friendships your child/teen is forming.  Get to know his friends and their parents.  Make sure their behavior isn’t out of line with what you expect from your own kids.

The friendships we form in childhood and adolescence may or may not last a lifetime.  But they teach us skills and behaviors that are timeless.

© 2014 MBS Writing Services, all rights reserved

Back in School, Part 3: Teachers

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Every morning when you send your child to school, you are putting her into the educational, social, emotional and physical care of other adults.  This can be intimidating at times, but it doesn’t have to be.

The vast majority of teachers are in classrooms because they want to be, because they care about the students and love the material they teach, and because they want to make a difference.  They spend time in the classroom trying to instill in youngsters the love of learning.  And they spend time outside the classroom preparing lessons, grading work, and keeping the mountains of records and paperwork required by the school system.

Most of all, they want every child—your child—to be successful.  That success is far less likely without your support.

  • Speak positively about your child’s teachers.  If you hear complaints from your young student, listen with an objective mind. 
  • Establish a relationship with a teacher.  If you can volunteer at the school, wonderful.  Your schedule may not allow that, so find other ways to be in touch.
    • Stay connected.  Most teachers and classrooms have a website.  Send the teacher an e-mail when you appreciate something he’s done for your child or if you have a question.  If there’s ever a problem, you will have built a positive base for your relationship, and the problem will be easier to deal with.
    • Attend parent-teacher conferences.  These are important for everyone concerned:  student, teacher, family.  You will learn things about the classroom and how your child interacts with adults and classmates, and will come away with a much more rounded picture of the education process in that particular class.
    • Make appointments.  Don’t wait for a conference if you have questions or concerns.  Face-to-face meetings are helpful and teachers want to be available to you.  They will want to hear from you sooner rather than later.
    • Reinforce at home what’s happening in the classroom.  From spelling tests to chemistry homework, from learning how to talk out problems with fellow students to deciding what to eat for lunch, the teacher and you are on the same team.
    • Of course, if there is ever concern about inappropriate or illegal activity by a teacher or any other adult, notify the authorities immediately.

Teachers are on the front lines of helping your child develop in age-appropriate ways.  Support them, connect with them, and thank them.

© 2014, MBS Writing Services, all rights reserved

Back in School, Part 2: Homework

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If it seems that with the new school year your kids’ amount of homework has increased, that’s likely true.  Each year a new grade brings with it increasing amounts of responsibility, including homework.  Some homework can be started during the school day, but often it needs to be finished after hours.

Homework can sometimes seem overwhelming, both for your child and for the whole family.  Here are a few helpful tips.

  • Attitude.  If you treat homework as positively as possible, that will help your young student.  Doing schoolwork at home has many up sides, including letting you in on how things are going at school.  You’ll learn what your child is studying and how easy or difficult a particular subject is for him.
  • Assistance.  You shouldn’t do your child’s homework, but there are many things you can help her with.  Memorization is one of the biggest.  Make practicing for spelling and arithmetic tests fun.  Make flash cards together out of scrap paper cut into squares.  Use free online websites to get ideas or even create games around specific words or subjects.  Prepping for a social studies test about Mexico?  Make sure you understand what topics are being covered, and look at some web videos that show art, culture and travel.
  • Time.  This is the biggie, isn’t it?  You’ve been thrown from sleeping in and days by the pool, to waiting for the bus and trying to decide what to have for supper and how you’ll get everyone where they need to be when they need to be there.  Every day is crunch time.  How to schedule in homework?
    • These first few weeks are important in figuring out which subjects and days of the week will require more time.
    • Negotiate with the students in your house.  They may need a little down time to play a game and have a snack when they first get home, or they may prefer to get homework out of the way.
    • Do a back-off timetable from bedtime.  Figure out when they need to be in bed, about how much time homework will take, and work out with the students when and how they’ll get the work done.
    • If the time is overwhelming and your child is spending far too much time with homework, talk to the teacher.  This is important information for any teacher to know.
  • Space.  Find the right space where you can keep an eye on computer screens while also limiting distractions.
  • Support.  The Scott County Library has online help from 2 p.m. until midnight, a great local resource.  Many teachers and classrooms have their own website where homework assignments may be posted.  For middle and high school, get familiar with the Infinite Campus site, where you can follow grades and attendance.  There’s even an app in the Apple Store.
  • Involvement.  If you see problems developing, don’t wait.  Talk to your child’s teacher right away.  Usually they’ll have good ideas for helping your youngster’s academic progress at home.  If you worry that there may be a medical problem or learning disability, contact our office for an appointment.

Homework is an essential tool in learning, both now and in developing the right skills for a lifetime.  With your help and encouragement, the students in your family can do well.

 

© 2014, MBS Writing Services, all rights reserved

Back in School, Part 1: Staying Healthy

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Now that your child is back in school, the sometimes easy-breezy days of summer have turned hectic with schedules, deadlines, homework, complex relationships.  For the next few weeks we’ll be running a series about things to keep in mind during the school year ahead.

Today we start with how best to insure a healthy year at school.

You already know the best way to stay healthy, but it bears repeating:  prevention is always the best medicine.  Here are some pointers.

  • Checkups.  Has your child had her annual well child checkup?  If not, now is the time to schedule it.  The doctor will look at health history, height and weight, and will discuss age-appropriate health topics with you and your child.  If you have a specific concern (social behaviors, learning difficulties, chronic ear infections, etc.) to discuss, you’ll want to let the office know when you call for the appointment to make sure they schedule a longer visit for you.
  • Immunizations.  Yes, we harp on this a lot, but it’s for good reason.  Immunizations protect children, families, and even whole communities from dangerous diseases.  The state requires that you keep certain ones up to date; we have others we recommend.  Check with our office (or on the patient portal) for your records.
  • Exercise.  Sitting all day at school, then coming home and sitting in front of the TV or at the computer and homework desk is not good for your kid.  He needs to get moving.  Don’t expect physical education classes to provide all the exercise he needs.  Unstructured play is good for all children, and organized sports are a great way to learn things like discipline, teamwork and a sense of accomplishment.
  • Germs.  Let’s be honest.  There’s no way to avoid germs at school.  Uncovered coughs and sneezes, shared desks and close quarters give viruses all sorts of opportunities to infect students.  Some exposure is good to develop immunity, but keeping hands clean is a great way to stave off colds and flu.  Send hand sanitizer to school in your children’s backpack, and remind them to clean their hands before eating and after they use the restroom.  Every time.  Don’t share drinks or eating utensils.  And, while we’re at it, remind them not to share combs, brushes or hats, which is the most common way to spread head lice.
  • Sleep.  A good night’s sleep is an essential ingredient in the learning process.  Sleep also helps mood and strengthens the immune system.  Set a regular bedtime and stick with it, making sure your child or teen has an age-appropriate amount of sleep.
  • Balanced diet.  Eating right feeds both body and brain.  This webpage at the American Academy of Pediatrics site lists several of their articles regarding diet.  Don’t forget we have a dietician on staff who can help you come up with an action plan for your young athlete, picky eater, diabetic, or can help you plan easy lunches and snacks to pack for school.

Keep these things in mind throughout the school year and they will help your child have a successful and healthy school year.

© 2014, MBS Writing Services, all rights reserved

Talking to your kids about alcohol and drugs

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Every parent worries about their child’s health, including whether or not that child will use drugs or alcohol.

It’s a valid concern.  According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, several studies in 2011 showed that:

“among high school students, during the past 30 days

  • 39% drank some amount of alcohol.
  • 22% binge drank.
  • 8% drove after drinking alcohol.
  • 24% rode with a driver who had been drinking alcohol.”

In addition, 40% of high school students have used marijuana at least once, and 25% have been offered, sold or given illegal drugs on school property.

What can parents do to prevent drug and alcohol use and abuse with their own children?

There is no single answer, and some children and teens will use or abuse substances no matter how hard parents try to keep them safe, but here are some things that may help.

  • Start young.  Teach them how to say “no” when they don’t want something.  Show them how to be strong in the face of peer pressure.  Make sure they know the dangers and consequences of drugs and alcohol use.
  • Educate yourself.  Don’t hide from statistics, but learn from them.
  • Be firm.  Set rules and stick to them.
  • Be an example.  Don’t abuse alcohol or consume illegal substances.  If you drink, be responsible and don’t EVER drive intoxicated.  Keep alcohol and prescription drugs inaccessible to your youngster.  Never offer alcohol to an underage person.

If you think your child or teen is drinking or taking drugs, talk to your pediatrician or school counselor.  They can find you the right kind of help.

© 2014, MBS Writing Services, all rights reserved.

Measles

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You’ve been hearing about measles outbreaks in the news lately.  Also called rubeola, measles is a respiratory disease caused by a virus.  It causes a rash over the entire body, a fever and runny nose.  According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “About one out of 10 children with measles also gets an ear infection, and up to one out of 20 gets pneumonia.”  Measles can also, rarely, be fatal.  Between one and two children in 1000 who get the disease will die from it.  The disease can also strike adults.

If you thought measles was a disease left in the past, think again.  An outbreak this year in Ohio (374 cases in 4 months) has health departments all over the country concerned, because such an event can happen anywhere.  The Ohio outbreak began when unvaccinated people traveled abroad to places where measles is more common because a larger percentage of the population is unvaccinated.

It’s no coincidence that we used the word “unvaccinated” twice in that last sentence.  The reason measles is spreading again in the United States is because of a drop in MMR (Measles, Mumps and Rubella) vaccinations.  Those who decide not to be vaccinated (or to have their children vaccinated) put themselves, their families and their communities at risk for dangerous diseases.  As with most diseases, those at highest risk are the very young, the very old, and those with compromised immune systems.

The MMR vaccination is required for students in Scott County Schools, and HIGHLY recommended for all other children.  The State of Kentucky requires two doses of the MMR vaccine before your child can enter school.  If you have concerns about vaccinations, talk to your pediatrician.

Remember that the extremely rare risk of a reaction to a vaccination is much smaller than the risk of being unvaccinated against a dangerous illness.

© 2014, MBS Writing Services, all rights reserved

Probiotics

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You’ve likely heard the term “probiotics”.  Maybe you’ve also wondered what it means and what, if any, benefit probiotics could provide for your family’s health.

What are probiotics?  According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, “Probiotics are defined by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the World Health Organization as live microorganisms that, when administered in adequate amounts, confer a health benefit on the host.”  Sound appetizing?

Every human intestinal tract contains beneficial bacteria that helps break down food products into compounds that are more easily absorbed into the body.  Sometimes the beneficial bacteria need a boost over the harmful bacteria that share the same space, or during or after a round of antibiotics that may kill the good bacteria along with the bad.

Probiotics contain the helpful bacteria.  According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, giving probiotics early in the course of “acute viral gastroenteritis can reduce its duration by one day. Probiotics also have been found to be modestly effective in preventing antibiotic-associated diarrhea in otherwise healthy children, though there is no evidence probiotics are effective at treating this type of diarrhea.” [Italics ours.]  Note the term “healthy children.” Probiotics don’t have any proven effects on treating chronic diarrhea, Crohn’s Disease or other chronic illnesses.

When a mother cannot breastfeed, special probiotics can be introduced to the formula that will help to replace the natural ones found in breast milk.  Ask your pediatrician about this before trying these products.

Where do you get probiotics?  They are available over the counter in drug stores and healthcare departments of grocery and discount stores.  They come in foods or as supplements.  Buy from a manufacturer you trust, remembering that probiotics are not regulated the same way prescription drugs are.

As always, eat a balanced diet, which is the best road to gastrointestinal health.

© 2014, MBS Writing Services, all rights reserved