Tickle, Tickle, Tickle

You know when you have that realization that your baby really understands what's happening even though he can't necessarily say it? We had one of those today it was just so sweet.

Our almost 16 month old was sitting on the floor and my husband was tickling him and said, "tickle, tickle, tickle." Out of nowhere the baby looks back at him and says, "tickle, tickle, tickle." It was very exciting for us. My four-year-old was in complete shock! He kept saying, (the baby) can talk!

Then, during his bath, I tickled him when he got out and.. you guessed it.. he said, "tickle, tickle, tickle."

That made my weekend special. How about you?

-NewsAnchorMom Jen

Methodist Medical Center's new online healthcare program, MyMethodist eHealth, is a proud sponsor of this blog post. MyMethodist eHealth is the secure link to your doctor's office that lets you request appointments, order prescription refills, update your personal health record, and more. Sign up for MyMethodist eHealth here.

Fun, Educational things for kids this summer

My oldest son's birthday isn't until September so he's the oldest kid in his class. That always makes me feel like I need to push him more academically than he is being pushed in school. Otherwise, he'll be behind for his age. So, I think this information that gives parents ways to stimulate your child's mind without sitting them down at a desk is interesting.

There is an article looking at the program on Newsforparents.org.

The National Center for Family Literacy has created fun lessons that use the dramatic arts to boost learning during the summer break. Dancing, writing poetry, producing a talent show, creating plays - all of these activities can build vocabulary, reading, writing and spelling skills.

The curriculum guide and student journal are available for free download at NCFL's website. They include step-by-step instructional units in the dramatic arts (drama and plays, dance, poetry, dramatic and story reading, and music). Activities were created as a result of scientifically based reading research and are provided for a five-week period.

Each unit includes daily instructional activities blocked in two hour periods. These tools and others, which are available for free as a result of funding from The UPS Foundation can be found at Family community literacy.

-NewsAnchorMom Jen

Methodist Medical Center's new online healthcare program, MyMethodist eHealth, is a proud sponsor of this blog post. MyMethodist eHealth is the secure link to your doctor's office that lets you request appointments, order prescription refills, update your personal health record, and more. Sign up for MyMethodist eHealth here.

Do your kids get enough Vitamin D?

Here's a story on vitamin D deficiency that ran on Good Morning America:(There's a little part in the middle that really irks me, but I think the story is interesting in general.)

It may not be enough to make your kids eat their veggies every night. According to an alarming new study out this month, more than 40 percent of children from infants to teens are vitamin D deficient. You're about to meet one young man who found out the hard way.

Mike Stone and his brother Doug have always been healthy active boys. Their mom, Marla, made sure they ate right, drank their milk and regularly saw their pediatrician. Then, at age 14, after Mike complained of back pain, X-rays revealed a shocking discovery. Mike said, "He put it up to the light and you could essentially see right through the bones."

Doctors told him that he was seriously Vitamin D deficient. His bones were only 50% the density of a normal child his age and in risk of a fracture at any moment.His younger brother Doug who was just 7 at the time was also diagnosed as having vitamin D deficiency but to a lesser degree.

Dr. Michael Holick from Boston University Medical Center said,"It's been estimated now that maybe 50% of children in us are at risk of vitamin D deficiency." Vitamin D is known as the "sunshine vitamin," and is produced by your skin in sunlight. It controls the amount of calcium absorbed from your diet and promotes mineralization of teeth and bones.

Dr. Hollick said, "Vitamin D deficiency may increase risk for diabetes, arthritis, maybe cancers. Experts say the low levels of vitamin D in teens may be attributed to their lifestyle-- more time spent on the computer than outside in the sunlight, plus an increase use of sunblock. But according to a new study the problem may begin even earlier.

Researchers at the Children's Hospital in Boston, found 12 percent of infants and toddlers were deficient in vitamin D, and 40 percent had below-optimal levels. Dr. Hollick said, "Pediatricians believe human breast milk provides all nutrients infant requires. But it doesn't. They need vitamin D supplementation."

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that infants and children receive a minimum of 200 international units of vitamin D daily, starting during the first two months of life and continuing through childhood and adolescence. Most formulas provide the daily recommended value, but breast milk does not. To compensate, breast-fed infants can be given a liquid multivitamin drop that contains vitamin D. ((I know I am a reporter and am not supposed to question the experts, but I would need a lot more evidence before I would start giving a breastfed baby vitamin D liquid drops!))

The good news is the problem can easily be reversed through supplements and treatment. Mike and his brother Doug now take supplements, eat more dairy products, and drink juice fortified with vitamin D and their bone density has reached a normal level.

I have no idea about my bone density or that of my kids. They do spend a lot of time in the sun, but I try to keep sunscreen on them. I guess I would prefer vitamin deficiency to cancer if I have to make that choice. Maybe I would do supplementation for older kids if they really need it.

-NewsAnchorMom Jen

Methodist Medical Center's new online healthcare program, MyMethodist eHealth, is a proud sponsor of this blog post. MyMethodist eHealth is the secure link to your doctor's office that lets you request appointments, order prescription refills, update your personal health record, and more. Sign up for MyMethodist eHealth here.

Chemicals in shower curtains too?

With all the talk about bisphenol A in plastics, I found this article about chemicals in shower curtains interesting. Where do we draw the line?

Here's the story on iVillage.

Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) shower curtains and liners release into the air 108 toxic chemicals that can affect the lungs, central nervous system, liver and kidney, according to a study by the Virginia-based Center for Health, Environment and Justice. It wants the federal government to recall and ban all PVC shower curtains and liners.

The researchers examined shower curtains and liners bought at retailers Bed Bath and Beyond, Kmart, Sears, Target and Wal-Mart, the New York Daily News reported. "The familiar 'new curtain smell' may be toxic to your health," said Mike Schade, the center's PVC campaign coordinator. "It's really surprising that retailers are manufacturing products that contain and release harmful chemicals in our homes."

I know what you're thinking. Great. One more thing to worry about. But the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says not to worry about shower curtains.(They also haven't banned bisphenol A from products, so I don't know how much that means to you.) Here's that part of the story.

But a spokeswoman for the Consumer Product Safety Commission dismissed the center's demand for a recall and ban of the products."There's no justification whatsoever for the agency to take any kind of action," Julie Vallese told the Daily News. "The claims being made about the dangers of shower curtains are phantasmagorical. It's ridiculous."

Consumers needn't be worried, said a New York pediatrician who specializes in environmental exposure. Dr. Joel Forman, an associate professor of community and preventive medicine at Mount Sinai School of Medicine, recommended airing out a new plastic curtain for a week before hanging it in the shower.

My kids don't even really touch the shower curtain and I probably don't replace it as often as I should. So, I guess I am not that concerned. But maybe I should be. What do you think?

-NewsAnchorMom Jen

Methodist Medical Center's new online healthcare program, MyMethodist eHealth, is a proud sponsor of this blog post. MyMethodist eHealth is the secure link to your doctor's office that lets you request appointments, order prescription refills, update your personal health record, and more. Sign up for MyMethodist eHealth here.

Lots of Germs on your Shoes!

I feel like I constantly battle with my family to take their shoes off when they go in the house. Now I have ammunition! You may have heard about a test Good Morning America conducted that showed bad, really, really bad germs are on our shoes and we are tracking those germs into our homes.(not to mention tracking in dirt and making scuff marks on the floor)

ABC tested the bottoms of people's shoes for bacteria and you won't believe what they found.

Unlike in other countries, most Americans wear their shoes in the house, including mom Michelle Ciocon. Michelle said, "I don't really think that much about it." Maybe she should. We took 10 swabs from a variety of people and pets. And Michelle's shoes contained the most bacteria of all --off the charts with 66-million organisms. It's no reflection on her. It probably means she stepped directly in something.

In a recent study, researchers at the University of Arizona found 9 different species of bacteria on people's shoes. Bacteria that can cause infections in our stomachs, eyes, lungs and more. University of Arizona researcher Jonathan Sexton said, "These are way dirtier than a toilet seat. Toilet seats generally have a thousand bacteria or less and these are in the millions so there's a lot more bacteria here."

Worse yet, the study found bacteria lives longer on our shoes than in other places, because as we walk, we constantly pick up new debris that feeds it. The researchers also tested to see if that bacteria would transfer to the tile floors in a house. And it did --more than 90-percent of the time. Carpeting is even worse. Michelle said, "I'm concerned. I'm going to make sure everyone takes their shoes off from now on."

Children under age 2 are the most vulnerable to the stuff we track in, since they play on the floor and put their hands in their mouths an average of 80 times an hour. Jonathan said, "That means that your child can possibly be exposed to every single bacteria that you walked around and picked up on your shoe. All the bacteria from the park, the store, everywhere you went that day."

Out of our 10 tests, 9 contained coliform, a type of bacteria that comes mostly from, well, human and animal waste. Scientists blame the floors of public restrooms and bird and dog droppings. So how did the dogs "do" in our bacteria test? Not bad. Their paws came in 5th and 9th.

Of course, I have a child who is under two who constantly puts things in his mouth! I like to think he's getting immunity to some things, but I don't think he needs immunity to bird and dog poop. Isn't there research that shows keeping things too clean can be bad too? Either way, I will be enforcing the no shoes in the house even more than usual. Gross!

-NewsAnchorMom Jen

Methodist Medical Center's new online healthcare program, MyMethodist eHealth, is a proud sponsor of this blog post. MyMethodist eHealth is the secure link to your doctor's office that lets you request appointments, order prescription refills, update your personal health record, and more. Sign up for MyMethodist eHealth here.

Boys Vs. Girls

I was talking to a friend of mine who has a little girl who is four-years-old and we were cracking up thinking of how boys and girls can be so different.

GIRL: She said her daughter tries on 10 outfits a day. She said she is constantly asking her to put her clothes away because she doesn't want to wash clean clothes that are in a pile on the floor. She likes all kinds of outfits, especially ones that have a matching pattern.

BOY: My four-year-old son does not like getting dressed. I have to pressure him to do it every day. It is a constant argument. He will only wear jeans or casual shorts and a t-shirt. Occasionally he will wear a polo or sweater (if it has a cartoon character on it.)

GIRL: It was raining and there was a little girl walking in front of us. She gently tip toed around a big puddle of water.

BOY: My son was behind her. What did he do? He let go of my hand so he could stomp in the water and get us all wet!

GIRL: My neighbors cute little two year old girl cried for at least 10 minutes this weekend after my 15 month old boy walked up and smacked her in the face for no reason.(why do they do that at this age?)

BOY:My 15 month old boy has bruises all over his face. Really, my husband asked me what I did to him when he came home the other day. But the little guy rarely cries when he falls down. Sometimes he makes a pouty face, but he just keeps on playing.

I am sure you have some examples of your own. Please share!

And here's a fun link looking at the real differences between boys and girls(It's about how we digest alcohol, but still interesting)!

-NewsAnchorMom Jen

Methodist Medical Center's new online healthcare program, MyMethodist eHealth, is a proud sponsor of this blog post. MyMethodist eHealth is the secure link to your doctor's office that lets you request appointments, order prescription refills, update your personal health record, and more. Sign up for MyMethodist eHealth here.

Bisphenol A in more than just plastic

NewsAnchorMom Teresa Snow from KRCG in Jefferson City, Mo sent me this interview she did on bisphenol A, the toxic chemical that has been under fire recently for being in many baby bottles. Thank you for passing along this great information!

-NewsAnchorMom Jen

I recently interviewed a fellow mother of twins who is a pioneer in the research into the effects of bisphenol A. Susan Nagel PhD, assistant professor of Women's Health at the University of Missouri Medical School explained what bottles should concern you. BPA is found in #7 plastics. They are hard plastic bottles you can see through, made of polycarbonate. Ones you can “crinkle” are not this type.

Her research looked at the effects of BPA on mice. In one study the mice drank water that contained the chemical in levels that mimic what we would consume drinking water from a plastic drinking bottle. In some the chromosomal damage lead to miscarriages. Mice that were successfully delivered were followed three to six months as they matured. Males exposed to BPA inutero developed enlarged prostates. The females experienced accelerated puberty. “There were many concerning effects,” lists Nagel, “exposed mice also have shown increased hyperactivity, obesity and insulin resistance, which can lead to diabetes, and decreased maternal behavior.”

Nagel says she won’t refuse a drink from a plastic water bottle but there’s plenty you can do at home to limit your exposure to chemicals from plastics. She advises you get rid of polycarbonate drinking bottles. She used glass baby bottles with her children and says they are a sturdy alternative. Do not heat foods or drinks in plastic containers. The heating can accelerate the reaction between the chemicals in plastics and your food. While we don't know all the ways we are exposed to BPA, Nagel says you can also be exposed by eating food out of metal cans. They are often lined with plastic containing BPA to keep the food from having a metal taste. But during the heating process BPA can leech into the liquid. She recommends rinsing canned foods when possible.

It's important to note government agencies are mixed on whether BPA causes a real health risk to humans. A Center's for Disease Control study published this year looked at urine samples from 2500 people. Results show more than 90 percent of Americans over the age of 6 have BPA in their system. But lead research chemist Antonia Calafat of the CDC says the levels show only trace amounts, lower than in the animal studies.

A 2007 brief from the National Institutes of Health's National Toxicology Program takes a more cautious approach saying while there's no direct evidence BPA causes harm, the animal data shows there's a possibility the chemical can affect human development. The FDA is the agency that could recall products containing BPA, but they aren't ready to do that. The agency's website states, a large body of evidence shows human exposure to BPA is at safe levels.

Teresa Snow is the 5, 6 & 10 pm anchor at KRCG-TV, the Barrington Broadcasting station covering Columbia and Jefferson City, Missouri. She has been a news anchor for 20 years and mom for 8. Teresa and her husband have two sets of twins! Kyle and Travis are entering third grade and Ashley and Tony second grade next fall.

-NewsAnchorMom Teresa

Methodist Medical Center's new online healthcare program, MyMethodist eHealth, is a proud sponsor of this blog post. MyMethodist eHealth is the secure link to your doctor's office that lets you request appointments, order prescription refills, update your personal health record, and more. Sign up for MyMethodist eHealth here.

Vinyl bibs contain LEAD

I just got this email and the story just about made me choke. I had no idea the vinyl bib I am putting on my 15-month old contains high amounts of lead! That really makes me mad. Luckily, I only have one of them!

Here's the message I got:

"I don't know if you have covered this story before, but besides the issue w/ BPA in bottles, I am also concerned about the recent reports that vinyl bibs have lead in them. Toys R Us took a proactive response to this concern and have pulled ALL vinyl bibs off their shelves (last year but I am unsure about now). They conducted individual studies and some brands and found that the lead levels were higher than recommended for children. Therefore, they have decided to pull all bibs until they can do more extensive testing on the products they carry. Why is it that products made for the most vunerable population are containing toxins?? It is frustrating and upsetting as a parent to have to worry about even more than we worried about before!!"

The Center for Environmental Health did the study. In 2007, it looked at vinyl bibs with cotton/polyester backings made by Wal-Mart, Toys R Us, and Lisa Kline. The vinyl portions of all the bibs tested came back above the recommended lead levels for paint, more than 600 parts per million. What's so bad about lead exposure? It lowers your child's I.Q. level and causes behavioral problems. We are talking about a toxin known to cause neurological problems. Why would it be put in children's clothing? (Here's the link to the full report)

What should you do?

The Center for Environmental Health suggests using cotton bibs. If you want to use waterproof bibs, they suggest looking for PVC-free or vinyl-free.

I don't think my son has ever chewed or sucked on his vinyl bib, so I don't think he has lead poisoning, but I still don't want a toxin hanging from his neck. You can get your child tested for lead by a simple blood test at the Public Health Department or at your pediatrician's office.

-NewsAnchorMom Jen

Methodist Medical Center's new online healthcare program, MyMethodist eHealth, is a proud sponsor of this blog post. MyMethodist eHealth is the secure link to your doctor's office that lets you request appointments, order prescription refills, update your personal health record, and more. Sign up for MyMethodist eHealth here.