Happy 4th of July!

We are planning on letting the kids stay up for the fireworks this year. I hope the lucky people next to us don't hear screaming and crying in between each "pop!"

-NewsAnchorMom

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.

Children's Motrin Question Answered

Here's the original post about the Children's Motrin trial going on in California.

Reader Jenny asked:

"Maybe I am confused but is this related primarily to Motrin/ibuprofen or couldn't this effect anyone with any medication? Is Motrin singled out in the original story because that is what that little girl was allergic to? And if your kids have already had it w/ no complications, what is the likely hood of this happening? I am sure these are questions more for a doctor but any opinions welcome."

Dr. Tom Golemon, Professor of Clinical Family Medicine at the University of Illinois College of
Medicine at Peoria responded to your questions:

"Stevens-Johnson Syndrome (SJS) can be caused by a number of different medications (antibiotics, anti-seizure meds, and others) and is thought often to be a complication of viral or other infections and in about 25-50% of cases, there is no apparent cause to be found. It
is a very uncommon disease, with about 2-3 cases per million. Thus the chances of your child developing SJD from Motrin is quite low. If your child has taken ibuprofen before without an adverse reaction, the subsequent development of an allergy is less likely but not impossible.

(For example, lots of people develop allergies to penicillin, but after having used it successfully for years prior). As with all medications, the risks of the medicine should be weighed against the benefit expected. Since acetaminophen (Brand name, Tylenol) is available for fever reduction in children and infants and is not known to have this potential adverse reaction, one might choose it as a first line of treatment."

As I was writing this post, Knight in Dragonland responded to the question too. You can read his response on the original post. It is along the same lines.

What a great day! Two doctors answering our questions very promptly! And it's a holiday weekend! I don't think we have half of the crew in the building today. Oh, there goes someone else saying "goodbye" for the weekend. In other words, thanks for the responses!

I honestly think I will choose Tylenol first even though the chances are very slim that my boys would have an allergic reaction to ibuprofen. 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.

A Mother's Struggle

This mom I just met faces so many challenges everyday, but she is such an inspiration. Her son has Angelman Syndrome. He could start choking and stop breathing at any moment. He can never be left alone, ever. Can you imagine how terrifying that would be--going to the grocery store and worrying that your child mind have a potentially fatal attack while you're gone? This mom lives and breathes for her six-year-old. He may have a severe disability, but he is a beautiful angel in her eyes.

Here's the story I did for WHOI. The script is underneath the video because I think the audio is really low. I am not sure why.

We all know how much trouble it causes when we are forced to change doctors. It takes awhile to establish a good rapport and feel comfortable. We're taking a glimpse at the life of Tyler Abraham, a young boy from East Peoria who has a rare condition called Angelman Syndrome. For him, getting a new caretaker is a lot more than an inconvenience:

A six year old in the Heart of Illinois who can't speak, walk or eat without a feeding tube is making his feelings known. His mom Jenny Abraham said, "People ask me, how long does he have? I say, I don't want to know. I just want to enjoy every moment of the day with him as much as I can."

Tyler Abraham has a chromosome disorder called Angelman Syndrome. He has a tracheotomy, oxygen tank and several monitors beside his bed. Tyler's mom Jenny is his voice. She understands his language, the way he blinks or moves his feet are cues that he needs something. Jenny said, "When he was born he was in the NICU for three months. I waited and waited to take him home. I had to wait for the agency."

That agency, OSF St. Francis Medical Center in Peoria provided two high skilled nurses who can suction Tyler when he starts choking, give him oxygen, and put him on his ventilator at night. Jenny said. "He just loves his nurse. The way he cries when they leave, it's just the most exciting thing in the world."

But Tyler and Jenny are getting read to say goodbye to their nurses. OSF is no longer providing the Home Ventilator Program. The Director of Public Relations and Communications Jon McKee said, "We take such good care of our patients. Sometimes there are tough decisions to be made and sometimes those decisions have to be made so we can continue making good decisions and great care for others."

Tyler and four other patients will be provided new nurses through another company in town that specializes in this type of care. McKee said, "I'd like the folks who are watching tonight to understand and appreciate the type of care that has been given to these families for the length of time they've been with us. we've appreciated them and I think it has been very mutual."

Jenny has accepted what's happening, but she she still worries the transition will be too much for her fragile son. Jenny said, "What's going to be the future for my son? Are they going to take my son away from me? It's just been hard. I will miss my nurses. They're like my family." Tyler can't tell us what he's thinking, but his mom knows he understands what's going on... she just hopes his fun loving spirit will get them through this difficult transition.

OSF serves 10-thousand people in home care services in Illinois and Michigan. The healthcare organization is shifting its care due to bigger demand, meaning the nurses will see several patients a day instead of spending an entire shift at one home.

Thanks to NewsAnchorMom reader Carmen for letting me know about this story!

-NewsAnchorMom Jen

Methodist Medical Center's new online healthcare program 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.

Cats prevent kids from getting asthma?

I know the title of this blog sounds unrealistic, but a new study shows otherwise. Here's the information from ABC:

Are cats good at preventing asthma? That's the finding of a group of scientists studying childhood allergies in houses with and without cats. Cats may be affectionate pets, but, for many of us, cat dander causes trouble of the sneezy, wheezy kind. Now, allergy researcher Matt Perzanowski has good news: Cats may actually be protecting some kids from getting sick.

Perzanowski said, "Being allergic to a cat is a strong risk factor for having asthma. Children who grow up with a cat are less likely to develop asthma." Perzanowski discovered this result as part of his research into the swiftly rising number of asthma cases across the globe. The disease has reached epidemic proportions in the U.S., and is especially prevalent in low income urban neighborhoods. " Perzanowski said, "Asthma prevalence now is between one in four, and one in three kids, so you know, a really large percentage of kids develop asthma and asthma symptoms early in life. "

As they wrote in the Journal 'Allergy and Clinical Immunology,' Perzanowski and colleagues at Columbia University's mailman school of public health studied a group of children living in New York City, measuring allergen levels in each home and comparing it with kids' allergy and asthma history. They found that by age five, kids who grew up around high levels of cat allergens were far less likely to show symptoms.

I am allergic to cats and we did not have a cat growing up. (I am not saying that proves something, but it does fit with the story.)

-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.

Safety of Children's Motrin

If you've heard about the controversy over Children's Motrin causing blindness, but aren't sure the entire story, here's an update from ABC that should help:

In Malibu, California, an eleven year-old girl has taken the witness stand in the trial that alleges an allergic reaction to Children's Motrin left her permanently blind.

Even before her first word of testimony, the disability of 11-year-old Sabrina Johnson was clear to the jury. Taking her oath she couldn't see the clerk. The bailiff helped her to the witness stand. She testified as an alleged victim of Children's Motrin which did not carry a warning for SJS, Stevens Johnson Syndrome, a rare allergic reaction.

Yet, despite her hardships for the last 5 years, she was consistently optimistic. About hiding in darkness on Christmas because light was so painful Sabrina said, " That was not a very fun Christmas because I was in box. I was one of the presents." Her father testified that he would have never given her the Children's Motrin if it had a more explicit warning label about potential side effects. Now it's the child's future he worries about. Kenneth Johnson said, "I'm scared to death that my girl will end up in some apartment in the middle of some city on a government subsistence check not able to take care of herself and that scares me to death."

Motrin is made by McNeil Pharmaceuticals, a subsidiary of Johnson and Johnson. The company says the FDA cleared it for over the counter sales and approved the warning label. The FDA later called for a change when they received more reports of of bad reactions . For Sabrina, getting teased at school for hiding from the sun was just a small part of it. Sabrina said, "Now, they just tease me because I can't play with them because they 'll be playing handball or something and I won't be able to see the ball. It 's harder."

After reading this, it does make me want to dump out my Motrin. But it usually does work better for my kids compared to Tylenol. So, is this case a fluke or is this a real danger. I hope this court case answers that question for parents.

Do you use Children's Motrin?

-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.

Designer Babies

If you could, would you choose for your baby to have blond hair or brown? What about the baby's eye color? Blue or Green? That technology could soon be available, but is it ethical? That's the question many are raising after a couple eliminated the risk of hereditary colon cancer for their little girl.

This should be an interesting controversy to follow.

Here's the story that ran on ABC:

What if we could eradicate hereditary breast cancer by screening embryos? It 's controversial, but it's just been done for the first time in Britain and a handful of doctors are already doing it here in the U.S. The results are incredibly promising and are giving hope to families with a long history of the disease.

But some fear it could be the beginning of a brave new world where parents design their own children screening not just for deadly disease but for everything from beauty to intelligence.

In the movie "Gattaca", the fictional world of the future included selective genetics where undesirable genes were eliminated before birth. This brave new world on film was science fiction fantasy, but the science is fiction no more. Chloe Kingsbury is living proof.

Chloe's father, Chad, carries a gene for deadly genetic colon cancer that has killed two uncles, his mother and his grandfather. Because he carries the gene, he has an 85% chance of getting colon cancer. His offspring have a 50% chance of inheriting the gene from him.

So Chad and wife Colby used a new method of genetic testing called preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) which screens embryos for genetic disease. It allowed them to bring their daughter Chloe into the world without any fear that she'll get the disease. Chad said, "I've seen what this disease can do firsthand. I've held my mother's hand while she died. I look at my grandma every time I see her and there is an emptiness there. I mean, she's lost all three of her children. and I - I just, I couldn't do that."

And now one doctor in London used PGD to help a 27yr-old woman conceive Britain's first baby guaranteed to be free of hereditary breast cancer. Dr. Paul Serhal from University College London Hospital said, "All the lineage of the child will be free of the cancer and this to me is a very important message you want to put across."

It's been 30 years since the world's first test tube baby raised ethical questions over reproductive science and now with this medical milestone comes a new debate over genetic selection. Dr. Arthur Caplan, the Director of the Center for Bioethics at the University of Pennsylvania, said, "Today we saw the door open. The rare ethical challenge is where is this going to take us in the future? How far will we go to letting people design their babies?"

The Kingsbury's though wouldn't have it any other way. Chad said, "You just want to make a happy life for your child. And I think that's all we're trying to do."

What do you think about genetic testing? Will it lead to designer babies?

-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.

Grocery List Website

I have been trying to feed my family better food lately. We are still getting all the fruit we normally do, but we are adding in more veggies and organic milk. Slowly, but surely wins the race, right?

As I was getting ready to go grocery shopping this weekend, I found this great little part of the Washington Post website that looks at the nutritional value of common food items. A dietitian pops up to tell you what you need to look for with eat item (things like pizza, yogurt and granola bars.) I have interviewed dietitians on this topic many, many times and I still found some information I didn't know.

Here's the link if you're interested!

-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.

Eat a big breakfast

What do your kids eat for breakfast? I try to get mine to eat eggs and fruit, but I am not always successful. I usually can't get my four-year-old to eat much of anything until about 11:00a.m. They like organic fruit bars, but they are loaded with sugar, which doesn't make mom happy. I will be putting a little more effort into eating breakfast myself after reading this story from CNN:

Eat a big breakfast, lose a lot of weight. A new study from the American Endocrine Society compared obese women trying to lose weight. One group packed on the carbohydrates and lean protein at breakfast. The other stuck to a low-carb morning meal. At the end of eight months, women eating the hefty breakfast lost an average of almost 40 pounds--The low carb eaters lost just nine.

The difference may be explained by the boost in a brain chemical that suppresses appetite. Lots of carbs boosts serotonin levels.

I am not trying to lose weight, but I don't want to slow down my metabolism at this point! And I think it's a good idea to get kids into the habit of eating breakfast at a young age.

Do you eat breakfast? What do you feed your kids?

-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.