Does your child have a lot of nose bleeds?

I got this question from a NewsAnchorMom.com reader and the story that we did on the topic turned out to be very interesting.

Hi Jen,

I am the proud mom of a great 5 year old boy named Chase. For the last couple of years he has suffered nose bleeds. 98% of the time are when he sleeps. Sometimes he has failed to wake up and is gagging and choking in his sleep. He bleeds for more than 10 minutes. Sometimes up to 45 minutes to an hour. After many painful packing of the nose and countless doctors visits we have found a part of the cause. My son suffers from Von Willebrands Disease.

There are many kids with the same ailment but often go diagnosed. Von Willebrands is a factor in the blood we all have. It helps in the clotting of his blood. However, Chase lacks this factor. There are three levels and he has the level one. Which is the lowest and least worrisome to have. It took many needle pokes and test to determine this.

However, with so few bleeding disorder clinics we didn't know where to go. Until October of last year....we learned that Peoria had its own Bleeding Disorder Clinic. The other nearest are St. Louis and Boston. Dr. Tarantino is Chase's physician and he is right here in Central Illinois. Also rated one of the top specialists in the country. How lucky are we? It is still a learning process and the medication doesn't always have the greatest side effects but at least it is a step in the right direction.

There are more people out there with this than is known. Often it is hereditary possibly coming from a mom who has had what has been diagnosed or misdiagnosed has endometriosis or heavy menstrual cycles. I know that I have been thru 8 surgeries to treat endometriosis and was ready to undergo a hysterectomy to try and "fix" this problem. After being tested and knowing how to treat it, I don't have to have surgery...well at least not yet. Here is the link to Von Willebrands Disease. Here's the National Heart Lung and Blood Institute.

Here's the story that aired on WHOI:

Do your kids have nose bleeds that don't go away within a few minutes? Does your menstrual cycle last seven days or longer?
You could be one of the hundreds of people in the Heart of Illinois who has a bleeding disorder and doesn't know it.

Five-year-old Chase Murgo is doing what he loves most, playing baseball. It's one of the few sports he can play. Chase has a bleeding disorder called Von Willebrand's Disease. Renee Murgo said, "You would bump him and your elbow would hit him. He would be fine that day, but that night he would have a nose bleed because of the bump to the head." That's why Chase has to avoid all contact sports. What seems like a minor injury for him can be a scary nose bleed. “He would cover a pillow case, a full beach towel. They were white to begin with and then they were completely covered,” said Renee.

Dr. Michael Tarantino is one of the nation's leading hematologists. He runs the Comprehensive Bleeding Disorder Clinic in Peoria. Dr. Tarantino said,"I think in truth we're really still in the process of understanding Von Willebrand’s disease. "

We talked to him about the risk factors for a bleeding disorder:
1. Nose bleeds that lasts more than a few minutes
2. Gums that bleed when you brush your teeth
Dr. Tarantino said, "If your teeth or gums are healthy, they really shouldn't bleed when you brush them.”
3. A family history of bleeding disorders
4. Women with heavy menstrual cycles
Dr. Tarantino said, "It really shouldn't last for more than 7 days and the amount of time a woman should tend to the bleeding, it shouldn't be more than every couple of hours.
5. Women who become anemic during menstruation

Dr. Tarantino estimates there are around 3000 people in the Heart of Illinois with Von Willebrand's Disease like Chase. If those people are in an accident, have surgery or have a tooth pulled.. it could lead to passing out, infection, or even death. Dr. Tarantino said, "If the hematoma is big enough, it can cause the person to become anemic, that can lead to pressure on the heart. so it can be very serious."

Chase's mom has a slight case of Von Willebrand’s, Chase's is more serious. Renee’s mom said, "In the beginning he was terrified. he would kick and scream. It would take 7 of us to hold him down to draw blood." But chase is handling the disease like a pro. He now carries his $700 medical nasal spray with him in a cooler in case of an injury. It's something other people don't have to do, but just knowing he's protected is a relief.
Renee said,"He's gonna have this for the rest of his life. And we'll just educate. He'll know what to do. He'll lead a completely normal life."

The little baseball fan already has a goal in life: to play baseball on T.V. That dream came true when this story aired. Chase will continue his baseball dreams. When he turns six this August, he will be throwing the first pitch at the chief's game.

I will post the video for this story when I get back to work on Monday!

-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.

Easy to Read Toy Recall List

I had my co-anchor and my pregnant producer checking their cribs for a recalled serial number this week.

I got this news release about an easy to read product recall list. I didn't think much of it until I took a look at the site. It really is a quick way to see if you have anything that has been recalled lately. I saw these super cute cribs on the list that look just like the one for Tim's (my co-anchor) little girl. Sure enough, it was the same brand. However, he went home and discovered his crib is just fine! Then, my producer, who is 6 1/2 months pregnant, thought she saw her crib on the list. She went home and discovered her crib is not recalled either. Thank goodness!

The Illinois Attorney General created the easy to read "Most Wanted" guide. It shows pictures with descriptions of some of the major recalls this year. The Consumer Product Safety Commission also has a recall list, but it is extensive and would take hours to click on each item to see the picture.

So here you go: Illinois Attorney General.gov

I hope you don't have anything on the list! Let me know if you do!

-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.

How much T.V. time is too much?

Do you let your toddlers watch T.V.? I don't necessarily limit the T.V. with my 16-month-old, but he could care less about the television. His big brother is WAY more interesting. However, I never realized that just having it on could have a big impact on him. I do try and turn it off when I realize it's on and no one is watching it, but sometimes I am sure I just ignore it and don't even realize it's on.

Here's the story from ABC News:

People do it every day -- pay bills online, fold laundry or do homework to the soothing sound of a spinning wheel, the drone of the evening news or the canned laughter of a rerun.

A new study found that having television on around young children distracts them from playing, even when they are not watching it, and can inhibit learning. Just because you've learned to tune out the television doesn't mean infants and toddlers can, according to a new study in the Journal Childhood Development. According to the study, that background adult television might be a harmful distraction.

Researchers observed 50 kids aged 1 to 3 at play in a room for an hour: half the time was television-free, and half the time the TV show "Jeopardy" was playing on a television in the room. Although the children in the room while the TV was on glanced up only occasionally, the researchers saw clear signs that the children had trouble concentrating.

"It's not something that you would really notice from just watching the child," says Daniel Anderson, a co-author of the study and a professor of psychology at the University of Massachusetts. "I really didn't know if children could just focus on their activity and shut out the background noise."

During the television-free time, Anderson and his colleagues observed standard psychological testing signs that the toddlers were focused and learning. "The child gets an intent look on their face, they lean into the toy, their extraneous body movements decrease," Anderson says. "When they're in that state, they're much more likely to be learning."

But when "Jeopardy" came on, Anderson and his colleagues saw different behavior. The children played for half as long as they played without background television, and they were visibly less calm. "You actually can see sometimes more aimless behavior, walking around like they're not quite sure what they're going to do next," Anderson says.

The gulf is great between what pediatricians recommend for television watching and what children are exposed to in the home. According to a 2003 study from the Kaiser Family Foundation, two-thirds of children under 6 live in homes where the television is on half the time, and one-third of children live in homes where the television is left on "always" or "most of the time."

But the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends zero hours in front of the television for infants and toddlers under age 3. The average child under age 6 watches two hours a day. Even pediatricians aren't sure what this gap will mean for childhood development.

How much television do your kid's watch? Do you have set rules about the T.V.?

-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.

No Nuts During Pregnancy?

A Dutch study looking at pregnant women who ate nuts on a daily basis found those children were 50% more likely to develop asthma. Researchers are not telling pregnant women to avoid nuts at this point, because moderate amounts of peanut butter didn't seem to effect asthma in kids.

This is from MSNBC:

Scientists do not exactly know why some children develop asthma, although some believe that allergies can trigger the disease that causes a narrowing of the bronchial tubes. Nuts and seafood are known to contain allergens that cause food allergies but the Dutch team only found a link between peanuts and asthma, Willers said.

In their study, more than 4,000 pregnant women completed a dietary questionnaire that asked whether they consumed vegetables, fresh fruit, fish, eggs, milk, milk products, nuts and nut products rarely, regularly or daily.

The researchers, who published their findings in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, then assessed the children's diets and looked to see who had developed asthma over an eight-year period.

I love peanut butter and jelly, but I don't think I ate it daily. Then again, I do eat peanut butter toast a lot for breakfast. Either way, no asthma in our family as far as I know.

What do you think about this study?

-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.

Natural Remedies for Illness

We ran this story on herbal remedies and I think there are some helpful tips for us parents. I thought I would share some of the suggestions:

1. Colds/Allergies Remedy: Yogi Tea

Start with whole cloves and black peppercorn to make yogi tea. Dr. Nancy Welliver (Naturopathic Physician and Chair of Botanical Medicine at Bastyr University in Seattle) said, "You might want to throw in 2 or 3 of these cinnamon sticks." Continue with crushed cardamon seed and fresh ginger, boil the mixture for 30 minutes to 3 hours, and add black tea, last.

2. Digestive Problems: Ginger

To make ginger syrup, peel and slice the ginger and add sugar. Dr. Welliver said, "So you layer ginger, sugar, ginger, sugar, and kids really love this because you're actually doing something with sugar." After 12 to 18 hours, strain out the ginger and the syrup is ready to be given by the teaspoonful. This helps soothe stomach upset in children and nausea in pregnant women.

You can make homemade ginger ale by adding mineral water in a one- to-one ratio. (She says this is great for upset stomachs with kids too!)

3. Diarrhea Remedy: Bilberry

Grind up dried bilberry or blueberry in a coffee grinder, add half a cup of honey and mix.

Fast Facts:

Herbs and spices have been used for medicinal purposes since ancient times. Nearly 20 percent of Americans currently use natural products to promote health or treat ailments. Many of the herbs and spices with natural healing properties can be found in home kitchens.

Alternative Medicine Foundation

American Botanical Association

National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine

Office of Dietary Supplements, National Institutes of Health

So will I be making these home remedies? It sounds like a good idea, but time consuming. So, I will probably opt for over spending at the drug store. However, I definitely would have made the ginger tea when I was pregnant. I don't like taking drugs during pregnancy. So, if there's something natural that will do the trick, I would opt for that!

Do you have any home remedies you can share with us?

-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.

Kids poisoned by caffeine

This story is just the kick in the pants I needed. I drank two sodas today! I am so mad at myself. I am back on the water again tomorrow.

ABC Reporter Kelley Tuthill from Massachusetts wrote this story:(there are a bunch of plugs for their investigative team, but it's still interesting info)

Candy bars, Mints, Gum and drinks. You can get them all these days packed with caffeine and in some cases, there's no way to know how much. Some kids are ending up at the hospital poisoned by caffeine.

A recently released report by University of Massachusetts Medical School toxicologist Richard Church tracked 4,600 caffeine-related calls to poison control nationwide in 2005, the most recent statistics available. Half involved people under age 19. It's all too familiar to the poison control center at Children's Hospital Boston, where directors confirm receiving dozens of similar calls. Alfred Aleguas, the clinical manager of the regional poison control, located at Children's Hospital Boston, said, "The majority of calls come from school nurses and parents."

Experts point to energy drinks, the aggressively marketed, caffeine-packed beverages that are sold in nearly every convenience and grocery store as part of the cause of the disturbing trend. With names like Red Bull, Burn, Rock Star, Adrenaline Rush and even Free Cocaine, the drinks are growing in popularity, becoming the fuel of choice for some teens. "

They do give me an energy burst," said one teenager WCVB-TV interviewed. Another said, "If you're feeling a little sluggish, it gives you energy." But others admitted, "It makes my heart beat too fast," and one young girl told Team 5 Investigates, "I got sick from it once."
"The effects of caffeine are potentially very, very serious," said Dr. Richard Church, a toxicologist at UMass Medical School whose eye-opening report calculated caffeine-related calls to poison control. "We were noticing an influx of patients in our ER who were coming in with caffeine- related complaints and symptoms after drinking energy drinks," Church said.

Some drinks are loaded with two to three times the amount of caffeine that's in a regular cup of coffee. Red Bull has 80 milligrams of caffeine per 8.3 ounce can. Monster has 160mg. Rock Star contains 160mg, and Free Cocaine contains 280mg. Some cans contain more than one serving. Church said when teenagers don't realize how much caffeine they are ingesting, "that's when we start see kids coming in with intractable vomiting where they can't stop vomiting. They're having severe headaches and they're feeling like their heart is racing." But energy drinks may be only part of the story.

Team 5 Investigates discovered extra caffeine is being added to gum, mints, candy bars, even lip balm. A small bag of one caffeine-infused snack food called Engobi contains as much caffeine as two Red Bull drinks, but consumers would never know that by reading the label. Companies often don't specify how much caffeine individual products contain. And other ingredients may add an extra punch. "Yerba mate, colo nut, cocoa. These are all things that have caffeine in them," said Church.

Team 5 Investigates discovered these ingredients are not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration. "The amount of caffeine that's in them is not controlled or looked at at all ," said longtime pediatrician John Cohen. Cohen cautions parents and teenagers to know what they are putting in their bodies, because too much caffeine, he said, could get them into serious medical trouble.

"In my opinion," Cohen said, "All this stuff should be pulled off the market ." Everyone is susceptible to the effects of too much caffeine, doctors Team 5 Investigates interviewed said people with pre-existing heart or seizure conditions are most at risk of caffeine poisoning. Team 5 Investigates contacted the American Beverage Association for its reaction to the UMass Medical School report.

The ABA said, "Caffeinated beverages, including energy drinks, can be part of a balanced lifestyle when consumed sensibly." The statement went on to say that energy drinks "have not been uniquely associated with negative health effects. Importantly, the amount of caffeine contained in mainstream energy drinks is modest, particularly when compared to coffee."

Here is the "Energy Drinks at School" story we talked about a few weeks ago on this blog.

Pediatric Sleep Specialist Dr. Sarah Zallek has told me I would be shocked to see how much caffeine young kids are drinking. She said even some Root Beer has caffeine. She said people always think of soda and chocolate when it comes to caffeine and there are so many more products that contain it! Yikes!

-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.

More Gardasil Woes

From ABC:

Gardasil, the vaccine designed to prevent cervical cancer is coming under fresh scrutiny amid thousands of complaints linking it to a range of health problems. Girls and women have blamed the vaccine for causing ailments from nausea to paralysis to even death.

15 deaths were reported to the FDA, and 10 were confirmed, but the CDC says none of the 10 were linked to the vaccine. The maker of the vaccine, Merck & Company incorporated says it has distributed more than 26 million gardasil vaccines worldwide, including nearly 16 million in the United States.

Merck says while it continues to evaluate reports of adverse reactions to the vaccine, it could just be a coincidence that some women have fallen ill after receiving the shot.

Many people who have really studied this vaccine are crying foul, saying it wasn't tested appropriately and should be taken off the market. How are we as parents supposed to know who to believe? Here are the past links on Gardasil that talk about the controversy.

Gardasil Vaccine Warning

New HPV Article

-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.