Duh nuh, nuh, nuh, nuh Batman!

I said before we left for the store that he was not getting anything. As you can see by this picture, he got something. I purposely went nowhere near the toy isle, but someone had placed this mask by the Windex. Go figure!

Can you believe Halloween costumes are already out? We are probably going to start seeing Christmas decorations before October soon! What are your kids going to be for Halloween?

-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.

Scary Baby Bed Recall

Two babies have now died due to a strangulation hazard with a popular baby bed. The Consumer Product Safety Commission is issuing a warning to get rid of and stop using the bassinet immediately! The CPSC says this warning is being sent out BEFORE a recall of the product can take place because of the EXTREME DANGER.

The warning covers the Simplicity 3-in-1 and Simplicity 4-in-1 bassinets. Last week, a 7-month-old girl from Shawnee, Kansas was strangled after trying to slip through the metal tubes that run down the side of the bassinet. Police say her body fit through the tubes, but her head was too big and she became hung. In September 2007, a southwest Missouri infant girl died after being caught between the rail of her Simplicity 4-in-1 bassinet and the mattress.

I am glad the CPSC is releasing this photo, but it makes me want to cry. What a horrible situation. Why is that bar there anyway? It certainly doesn't look safe!

-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.

Preventing Cerebral Palsy

From ABC:

A simple treatment for women who go into premature labor can dramatically cut the risk for cerebral palsy in their babies. New research shows when mothers receive an infusion of magnesium sulfate - otherwise known as Epsom salt - it reduces the odds of moderate to severe cerebral palsy in their babies by nearly half.

Currently one third of all cases of cerebral palsy are linked to premature birth. But doctors have discovered a simple but effective treatment that lowers the risk for this neurological disorder in premature infants. Researchers at medical centers across America studied more than 2200 pregnant women who had signs of very early labor.

Around half the women received intravenous infusions of magnesium sulfate- also known as Epsom salt - while the other half received a placebo infusion. Results showed that babies whose mothers received the Epsom salt cut their risk for moderate to severe cerebral palsy by 45 percent. Doctors theorize that the treatment helps stabilize blood vessels in the mother, thereby keeping oxygen supplied to the baby's brain.

The authors say these findings represent one of the most promising breakthroughs in 30 years for pregnant women at high risk for premature delivery. FDA approval is not necessary for magnesium sulfate treatment, so doctors could begin using it immediately.

Source: Published in the New England Journal of Medicine by researchers at U Alabama, U Tennessee, Wayne State, U Texas, UNC Chapel Hill, Wake Forest, U Miami, Case Western, U Pittsburgh and others.

When I went into preterm labor with my youngest, I was on magnesium for several days. It was scary! My mag was to stop labor. I didn't realize there was more than one benefit.

-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.

Watch out for Bullies!

Have your kids ever been bullied? Would they tell you if they were? What is your advice? Do you tell them to fight back with words or do you tell them to ignore the other child? It's a tough subject to tackle because every situation is different. My almost five-year-old tends to be shy so I am prone to try and get him to stand up for himself when someone tries to verbally bully him. Of course, I don't want to encourage him to hurt someone. It's a tough balancing act.

Here's a story from CNN that brought this topic to mind:

A new school year is getting under way for millions of kids around the country. In today's health minute, here's some advice for parents whose children may be bullied.

Middle school principal Denise Magee hopes this school year will be different. The best case scenario for me as a local school principal? That we are bully proof, fully free of any bully incidents. That we are truly here with an academic focus: no fighting, no teasing, no name calling. Experts say bullying is not a rite of passage, as some people believe. They say it can have long-term consequences for a child. Kids who are bullied are at greater risk of physical symptoms, physical complaints, emotional problems, academic under-achievement and most of them start to try to find ways to miss school.

Psychologist Mark Crawford recommends parents step in after getting the facts. Make sure you're talking to them and encouraging them to talk to you. Let them know that some things just simply aren't okay and they don't have to put up with it. Magee has her own advice for parents. "I do not want parents to leave us out of the scenario. I want them to immediately contact us," said Magee. Magee is being pro-active and letting students at her school know that when it comes to bullying, she has a zero-tolerance policy.

Have your kids been bullied? What is your advice for parents? Will you encourage your child to fight back

-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.

Another Breastfeeding Benefit

There is good news for moms who choose breastfeeding. New research shows it lowers your risk of getting one of the most deadly forms of breast cancer!

Here's the story from ABC:

Most women know the established risk factors for breast cancer such as older age and a family history of the disease, but new research suggests that some less obvious risks are determined early, during a woman's youth and child-bearing years. Decisions a woman makes then - such as whether to breastfeed or not - may impact her breast cancer risk years in the future, including altering the odds of aggressive disease.

Why does one woman get an aggressive form of breast cancer while another's tumor is easily treated? Genetics certainly play a role, but new findings suggest factors in a woman's personal history help determine the TYPE of cancer she gets.

Doctors from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center compared 1100 women with different types of breast cancer to nearly 1500 healthy women. They found that women who breastfed their babies for at least 6 months had a 50 per cent lower risk for so-called triple negative tumors - among the most deadly form of the disease. They also enjoyed a 20 per cent reduction in a second, less aggressive type of breast cancer.

In contrast, women who began their periods at an early age had more than double the risk for tumors that respond to the drug Herceptin, whereas late onset of menopause was linked to a higher risk for estrogen-sensitive cancers. Researchers say understanding how a woman's reproductive history alters her risk for certain types of breast cancer should lead to improved screening, diagnosis and treatments.

Does cancer run in your family? Are you worried about you or your kids getting it?

UPDATE: UICOMP's Department of Surgery and the Susan G. Komen for the Cure, Peoria Affiliate, present a symposium to educate physicians and healthcare providers regarding breast cancer diagnosis and management. A special meet-and-greet social will be held on October 3, 2008, to celebrate the lives of those afflicted with breast cancer. Registration for both events is required by September 1, 2008.

Par-A-Dice Hotel and Casino. Friday Social Event: 5:30 p.m.-7:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday Symposium: 7 a.m.-4 p.m. 309-655-2383.

-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.

Hidden Danger you need to know

We have a warning for parents that you may have not have heard before. A toddler in Northern Illinois is recovering from second degree burns on his hand and you will be surprised how he got them. HOI 19's Jen Christensen talked to the family and doctors to make sure the same thing doesn't happen to your child.

One and a half year old Alex Gove of Northern Illinois suffered second degree burns on the top of his hand after touching the rotor of his parent's minivan. Alex stuck his hand through the wheel well, which is right at eye level, and touched the rotor.

Peoria mom Molly McKenna heard about the accident and contacted HOI 19 news. Molly McKenna said, "Yah, something you just don't think about. It's shocking. Your kids touch a million things. You baby proof your house. You can't baby proof the community, so you have to be really vigilant."

We wanted to know how hot the rotor gets, so we had a technician at Midas test the cars that came in that had been on for about 20 minutes. Surprisingly, the average temperature was 220 degrees. Skin burns at just 124 degrees. Emergency room physician Dr. Jason Stringer from Methodist Medical Center said, "Really you don't have to drive very far and they get very hot, absolutely you can get second, third degree burns." Dr. Stringer says this isn't the first time he has heard of this happening.

He said, "A child's skin is pretty sensitive to begin with and doesn't have a lot of the calluses and things that adults have so i think they are more likely to be injured by those kinds of things. so yah, it's a potential danger."

It might be a good idea to squat down to the height of a toddler and check to see which area's of your vehicle are the biggest danger. Dr. Stringer says the hood of the car and the exhaust could also burn little hands if the car was recently on. Molly said, "You don't think about your kids touching the parts of the car, but when they're real young like her and they use things to lean up against for balance, you have to be really careful about what they actually touch." Molly's telling everyone she knows about the danger, hoping awareness will keep her daughter and other kids safe near the car.

Dr. Stringer from Methodist Medical Center says the biggest danger he sees with vehicles are kids who are not properly restrained in a car seat and kids being hit by a car because the driver failed to look behind the car before leaving.

As many of you know, I have a toddler this same age. I didn't realize the rims on vehicles are more open now than they used to be and you can easily stick your hand in and touch the rotor on most vehicles. I usually keep him right next to me when I get him out of the car. Now I get all the items out first and then get him out of the car so he's not standing right next to the hot rotor. Have you ever heard of this?

-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 More hand-me-down shoes

You are not supposed to hand down SHOES from one kid to the next. Those growing feet need to be able to form to the shoe. It makes sense, but I certainly never thought of this!

This story is from the medical company Medstar:

It's back-to-school season, and families are shopping for everything, including new shoes. But in spite of what your kids tell you, it isn't all about fashion!

Kim Fischer has her hands full when she takes her triplets shoe shopping. Kim said, "They love shoes. They'll just be pulling the shoes off. I'll tell them what size and they'll just be grabbing them and trying them on."

That enthusiasm is exactly what a foot doctor hopes for. When it comes to school shoes, doctor Kieran Mahan recommends shoes that can handle recess and the classroom. Mahan said, "I think the shoe that fits the bill for most of those things is a, is a sneaker type of shoe or an oxford kind of shoe."





Let the dogs "breathe" by picking leather or natural materials. And if your child has sweaty feet, consider an extra pair of shoes. Mahan said, "Even if you had a couple of pairs of shoes, where you let them wear a different pair of shoes the next day, so that the first pair of shoes can dry out, sometimes that can be very helpful." When you're figuring out if the shoe fits, use your thumb to feel a small space at the top of the toes. Mahan said, "When you push your thumb down at the end of the shoe, you want to be able to feel the edge of your thumb should be feeling the edge of that toe."



And, don't forget: the big toe may not be the longest toe. Also, while some flexibility is okay, the shoe shouldn't be too bendy. Mahan said, "We want just something that can be flexible where the toes are going to bend and then provide some good support in the back of the heel."

Before you know it, the new shoes will start looking worn out. Mahan said, "Then you can see that the shoe itself is kind of rolling over on the inside." Then it's time to start shoe shopping all over again.

Be careful about handing down shoes to another child. Unless the pair is in scarcely-worn condition, you shouldn't re-use them. And, if the wearer had athlete's foot or plantar warts, the shoes should definitely not be passed along.

Fast Facts:
This year, 50 million students will be enrolled in grades k through 12 this year.

In 2006, more than 3.16 million pairs of shoes were purchased for children.
Parents should take the time to select properly fitting shoes for their children and monitor shoe wear periodically throughout the school year.

So I am reading this story and thinking, my youngest one has on a pair of his brother's old shoes. Great! I guess that wasn't a good plan! I tried to get the toddler a new pair at Stride Rite, but after I spent a good 20 minutes picking out ones I liked, I was told they had nothing in his size. Wow! Waste of time! So I reused some old ones. I guess I will be visiting another shoes store to solve this problem!

How often do you get your kids new shoes?

-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.