Zhu Zhu Pet Controversy

FROM ABC: A popular stocking-stuffer is getting thumbs down from a consumer group today. It's just one of a highly-popular line of mechanical hamsters called Zhu- Zhu pets, but the makers insist none of their hamster toys pose any hazard to children.

They are one of the must-have toys this holiday season-the life-like hamsters called Zhu Zhu pets are zooming off the shelves. A concerned parent said, "As much as they may want it, You know, I gotta side on the side of safety and you know they're gonna have to pass on it."

The 'Good Guide' Consumer Advocacy Group says one of these hamsters-- is unsafe. The character known as Mr. Squiggles, carries high amounts of the potentially poisonous metal - antimony. Dara O'Rourke with GoodGuide said, "which is a metal which has potential health hazards related to it. Which if ingested in high enough levels can lead to cancer, reproductive health, and other human health hazards."

Antimony is often found in toys, but the government limits it to 60 parts per million. Testers for good guide say when they used an x-ray test, they found up to 103 parts per million in Mr. squiggles. Parent Diana Cordeo said, "That would certainly change my decision for getting it." Parent Ejesh Berdyyev said, "It's a horrible toy. I don't want my daughter to play with it."

But a renowned toxicologist we spoke with said those levels of antimony are far too low to cause any short or long term health problems. And another consumer group says the maker of the toys uses a different test that actually shows how much antimony will come off the toy - and that test, not the x ray, is the industry standard. O'Rourke said, "We're not recommending that you throw them away. But if you're concerned about it then we recommend that you call the company or potentially return the product if you feel it's not safe enough for your kids."

Cepia Corporation, the maker of Zhu Zhu pets - released this statement: " Our products are in compliance with all government and industry safety standards. They do not contain high levels of antimony in any way."

I actually had never heard of these things until today. Boy am I out of the loop on this one! My son just keeps asking me for a Nintendo DS.

-NewsAnchorMom Jen

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Bed Wetting & GoodNites

I got this question via email and thought you might benefit from the great information:

"I have a 6 year old grandson that wets the bed, his mother refuses to let me put a Goodnight on him because she says it will not help him to not wet the bed. I say it won't matter. I would really like to have an "expert" opinion, GoodNites good or bad?"

Pediatric Urologist Dr. Benjamin Rhee from OSF St. Francis Medical Center said, "I don't have a problem with GoodNite pull-ups for a child up to a certain age. We have kids up to age 12 that sometimes wear them. If they (the family) don't have a problem, we don't have a problem."

Jen: "Just to be clear, there is no chance that a child's bladder will become conditioned to GoodNites-causing more problems in the future?
Dr. Rhee. "No, there is no chance of training a child to go because they are wearing a diaper."

Jen: When should you be concerned if your child is still wetting the bed?
Dr. Rhee" If a child is going into first grade and still wetting the bed, they should be evaluated. They should get an x-ray of their bellies and they should have an ultrasound of their kidneys to make sure there isn't another problem that is causing the bed wetting."

Jen: What kind of a problem?
Dr.Rhee: "A lot of the time there isn't a problem, but they can have an anomaly of their bladders or an infection that leads to lots of constipation."

Jen: Is is common for kindergartners to still wet the bed?
Dr. Rhee: "It is very common for kids to still wet the bed at six years old. I see 4-5 kids that age a day if not more. I would tell you about 30% of kids who come see are for bed wetting issues. It doesn't always signify a problem. Most of the time when there is a problem, it's a chronic infection."

Jen: What message would you like to get out to parents of kids who wet the bed?
Dr. Rhee: "I think the thing moms need to work on is getting kids to pee and poop on their own during the day. If they have to run to the bathroom, that is a problem. I always tell mom we're going to work on the daytime issues first before you worry about bed wetting issues. It is a multi-factoral kind of a thing. A lot of kids have daytime and nighttime issue. They tend to hold pee and poop too long and cause irritation. Some kids will wet the bed until they outgrow it. There is nothing you can do. The majority of times at 9-10 yrs old it becomes a social issue because they can't go to sleep overs, camps, etc."

-NewsAnchorMom Jen

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Recalled Toys

If children are on your holiday gift list, beware. More than two dozen toys have been recalled this year for safety reasons. With safety in mind, the American Academy of Pediatrics has prepared a tips list.

November 2009 Recalls
December 2009 Recalls

-pick toys that suit kids' age, abilities and interest level.
-to prevent electric shocks, choose battery-operated instead of plug-in toys for kids under 10.
-keep young children away from toys with button batteries and magnets. these can cause serious and even fatal intestinal problems if swallowed.
-the academy also warns:pull toys with strings longer than 12 inches can be a strangulation hazard for babies.

-NewsAnchorMom Jen

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Kids who can't play sports

For kids, playing sports can be a big deal. If they have a medical problem that prevents them from playing, medical intervention may be the best option. This story is about a family who took some big steps to allow their son to start walking again and ultimately playing sports.

FROM MEDSTAR: Dystonia is a complex problem related to mis-communication from the brain to the muscles. In kids, this condition can rule their lives. But a deep brain treatment can help. Kyle Hausler loves sports, but when he was twelve, he was sidelined by a condition that made it difficult to walk.

Kyle Hausler: Teen Dystonia Patient "I always wanted to be on crutches, but then after the first few days it hurt my arms and I was tired of it, and I just wanted to walk." He was diagnosed with dystonia, a neurological disorder that causes the muscles to spasm. In Kyle's case, it affected his feet and legs.

Dr. Michele Tagliati: neurologist "It looks like the brain loses the ability to pick and chose the right muscles that we need to perform a certain movement." He tried traditional treatments, like medicines and botulinum toxin injections.

Alison Hausler - Mother "But nothing was working. absolutely nothing was giving him any relief. and it was beginning to progress. so we started, you know, asking and talking about DBS." DBS, Deep Brain Stimulation, involves inserting thin wires into the Globus Pallidus, a region blamed for dystonia.

Dr. Ron Alterman, neurosurgeon "The wire that goes in is called a lead, and each lead has four contacts or electrodes, from which we can stimulate the brain." After post-surgical healng is complete, the electrodes are turned on.

Dr. Michele Tagliati - neurologist "And once stimulation starts, it goes on 24/7, day and night, and we never stop stimulating that particular area of the brain." Dr. Tagliati over the past several years, the mount sinai doctors have seen no neurologic complications.

Dr. Ron Alterman
"There's no question that given the potential benefit, that the upside of doing the surgery, far, far outweighs the downside." Kyle's doing great and participates on a travel soccer team as well as a basketball team. the mount sinai doctors are among the leading physicians offering this treatment. they say that as technology improves, it may be possible to cycle the stimulation on and off.

-NewsAnchorMom Jen

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Possible Cause of Autism

I thought this was interesting..

FROM NBC: Some commonly-prescribed medications for pregnant women might increase the risk for autism-related disorders in children. The drugs are called "Beta 2 Adreneric Agonists. They are used to help control asthma in pregnant women or to stop pre-term labor.

Researchers from Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine say there is evidence the drugs could increase the incidence of autism-spectrum disorders, cognitive problems or poor school performance in developing fetuses.

Researchers say more studies are needed to confirm the findings.. but that doctors may want to consider alternative drugs for treating pregnant women.

-NewsAnchorMom Jen

Not sure what to get your loved ones? Give a Skin Dimensions gift card! Surprise your loved ones with the choice of massages, facials, bareMinerals makeup, manicures, pedicures or let them choose products from a selection of over 25 national and international brands of skincare. Gift cards available in any denomination. Purchase at Skin Dimensions Day Spa, Skin Dimensions Boutique or online.

Unattended Child in Car

Have you ever left your child in the car while you ran into a store for a few minutes? Is that okay? Are there any laws preventing people from leaving their children alone in a vehicle?

On Black Friday, a Peoria, Illinois woman was arrested for leaving three children (6 years, 5 years and 6 months) in a car in the parking lot of Northwoods Mall. Police say they arrived on the scene after someone saw the kids sitting in the car for an extended period of time. Police waited 35 minutes before the mom came out of the mall. She was arrested and given a notice to appear in court. Two of the kids were foster children and were taken out of her home by the Department of Children and Family Services. Her child was sent home with her.

So is it ever okay to leave a young child in a car while you run into say McDonalds or Walgreens? I called Peoria Police today to find out. It turns out it is illegal in some instances. The Child Endangerment Act states the adult is presumed guilty if a child 6 years old or younger is left alone in a vehicle for more than 10 minutes. Police spokesman Doug Burgess says if an officer is called to a scene it is up to their discretion how to proceed. If they feel the child has been put in a dangerous situation (Ex: it's 100 degrees outside and a child is left in a vehicle for 5 minutes) they can arrest the parent/guardian. They are also likely to call the Department of Children and Family Services to report the incident. That can lead to home visits to make sure the parent/guardian is fit to care for the child.

I recently got this email from a reader:

I think many parents would be surprised about the law and what is considered legal/acceptable to leave a child unattended in a car. I was raised when it was fairly common to be left in a car as my mom ran into a business or did an errand. I still see moms leaving children in vehicles unattended, some for just a moment, sometimes longer. Sometimes a quick dash inside can take longer than anticipated. I don't believe any parent is intending to be negligent but they are exposing themselves to being charged with child negligence if the police are called by caring citizens.

Example: A friend of mine has a son who has ADHD, he had a bad day and she had been advised that when he was not "listening" that to give him a few minutes to settle down would help him, as opposed to being further stimulated. She needed to run into a store for a moment, so she gave him the option to come in or stay in the car. He requested to stay in the car. She could see the car from the store window and only left the window to check out. The person in front of her was having a problem at the register so she was out of sight from the car for five minutes. When she came out of the store, the police were pulling up. They asked if she had left her son in the car and when she explained the circumstances they told her she was going to have a visit from social services. Social services interviewed her, the school, his Dr., etc. She was charged with negligence because the law says a child should not be unattended until the age of fourteen, I believe. She received probation, parenting classes, a monthly visit from a social worker during the probation and her name on a registry for 7 years!

So I would think it is usually not a good idea to leave a child unattended in a car. With the winter months upon us, I would think more parents would leave them warm and snug in their car seats instead of dragging them in a store. However, it might not be the best plan.

Have you ever left a child unattended in a car?

-NewsAnchorMom Jen

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