Photo Courtesy of Babble

Babble, an all-inclusive, all-things-family related site, highlighted the coolest form of child transportation around. 

The only difference between this and the walking school bus is………….style?  No.  Money.  A decent road bike is somewhere around 500 bucks.  So this has to be…How do you say?  Expensive. 

I still think walking to school doesn’t get any easier or cheaper or human.  But I do adore this Euro-chic mode of transport.

While conducting research on America’s obesity epidemic, I stumbled upon this awesome study.

Researchers in New Mexico devised a Walking School Bus Program for a predominantly lower-income Latino elementary school.  They recruited parents as volunteers, had kids sign permission slips, and simply helped them walk to school.

Yep.  That’s it.

It’s so stupidly, absurdly obvious.  And yet it now seems novel because we’ve moved so far away from normal activity in our daily lives.  The original Walking School Bus initiative was designed to reduce traffic congestion while allowing children to walk to school safely.  This Alburqure based program shifted just a little bit, to an emphasis on health and moving.

This is something that can be replicated almost anywhere, with little to no cost.

What are you waiting for?

Poor Baby!

I wrote a post a while back that got to the bottom line (can’t help myself) of diaper rash.

Over the past two weeks, my little guy has been producing a differently nuanced poop that has been sorely irritating his little bottom.  I’m talking scarlet red skin, almost broken in some areas, and truly painful cries with even the most tentative wiping.

I needed to intervene, and fast!  These are the times the clinician in me disappears instantly and suddenly I don’t know what to do for this boy, bless his little red-bottomed soul.

I felt terrible for him.  And how does that old saying go?  Desperation is the mother of invention?  I ran to the pharmacy for some heavy duty ammo.

What Did I Use?

The usual zinc based creams weren’t cutting it.  I needed something cakey that would create a more lasting barrier.  I purchased a butt paste and corn starch powder.

How Did I Use Them?

I cleaned the diaper area, which proved equally torturous for both my baby and myself.  Allowed a solid few seconds for said area to dry.  Sprinkled a handsome amount of corn starch powder.  Followed by a generous dollop of butt paste spread thickly on the skin.  Then sealed the barrier with a healthy second dose of corn starch powder, which I patted down to gently work into the paste.

Within 12-24 hrs, there was noted improvement with the appearance of the skin.  We backtracked from near broken skin to resolving red spots.

And most importantly, my baby was happy again.

Now For The Obligatory Disclaimers:

1. This is not medical advice.  This is Mom to Mom or Mom to Dad advice.
2. If your baby has concerning diaper rash–make an appointment at your pediatrician’s office.
3. Talcum powder is not recommended for the use of infants.
4. Some experts caution the use of corn starch powder in the treatment of diaper rash because it can exacerbate a yeasty rash.

Use your best judgment and some good old-fashioned common sense.  And give that little bum some TLC!

Have you watched this animated CDC map of the US obesity trend, illustrating the growth over the last 25 years?  The term ‘jaw dropping’ is putting it mildly.

Percentage of Obese U.S. Adults

A Growing Movement To Combat Obesity

First Lady Michelle Obama helped unveil the new USDA Choose My Plate Image and more recently, a push for higher levels of everyday activity.

Jamie Oliver, our Food Revolution Renegade, has the kind of bleeding passion and fearlesslesness that just might make a nation finally question how it is that we got here.

There are pediatric weight loss programs popping up around the nation.

But we are far from recovery.

We Know Why We’re Fat

We know that some children and families (most of us) eat too much because they (we) simply don’t know what a true human portion size is.  Some families have difficulty affording healthy options.  Some families don’t understand nutrition.  There are all sorts of complicated reasons why the obesity epidemic rages on.  Fast food and large portions, lack of exercise and the subsidizing of unhealthy food–that’s what got us here.  But how do we get out?  That’s where I hope the conversation will turn.

We All Desire To Feel Happy:

The Bio/Psychological Component No One Is Talking About

Science has shown that the very same feel-good hormones that get released with addictive drug use can also be activated with the ingestion of food.  When positive response is elicited over time, our brain becomes dependent on those substances to produce that same response.   In other words, we like feeling happy.

You can talk calories in, calories out, healthy choices, getting active.  But when you look at kids who know only that food = happiness, how can you expect them to change their habits, without understanding why they eat?

When you’ve developed a pattern of needing a happiness surge and that need is fulfilled by a reward as accessible and cheap as cookies or soda or chips or a 99 cent box of mac n’cheese, who wouldn’t reach for it?  Kids need someone to show them that there are alternatives to feeling good.  They need to learn how to identify feelings and work through them.  We all do.

Many of us struggle to make healthier choices.  Many of us reach for and abuse food to relieve feelings of unhappiness.  Until we, as a culture, figure out how to find true contentment from non-external sources, the fight against obesity will seem less like an uphill battle and more like a perpendicular wall without footholds.

Intuitive Eating:  What’s It All About

Based on the premise of eating what you need when you need it and stopping when you are full, intuitive eating is a philosophy focused on treating your body well.  It’s almost embarassing that something so simple and (at one time) innate, is now considered a paradigm shift in the health industry.

Visit Intuitive Eating.org and Wellness In The Rockies for more information about a mind/body approach to achieving healthy body weight.

Photo Courtesy ABC News

There’s nothing like Bill Clinton’s fresh baby face to promote a good cause like eliminating HIV transmission to newborns across the globe.  The image above was released on June 10 with the official announcement of UNAIDS’ plan to do just that by the year 2015.

In their excellently written and easy to follow report, UNAIDS sounds a call to action.

Why We Can Believe

“It is possible to stop new HIV infections among children and keep their mothers alive if pregnant women living with HIV and their children have timely access to quality life-saving antiretroviral drugs—for their own health, as indicated, or as a prophylaxis to stop HIV transmission during pregnancy, delivery and breastfeeding. When antiretroviral drugs are available as prophylaxis, HIV transmission can be reduced to less than 5%. Preventing HIV infection among women at increased risk of HIV and meeting unmet family planning needs of women living with HIV can significantly contribute to reducing the need for antiretroviral prophylaxis and treatment.”

Countdown To Zero:  The Timeline

June 2011:  Global Steering Group will be formed to oversee project

October 2011:  Nations will conduct baseline assessment and select targets

January 2012:  National leaders will incorporate Countdown to Zero in health plan, set clear goals, analyze need for finacial resources and strategize to meet those needs.

May 2012:  Review first year statistics/success.  Goal:  25% reduction new cases pediatric HIV; 10% reduction in HIV associated pregnancy related deaths.   Will have phased out single-dose nevirapine prophylaxis and adopted more effective antiretroviral regimens for women and children.

May 2013:  50% reduction in new pediatric HIV cases in at least 10 high burden countries; 25% reduction in HIV assoc. maternal related deaths; districts report regular supply of drugs and commodities

May 2014:  New number of cases in children reduced by 2/3 in at least 15 high burden countries; 15 of 22 countries will have met targets

May 2015:  new cases reduced by 85%; pregnancy related HIV deaths by 50%

Money Talks

“The core costs of preventing new HIV infections among children and keeping their mothers alive can be met in many of the countries in which a high number of babies are being born with HIV. Recognizing that prevention costs far less than caring for a child living with HIV, and that keeping their mothers alive helps to keep families, communities and societies intact, national leaders should increase domestic contributions to core programme costs. Investments in eliminating new HIV infections among children and keeping their mothers alive are highly cost-effective—making them not only the right thing to do, but also the smart thing to do. Increasing national and regional investment in these areas is central to ensure sustainability beyond 2015.

Investments must be coordinated, simplified and harmonized and targeted at the services that are most effective at delivering results, to maximize benefit and value for money.”

Believe it.  Do it.  Support it.

I believe in this model.  Not a public health expert, but the plan seems relatively simple (though, no doubt, not simple to execute).  With a coordinated effort and international support, this could work.  UNAIDS Countdown To Zero slogan?   Believe it.  Do it.

Love it.

Just thinking about preparing for disaster makes me anxious, let alone writing about it or actually doing it.  I’d prefer to pretend that I’m invincible to natural or (gulp) war disasters.  But I often say that ignoring a problem doesn’t make it go away, so in an effort to practice what I preach, I am going to face it head on.

Let’s start with a brief survey:

Q:  Do you have a safe place within your house to hide out…I mean brave a disaster?

A:  I guess mine is my basement.  My 100 year old house feels a little flimsy sometimes.  Our foundation is actual rock, so probably  fairly sturdy.  But my basement is small, with low ceilings, and filled with STUFF.  I don’t even think we would have a place to stand with our two little ones.

Q:  Do you have an emergency preparedness kit for your home?  For your car?  For your pets? I just screamed a little on the inside.  I’m scared.

A:  I have one flashlight.  And a lantern that I bought at one of those discount stores that is in its original box without batteries.  In my car, I have jumper cables and a really cool vacuum that can be plugged into the power outlet on the dashboard.  Oh!  I also have a hammer/emergency tool that can do really useful things, like breaking a car window, if say, you drove into a pond by accident.  It was a Christmas present from my parents.  They’re realists.

Q:  An escape plan?

A:  No.

Q:  A battery operated radio?

A:  I do not have a battery operated radio.  I need one.  Do they still make them?  (Turns out, they do.)

Q:  A land line?

A:  I have a regular house phone, but my service is through the cable company.  Won’t be much use if my service goes down.

Clearly I have a lot of work to do.  Do you?

• Go to Ready.gov for a comprehensive breakdown of things to pack in your emergency kit.  Good Lord, it’s extensive.
• FoodSafety.gov provides guidelines for keeping food safe during an emergency.  One of the many things I never would have thought of.
• FEMA even recommends having a kit stored at work.  (might get some raised eyebrows on that one, but I guess staying alive is more important than social acceptance?)
• The American Veterinary Medical Association has a guide you can purchase at a low cost to help you prepare for keeping your animals safe.

It’s a little overwhelming.  Just start small.  Having reliable flashlights, a battery operated radio and a food/water supply is a good place to begin.  It’s also not a bad idea to do a little reading on the subject.  If you do create an emergency kit, printing out some of the information to keep with your survival gear would also be wise.

I made a wish list on Amazon with pretty much everything on Ready.gov’s list (including first aid kit).  So far it’s a little over $200.  Yikes.  But chipping away at it, item by item, will make me feel increasingly confident that my family and I can get through a crisis if we need to.

See?  Feeling better already.

You probably know that melanoma is skin cancer and has been pretty clearly tied to sun exposure.  But did you know that children can also be diagnosed with melanoma?

In a literature review published in 2009*, the authors report that approximately 1-4% of melanoma cases afflict the pediatric age group, with an average of 18 deaths per year.  The study points out that melanoma is often not considered when a pediatric patient presents with a skin lesion.  Melanoma can look similar to a benign lesion and clinicians tend to defer biopsy further down the road.  One great suggestion made by the authors is the practice of taking serial photographs as a way to track for any subtle changes that may hasten biopsy.

The methods of diagnosis, as well as the treatment and prognosis for children with melanoma are similar to that of adults.   Survival rates depend on the stage that the cancer has progressed.  For individuals with melanoma found just at the primary site, surival is 98.1%.  If there is lymph node involvement, that drops to 61.4%.  If the cancer has metastasized (or spread), the outlook is not as good, with a rate of 15% surviving 5 years post-diagnosis.**

Fortunately, survival rates are improving all the time. The Journal of Clinical Oncology published a report in 2005*** that analyzed data from the US Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program.  They looked at over 1,000 children with melanoma.  ”Melanoma-specific survival in children has improved by approximately 4% per year during the last 3 decades.”

There is lots of hope.  Early detection is key.  Remember your ABCDs.  Take a look at some risk factors below.  And read my post, Here Comes The Sun for excellent sun safety resources: 

Besides UV ray exposure, what are the known risk factors?*

• family history melanoma
• history severe sunburns
• marked freckling on upper back
• light hair color
• immunosuppression
• higher number of nevi

Danielle’s new site is called The Littlest Warrior Spot.  Although slightly unfinished, it’s a wonderful resource for parents in the same boat.   Her last post from March 2011 reports Rachael is doing beautifully.

References

* Millis, O; Messina, J; Pediatric Melanoma:  A Review. Cancer Control. July 2009, 16 (3) 225-233

**http://www.seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/melan.html#survival

***Strouse, J; Fears, T; Tucker, M; Wayne, A; Pediatric Melanoma:  Risk Factor and Survival Analysis of the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results Database; Journal of Clinical Oncology. 23:4735-4741