• EVERYONE aged 6 months and older
• All household contacts of infants less than 6 months
• All adults and children with chronic lung disease including ASTHMA
• All adults and children who have chronic medical conditions including heart, kidney, or liver disease, blood disorders, or metabolic disorders (including diabetes)
• All adults and children who are immune-suppressed
• All adults and children who have any condition (such as a seizure disorder, cerebral palsy, or neuromuscular disorder) that can affect respiratory function or handling of respiratory secretions
• All close or household contacts or caregivers of children under 5 years and adults over 50 years
• All close or household contacts or caregivers of persons with medical conditions that put them at risk for complications from influenza
• All people over 50 years

Children's Health Partners will be offering seasonal influenza vaccination by two modes of delivery:

• Inactivated influenza injection (traditional flu shot), and
• FluMist: Live attenuated influenza vaccine (vaccine by nasal spray)

If your child is less than nine years of age and has never received an influenza vaccination before, he will require an influenza booster immunization 4-6 weeks after the first dose in order to be adequately protected. It usually takes about two weeks after the second dose for protection to begin, so if your child needs 2 doses, please plan ahead to make sure your child is fully immunized prior to the onset of influenza activity in the community. Children who received at least one dose of the 2010-2011 seasonal influenza vaccine will need only one dose in 2011-2012.

What is influenza?

Influenza is a respiratory infection that is spread when an infected person coughs or sneezes near a susceptible individual, or through contact with respiratory secretions on a contaminated surface. Typical symptoms include the abrupt onset of fever, muscle and body aches, headache, fatigue, cough, sore throat, and nasal congestion. Symptoms typically last 3-7 days, but not uncommonly can last for greater than 2 weeks. Common complications of influenza include pneumonia, asthma exacerbations, sinusitis, and ear infections. The incubation period for flu is 1-4 days, and people can be infectious two days before starting symptoms to as many as 10 days after the onset of symptoms.

Why is influenza vaccination important?

• An average of 36,000 Americans die annually from the flu.
• In children under 5 years, an average of 92 deaths per year in the US are attributable to the flu, and half of these children are considered healthy and without other risk factors.
• Hospitalization rates are highest in people over 65 years and children under 2 years.

Why should I vaccinate my healthy children who are over 5 years of age?

Although healthy children over 5 are unlikely to die or be hospitalized as a result of the flu, they are still likely to become quite ill. School age children are at high risk of contracting the flu due to close contact with other children. Typically, influenza causes high fever for 2-5 days. Body aches, respiratory symptoms such as congestion and cough, and fatigue can last for up to two weeks. Also, healthy individuals between 5 and 65 years mount a greater immune response than the very young, the elderly, or individuals with chronic health conditions. Therefore, vaccinating this group helps to protect less healthy household contacts and members of the community.

Who can receive the FluMist nasal spray?

FluMist nasal spray is approved for healthy non-pregnant individuals between the ages of 2 and 50 years.

Who cannot receive FluMist nasal spray?

FluMist nasal spray should not be given to the following groups:

• children younger than 2 and adults 50 years and older
• pregnant women
• anyone with a weakened immune system
• anyone with a long-term health problem such as heart disease, lung disease, asthma, kidney or liver disease, metabolic disease such as diabetes, anemia and other blood disorders
• children younger than 5 years with asthma or one or more episodes of wheezing during the past year
• anyone with certain muscle or nerve disorders (such as cerebral palsy) that can lead to breathing or swallowing problems
• anyone in close contact with a person with a severely weakened immune system (requiring care in a protected environment, such as a bone marrow transplant unit)
• children or adolescents on long-term aspirin treatment

How is FluMist nasal spray different than the traditional flu shot?

FluMist is a live attenuated vaccine. This means that it is a weakened flu virus. The traditional flu shot is completely inactivated.

Are there any side effects with FluMist?

FluMist works by replicating the weakened flu vaccine strain in the nose. It is temperature sensitive and therefore cannot replicate in the warmer lungs, thus preventing the possibility of lung congestion or infection after vaccination. Potential side effects include runny nose, nasal congestion, fever, headache, vomiting, and body aches. These side effects were only slightly more commonly reported in vaccine versus placebo recipients in studies, and were generally mild and resolved in 1-2 days.

What are the side effects with the flu shot?

The most frequent side effect is soreness at the injection site lasting <2 days. This is generally mild and doesn't usually interfere with normal activities. Other side effects include fever, malaise, and body aches. These reactions typically begin within 12 hours of administration and last for less than 2 days and are generally mild. These effects are more common in younger children and people receiving a flu vaccine for the first time.

Is it possible to get the flu from the flu shot?

NO! This is a common misconception. The flu shot is completely inactivated, and only part of the flu virus. The flu virus requires all of its parts to replicate and cause disease, and the shot simply does not contain all the necessary viral parts. Flu shots are given during cough and cold season, which is a common time to come down with other viruses that mimic the flu. People often mistakingly attribute their symptoms to a flu shot that was given around the time that they contracted a different virus (that the flu shot cannot prevent).

Why are flu boosters recommended?

Flu boosters are recommended because many children who receive only one dose of vaccine will not achieve protective antibody levels to influenza. Children who only get one dose but need two doses can have reduced or no protection from a single dose of flu vaccine. Two doses are necessary to protect these children.

Do flu shots really work, anyway?

Yes, flu shots do work, although it is true that like all vaccines, they are not perfect. The closer the vaccine is to circulating strains, the better shot will work. Also, if the flu is contracted by an individual who received vaccination, it is likely to be more mild than in a non-vaccinated individual.

Who shouldn't receive an influenza vaccination?

Anyone who is severely allergic to eggs should not receive either influenza vaccination. This includes anyone who has broken out in a hive like rash, or has difficulty breathing, throat swelling, or shock after ingesting eggs. Ask your provider or allergist if you are not sure if you or your child can receive the vaccine.

For more complete information including a list of currently available seats, see http://www.aap.org/family/carseatguide.htm

Auto Safety Hot Line- 888/DASH-2-DOT (888/327-4236), from 8 am to 10 pm ET, M-F.

Click here for local fire and police departments that perform safety seat inspections and help with installation.

Important safety rules

• Always use a car safety seat.
• Never place a child in a rear-facing safety seat in the front seat of a vehicle that has an airbag.
• The safest place for all children to ride is in the back seat.
• Set a good example - always wear your seat belt.
• Read the owner's manual that came with your car on how to correctly install car seats.
• Price doesn't always matter. Higher prices can mean added features that may or may not make the seat easier to use.

Rear-Facing Seats

• The AAP recommends keeping infants and toddlers in rear-facing car seats until age 2, or until they reach the maximum height and weight for their seat.
• The harness should be in the slots below your baby's shoulder.
• There are 2 types of rear-facing seats: infant-only seats and convertible seats.
• Infant-only seats can be used for infants up to 20 to 30 pounds or 26-32 inches, depending on the model.
• Convertible Seats can also be used forward-facing for older and larger children, therefore these seats can be used longer.

Forward-Facing Seats

It is recommended to wait until a child is 2 years old before converting them to a forward-facing position.It is best for the child to ride rear-facing until he/she reaches the highest weight and height limits allowed by the car safety seat (usually around 30 pounds).

Adjustments that need to be made if you used your convertible seat rear-facing:

1. Move the shoulder straps to the slots that are at or above your child's shoulders. This is different from rear-facing seats.
2. Move the seat from the reclined to the upright position if required by the manufacturer of the seat.
3. Make sure the seat belt runs through the forward-facing belt path.

Booster Seats

Your child should stay in a car safety seat with a harness as long as possible and then ride in a belt-positioning booster. You can tell when your child is ready for a booster seat when one of the following is true:

1. He/she reaches the top weight or height allowed for the seat.
2. His/her shoulders are above the harness slots.
3. His/her ears have reached the top of the seat.

Booster seats are designed to raise your child so that the lap/shoulder belt fits properly. This means the lap belt lies low across your child's hips and the shoulder belt crosses the middle of your child's chest and shoulder. Correct belt fit helps protect the stomach, spine and head from injury. The belt should not lie across the neck or the abdomen.

Booster seats should be used until your child can correctly fit in a lap/shoulder belt, which occurs when they are at least 4 feet 9 inches tall. This generally occurs between 8-12 years of age.

Seat Belts

Your child is ready to use a seat belt when the belt fits properly. This includes:

1. The shoulder belt lies across the middle of the chest and shoulder, not the neck or throat.
2. The lap belt is low and snug across the hips, not the stomach.
3. The child is tall enough to sit against the vehicle's seat back with his/her legs bent at the knees and feet hanging down and can stay in this position comfortably throughout a trip. This is usually when a child reaches about 4 feet 9 inches in height and is between 8 and 12 years of age.

The State of Illinois requires the child be at least 8 years old before removing the booster seat. The child should remain in the booster seat beyond the age of 8 until the height requirements are met.

Never tuck the shoulder belt under the child's arm or behind the back. If there's only a lap belt, make sure it's snug and low on the child's thighs, not across the stomach. Try to get a lap/shoulder belt installed in your car by a dealer.

Installing a Car Safety Seat

Is the child buckled into the car safety seat correctly?

• The harness should be snug, the plastic clip placed at armpit level, and the straps should be flat.
• Never place blankets between the straps and your baby.

Is the car safety seat buckled into the vehicle correctly?

• Is the seat belt routed through the correct belt path and is it tight enough? (If you can move the seat more than an inch side to side or toward the front of the car, it's not tight enough).
• Is your rear-facing seat reclined enough? Your infant's head should not flop forward. If it does, tilt the car safety seat back a little. Your car safety seat may have a built-in recline adjuster for this purpose. If not, wedge firm padding, such as a rolled towel, under the base.
• Do you need a locking clip? They come with all new car safety seats. If the seat belts in your car move freely even when buckled, you need a locking clip. If you're not sure, check the manual that came with your car.
• Some lap belts need a special heavy duty-locking clip. These are only available from the vehicle manufacturer. Check the manual that came with your car for more information.

Common Car Seat Questions

Should I use the seats in shopping carts?

Many infant-only car safety seats lock into shopping carts, and many stores have shopping carts with built-in infant seats. This may seem safe, but your baby could tip over or fall out of the cart. Consider using a stroller, backpack, or front pack while shopping.

What if my car has side bags?

Side air bags improve safety for adults in side impact crashes. However, children who are seated near a side airbag can be at risk for serious injury. Read your vehicle owner's manual for recommendations that apply to your vehicle.

Can I use a car safety seat on an airplane?

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the AAP recommend that when flying, children be securely fastened in car safety seats until 4 years of age, then be secured with the airplane seat belts.

Many airlines require that the seat be FAA approved. Look for the sticker on the seat.

Can I use a car safety seat that was in a crash?

If the car safety seat was in a moderate or severe crash, it needs to be replaced. If the crash was minor, the seat does not automatically need to be replaced.

A crash is considered minor if ALL of the following are true:

1. The vehicle could be driven away from the crash.
2. The vehicle door closest to the car safety seat was not damaged.
3. No one in the vehicle was injured.
4. The air bags did not go off.
5. You can't see any damage to the car safety seat.

What about using a used car safety seat?

Do not use a car safety seat that:

1. Is too old. Do not use seats that are more than 10 years old.
2. Has any cracks in the frame of the seat.
3. Does not have a label with the date of manufacture and model number.
4. Does not come with instructions. You can get a copy of the instruction manual by contacting the manufacture.
5. Is missing parts.
6. Is a shield booster. Major injuries have occurred to children in shield boosters.
7. Was recalled.

*** Always read and follow manufacturer's instructions!!!******

1. Place the computer in a public room in the home where parents can supervise usage.
2. Instruct children never to:
   • Give out personal information online
   • Agree to meet with an online acquaintance without parental permission
   • Post a picture of themselves online, or email a picture of themselves without parental permission
3. Use some form of parental controls

The most important of these is the placement of the computer. With today’s hectic lifestyles, no parent can supervise their children all the time. But, by placing the computer in a public room in the home, parents can more easily monitor their child’s online activities. Placing the computer in a child’s bedroom is risky. It is comparable to putting a television in a child’s bedroom with access to adult programming, because the computer allows your child access to adult sites and chat rooms.

Next, parents need to emphasize to their children that a stranger is a stranger, and chatting with someone over the internet does not change that. Your child knows not to talk to strangers at a playground and the rules should be no different when they are online. They should never tell a stranger online their name, age, where they live, their phone number, the name of their school, or if they’re home alone. They should know that just a little personal information can help a stranger figure out where they live. Even relatively inexperienced computer users know how to use search engines to find a home address, even if all they know is the home phone number.

Children should also know that if they ever want to meet someone in person that they’ve chatted with online that they should only do so with their parents and in a very public meeting place. Anyone that your child should meet will agree to this type of arrangement.

Your children should also never send or post pictures of themselves online without parental permission. They need to understand that they can not be sure what someone will do with this picture or where it might subsequently be posted. There are several parental control programs available, i.e. “Cyber Sentinel”, that allow parents to block the types of sites that children can access as well as the type of information that they can give out. (More details on these programs are available from the NCEMC as well as from most internet providers.) Parents can monitor the websites that children are accessing form their computer just by checking their browser’s "history" or "cache" folder, which displays a listing of the websites visited from that computer.

CHATROOMS

The most popular, yet most dangerous areas of the Internet for children are chat rooms and personal profile website like “MySpace”. Chat rooms allow users to converse with other users in a real time format no matter where they are located. Your child selects a screen name and often sets up a “profile” that contains personal information about the child. This profile can be accessed by anyone using that online system. Pedophiles are particularly adept at using this information to lure children into giving them more information which can then be used to set up meetings with your child. The same is true for the personal profile websites, where users post pictures and detailed information about themselves, which is accessible, at the very least, by other users of the site. Parents should consider setting up their own profile on these sites so that they can familiarize themselves with their content and verify their child’s participation.

Even game rooms for children have a small version of chat running under the games so players can talk to each other. Children often feel comfortable divulging private information to other players on these game chat rooms, because they assume that the other players are just kids like themselves. These sites are often visited by predators who then lead children to speak to them in other chat rooms, and then convince them to talk to them over the telephone and then attempt to set up a face to face meeting.

CONCLUSION

There is no fool proof way of preventing strangers from talking to your child online or to keep your children from accessing undesirable websites. The only fool proof way to eliminate the threat would be to eliminate access to the internet. This is unrealistic because most children routinely need to access the internet in order to complete their schoolwork and communicate with friends. Consequently, they need to learn to safely navigate the internet so that it is a resource that they can use with confidence.

The best way to ensure your child’s internet safety is to educate yourself and to talk to your children. Tell them what the dangers are and what can happen. Also, tell you child that you know that they cannot always control the items that are sent to their computer, but that they should always tell you if anything improper is sent to them or if anyone asks them inappropriate questions or to share personal information. AN OPEN DIALOG BETWEEN YOU AND YOUR CHILD IS THE BEST FORM OF PARENTAL INTERNET CONTROL.

(For additional information, go to www.naperville.il.us – Public Safety/Youth Safety)

In order to make an informed decision regarding circumcision, we feel it is important to weigh the risks and benefits. Also, research has been published since the latest AAP policy statement supporting a decrease risk for contracting sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV, for males that are circumcised.

Potential Medical Benefits of Circumcision:

• Circumcised male infants are 10-20 times less likely to contract a urinary tract infection (UTI) in the first year of life than uncircumcised infants. The risk is highest in the first two months after birth, and usually requires hospitalization at this age. Approximately 1/100 uncircumcised male infants versus 1/500-1/1,000 circumcised male infants develop a UTI in infancy.
• Circumcised adults have a decreased incidence of penile cancer. Penile cancer is quite rare, only occurring in 1/100,000 men in the United States. It is three times more likely to occur in uncircumcised versus circumcised males.
• Circumcised males are less likely to contract STD's including HIV. Recent research in on adults in Africa report a 60% decreased incidence of HIV in circumcised versus uncircumcised males. Circumcised males appear to have decreased rates of other STD's including syphilis, herpes, and human papilloma virus (which leads to penile and cervical cancer).
• Uncircumcised males can have problems with the foreskin being too tight, a condition called phimosis. Usually, the tight foreskin of an uncircumcised boy loosens and becomes retractable over time. If it does not, or if the tight foreskin causes infection or urine obstruction, circumcision can become necessary.

Potential Risks associated with Circumcision:

• The surgical complication rate reported with newborn circumcision is 0.2-0.6%. These complications are mostly minor, and include bleeding and infection. Bleeding can usually be handled with local measures. Infection is also usually minor, requiring topical treatment. Rarely serious infection, significant bleeding, or even amputation of a portion of the penis has occurred.
• Circumcision is a painful procedure. However, appropriate use of local anesthesia (such as anesthetic creams) and sugar pacifiers are safe and effective.
• Circumcision may decrease penile sensation and sexual satisfaction. There are anecdotal reports that removing the sensitive foreskin results in decreased sensation. Alternatively, there are also reports that circumcised males have less sexual dysfunction than their uncircumcised counterparts.

What do most parents choose?

Circumcision rates in the United States are estimated to be 60-90%. The rates are highest among Jewish and Caucasian Americans. Rates are lower among African and Hispanic Americans, and people of Eastern European descent. Cultural, religious, and racial factors, as well as the circumcision status of the father often factor heavily in the decision whether to circumcise.

If you have further questions regarding circumcision, don't hesitate to contact our office to discuss further.

Plainfield Fire Department
Call for Appointment
Monday through Friday 1 - 4:30pm
Saturday/Sunday 10 - 11:30am
703 N Des Plaines
Plainfield, IL 60544
Phone: 815-436-7096

Romeoville Police Department
Call for Appointment
10 Montrose Drive
Romeoville, IL 60008
Phone: 815-886-7219

Oswego Police Department
Call for Appointment
Phone: 630-551-7300

Bolingbrook Police Department
Call for Appointment
Phone: 630-226-8600

Pertussis (whooping cough) is a highly contagious bacterial disease that can be fatal for infants. It creates sticky, thick mucus in the airways that makes it hard to breathe, eat, and drink. Pertussis is also known as whooping cough because people with the disease often make a loud "whoop" sound as they struggle to breathe through their narrowed airways between coughing spasms. Complications of pertussis, which are most common in infants aged 12 months and younger, include apnea (pauses in breathing), pneumonia, dehydration, seizures, and death.

Pertussis is still a problem.

In 2006, over 15,000 cases of pertussis were reported in the United States. 140 infants died of pertussis in the United States between 2000-2005, 126 of which were under 4 months old.

Your baby may be vulnerable.

While infants are given routine diphtheria, tetanus, and acellular pertussis (DTaP) immunizations, they do not begin the primary series until they are 2 months of age and may not be fully protected until they receive their third or fourth dose at 6-15 months. During this time, they may be vulnerable to pertussis.

You could have pertussis and not know it.

When an adult or older child contracts pertussis, symptoms can be very mild and may resemble a common cold. As a result, many cases go undiagnosed, increasing the risk that someone - even you - could unknowingly expose your baby to pertussis.

Everyone 11-64 years of age should get vaccinated.

You and other members of your family may have been vaccinated against pertussis as children. Children currently receive a DTaP vaccine as part of their kindergarten vaccines. But this vaccine loses its ability to protect after 5-10 years, leaving you vulnerable to contract and transmit the disease. Until recently, there was no vaccine available for people over the age of 7 years. But now that there is a vaccine available (Tdap -- brand name "Adacel") for older children and adults. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends a pertussis booster for everyone 11-64 years of age.

Make sure your family and friends get vaccinated.

Studies show that cases of infant pertussis come from the family more often than from anywhere else. In fact, anyone who spends time with your baby may pass on pertussis. This includes childcare providers, household help, and your friends. To help protect your baby from pertussis, make sure anyone who comes into close contact with your baby gets vaccinated.

Immunization with Tdap (Tetanus, Diphtheria, Pertussis) is particularly recommended for non-pregnant adults and adolescents who will have, or anticipate having, close contact with an infant aged <12 months. Tdap should be administered at least two weeks before contact with the infant. For such patients, the interval between Td and Tdap may be as short as two years, and sometimes shorter. If you have just given birth, we, along with the CDC and AAP, recommend getting a Tdap vaccine as soon as possible. It is safe to get while breastfeeding and is compatible with other vaccines that may be needed at the same time, such as a rubella vaccine or flu shot. Ask your obstetrician if they can order it in the hospital!

Facts about iron

• The absorption of iron can vary from 1-50%, mainly dependent on the amount of iron already stored in the body.
• Heme iron, which is found only in meat, poultry, and fish, is 2-3 times more absorbable than non-heme iron (that found in plant based foods and iron fortified foods).
• Heme iron and vitamin C enhance the absorption of non-heme iron, so try and eat the two sources at the same meal.
• Calcium and tannins (in teas) decrease iron absorption, and are ideally consumed at another time.
• Infants acquire irons stores late in pregnancy. A full term infant has adequate iron stores for 4-6 months. Low birth weight and premature infants have decreased iron stores and are at increased risk for iron deficiency.
• Exclusively breast-fed infants and infants fed iron fortified formula rarely become iron deficient.
• Studies have shown that iron fortified formulas caused no more gastrointestinal distress (i.e. gas, constipation, or pain) than non fortified formulas. There is NO reason to give an infant low iron formula!
• Adolescent females with heavy menstrual blood loss are also at risk for iron deficiency and anemia.
• Iron is very dangerous or even deadly in overdose. Make sure all iron supplements are kept securely away from children.

What you can do to ensure your child gets enough iron

• Children >1 year and adolescent males need 10 mg of iron per day. Adolescent females need 18 mg of iron per day.
• Give infants only breast milk or iron-fortified formula for the first 4-6 months of life.
• When solids are introduced, give iron fortified baby cereal. Two servings (1/2-1 ounce per serving) of iron-fortified cereal per day will help prevent iron deficiency in your infant. Feeding the cereal at the same time as fruits and vegetables with vitamin C will help iron absorption.
• Do not give more than 4-6 ounces of cow's milk or soy milk per day prior to one year of age.
• Add pureed meats to your infant's diet after 6 months of age.
• Educate yourself about iron-rich foods (see attached list). It can be difficult to get 10 mg of iron per day in your child's diet, especially if they are picky and eat small portions like most toddlers. Read labels. Many breakfast cereals are iron-fortified. If you feel that your child is not getting enough iron, try giving them a multivitamin with iron each day. If they are too young for chewable vitamins, they can have one dropper of a liquid multivitamin with iron (Poly-Vi-Sol with Iron). Try mixing the vitamin in a small amount of juice to improve the taste and enhance absorption.
• Discuss screening for anemia with your doctor if you are concerned that your child has not been eating enough iron.

1. Repellants containing DEET:
   
   
   • The repellants should contain between 10% and 30% DEET. The greater the concentration, the longer the protection lasts. For example, 24% DEET lasts about 5 hours.
   • Ideally, dress your child in long sleeves and pants, and then spray the clothing with the repellant. If there is exposed skin, spray the clothing and the exposed skin, avoiding the hands and eyes.
   • Do not cover the skin that has been sprayed under clothing.
   • Wash clothing in hot water and bathe your child with soap upon returning home to minimize contact with DEET.
   • Do not spray directly on the face. Apply to your hands and then rub onto your child's face, avoiding his mouth and eyes.
   • Do not apply to children's hands since they may put them in their mouth.
   • Pregnant women can safely use DEET-containing repellant.
   • No serious illness has resulted from using DEET-containing repellant.
2. Repellants containing eucalyptus oils:
   
   
   • These types of repellants usually last less than 2 hours.
   • Allergic reactions can occur, but are rare.
   • These repellants should not be used on children under 3 years old.
3. Repellants containing Permethrin:
   
   
   • These repellents kill ticks on contact.
   • When applied to clothing, it will last even with several washings.
   • Pemethrin repellants should be applied only to clothing or outdoor equipment such as sleeping bags or tents.
   • Permethrin-containing repellants should NOT be applied directly to skin.

Never use any repellant on broken or irritated skin.

If your child develops a rash or shows any signs of an allergic reaction, stop using, wash the repellant off with mild soap and water, and call your local poison control center or doctor's office.

For infants less than 2 months, use tight fitting mosquito net over stroller, and try to avoid having your infant outside unprotected when mosquitoes are abundant.

Increase Activity

• Daily exercise for 30 minutes. This does not mean that your child must go running every day. Make exercise fun (i.e. tricycles, bicycles, roller blades, basketball in the driveway, playing catch). Exercise not only burns calories, but it also increases a child's muscle mass and is good for bone development.
• Reduce computer and television time to a maximum of 1-2 hours per day. Sitting in front of the television or computer burns few calories and has minimal educational benefit. In addition, kids see frequent advertisements for high calorie food. Substitute other activities for TV and computer time. If your child dislikes sports, consider scouting or other clubs. Even reading burns many more calories than watching TV.
• Walk or ride bikes instead of driving. When going to the pool or out for ice cream, consider walking instead of driving. Take the stairs instead of elevators. Lifestyle changes like these can make a big difference over the long term.

Reduce Caloric Intake

• Avoid fad diets and severe caloric restriction. Due to the fact that severe diets lead to poor tasting food and hungry kids, it is very difficult for a super strict diet to work over the long term. The goal should not be quick weight loss. Instead, a family should try to develop healthy habits so that over the long term the child's weight will stay in a healthy range. Fad diets do not give children the variety of highly nutritious food that they need to grow and develop well.
• Stop drinking juice, regular soda, fruit punch and Kool-Aid. Cutting out sugary drinks is a quick way to make a big cut in the amount of calories a child takes in each day. Despite what juice companies tell you in their advertisements, kids receive minimal nutritional benefit from juice.
• Switch to skim milk. This can make a huge impact on the amount of calories and saturated fat a person takes in during a day. It also is a great way to reduce cholesterol. True it doesn't taste the same, but most people get used to it.
• Avoid eating with the television on. When in front of the television, people tend to snack even when they aren't hungry.
• Eat healthy snacks. Most kids need 1-2 snacks a day, particularly when dinner is late. Make snacks with good nutritional value; for example, half of a turkey sandwich and a glass of skim milk.
• Make meals a social, family time. This is difficult to manage when everyone is off at a different activity; however, parents who insist on a sacred family dinnertime receive lots of rewards in terms of the time spent with their children. It also helps everyone eat more slowly and allows the parents to keep an eye on portion size.
• Make smart choices when it comes to fast food. Avoid fast food as much as you can. This may take extra effort! Pack healthy lunches, dinners, or snacks when you're not going to be home for a meal. When you do go to the fast food place, choose the healthy alternatives.
• Don't Supersize. In fact, reduce size. When you splurge, moderation is the key. Consider the hamburger over the quarter-pounder with cheese. Instead of the banana split, eat a small sundae.
• Look for foods with lots of nutrients. Not all high-fat foods are created equal! Foods like peanut butter and cheese provide protein, vitamins and minerals along with the fat, which makes them a good food for a growing child. Potato chips provide little nutritional value. So go ahead and give your child a peanut butter sandwich but skip the Doritos.
• Don't reward or comfort with food. Want to reward your child for something? Try alternatives like an extra game of catch with dad or stickers with younger children. For comfort, try some close time with mom or dad like reading a story. Avoid that bowl of ice cream to make them feel better.
• Stop buying high fat foods. Reduce the amount of butter, margarine, hot dogs, chips, salad dressing and mayo you use. Substitute lower fat alternatives, like low fat lunchmeat, turkey sausage, and pretzels.
• Cut back on portion size. Even small cuts in portion size can make a big difference. When eating out, consider sharing portions.
• Learn about healthy food preparation. Healthy food can taste great. There are excellent resources available for people to learn new ways to prepare food with less fat and fewer calories.
• Read food labels. Take the time to look at the nutritional value of what you are eating. Avoid trans-fats. Even in foods labeled "lite" or "low-fat" you may find unwanted surprises.
• Persistence. Preparing healthy meals, reading nutrition labels, and learning how to eat healthier takes time and energy. You don't have to make all the changes at once - every little bit helps!

Helpful internet site: Mypyramid.gov

This may not seem like excessive crying, but anyone who has tried to soothe a crying baby for hours at a time without success knows how frustrating this can be. This brings us to the subject of colic. Colic is derived from the Greek word for colon or large intestine and is defined as a painful spasm in any hollow organ, i.e. intestine. This name was given to babies who cried so much because they were thought to be in significant pain from spasms of the gastrointestinal tract. The actual definition of infantile colic is based on excessive, inconsolable crying as defined by parents as greater then 3 hours of crying daily for greater than 3 weeks within the first 3 months of life.

Ten to twenty-five percent of infants are thought to be colicky. So what should one do when faced with a baby with colic?

When a baby cries, there is usually a good reason. One must be sure that the child is not crying from hunger, or because there is a dirty diaper, or because he or she is too cold or hot. Babies also cry because they are tired, bored, or over-stimulated. These are more difficult for parents to determine and one must look closely for cues that the baby is giving as to what might be the problem. If there is any question as to what might be causing the crying, a parent should not hesitate to see a physician. There are medical reasons for a baby to be irritable such as ear infections, scratches on the eye, or food allergies, etc. These may require medical examination and treatment.

Babies who cry from colic usually are worse in the late afternoon and early evening hours. It usually starts around three weeks of age and peaks between six and eight weeks. Behavior that accompanies the crying may include arching the neck back, drawing the feet up to the abdomen, burping, and passing gas.

Because the cause of colic is not clearly understood (this is an understatement), there is no clear cut treatment that will work every time. Different techniques seem to help infants with varied degrees of success, but here are a few strategies that may work for your infant:

• Walk with your baby, rocking her gently. Babies frequently respond better to vertical motion as apposed to side-to-side motion, but again this is variable.
• Take a car ride. Make sure your baby is strapped into your infant car seat properly. The ride seems to soothe many fussy babies. There are even products that one can buy that attach to cribs and give the baby the sensation that he or she is traveling in a car at fifty-five miles per hour. There, of course, is no good data that these products truly work, but some parents swear by them.
• Place a baby near a washing machine, dishwasher, or dryer. Something about the "white noise" of these appliances soothes babies. Some have speculated that the washing machine makes sounds that resemble the womb. Alternatively, you can purchase a "white noise machine" for use in the room where your baby is to sleep.
• Bouncy seats with vibrating options as well as infant swings have also helped many parents with their colicky babies.
• Massaging a baby's tummy may help. Some people like to use a warm hot water bottle over their knees and place the baby tummy down on the water bottle.
• If your baby likes water, a soothing bath in warm water can frequently calm the screaming baby.
• Swaddling a baby snugly may also help some babies. This gives them a sense of comfort and containment. There are swaddling blankets, such as The Miracle Blanket that can aid in swaddling. Try a Moby Wrap. This is a swaddling wrap that allows you to carry your baby in a swaddled position with both hands free.
• There are herbs that can be purchased at grocery and health food stores that are said to improve colic and stomachaches. One should always consult with a physician before using these because some can be dangerous when given to young infants.
• Simethicone sold under the trade name of Mylicon drops can be bought over the counter. Their action is to break up gas bubbles and some parents swear by this medication. There are no dangerous side effects from this medicine when given in the proper dose but medical studies performed on this medication have shown that they are no more effective in treating colic than placebo.
• If mothers are breastfeeding the baby, it may help to consume a blander diet. Babies seem to be fussier after moms have had a spicy meal or eaten foods that are difficult to digest, such as beans, cabbage, or broccoli.
• Probiotics (lactobacillus): A recent study suggests that giving a colicky infant the dietary supplement, lactobacillus (also known as pro-biotics, or "good" bacteria), may reduce crying time. Although the study was small, the results were quite dramatic, with a decrease in daily crying time from 200 minutes to 51 minutes in infants treated. The placebo group started at 200 minutes and only decreased to 145 minutes per day at the end of treatment. This supplement is considered safe, and may be worth a try! The dose of Lactobacillus Reuteri suspension is 5 drops once a day. You can find this in health stores or online.

The most important thing for parents to know when trying to treat colic is that it is okay to be frustrated and to make sure to utilize any and all support systems available. Parents of a colicky infant can be tested to the extreme and should rely on the help of friends, relatives or neighbors. Spending an hour or two away from a colicky baby can do wonders in improving your ability to cope. If all else fails, put your infant safely in his crib or bassinet and allow him to cry for 10-15 minutes before trying again to soothe him. The good news about colic is that it does go away over time and there are no long-term effects for the infant. Babies are almost all over their colic by the age of 4 months and most are much better by 3 months. So, if parents can stick it out for a few months, the end result is a healthy, happier baby.