A Fight Against Childhood Obesity

Childhood obesity problem is rising. More and more children are suffering from it. Obesity could not just result to bullying at school because of not usual size of the child but also of health problems.

Some people throw this issue to food chains and junk food companies. Can we solely blame them? Parents should be responsible enough of the quality and quantity of food they are giving to their kids, right? They are the direct handlers of their kids and have the authority to tame their taste buds while kids are still young.

Excess weight could result to acquired diabetes (Type II Diabetes), high cholesterol level, hypertension and cancer. Obesity could also lead to low self-esteem and depression. Parents, is it fine with you that your children suffer all these things on their young age? If not, better give what is healthy and best for them. It does not mean that it is good you can give more of it because your child wants it. You also need to teach them about discipline. Always be aware of the quality and quantity of the food you give.

Physical activities should be promoted, your child need to move a lot to be physically healthy. Providing a computer with internet and lots of games to choose from, and a cabled television set for your children to stay at home is fine but they should need to have time for their studies and physical activities as well. Let them be involved in sports at school that suites to their age if they want. Providing a space in your yard for them to play like basketball, table tennis, badminton, and other sports that do not require a lot of space but could make them move a lot is great. Taking them to park for a walk or jog with you as form of exercise, or let them play with kids of their age are also great ideas for them to stay fit.

Healthy lifestyle is not just for adults but for everybody. Let us not allow unhealthy condition like obesity to threaten our family health. Let us all live a healthy lifestyle.

Why Some Parents Refuses Whooping Cough Vaccination for Their Kids

While many people are talking about Devin Ebanks, Michael Jackson death, USA World Cup, Eclipse premiere, Oprah Riggs contest in favor of African American and so many other topics, I am more concerned of whooping cough cases that are rising in the US. No, we will not be talking about the whooping cough symptoms now. We will talk about the advantages and disadvantages of being vaccinated for pertussis (whooping cough).

Some parents refuse their kids to receive a vaccine shot for pertussis or whooping cough. Did you know that according to researchers children who did not received a vaccination for pertussis (whooping cough) were 23 times more prone than those who are vaccinated?

Why some parents refuse their child to be vaccinated for pertussis (whooping cough)? It has been alleged that pertussis (whooping cough) vaccination could cause encephalopathy. The said encephalopathy includes seizures and later intellectual disability. Researchers check further who are those kids who suffered from an alleged side effect, and it has been found out that those who developed the vaccine encephalopathy suffers from severe myoctonic epilepsy of infancy (Dravet syndrome).

It has been found out that about 80 percent of babies with severe myoctonic epilepsy of infancy (Dravet syndrome) has defect on their gene for the sodium channel SCNN1A. Babies who suffer from Dravet syndrome suffer seizure when the babies are on their 6th month onwards and intellectual disability when they reach 2 years old. And, because of their genetic defect, they are also prone to develop pertussis (whooping cough).

Now, that we all know that vaccination is NOT the cause of the encephalopathy but a genetic abnormality. And, the fact that vaccine could protect from illness instead of giving harm, I hope that parents will not miss a chance for their kids to be protected from diseases.

Let Us Talk About Heaven Sent Angels

All babies for me are cute angels sent from heaven. Regardless of race, color or if they wear trendy baby clothes or not they really are angels that could stimulate our facial muscles to smile and make us feel happy when they smile to us and do things that amazes us.

Speaking of baby clothes, I remember my niece when she was just 6 months old and her parents brought her to a shopping mall and bought a nice dress for her. As they visited our place on the following day, she wear her new dress. We appreciate how nice her baby dress is and she really smile and mumble words we could not understand while holding her dress every time we appreciate it and how good it looks to her.

We asked her mom what she is trying to tell us and her mom told us the story about her new dress which our niece really love. I was amazed how grateful and proud my niece is of her new dress since she’s so young to appreciate things. Though she could not speak yet, she showed to us how happy she is to receive such gift from her loving parents.

I learned an info months after it happened that as early as the day they were born, babies have good sensory systems like they can hear, smell, see, and respond to what is happening on their surroundings? Try touching a palm of a newborn baby and you will be amazed that the baby could grasp your finger. And, those sensory they are equipped upon birth are developed or shaped from what they learn on their daily experience as they grow old.

Time and attention you give to your precious baby really counts so as  on how you deal with the baby for him or her to be a better individual in the future. The values and ways you share to the baby, like being appreciative of things she received (as in the case of my niece), is not an instinct like grasping your finger when you touch a newborn babe palm but a learned behavior from parents.

Why We Need To Sleep?

“Why we need to sleep?” That’s the exact question I heard from my 7 years old cousin who loves to play the whole day and want to stay up late for his favorite television shows on evening. He accompanied my grandma as she goes homes from almost a month vacation in my Uncle’s house and stayed with us for more than 2 weeks.

During his stay, we let him take an afternoon nap and send him to bed at nine o’clock in the evening. At first, it has been hard for him to take an afternoon nap and sleep early in the evening because he was not used to it.

One afternoon, as he was sent to bed by my grandma, he asked me why is it necessary to sleep. I saw in his eyes that he is craving for an answer to his question that should be satisfied so that he will do it in his own will next time he is told to do so.

I told him that he is a growing child and by the time he is asleep his growth hormone is active that help him grow taller. He made a follow up question then why my grandmother love to take a nap too though she is no longer on her growing years. Thus, I explained further about the importance of sleep to our body.

“Sleeping is like recharging. It is not just the battery in your cellular phone that needs to be recharged but your body as well. During sleep our muscle tissues are rebuilt and chemicals in the brain are replenished”, I said.

He was satisfied with my explanation and take a nap without further reminding him to do so. He automatically take a nap and go to bed early since that time. Definitely, he does not want to become lowbat (low battery) like the cellular phone. It is his dream too to become a tall man thus he need right amount of time to sleep.

What is ADHD?

what is ADHD (Attention-deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) ?

ADHD is a common behavioural disorder that impacts an approximate of eight percent to ten percent population of school-age kids. Male children are approximately threefold more probable to be diagnosed with ADHD syndrome than femaile children. There is no definite explanation about this up to now.

You would likely spot a kid who has ADHD because you will observe that they act without thinking most of the time, however that does not make them less inteligent than the normal kids, in fact, some of them have their own special skills too. They are just extra are hyperactive than normal kids, and they have trouble focusing on one thing. you will often find them doing one thing and after a few minutes they will do another or do it simultaneously while continuosly loosing focus. When you give them instructions, they understand, and they are eager to fulfill just what’s expected of them but the problem arises which usually causes parents to get pissed off because they have trouble carrying out certain instructions because they can’t sit still, loose focus, can’t pay attention, and they tend to miss out details.

This kind of behaviour is common in all kids most especially the younger ones, who often act that way specially when they’re uneasy or energized. But this should not be mistaken with ADHD. A kid who has this syndrome has those symptoms exhibit over a longer period and it usually take place in various situations. A parent must give full attention and care to a kid who has ADHD, becsause it will not only affect a kid’s ability to function at home, but he will also carry it outside when dealing with other people in the community or at school. Kids usually get bashed by other kids, or people who have no idea about the disorder. So, it is important that a parent is there to guide the child, as well as help educate the people around him, so they would understand that he is special, however he should still be treated like other normal kids and with the same respect.

ADHD is a condition which symptoms can be managed through proper treatment. Many people who have this disorder are still able to function well in the society.

The Most Effective Method In Relieving Pain For Newborn Children

What is the most effective method in relieving pain for newborn children undergoing phlebotomy or any other medical procedure? That is what we will be talking today. As Medical Technologist, pain management during blood sampling is our major goal during phlebotomy (taking blood sample for laboratory examination/s) especially on newborn children. Some of the physiological effects of pain are changes in blood pressure and temperature, abnormal respiration, tachycardia, hypoxemia, prolonged catabolism and release of hormones such as cortisol, cathecolamines and endorphins.

I appreciate the prospective study reported in Pediatrics on their November issue. Researchers tried to find the most effective way of pain management during blood sampling for newborn screening procedure. And what did they found out? Feeding the child either breast feeding or bottle feeding is the most effective method of relieving pain during phlebotomy. Such idea of relieving pain is not new and is very much practical, right?

It may not possible to totally eradicate pain during blood collection procedure but the goal of reducing the pain to its lower level helps a lot not just to the newborn child but to the phlebotomist and the mother or caretaker of the child too. For some medical procedures that may cause much more pain to the newborn child, some doctors gives pharmacological agents commonly used in the ICN (Intensive Care Nursery) to reduce or prevent pain.

How to Help Develop The Motor Skill of Your Three-Year Old Child

You can do something to help develop the small muscle motor skill of your three-year-old child. Simple tearing and cutting using blunt-end scissors is not a simple task for a three-year-olds. These activities could develop their motor skills.

Why not give old newspapers or magazines to your child to tear or cut out? You have to be be with your child as he or she do the activity. Children usually need someone on first few sessions of this activity to hold their paper while they are tearing or cutting the other side of the paper, most especially on cutting. They may not be able to coordinate the scissors and paper.

As they progress, they will soon learn to form shapes by tearing or cutting the paper. On the advance level, better draw a simple shape then let them tear or cut following the shape you draw.

This may seem a simple activity for bonding with three-year-old kids but it will help a lot on developing their  small muscle motor skill.

ADHD Information

I have been curious about ADHD information because as I know ADHD symptoms could be mistaken as other problems such as emotional or disciplinary problems among children. I am particularly curious in diagnosing ADHD.

What is ADHD? It is an acronym of Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. It is a psychiatric disorder that involves hyperactivity and attention problems. Previously it was thought as childhood disease but was found out that it could continue until adulthood it could really affect the persons potentials to achieve things but the good thing is it could be treated.

Some ADHD symptoms? Difficulty in giving attention especially in concentration and organization, hyperactivity and could be impulsive in decision making and may have problem in controlling impulses.ADHD could not just affect relationships, education, work and finances but on health as well. Drug abuse, alcoholism or compulsive eating could be due to ADHD.

In diagnosing ADHD, lots of factors are considered because there are many ailments that mimics ADHD. That’s why trained mental health professionals for ADHD are the only one who could really diagnosed if someone is suffering from ADHD problem. Interview for history of problem (checking out the signs and symptoms), physical examination and psychological tests are things usually done before diagnosis is made.