Stars for Kids

As a chiropractor for over twenty years, naturally many people have come to me as patients. And, over the course of their treatment, in addition to their sharing general health and fitness concerns with me, my patients often share their personal concerns for family, especially their children. What I’ve heard, of course, from every parent, rich or poor, is their concern about the future of their children and how well they will do in the world. In recent years, with both parents needing to work to make ends meet, those concerns have taken on more intensity because, of necessity, a larger portion of child care is being “outsourced.” The quality of child care has been a primary concern for many reasons. And now, a new study has found that the effects of early child care may be more even more long-lasting than commonly believed.

According to Deborah Lowe Vandell, PhD, the study leader, as well as the professor and chair of education at the University of California, Irvine, at fifteen years of age teens who had high-quality child care in their early years performed better on academic and cognitive tests than did other teens, and they had fewer adolescent behavior problems.

It is apparent that the effects of early child care don’t just “fade away.”  Before you place your child in a day care situation, remember that what your children experience today, e.g., a nurturing, creative environment, will make a difference in their success in life later on, not only as adults, but in their teens years as well.

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Most of us, whether we are medical doctors, chiropractors, other health professionals, or laypeople know by now that one in three US children are obese. But, did you also know that studies have found that nearly one in five children becomes overweight or obese by age 6, and that more than half of obese children become overweight before the age of 2? And, if those statistics don’t shock you, try this: Nearly 6 percent of infants younger than six months are overweight today, up from 3.4 percent between 1980 and 2001. The “chubby baby” that, back in the day, epitomized good health (as opposed to malnutrition) is now a dangerous sign that childhood obesity is happening “from the start.”

First lady Michelle Obama, our country’s children’s health advocate, who released 70 goals as part of the government’s campaign against childhood obesity, said that panel found that women could help reduce childhood obesity by 1) maintaining a healthy weight when they become pregnant and 2) by breast-feeding their babies. “For the first time, the nation will have goals, benchmarks and measureable outcomes that will help us tackle the childhood obesity epidemic one child, one family and one community at a time,” Mrs. Obama said.

Obese and overweight children are at higher risk of diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and other illnesses, and some public health experts say, if this trend isn’t remedied, children today may live shorter lives than their parents. Mrs. Obama said that the goal is to solve the problem so babies born today will come of age at a healthy weight. Of course, there’s much to be done, but the problem is urgent indeed. And, though over dozen federal agencies, including the Education, Agriculture, Health, Interior and Transportation departments, participated in the Childhood Obesity Task Force, it holds an “advisory only” position.

We can all become children’s health advocates by writing to our government representatives and letting them know that that we want action, in addition to advice, when it comes to the health of our country’s children, such as the proactive step that Congress has taken to begin the process of updating the guidelines for foods served in schools, including what is offered by vending machines.

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As a chiropractor I am well-aware of the many important benefits of vaginal births versus Cesarean births for the overall health of babies. When an infant is allowed to make its way completely through the birth canal, this natural process encourages many of the primitive reflexes that will later help the baby to develop healthy motor function. Of course, vaginal births are not always possible, but they can and should be encouraged far more frequently than they are in this country. The national Cesarean rate has been steadily rising for the past eleven years to its current 31.8 percent. Though there is no consensus on what the rate should be, government health agencies and the World Health Organization have suggested 15 percent as a goal in low-risk women.

Why is the rate in the U.S. so high? Statistic show that it is fed by repeat patients. Many doctors and hospitals in this country refuse to let women who’ve had a prior Cesarean even try to give birth vaginally. The reasons for this have a practical financial basis (as do most expensive healthcare procedures) rather than their being performed for the safety and well-being of the patient, both mother and baby. Doctors and hospitals not only fear malpractice lawsuits and insurance premium increases, but they also get far more money for performing Cesarean surgery than assisting with a natural birth — several billion dollars a year, in fact, for a procedure that is unnecessary in most cases.

Vaginal births save money and are better for many mothers and infants. The National Institutes of Health is holding a conference this week in Bethesda, Maryland, where they will discuss this country’s dismal rates of vaginal birth after Cesarean (VBAC) that have descended dramatically since 1996. “I think it’s the purpose of this conference to see if we can turn the clock back,” said Dr. Kimberly D. Gregory, vice chairwoman of women’s health care quality and performance improvement at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles.

Years ago fears that the scar on the uterus would rupture during labor, which can be life-threatening for both the woman and the child, was given as the reason for not allowing a VBAC. But even as far back at 1980, an expert panel declared it safe for many women, and yet the trend continues

While Congress is debating affordable healthcare, they should consider sweeping, fundamental changes in medical practices like Cesarean surgery, such as removing the profit motive for performing it, and allowing midwives to handle more deliveries. Federally funded medical care during pregnancy and labor would preclude the threat of insurance companies to increase premiums or withdraw coverage is doctors and hospitals allow VBAC, and midwives help to reduce costs in many ways, not the least of which is helping to reduce costly complications through their extended presence during labor and the birth process.

Nurse-midwives at at hospitals run by Indian Health Services on reservations, where Cesarean rates are a low 13.5 percent (less than half the national rate), deliver most of the babies born vaginally, with obstetricians available in case problems occur. Midwives staff the labor ward around the clock, a model of care thought to minimize Cesareans because midwives specialize in coaching women through labor and will often wait longer than obstetricians before recommending a Cesarean. They are also less likely to try to induce labor before a woman’s due date, something that increases the odds of a Cesarean.  In the rest of the country, nurse-midwives attend about only 10 percent of vaginal births.

There is much to be done to fix our ailing healthcare system and, yes, this is just one area. But, giving babies a healthy start in life through natural childbirth will, no doubt, help to reduce future health problems for them as they grow old and, therefore, to reduce future healthcare costs as well.

Source: nytimes.com

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Did you know that over the period of a decade, medication side effects have sent over half a million American children to outpatient clinics and emergency rooms annually? As a pediatric chiropractor who believes in a conservative, natural, drug-free chiropractic approach to children’s health whenever possible, I find that figure very disturbing. The statistic comes from a group of researchers at Children’s Hospital in Boston. Their findings were recently published in the journal Pediatrics. The study found that between the years 1995 and 2005, a total of 585,922 incidents of adverse drug events occurred annually among children 18 years and younger. Although most of these children received treatment at outpatient clinics, 22 percent resulted in a visit to a hospital emergency room.

The study analyzed data from the National Center for Health Statistics and found that as many as 13 outpatient visits per 1,000 children occur due to drug-related adverse events; an indication that medication complications are common in pediatric care. The greatest risk of medication side effects was discovered to be among children ages four and younger, accounting for approximately 43 percent of all events. The second highest risk was found to be among teens between the ages of 15 and 18 at a total of 23 percent.

For more valuable information regarding this important study, go to healthnews.com.

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Did you know that one-third of children suffer from recurrent headaches that occur more than once a month? That’s an alarming statistic! But, as a chiropractor, though I’m alarmed, I’m not surprised. Children can get misaligned in many ways and headaches can often be the result. The active child can sustain a fall or sports injury. The sedentary, computer video child can occur headaches as the result of poor sitting postures.  But, another cause of headaches is surprisingly “seasonal.” As children and teens begin school each year, they are more susceptible to headaches and migraines. The change in schedule, new teachers, new friends and schoolwork can increase stress and, consequently, produce headaches.

In the case of the latter, there are quite a few things that you, as a parent, can do to help reduce these “seasonal” headaches.  For starters, enforce an earlier bedtime so that your child will be well-rested before beginning a new school year. In fact, in a new study published in Headache, researchers at Nationwide Children’s Hospital found that sleep and emotional disorders were common in adolescents with migraines. You should minimize (or eliminate) your child’s caffeine consumption (there is plenty of caffeine in certain soda pops). Obviously caffeine can make getting to sleep more difficult.  Also, make certain that your child is eating balanced meals and regular snacks, as well as drinking enough amount of water. Dehydration can often cause a headache.

If your child does develop a headache, chiropractic care is an effective, drug-free alternative for headache pain relief.  Over-the-counter medications, even once a week, can potentially put your child at risk for gastrointestinal and liver problems.

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As a chiropractor who specializes in pediatric care, I am always happy to read articles relating to the simple ways in which a child’s brain can be stimulated. Naturally, chiropractic adjustments have a positive effect on a child’s brain and nervous system. But, there is plenty that parents can do to assist the mental awareness and communication skills of their children. So, I found today’s nytimes.com article on the benefits of parents’ talking to their children very interesting. Randi Jacoby, a speech and language specialist in New York, believes that parents today have stopped having good communications with their young children, and this is causing children to lose out on the eye contact, facial expression and overall feedback that is essential for early communication development.

“Young children require time and one-on-one feedback as they struggle to formulate utterances in order to build their language and cognitive skills,” Jacoby said. “Parents need to be reminded of the significance of their communicative model.”

Ms. Jacoby’s general advice to parents is to reward your child’s communicative attempts with your own heightened attention, and to prepared to put down your cellphone and look them squarely in the eye as they share their thoughts with you.

The article is extremely informative and should be read in its entirety, ad it offers excellent advice on how to better communicate with your children. And, the most important was that when your children try to talk to you, give them your full attention whenever possible. And before you speak to them, make sure you have their attention.

The full article can be found at nytimes.com

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A Children’s Chiropractic Center in Oklahoma City, “Oklahaven,” announced the dates of their annual “Have-A-Heart” campaign, a worldwide event that is held during Valentine’s week each year. The purpose of the event is to increase the awareness of the healing power of chiropractic for very sick children and also to benefit the center.

“It is through the amazing generosity and support of people all around the world that allows us the opportunity to help children with their journey back to optimal health. I am extremely hopeful that our expanded campaign efforts to businesses in your community this upcoming year will not only increase the awareness of our mission, but allow us to provide more children with the chiropractic care they so desperately need,” says Dr. James O’Dwyer, Director of “Oklahaven” Children’s Chiropractic Center.

Pediatric Chiropractic has proved to be effective in improving the health of children through treatment that is natural and medication-free.  Oklahaven’s specializes in treating neurologically disorganized children, including failure to thrive, cerebral palsy, developmental delays, ADHD, and the autism spectrum.

To learn more about “Oklahaven“, sign up for the 2010 Have-A-Heart campaign, or to make a donation please visit www.chiropractic4kids.com.

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As a chiropractor, I certainly employ 21st century skills in my practice. There have been amazing innovations in chiropractic health care equipment that continue to be beneficial in many ways, but the roots of chiropractic care can be traced all the way back to the beginning of recorded time. Writings from China and Greece written in 2700 B.C. and 1500 B.C. mention spinal manipulation and the maneuvering of the lower extremities to ease low back pain. I still use those skills as well! I don’t believe that we need to completely let go of the past to embrace the benefits of today’s discoveries. That’s why I was very disturbed when I read an article on the Discovery website. Apparently, what used to be called “penmanship” is being shunted aside at schools across the country in favor of 21st century skills.

The decline of cursive is happening as students are doing more and more work on computers, including writing. In 2011, the writing test of the National Assessment of Educational Progress will require 8th and 11th graders to compose on computers, with 4th graders following in 2019.

Call me “old fashioned,” but I enjoy sending and (definitely) enjoy receiving a handwritten card or note, especially from my children. There is a certain “feel” to handwritten missives that an e-mail just cannot convey. And, what about the individual, nearly-impossible-to-precisely-duplicate personal signature? Even that lovely insight into our unique personalities is falling by the wayside. The article told of a mother’s shock that her eight-grade daughter was unable to sign her own name!

“We need to make sure (children will) be ready for what’s going to happen in 2020 or 2030,” said Katie Van Sluys, a professor at DePaul University and the president of the Whole Language Umbrella, a conference of the National Council of Teachers of English.

Yes, I would agree that we want our children to be able to succeed in the global market. But, by 2020 or 2030, even though automobiles will likely be obsolete, should we dispense with teaching our children how to ride a bicycle? Some things from the past bring joy to the present.

Handwriting may increasingly be something people do only when they need to make a note to themselves rather than communicate with others, but on the other hand, if our children lose the ability to write (or never learn how), will they be unable to converse with themselves in writing?

“Text messaging, e-mail, and word processing have replaced handwriting outside the classroom,” said Cheryl Jeffers, a professor at Marshall University’s College of Education and Human Services, and she worries they’ll replace it entirely before long. “I am not sure students have a sense of any reason why they should vest their time and effort in writing a message out manually when it can be sent electronically in seconds.” For Jeffers, cursive writing is a lifelong skill, one she fears could become lost to the culture, making many historic records hard to decipher and robbing people of “a gift.”

Certainly there are those, like Jeffers, who still continue to believe in the handwritten word, e.g., Montessori Schools. At Mountaineer Montessori in Charleston, teacher Sharon Spencer stresses cursive to her first- through third-graders. By the time her students are in the third grade, they are writing book reports and their spelling words in cursive. To Spencer, cursive writing is an art that helps teach them muscle control and hand-eye coordination.

This should not be an “either/or” situation and we need to address the pros and cons before it’s too late. Get in touch with your local school board, “write” a letter to those involved in policies on education at the state and federal levels. Let’s not let handwriting become extinct.

For the full story,  go to discovery.com

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As a chiropractor I treat many children. Pediatric chiropractic can help boost a child’s immune system, get rid of headaches, improve gait and posture, and even help with bedwetting. Unfortunately, severe illness can’t always be prevented and sometimes children need special medical treatment in a hospital. If you’ve been with a hospitalized child then you know how frightening it can be for him or her. So I was thrilled to read that Mattel Children’s Hospital UCLA has a new mobile tool to deliver music therapy and help pediatric patients cope with the fear, isolation and pain associated with being in the hospital.

Music therapy is used to help alleviate pain, improve a young patient’s mood, stimulate movement and communication, calm anxieties and fears, promote relaxation, and make the hospital feel more like home. The Music Rx unit is a high-tech, interactive studio on wheels that includes everything necessary for music therapy, both in group settings and one-on-one. It holds a variety of instruments, including drums, keyboards and guitars, as well as Apple GarageBand software for recording music, a custom-built iPod docking station with 10 iPods to loan, and a large LCD screen that plays hundreds of music videos.

The Music Rx cart was donated to UCLA’s Child Life/Child Development Services department by the Children’s Cancer Association (CCA), with support from the Starlight Children’s Foundation. UCLA is one of first hospitals to participate in the CCA’s nationwide expansion of the Music Rx program, which began in Portland, Oregon. A CCA study of Music Rx showed that the program had a positive effect on a child’s mood, family bonding and pain scores, compared with those who did not receive the music therapy.

A second component of the Music Rx program features a live music element, with professional harpists, cellists, flautists and other community musicians playing soothing music in the pediatric hallways.

When children are seriously ill, they need more than conventional medicine. Music therapy may be the answer.

For more information, go to: medicalnewstoday

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As a chiropractor and children’s health advocate I was very excited when I read the article in the New York Times this morning about the crackdown by the Food and Drug Administration on the sale of flavored cigarettes. The announcement was made by Dr. Margaret A. Hamburg, commissioner of food and drugs. The ban is intended to end the sale of tobacco products with chocolate, vanilla, clove and other flavorings that lure children and teenagers into smoking. The agency will study regulating menthol products and hinted that it might soon take action against the far larger market of flavored small cigars and cigarillos. “These flavored cigarettes are a gateway for many children and young adults to become regular smokers,” Dr. Hamburg said in announcing the ban.

Laws are required, and should be strenuously enforced, when there seems to be no conscience on the part of big business, especially when it comes to the health of our children. This ban is wonderful news as studies show that every day 3,600 children and teenagers start smoking and 1,100 become daily smokers.

Matthew L. Myers, president of the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids, hailed Tuesday’s announcement and said it clearly applied to flavored small cigars that are virtually identical to cigarettes. “The F.D.A. demonstrated that they’re serious about enforcing the ban on flavored cigarettes and serious about preventing tobacco companies from circumventing that ban with other tobacco products that appeal to children,” Mr. Myers said.

For the full article and sources, go to: nytimes.com

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