13-01
Healthy Buzz
Draft 2
10.10.12
15 minutes to calm
We all know the holidays can be hectic. (Bake for the school party, wrap presents, and
book airline tickets in one night? No problem!) Next time you need a break, try this yoga
pose to help you feel calm and restored, says Stephanie Sandleben1, a certified yoga
instructor in New York City:
1. On a yoga mat (or towel, if you don’t have one) lay on your back with your knees
bent, so that the soles of your feet touch and your legs make a diamond shape. (If
you feel a pull in your inner thighs, you can put several folded blankets
underneath each thigh.)
2. Place your hands at your sides at a 30-degree angle from your torso.
3. Close your eyes and breath in and out, feeling your body release into the pose.
Hold for 15 minutes.
4. For an even deeper relaxation, place folded blankets underneath your head and
lower back, and an eye pillow over your eyes.
—Nadia Hoppe
Treat fevers—naturally
Cold and flu season has officially arrived, and your baby’s still-developing immune
system not only makes her more susceptible to the sniffling and sneezing, but also the
fever that can come with it. The good news: While a temperature over 100° can make
your little one uncomfortable, it isn’t usually serious—in fact it can help stave off
infection by activating various parts of the immune system that help fight viruses and
bacteria, says Jennifer Shu2, M.D., a pediatrician at Children’s Medical Group in Atlanta.
And, there are natural ways you can bring down the fever at home. Here, two tips for
safely reduce a rising temp:
Quick cool down Since a fever is an increase in body temperature, the best way to get
your baby comfortable is to cool her down, says Shu. Try giving her a short lukewarm
bath (or a sponge bath)—just make sure the water is tepid, but not cold. Also, be sure
she’s drinking plenty of liquids—breast milk or formula works, as does an electrolyte
solution like Pedialyte.
Homeopathic helpers The plant belladonna is a natural fever reducer, says Erin Psota3, a
naturopathic doctor in Toronto, Canada. Two baby-safe options: Heel’s Viburcol ($14.49
for 10 vials, heelusa.com) and Boiron’s Belladonna4 ($7.99 for 80 pellets,
1
ssandelben@gmail.com
2
jennifershumd@me.com
3
info@erinpsotand.com
4
alissa.gould@boiron.com
boironusa.com). Be sure to talk with your pediatrician about the best dosage for your
little one.
Note: If your baby is younger than three months, has a fever over 104°, or has other
symptoms, like trouble breathing or a rash, see a doctor, since it could be a sign of a more
serious problem.
—Dana Wilkosz
Sleeping through the holidays?
Noticed your family’s sleeping schedule has been slightly out of whack since the kids
have been home on school break? Don’t sweat it—it can actually be good for you, says
researcher Till Roenneberg, Ph.D5., of the University of Munich. His research has shown
that weekday sleep schedules that force us to wake up earlier than when we’re ready are
causing a kind of “social jet lag,” leaving us feeling drained and sleep-deprived—
particularly older kids and adults, whose internal clocks tend to be set later than little
kids’. So despite what you’ve heard about sticking to a schedule and getting up early on
days off, sleeping late over the holidays can actually allow your body to catch up, says
Roenneberg. Then, before heading back to the daily grind, slowly start easing your family
into an earlier schedule.
—D.W.
52%
That’s how much less likely parents are to catch a cold than people without kids, finds
recent research from Carnegie Mellon University. Why? “We think it may be due to
some psychological or behavioral factor that we didn’t measure in the study. For
example, parenthood may confer less loneliness, less depression, greater purpose in life,
or more life satisfaction,” says lead study author Rodlescia S. Sneed, MPH6
KIWI Pets: Seasonal safety tips
Getting together with friends and family is one of the highlights of the holidays—but
parties can also pose some hazards for pets that want to get in on the fun. “Many
problems are caused by people not knowing what is safe for animals,” says Tina Wismer,
D.V.M.7, medical director at the ASPCA’s Animal Poison Control Center in Urbana,
Illinois8. Here, a few common culprits:
People food: Keep dogs and cats away from foods like grapes, raisins, garlic and
onions—when eaten in large amounts, grapes and raisins may cause kidney failure in
dogs, and garlic and onion can result in anemia for both. And you already know that dogs
shouldn’t be eating chocolate, but be careful: it can be just as toxic for cats, depending on
5
6
till.roenneberg@med.uni-muenchen.de
rsneed@andrew.cmu.edu
Tina Wismer via Mallory Kerley <Mallory.kerley@aspca.org>, see also <http://www.aspca.org/petcare/pet-care-tips/holiday-safety-tips.aspx>
8
http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/poison-control/animal-poison-control-faq.aspx#ATAPCC5
7
how much they eat.9 To stay safe, institute a no-feeding rule or make sure your guests
know which table treats are okay to feed your pup or kitty.
Holly and mistletoe: They might look festive as a centerpiece, but if you have a pet that
likes to jump up on tables or countertops, it’s best to steer clear of these seasonal plants.
Both can cause stomach problems for dogs and cats (and potential heart problems for
cats, too). Just a bite or two of either will likely make your pet vomit, but larger amounts
can be much more harmful, says Wismer.
Guests’ Accessories: Be sure to keep all party-goers purses and bags in a room that’s
off-limits to pets—some dogs, and even cats, have been known to pick through
pocketbooks and eat any medications they may find. If you think your pet has eaten
anything toxic, don’t hesitate to call the Animal Poison Control Center.10
—N.H.
Pregnancy to preteen
Pregnancy11 Craving peanuts? Eating them could help protect your baby from
developing asthma and hay fever, finds a study from the Harvard School of Public
Health. Researchers found that 18-month-olds whose moms ate peanuts at least once a
week while pregnant were 21 percent less likely to develop asthma than kids whose
mothers didn’t eat the nuts. While more research is needed as to why, the findings
suggest that past recommendations that warned pregnant women against eating tree nuts
due to an increased risk of allergies might be wrong, says lead author Ekaterina
Maslova12.
Baby13 Sleep-deprived parents take note: How you get your baby to sleep might not
matter as much as you thought. Researchers from the Murdoch Childrens Research
Institute in Australia looked at the effects of two common sleeping methods—one in
which parents respond to a baby’s cry, and one in which they sit with a baby and wait for
her to fall asleep—on 225 six-month-olds. “These findings show that giving parents
choices for managing their baby’s sleep can effectively reduce infant sleep problems and
improve mothers’ sleep and mental health,” says the study’s lead author, Anna Price,
Ph.D.14
Little Kid15 Has your child’s blood pressure been checked? When researchers from the
University of California, San Francisco looked at national data over a nine-year period,
they found that pediatricians didn’t take kids’ blood pressure at just over one-third of
routine check-ups. Often, it was because the doctor simply forgot or ran out of time—but
it’s important info, since high blood pressure in little kids can up the risk of
9
http://www.aspca.org/Pet-care/ask-the-expert/ask-the-expert-poison-control/chocolate
http://www.aspca.org/Pet-care/poison-control/what-to-do-if-your-pet-is-poisoned
10
11
12
13
14
Maslova et al JACI.PDF
em.post.harvard@gmail.com
Lam 2003 - Outcomes of Infant Sleep Problems- A Longitudinal Study.pdf
anna.price@mcri.edu.au
15
http://pediatrics.aappublications.org/content/early/2012/09/12/peds.2011-3888.long
cardiovascular disease, says the study’s lead author Daniel Shapiro16. One way to ensure
it gets checked: Ask what your child’s blood pressure is and whether it’s normal for her
age group, recommends Shapiro.
Big Kid17 Getting a pet may help improve social skills in kids with autism, finds a recent
French study. Researchers looked at three groups of autistic kids and found that, over
time, kids who got a pet (a dog, cat, or smaller animal like a hamster) after they turned 5
became better sharers and were more empathetic to parents or kids who were hurt or sad.
Researchers speculate it’s because families may spend more time together after adopting
a pet, or that, when interacting with a pet, the animal’s reactions forces kids to adjust
their behavior accordingly, says lead author Marine Grandgeorge, Ph.D18. Before
adopting, bring your child around a friend or family member’s pet to see how they
interact, recommends Grandgeorge.
Preteen19 Turns out tweens are spending more time with their parents then you might
think. Researchers from Penn State University found that one-on-one time between
tweens and teens and parents actually increased from childhood through preadolescence—particularly with activities like doing homework and playing sports. Plus,
the more one-on-one time kids spent with dads in particular, the higher their self-esteem.
The findings suggest that kids want to stay connected with their parents and benefit from
that time, says study co-author, Susan McHale20. She recommends setting aside 10 or 15
minutes a day to talk with your kid—whether it’s in the car on the way to soccer practice
or over dinner.
—D.W.
16
daniel.shapiro@ucsf.edu
17
http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0041739
18
marine.grandgeorge@chu-brest.fr
19
20
Lam et al Parent time 11-11.doc
x2u@psu.edu