FOR YOUR
health
LIVING AN ACTIVE LIFESTYLE CHRISTOPHER KIST, MS
Exercise program supervisor for the HealthWorks! Program for kids ages 5 to 18 at Cincinnati Children’s.
“The biggest lesson for parents is the reminder to re-apply sunscreen.” NICOLE BALDWIN, MD
S O OT H I N G
a sunbur n
Yes, an oatmeal bath makes the list, but common remedies might be more practical options Effective remedies for alleviating a sunburn range from a washcloth soaked in cool water to aloe vera lotions, but there are some unusual remedies that are also effective. And a couple that aren’t. Now, that doesn’t mean you should give your sunburned child a bath in oatmeal paste. But if you did, it will ease the pain and itch. Oats, it turns out, are rich in antioxidant and antiinflammatory properties. “Oatmeal is soothing to many kinds of rashes,” says Nicole Baldwin, MD, a pediatrician affiliated with Cincinnati Children’s. She’s a bigger proponent of more common remedies such as aloe vera lotion. “There’s a lot of research that aloe vera helps cool the skin and heal it,” she says. “The first key is cooling, to relieve the inflammation. A cool bath or applying a washcloth to the affected skin will help, too.” If pain persists, Baldwin recommends an age-appropriate dose of ibuprofen for children older than six months. She cautions against some remedies for sunburn that are readily promoted online. One is to add one cup of cider vinegar to a
n
Nicole Baldwin, MD, is a community pediatrician affiliated with Cincinnati Children’s. She practices at Northeast Cincinnati Pediatric Associates.
bath to restore proper pH balance (acidity vs. alkalinity) of sunburned skin. “I didn’t find any research that advocated for that,” she says. Several other options have downsides that are important to remember. Witch hazel has antiinflammatory properties, because it draws tissue together and constricts blood vessels, but some versions contain alcohol, which will sting and dry out the skin. Vitamin E has antioxidant properties and is effective in the healing process of scars and inflamed skin, but isn't ideal in alleviating the pain of sunburn. According to the American Academy of Dermatology, parents should avoid any ointments containing benzocaine or lidocaine, which can irritate the skin, or petroleum, which traps heat under the skin. As always, parents should do careful research and consult their pediatrician if a child’s sunburn begins to blister severely, Baldwin says. “The biggest lesson for parents is the reminder to re-apply sunscreen,” she says. “Parents are typically good with first applications, but the frequent reapplying sometimes gets forgotten.”
SUNSCREEN
tips
n
SPF 30
R E - A P P LY
n
sweats, and every two hours regardless
SET A TIMER your mobile device as
As a part of the study, 104 adolescents were selected to identify the benefits and barriers to being physical active. The researchers found that the most frequently-cited barriers were feeling self-conscious, lack of enjoyment, lack of energy, poor health and lack of self-discipline. Studies show that kids are much more active when they are outside with friends versus playing indoors. The key lesson: Take it outside! It works.
n
Set a two-hour timer on a reminder.
Friendships can help keep children healthy in the summer months
A new Cincinnati Children’s study shows that exercising with a friend is more effective for kids than simple encouragement or being active with a parent or family member.
n
after your child swims or
n
FITNESS
One in three American kids and teens are overweight or obese, but summer provides an excellent opportunity for all kids to be more active. One of the keys to physical health: the emotional health that comes from good friendships.
Minimum
n
S umme r
It could be as simple as taking a walk with a friend, walking the dog, going for a bike ride, or just going to the park on a nice day. 1
ASK THE
D EN IS E WARRI CK , MD
pediatrician advocate F OR YO UR CHIL D’S HE A LT H THE FAMILY RESOURCE CENTER
Pediatrician, General and Community Pediatrics at Cincinnati Children’s
ensure MY CHILD HAS A safe SUMMER ? HOW CAN I
The center helps families, community providers and agencies find health information, community resources and support. Call 513-636-7606 for assistance.
SPECIA L NEEDS RESOU R CE DIRECTORY Use this directory to find information, resources and advocacy strategies at www.cincinnatichildrens.org/ special-needs.
J OIN SP E CI A L CON NEC TI ONS Our new online community connects with others parenting a child with special healthcare needs: www.cincinnatichildrens. inspire.com.
a time for fun and safety precautions
Summer brings some of the best wonders of childhood outdoor fun, from swimming to biking and playgrounds to ball fields. It’s a great time for kids to get exercise and forge friendships. Those opportunities rely on parents to ensure their kids practice good safety habits. The best scenario is direct supervision, especially near water. Drowning is one of the most common causes of death in children and, for infants and toddlers, can even occur in water as shallow as an inch or two. Keep baby pools empty when they’re not in use. Drowning and near-drownings are preventable. Every child old enough should have knowledge of how to swim, and to be comfortable in the water. It will help them avoid the panicking that often leads to drowning. This is especially
2
true in bodies of water like lakes and rivers that might be less closely monitored than public swimming pools. Many recreation departments, including the Cincinnati Recreation Commission, offer free swim lessons for kids. It’s important for older kids to wear a life-jacket while boating and canoeing. Make sure they fit snugly on your child and have a label indicating they meet safety standards. Trampolines present another potential danger. Trampolines should have safety nets around them, and parents should limit the number of kids playing on them at once. Good safety practices are really just common sense. Kids – and parents – should always wear a helmet when riding bikes or scooters. In many states, it’s the law.
HAVE QUESTIONS?
JOIN A
If you have a question for the pediatrician, email youngandhealthy@cchmc.org
RESEARCHSTUDY
Researchers at Cincinnati Children’s conduct hundreds of studies each year to figure out why people get sick and what treatments might help them. Discoveries researchers make in the lab can lead to even better treatments and ways to prevent diseases from happening in the first place. Did you know you could be part of the process of helping our scientists solve medical mysteries? You can participate by joining a research study. Here’s what we’re recruiting volunteers for now.
RESEARCH STUDY FOR HEALTHY TEENS 14 TO 17 YEARS OLD
Eating and Activity of Sleepy Teens (EAST-2) Study
What: This study is designed to learn more about how changes in sleep affect the health-related behaviors of teens. Who: Healthy teens 14 to 17 years olds who are of normal weight may be eligible. Each teen and a parent will come to Cincinnati Children’s three Saturday mornings in a row during the summer. Pay: Families may receive up to $265 for their time and travel. Contact: Catharine Whitacre at catharine.whitacre@cchmc.org • 513-636-5360 DO YOU OR A LOVED ONE HAVE SICKLE CELL DISEASE?
parents
Cardiac MRI and Sickle Cell Disease Research Study
What: We want to learn more about how sickle cell disease (SCD) affects the heart and lungs. We also want to figure out the best way to look at the heart and lungs by comparing two tests: an echocardiogram (or “echo”) and a magnetic resonance imaging of the heart (or cardiac MRI). Who: Those eligible to participate are children, teens and adults 6 years of age and older and have SCD. Pay: Participants may receive up to $600 for completing all study visits as reimbursement for their time and effort. Contact: Courtney Little at courtney.little@cchmc.org • 513-803-0226
> > 01 < < Set a good example by taking all the safety precautions you encourage your child to do, especially helmets and life-jackets.
> > 02 < < Leave fireworks to the professionals. Even small items like sparklers can reach temperatures exceeding 1,000 degrees.
> > 03 < <
14 TO 25 YEAR OLD MALES WHO HAVE TYPE 2 DIABETES NEEDED FOR A RESEARCH STUDY
Children should not be around while you operate a lawn-mower, and never allow a child to ride as a passenger on a ride-on mower.
Cholesterol and Heart Disease Research Study
> > 04 < <
What: We want to learn about the effects of cholesterol, both good and bad, on heart disease. We also want to look at blood cholesterol and compare it between teens who have type 2 diabetes, teens who are obese and teens who are normal weight. Who: Male teens and adults, 14 to 25 years old, who have type 2 diabetes, may be eligible for participation. Those who smoke or take medications for cholesterol will NOT be able to participate. Pay: Participants may receive up to $125 for their time and travel. Contact: Courtney Little at courtney.little@cchmc.org • 513-803-0226
On vacation or at amusement or water parks, review what your child should do if they become separated from you. Be sure your child knows your mobile phone number.
> > 05 < < Check playgrounds for dangers like protruding bolts, hard surfaces and slides that are hot from the sun and can burn legs.
ABOUT THIS ISSUE
S U M M E R 2015
PRODUCED BY
The Department of Marketing & Communications Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center 3333 Burnet Ave., MLC 9012, Cincinnati, OH 45229-3026 Phone: 513-636-4420 Advisers: Chris Peltier, MD, and Zeina Samaan, MD Editorial Consultant: Denise Warrick, MD Editorial Staff: Tom O’Neill/managing editor Photography: Tine Hofmann, tm photography Design: Christina Ullman & Alix Northrup, Ullman Design
@cincychildrens
facebook.com/cincinnatichildrensfans
YOUNG AND HEALTHY is a quarterly publication from Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center. For more health news and patient stories, subscribe to our monthly e-newsletter online at www.cincinnatichildrens.org/subscribe © 2015 Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center
youtube.com/cincinnatichildrens
cincinnatichildrensblog.org
3
MEDICAL
achievements
A L B E R T
> > A H I S TO RY L E S S O N
the oral polio vaccine
S A B I N
an apreciation of historic proportions DR . ALBERT SABIN ARRIVED AT CINCINNATI CHILDREN’S IN 1939. NEITHER HE NOR THE HOSPITAL WAS EVER THE SAME. IN TIME, HE WOULD LITERALLY CHANGE THE WORLD.
4
In developing the oral polio vaccine People line up for first mass immunization in Cincinnati in 1960.
at Cincinnati Children’s, he forever altered the course of medical history
Recently, Cincinnati Children’s marked the 55th anniversary of its “Sabin Sunday,” the first testing in the U.S. of his crowning medical achievement here: the 1960 mass immunization of Cincinnati children with his oral polio vaccine. It worked wonders. The live oral vaccine he developed here vastly amplified the early gains against polio made by the injected Salk vaccine. It was more effective, less expensive, easier to administer and provided lifetime immunity. As vaccination programs mushroomed around the globe, hundreds of thousands of lives were spared from the paralytic disease.
INTERESTING
footnote The oral polio vaccine led him to be honored with the National Medal of Science in 1970 (left) and the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1986, but it was hardly his only achievement at Cincinnati Children’s.
HONORING
Albert Sabin, in his lab, in 1945.
Sabin
In all, Sabin’s research included some 350 scientific papers on topics that also included pneumonia, encephalitis, toxoplasmosis, viruses, sandfly fever, dengue and cancer. He died in 1993 at the age of 86. Cincinnati Children’s education and conference center is named for Sabin. This month, Cincinnati Children’s opened its new Clinical Sciences Pavilion, making the hospital one of the largest pediatric research centers in the country. It’s on Sabin Way, which the city of Cincinnati re-named in his honor.
5
LIVE AND
Healthy living for parents and children
learn
N E W TA K E O N
peanut allergies A caution about feeding peanuts to babies, toddlers
Study suggests peanut protein can decrease peanut allergies, but choking still a major concern > > Peanuts can be very dangerous
for kids who are allergic, but they are also the most common thing children choke on. A recent study in the New England Journal of Medicine suggests that introducing peanuts into a baby’s diet could decrease the risk of allergic reactions as they grow older. Charles Myer III, MD, an otolaryngologist (ear, nose and throat specialist) at Cincinnati Children’s, says that the bigger issue is the risk of choking. He shares his thoughts on feeding peanuts to young children:
CHARLES MYER III, MD
Physician in Otolaryngology at Cincinnati Children’s
CO N SULT A D OC TOR
If you are considering exposing your baby or young child to peanuts, please consult with your primary doctor about weaning and introductions of food during this process.
6
The validity of those findings aside, as a pediatric otolaryngologist, I would like to heed a warning to parents who might be considering introducing peanuts to babies and young children.
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that parents avoid feeding their children nuts until the age of 4. The reasons is that infants do not have molar teeth and are therefore not able to chew the nut into a size safe enough to swallow. As an alternative, the AAP suggests that parents spread a small layer of peanut butter on a cracker once a child is at least 12 months old. In addition to the choking risks, there is a possibility that a peanut could enter the lungs and not the stomach (meaning that they could aspirate). This is because the coordination of the swallowing muscles in babies and infants is immature. When food enters the lungs, serious blockage can occur to breathing and the material must be removed as soon as possible so that there is no prolonged decrease in the child’s oxygen. Removal of the food requires a trip to the emergency and operating rooms.
A N E W D AY FOR
Liberty
L I B E RT Y C A M P US E X PA N S I O N O N T R AC K
for Summer Debut
T H E L AY O U T n
n
F O UR TH F L O OR
42 beds (including four sleep study beds), playrooms, therapies, respiratory therapy, Child Life, team work areas, community physician room, provider sleep rooms, Admitting, Protective Services
T HI R D F L OO R
Future clinic space, shell space n
S E COND FLO O R
Expanded pharmacy, offices, Information Services space n
F I R S T F L OO R
Kitchen and cafeteria, lab, blood bank, expanded dock and Materials Management
More beds, broader array of services, same Cincinnati Children’s medical expertise Construction on the expansion at Liberty Campus continues on pace and is scheduled to open in August. With the completion of the new fourth floor, the number of inpatient beds will increase from 12 to 42. The additional space and inpatient beds will provide greater capacity for a broader array of services, expanded clinics and more scheduling options for patients and families.
P L A N N E D "A N C H OR " S P E C I A LT I E S AT L I B E R T Y C A M P US I N C L UDE: n
Surgical – Otolaryngology (ENT), general pediatric surgery, Orthopaedics and Urology Medical – Gastroenterology, Neurology and Pulmonology Cancer and Blood Diseases Institute
CAMPUS
features
ABOVE CLOCKWISE : Patient rooms are spacious and
include distraction elements on the ceiling above the bed. Stars and constellations decorate the entry to a patient unit. A rendering of the fourth-floor lobby.
7
inside
>> S I G N U P F O R
Yo ung a n d Heal thy M O N T H LY E -N EW S L ET T E R
PEANUTALLERGIES The pros and cons of introducing peanuts to young children
3333 Burnet Avenue, MLC 9012 Cincinnati, Ohio 45229-3026
Our monthly online edition provides all the great tips for keeping your child young and healthy, in a convenient email version. s im p ly c lic k o n
www.cincinnatichildrens.org/subscribe
VA C C I N E H I S T O RY Honoring Dr. Sabin and a brief history of his oral polio vaccine
SUMMER 2015 VOL26 ISSUE6
healthy
young and
A guide to your childâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s good health
summer
safety
Tips to keep your child safe and healthy this season