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SPECIAL TOPIC BACK TO SCHOOL THE ARIZONA REPUBLIC
az
A SPECIAL PUBLICATION CREATED BY REPUBLIC MEDIA CUSTOM PUBLISHING
HEALTH-CARE NEWS YOU CAN USE FOR YOUR WHOLE FAMILY
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Vol. 2, No. 8 Vo
August 2012
HEALTH-CARE News
New child restraint law For some time, Arizona has required motorists to strap children age 4 and younger into a child-restraint system. On Aug. 2, a new law goes into effect that requires children ages 5 to 7, who are shorter than 4 feet 10 inches tall, to also be restrained in a child-restraint system. Prior to the implementation of this law, Arizona was one of only three states that allowed a 5-year-old to use a seat belt instead of a car seat or booster seat. More info: Arizona Governor’s Office of Highway Safety, azgohs.gov; Arizona Department of Health Services, azdhs. gov/phs/owch/ipcfr/safekids.htm
Duet, a local non-profit organization, is launching an online caregiver networking group to offer support to those caring for an aging friend or loved one. This free support group will meet online on the fourth Tuesday (7–8 p.m.) and second Saturday (9–10 a.m.) of each month. Next meetings: Aug. 11 (9–10 a.m.); Aug. 28, (7–8 p.m.) To register: duetaz.org, click on the ‘events’ tab. Questions/info: Brett Petersen, 602-753-8381 or Petersen@duetaz.org
Free immunizations The Scottsdale Unified School District (SUSD) and Scottsdale Healthcare are partnering to offer immunization clinics Aug. 2–3 and Aug. 6–10 from 12–4 p.m. at the SUSD Education Center, 3811 N. 44 St., Phoenix. Vaccines are supplied through the Vaccines for Children program. New 2012 state guidelines provide immunizations to all uninsured, KidsCare, AHCCCS, native American/Alaskan natives, and children of families whose insurance does not cover immunizations. Immunizations will be available to any qualified student, not just those who may be enrolling. A parent or guardian must accompany each child and should bring each child’s immunization record. More info: susd.org or 480-484-6110
Whooping cough/ pertussis The March of Dimes is spreading the word that the incidence of pertussis, also known as whooping cough, is on the rise. Pertussis is a highly contagious, vaccine-preventable disease that often results in severe health risks and even death for babies and young children. Pertussis vaccinations begin at two months of age, but babies may not be fully protected until they’ve had at least three doses of DTaP (diphtheria, tetanus and acellular pertussis) vaccine. Family members and caregivers frequently pass pertussis on to babies, so getting vaccinated is a simple way for adults to protect not only themselves, but also vulnerable babies. More info: Your health-care provider or marchofdimes.com/arizona/ news_5921.html
IN THIS ISSUE:
COVER/06: BACK-TO-SCHOOL INFO 02: TOP TIPS FOR ORAL HEALTH 03: PREVENTING FALLS 04: SUPPORT GROUPS; EVENTS 05: SUPPORT GROUPS; EXPERTS 06: COSMETIC SURGERY 101 07: TEENS & EATING DISORDERS
RICK D’ELIA
Online caregiver support group
Outfitted with all the must-have sports gear, backpacks and lunchbags, Sam, Lily and Claire Williams of Phoenix may not be on Abbey Road of Beatles fame, but they are on the road to the start of a new school year. (Photo taken outside of Desert Valley Elementary School in Glendale. Desert Valley is in the Peoria Unified School District.)
Time to hop on the back-to-school bus
Backpacks, brain food and more—oh my! BY DEBRA GELBART, ALISON STANTON, GREMLYN BRADLEY-WADDELL AND MICHELLE TALSMA EVERSON
I
t’s still summer, but another school year already is underway in some Valley school districts, while many others will start later this month. Here’s a roundup of resources designed to help give you a great start to the school year — no matter the age of your child.
Chang urged students to carry their backpacks on both shoulders and in a manner where the bottom of the pack is positioned at the mid-back or higher. Both Chang and Skowronek cautioned students not to try to stand upright against the weight of a backpack.
A (back)pack of trouble
“Children who experience back pain seem to be likelier to experience back pain as adults.”
Although some schools might be seeing a trend toward the use of tablets and e-readers, for the vast majority of students, backpacks and book-bags are still an inescapable fact of life. It’s important for parents to monitor their children’s use of backpacks, said Michael Chang, M.D., a board-certified spine surgeon with Sonoran Spine Center. In fact, he said, one in three students complains about back pain believed to be related to carrying a backpack. “A child of 13 or 14 doesn’t have the core spine strength to carry around 30 pounds or more,” he said. “If a child experiences pain that affects sleeping, has tingling or burning in their arms or shoulder-blades, or feels pain with lifting in the low back or shoulders, parents need to encourage their child to lighten the load,” said Mike Skowronek, P.T., a licensed physical therapist and senior manager of rehabilitation services at Banner Desert Medical Center in Mesa.
By The NUMBERS
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— Michael Chang, M.D.
Brain food
“A good lunch is essential for learning,” said Melissa Paton, M.S., R.D., a registered dietitian at Banner Baywood Medical Center in Mesa. “Hungry kids are not going to be able to pay attention if their growling stomach is keeping them distracted.” Jenel Day, M.S., R.D., a bariatric coordinator at the Bridges Center for Surgical Weight Management at St. Luke’s Medical Center in Phoenix and Tempe St. Luke’s Hospital, said there are plenty of healthy and tasty alternatives for kids to take for lunch, including sliced or stick
How long do local kids have to eat lunch at school? Copper Creek Elementary School, Glendale: 45 minutes Fremont Junior High School, Mesa: 30 minutes Gilbert Junior High School, Gilbert: 30 minutes Kyrene Akimel a-Al Middle School, Ahwatukee: 30 minutes Millenium High School, Goodyear: 29 minutes Mohave Middle School, Scottsdale: 32 minutes Peoria High School, Peoria: 33 minutes Pinnacle High School, Phoenix: 30 minutes Sources: Various school and school district websites
Continued on page 6 BACK TO SCHOOL
MODERATION AND AWARENESS ARE KEY COMPONENTS FOR MAINTAINING A HEALTHY DIET Did you know that 1 can of ‘regular’ soda contains the equivalent of approximately 10 teaspoons of sugar? (1 teaspoon of sugar = 4 grams)
12 OUNCE CAN = 140-150 CALORIES, 39-41 GRAMS OF SUGAR
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