HQ March 2011 - Children's Health

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Special Special children’s children’s health health issue issue

Piedmont Healthcare Quarterly A Kings Mountain Herald, Banner News, Cherryville Eagle publication

Why Why it’s it’s wise wise to to immunize! immunize!

Page Page 5 5

The ‘C’ Word

Cancer still takes more young lives than any other disease...Page 2

Autism: Autism: We We laugh, laugh, we we cry, cry, we we eat eat pizza pizza and and chocolate. chocolate.

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Page Page 8 8 When When learning learning is is a a challenge challenge Page Page 9 9 You are what you eat! Staying healthy one meal at a time...Page 4 •Stay fit. Stay healthy.

•Infectious diseases.

•OB ‘reborn’ as Laborists

Page 14 •Multivitamins are for kids, too Page 14 Page 19 •Those Sippy Cups not a great idea Page 12 Page 6 •With Y summer camp everybody wins Page 7

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March 30, 2011

The word no parent wants to hear. The ‘C’ Word

By KYRA ALEXANDER

Mumps, chickenpox, scraped knees, or a broken arm; these are the maladies that are common to childhood. You never imagine a child having the despicable “C” word: cancer.

First the bad news—in 2010 approximately 10,700 children in the United States, under the age of 15 were diagnosed with cancer, according to the American Cancer Society. While their classmates are concentrating on school and playing outside with their friends, these children are concentrating on the after-effects of medication and the uncertainty of their future. But there is

good news—because of major treatment advances, 80% of these children will survive five years or more, according to ACS. Two brave young men from Kings Mountain are in the fight for their lives.

In the case of four-year-old Evan Wong, son of Lisa and Joseph Wong, brother to five-year-old Emma and two-year-old Kyle, previously of Kings Mountain, Evan had a Wilms tumor in his kidney. The doctors found this October 26, 2010. Evan had his kidney removed and the doctors got all of the cancer out of his little body but had to start chemotherapy in November. Through the chemo Evan lost his appetite and his hair. Evan will live the rest of his life with one kidney.

Though it is hard to communicate to a child that he/she has cancer, Evan’s family explained it to him as plainly as they could.

They kept him in the room when the doctors came and explained to Evan that cancer is a bad cell that takes over your body.

This cancer is common in children under six.

“This was not hereditary,” Lisa commented. “He was most likely born with the cells and then they grew into a tumor. This type of stage two cancer is usually aggressive and we are blessed that they found it so early.”

Because Evan’s tumor was found so early, he has a 90 percent chance at survival.

“It’s important to support the research of childhood cancers and support services like The Make a Wish Foundation, The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society and others like it (and locally Levine Children’s Hospital). They do amazing work,” Lisa explained. “We are blessed that there has been sufficient research on Evan’s type of cancer and therefore doctors know exactly how to treat it.”

Evan is also participating in a research study so doctors can test his tumor and kidKYRA ALEXANDER/HERALD

Students at North Elementary release balloons for Timmy Baucom, with prayers and wishes for a speedy recovery.

Evan Wong ney tissues.

As in the case of 15-year-old Timmy Baucom, who is fighting Burkitt’s lymphoma, the community has rallied behind these brave young fighters.

Evan’s church has sent food to the family and his playgroup at First Baptist Church in Kings Mountain, made him a basket with food and encouraging “Get See Cancer page 3

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Cancer from page 2 Well� cards. A special Relay for Life team has formed in Evan’s honor—“The Little Engine That Could�. The Wongs plan to join the team at this year’s Relay.

Baucom, a freshman at Kings Mountain High School, has been battling cancer since December 2010. As of this week, he is starting his third round of chemo and there will be two or three more rounds before they screen him to see if the cancer is gone or has shrunk.

Last week Baucom’s blood cell count was so low that the doctors gave him two units of platelets and one unit of blood. “His spirits are good,� Baucom’s mother, Roxanne, commented. “Even though he has lost most of his hair and some eyelashes. We are still praying that the outcome is wonderful.�

A balloon release was recently held for Timmy at North Elementary, where his mother works. A spaghetti supper and a benefit concert at J. Oliver’s have also helped raise money for Timmy’s medical bills. J.T. Fitch, senior at Kings Mountain High, decided to help Timmy with his senior project.

Both families have requested prayer.

Cancer takes a child’s strength, destroys organs and bones, and weakens the body’s defenses against other illnesses.

According to the American Cancer Society, it affects only about 14 of every 100,000 children in the United States each year. Among all age groups, the most common childhood cancers are leukemia, lymphoma, and brain cancer. As kids enter the teen years, there is an increase in the incidence of osteosarcoma (bone cancer).

In most cases, however, childhood cancers arise from non-inherited mutations (or changes) in the genes of growing cells. Because these errors occur randomly and unpredictably, there’s no effective way to prevent them.

Despite its rarity and the major advances in treatment and supportive care, cancer is still the leading cause of death from disease in children younger than 15 years. About 1,340 children died from cancer in 2010. But where there is life, there is hope.

KYRA ALEXANDER/HERALD

Timmy Baucom with his mother Roxanne inside their Kings Mountain home.

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March 30, 2011

You are what you eat

By THOMAS LARK Eat a good breakfast, eat a good lunch. Proper nutrition helps a whole bunch!

How many times did your mother tell you something like that? Well, turns out that–especially with regard to children and those first two meals of the day–dear, old mom was absolutely right.

So says Leigh Anne Carpenter of the Gaston County Health Department. A registered dietitian and the department’s nutrition program coordinator, Carpenter said in a recent interview that healthy breakfasts and lunches are crucial to the benefit of growing children.

She added that the health department is currently focusing on two big nutritional problems that face today’s kids: childhood obesity (also called “overnutri-

tion�) and vitamin deficiency. “Over-nutrition results from too many calories and unhealthy choices by both kids and parents,� said Carpenter, “such as fast foods, fried foods, soft drinks and concentrated sweets.

This includes even the ‘power drinks’ but not sports drinks as much. “As for vitamin deficiency,� she added, “many of us, children as well as adults, have this problem, especially with vitamin D. We don’t get enough dairy products or sun, which are our best sources of vitamin D. Milk is the best source. Most nutritionists would like to see their clients eat their vitamins and minerals rather than take them in pill form. But if they can’t eat them, then pills are acceptable. When you can’t eat your vitamins, then supplements are OK.�

Dietitians want parents and clients to pick a happy medium when setting dietary goals, Carpenter said.

Carpenter also oversees the health department’s federally funded Women, Infants and Children (or WIC) food assistance program. WIC tries to come up with a good action plan for its clients and also to see what are the clients’ dietary concerns. “We try to get them to see where and what they need to change in their diets,� she said. “We also try to let them feel more in control of their treatments and programs or ownership of their own care, if you will.�

Carpenter said that though the action is “working pretty well,� there is still a need to improve in the follow-up process.

See Nutrition page 19 Photo by Thomas Lark

Catawba Heights Elementary fifth grader Thomas Frame gets his lunch from staffer Anna Teague during a recent morning in the school’s cafeteria.

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March 30, 2011

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Nobody likes getting a shot but we all need them

By MICHAEL E. POWELL Both Renee Clark and Lauren Price admit that getting your child immunized can be a daunting task. Sometimes even downright dizzying, with all the information on all the vaccinations and immunizations your child has to have before he or she can enter life in general, let alone school or day care!

Although not a mother herself, Price, who is the site coordinator for both the Cherryville Health Center and the Helping Hands Health Center of Lincolnton, has seen more than her share of them given, starting with her sister Haley, who was 18 months old when she got her first.

“She’s 16 now and still has to get them for school.”

And although the Cherryville Health Center is not doing vaccinations and such right now, “that could change possibly this spring,” she says.

Cherryville Health Center is affiliated with Gaston Family Health, an organization Price has been with since Feb. 2010.

The main immunizations parents need to concern themselves with are all given and dosed based on the age of the child. Price pulls out a schedule for reference and notes the earliest age a child can be immunized starts at the ripe old age of birth!

From birth to age 18 months, the recommended immunizations are the Hepatitis B (Hep B), with the Rotavirus (RV) immunization thrown in from two months of age until six months of age.

“The Diphtheria, Tetanus, Pertussis (DTaP) also starts at two months to six months, skips age 12 months, then starts again at 15 to 18 months of age,” she says. DTaP isn’t needed again until the child reaches ages 4-6 years.

Other immunizations on Price’s charts that children will have to have include haemophilus influenza, type B (Hib), pneumococcal (PCV), the inactivated polio virus (IPV), a yearly influenza immunization, measles, mumps, rubella

Kendalyn Lutz-Craver, DDS, PA Sara H. Karner, DDS

(MMR), varicella, Hepatitis A, and the meningococcal (MCV4) immunizations.

And it’s more of the same until the ripe old age of 18, as the young adult looks to be immunized against a whole host of maladies and “bugs” and, at that age, focuses on “catch up” immunizations and immunizations for certain “high-risk groups”.

Some of those high-risk groups include college students, who need to be immunized against meningitis strains and the various flu “bugs” that crop up from time to time, Clark says.

Then there are the day cares.

Clark, Communal Disease Supervisor for Gaston County Health Department, says “there are required vaccinations for entry into daycare. State law requires a child be age-appropriately immunized. However, a child’s parent may refuse,

and an exemption form must be completed.”

Clark notes that the daycare would have its policy in place as to how they would handle this child.

“They would want to make sure that if there was a child in their day care that was diagnosed with pertussis, let’s say, that their staff would be alert to the fact that they had a child that was not immunized and would need to take appropriate measures,” Clark says.

When parents or caregivers cannot afford the immunizations, Gaston County has a Child Health Clinic that is available to any child that does not have a medical home.

“Immunizations are provided to any child regardless of their medical home.”

Clark says vaccines are recommended at a particular age for various reasons.

“The response to the vaccine, maternal antibodies, simultaneous administration of vaccinations, passive/active immunity, live vaccines and inactivated vaccines, etc., all are factors to be considered when immunizing a child,” she adds.

As for how immunizations and vaccinations are given these days, the traditional way is probably still the best.

“Many vaccinations are still administered intramuscularly,” Clark says. “There are many combination vaccines that are now used to decrease the number of injections at one visit.

There are now also vaccines that are administered intranasal, such as influenza (for certain age groups) and also orally, such as Rotarix (for rotovirus).”

Clark says great strides have been made regarding immunizations. “There are always initiatives and collaborations between groups (i.e.: health department nurse/school nurses/hospital nurses) as we had with H1N1. All groups worked together to make sure vaccines were available to all children that had parental permission. And the vaccine manu

See Immunizations page 18

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The miracle of childbirth, you can’t set your clock by it

to only deliver babies and care for pregnant women in the hospital. These specially trained physicians are available in the hospital to examine expectant mothers, evaluate labor progression, monitor unborn babies and deliver babies.

“It is an adjustment for patients,” Dr. Montes said, “but this is better for patients and I think it’s good for the staff. The night shift staff especially appreciates the fact that someone is here, instead of having to make a phone call and wait.”

Dr. Montes and Dr. Sido work hand-in-hand with the physicians at Shelby Women’s Care, caring for women in labor at CRMC. “These physicians are members of the Shelby Women’s Care practice, they just don’t have office hours,” said Nancy Porter, RN, MBA, Director of Women’s and Children’s Services at CRMC. “They are experienced OBs who have chosen to practice only in the hospital.”

To help patients understand what OB Specialists do, Dr. Sido and Dr. Montes visit CRMC’s childbirth classes to meet patients, explain what they do and answer questions.

The other OB physicians at Shelby Women’s Care continue to visit patients in the hospital and assist Dr. Montes and Dr. Sido when needed. When a mom leaves the hospital she returns to her personal OB physician for regular office visits and check-ups.

Together, the OB Specialists and their partners are focused on providing excellent care to their patients every day.

One of the wonders of childbirth is to expect the unexpected. Any mother can tell you that a baby arrives based on his or her own biological clock. That means they can come into this world on any day and at any hour.

For the expectant mother and her family, a hospital delivery can mean anything from a leisurely road trip to a mad dash depending on again, the baby. For obstetricians (OBs) it’s a challenge, working long hours and trying to be continuously ready to make that dash to the hospital for a delivery. It can also mean long hours on call and more than their share of middle-of-the-night deliveries.

Like many hospitals and OB practices around the country, Cleveland Regional Medical Center (CRMC) and Shelby Women’s Care now use OB Specialists, also called laborists, to perform many deliveries at CRMC. The newest members of Shelby Women’s Care, Anita Montes, MD and Annette Sido, MD, are now fulfilling the role of OB Specialists at CRMC. Dr. Montes and Dr. Sido are board certified OB physicians who have more than 30 years of experience between them.

Currently, they each work two, 24-hour shifts per week with the remaining three days covered by their partners at Shelby Women’s Care. While on duty, these specialists stay at the hospital for the entire 24hours, which means they are available at a moment’s notice to care for patients who arrive in the Labor and Delivery Department at CRMC. These OB Specialists are obstetricians who choose

Submitted by: Cleveland Regional Medical Center

Keep bicycling fun

March 30, 2011

Good safety advice for little kids (and big ones too!)

This spring and summer will most likely see more people bicycling around their towns than ever before.

To that end, here are a few tips for kids young and old to remember when out on their favorite two-wheeler, be it for fun or exercise.

1. Cyclists must obey traffic laws—Do not ride on sidewalks. Bicycles are considered vehicles and cyclists, both big or small, should obey the same traffic laws as motorists. Always remember to travel on the right side of the road with traffic. Obey all stop signs, traffic lights and lane markings. Use proper hand signals before making any lane changes or turns.

2. Choose a route that is safe for cyclists— Pick the most pleasant route. Many cities have bike lanes specifically for bicycle commuters. Be aware of other users on bike paths, such as folks with strollers or dogs. Announce that you are passing on the left when overtaking someone on the bike path.

3. Maintenance and repair —Make sure all your bike parts are in good repair. Check your brakes, tires and gears often. Your bicycle should be equipped with reflectors and lights.

4. Parking your bike securely—Where do you leave your bike once you get to where you are going? Find a solid object, a street sign or post and secure your bike onto it with a good lock. The safest object to lock your bike onto is a bike rack.

5. Safety equipment—Safety equipment begins with the helmet.

Wearing an approved helmet can reduce the risk of a head injury.

6. Try to avoid riding your bike at night.

For all you serious teen and young adult bicyclers, it is also important to carry small repair and first aid kits with you. For the minor repairs you might expect with everyday bike commuting carry a patch kit, a spare inner tube, an air pump, and a multi-tool.

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March 30, 2011

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Camping

the experience of a lifetime Exploring nature, gaining new experiences and making new friends are just some of the benefits of participating in a summer camp program.

As summer fast approaches, the Cleveland County Family YMCA reminds parents that camping is a unique and invaluable experience for children and teens.

“Getting a summer break from learning in school doesn’t mean that kids should not spend the summer leaning outside the classroom,” says Shayne P. Collins, senior director of school age programs.

“At summer camp, campers learn how to be responsible and resourceful, work in groups, solve problems and make decisions that will help them grow as individuals – all while having fun.”

According to Mrs. Collins, there are five reasons why kids should experience summer camp: 1. Your children will be around positive role models. Have you ever watched 18-yearold camp counselors? Their energy is unbelievable! Counselors are trained to provide safe, fun activities for kids. They’ll listen to the same knock-knock joke with glee.

Counselors also teach your son or daughter to listen when others speak and to help someone having difficulty with a craft project. They are viewed by the kids as cool rather than the person who lays down the rules.

Most camps, including the YMCA, require extensive training for staff including CPR, first aid and child abuse prevention. Check with your local camp to learn more about their staff training process.

2. Children learn appropriate risk taking. Camps encourage children to take risks and try new things. Camp channels that thrill into wholesome activities like kick ball tournaments, participating in a talent show for the first time, and taking a hike to a waterfall.

Your child learns it’s an appropriate risk to repel down a climbing wall, wearing the appropriate safety gear. Along with the risk comes the satisfaction of gaining self-confidence in doing something not all kids do. Because kids feel safe and encouraged at camp, they feel comfortable taking healthy risks and setting goals that they are thrilled to accomplish.

3. Your children meet a variety of people.

It’s all too easy for your son and daughter to think the entire world is like their core group of friends and teachers. Camp brings your child in contact with kids from different schools, communities, and cultures.

Many camps make a point of hiring counselors from a variety of backgrounds. Spending all day with kids and adults forces children to learn about getting along with others. Camp will teach them that there is a bigger world than their small community.

4. Children learn creativity in a camp setting.

Camp gets kids looking at the world with imagination.

What should they do to get the most creative award for arts and crafts?

How do they win the wild and wackiest award on dress up day? All these opportunities help children interact with each other to develop creative solutions.

When they are not in their everyday environment,

See Camping page 15

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March 30, 2011

The many faces of autism, no two are the same

By EMILY WEAVER KINGS MOUNTAIN - At the age of 18 months, Alec Barrett still had not said the two words every new mother and father can’t wait to hear – “mama” or “dada”.

His mother, Robin Crisp, noticed that he seemed to have low muscle tone and had limited coordination. He just wasn’t meeting those normal development milestones.

She knew something was wrong, but what was it?

“I had to take him to four or five doctors and agencies before finally taking him to Duke (University Medical Center),” she said.

Finally, at six-years-old, Alec was diagnosed with Pervasive Development Disorder: Not Otherwise Specified (PDD:NOS). In other words he is autistic, but not like his autistic cousin Trevor Walker.

Robin noticed almost the exact same symptoms in Trevor when he was a baby. “I told my brother he needed to have him tested,” she said.

He was diagnosed at the age of three.

Alec is now 15 and although he struggles with the “norm” he is brilliant when it comes to computers. He loves Star Trek, ChapStick, music, the theater and pizza. In 2005, he was named a Time Warner Hero of the Year through Cleveland County Schools.

Trevor, now 8, enjoys playing soccer at the Y. He loves SpongeBob SquarePants, video games, Hershey’s chocolate bars and only one kind of pizza – from the Little Caesar’s in his hometown of Kings Mountain. He was a Top Buccaneer in preschool at Bethware Elementary.

Both have disorders that fall within the autism spectrum. And both are very different.

“Trev will only eat certain foods prepared a certain way. Alec will eat almost anything,” Robin said. “Trev is very coordinated. Alec has very limited coordination. Trev can make eye contact. Alec cannot.”

Trevor is extra-sensitive to sound and his face and head are extremely sensitive to touch.

That’s not the case with Alec.

“The biggest misconception (people have) is that autism is autism and all children with it are the same,” Robin said. But “each one is different just as you and I are different. Trev and Alec are like night and day.”

But both face challenges. After losing his parents in a fatal car wreck when he was

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Trevor Walker, 8, and Alec Barrett, 15, sit with their dogs Scuffy, left, and Matilda. three, Trevor came to live with his aunt Robin, her husband Jeff and their three boys. Raising two boys with autism and two without has come with challenges, too.

“I will not make it sound like raising two special needs children is a bowl of cherries because it definitely is not! But really it is the norm for our family. We would not have it any other way,” Robin said. “I guess the hardest part is trying to keep everything running smoothly so (as) not to cause them any undue frustration. That is difficult sometimes with four boys and everyone going in different directions and at different ages.”

The diagnosis “Parents are usually the first to notice unusual behaviors in their child,” according to the National Institute of Mental Health. “In some cases, the baby seemed ‘different’ from birth, unresponsive to people or focusing intently on one item for long periods of time. The first signs of ASD can also appear in children who seem to have been developing normally. When an engaging, babbling toddler suddenly becomes silent, withdrawn, self-abusive, or indifferent to social overtures, something is wrong.”

“When Alec was diagnosed, 1 out of 300 children were diagnosed (with autism),” Robin said.

Now, fewer than 10 years later, it is estimated that 1 out of every 110 children born today has some form of autism, according to the Autism Society of North Carolina. Boys are four times more likely to develop the disorder than girls.

In the 1960s and 70s, the statistic was much lower. About 1 in 2,000 were diagnosed with autism back then; in the 80s it grew to 1 in 1,000.

But now the number of children being diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder has grown to disturbing levels, sparking investigations into things like vaccinations, mercury, and treatments, changing diagnostic practices, and increasing public awareness.

The exact causes of autism are still a mystery and Robin doubts a cure will be found any time soon. She said that she doesn’t want to miss a moment with her boys to look for something so hard to find. Instead of attempting to “fix” them, she’d rather make sure their lives are as full as they can be with love, happiness, security and safety.

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Autism spectrum disorder, ranging from the most severe to milder forms, like Asperger’s syndrome, are listed as “pervasive developmental disorders”, “characterized by varying degrees of impairment in communication skills, social interactions, and restricted, repetitive and stereotyped patterns of behavior,” according to the NIMH. Several treatment options, including medicine and therapies, are available to children with these disorders.

“Some therapies that I have used and have had great success with are sensory integration, picture therapy and holding therapy,” Robin said.

In sensory integration, special exercises are used to strengthen an autistic child’s sense of touch, sense of balance and sense of where the body and its parts are in space.

See

Autism page 16

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March 30, 2011

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Bill McCullough, left, and Nellie Aspel, Director of the Cleveland County Schoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Exceptional Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Program, talk about challenges of children with Attention Deficit Disorder.

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Childhood is all too short, and the early years set the path for a child into the future.

Dr. Nellie Aspel, Director of the Cleveland County Schoolâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Exceptional Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s program, says thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s nothing more frustrating than seeing a child with learning challenges.

Cleveland County Schools offers a wide range of services for children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD.) A talented and dedicated staff headed by Dr. Martha Hill, Assistant Superintendent of Instruction and Dr. Aspel, include the Exceptional Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s staff of Amanda Lowery, Lyn Carroll, Wendy Fitch and Bill McCullough, who oversees Section 504 services; Donna Senter, who oversees Elementary Education services; and Mary Accor, who oversees Preschool services.

Not all children who have attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) or attention deficit disorder (ADD) receive special education services, Aspel says. Some children are served through the regular education program and some children are served under a Section 504 plan. Some of these services begin even before school age in the preschool program.

Aspel says that not everyone who is overly hyperactive or impulsive has attention deficit disorder. Since most people sometimes blurt out things they didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t mean to say or jump from one task to another or become disorganized and forgetful, how can a specialist tell if the problem is ADHD? Aspel says that these behaviors appear usually before age 7 and continue for at least See Needs page 17

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In the Cleveland County area, locating your personal physician has never been easier.

Your personal physicianâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s primary goal is a healthier you.

So whether youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re looking for a primary care physician or a

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specialist, get connected to the regionâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s preferred healthcare

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providers. We have board-certiďŹ ed physicians afďŹ liated with

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Cleveland County HealthCare System that provide comprehensive

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Family Medicine

7 Cleveland Endocrinology 8 ,JOH 4U 4VJUF $ ,JOHT .PVOUBJO /$ 980-487-2270 8 Cleveland Plastic and Hand Surgery 807 Schenck St., Suite 3 4IFMCZ /$ 980-487-2340 9 Cleveland Pulmonary and Sleep Associates 802 N. Lafayette St. 4IFMCZ /$ 980-487-2700 10 Kings Mountain Infectious Disease 8 ,JOH 4U 4VJUF # ,JOHT .PVOUBJO /$ 980-487-2299 11 Klein Neurology and Sleep 222 N. Lafayette Street 4IFMCZ /$

12 Neurology Center of Shelby 202 E. Grover St. 4IFMCZ /$ 980-487-2360

Specialty 13 Sanger Heart & Vascular Institute 111 W. Grover St. 4IFMCZ /$ 704-482-1006 14 Sanger Heart & Vascular Institute 8 ,JOH 4U ,JOHT .PVOUBJO /$

Internal Medicine 15 Cleveland Medical Associates 8 ,JOH 4U ,JOHT .PVOUBJO NC 28086 980-487-2240 16 Kings Mountain Internal Medicine 8 ,JOH 4U 4VJUF " ,JOHT .PVOUBJO /$ 980-487-2290 17 Rutherford Internal Medicine Associates 181 Daniel Road Forest City, NC 28043 828-286-9036

18 Shelby Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Clinic / %F,BMC 4U 4IFMCZ /$ 980-487-2100

OB/GYN 19 Shelby Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Care 110 W. Grover St. 4IFMCZ /$

20 Kings Mountain Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Care & ,JOH 4U ,JOHT .PVOUBJO /$ 704-734-0304 21 Boiling Springs Womenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Care 8 $PMMFHF "WF 4VJUF " 4IFMCZ /$ 704-434-0990

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1 Bessemer City Family Medicine 3326 Bessemer City Road Bessemer City, NC 28016 704-629-0412 2 Cherryville Primary Care 112 S. Oak St. Cherryville, NC 28021 980-487-2200 3 Clover Family Medicine 'JMCFSU )JHIXBZ Clover, SC 29710 803-222-0600 4 Foothills Family Healthcare 249 Oak St. Forest City, NC 28043

5 Shelby Family Practice 1124 N. Washington St. 4IFMCZ /$ 980-487-1148 6 Shelby Family Practice â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Boiling Springs 708 McBrayer )PNFTUFBE 3PBE 4IFMCZ /$ 980-487-2090

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Oh, that Sippy Cup! Watch what you give your little one to drink... and, especially, what they drink it from

I know, I know, Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m a mother myself! What do we give them when theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re thirsty? There are so many options nowadays and of course if your child is anything like mine, they want something in their cup thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s blue or red and fun!

But as parents we ask ourselves, milk? Water? Juice? Soda? Of course if the children have any choice in the selection they certainly may pick sodas but with parent guidance we find most times that juice wins the compromise. Juice, right? Harmless, wrong! Even milk gives us the same concerns and hereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s why.

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not just what is in your cup; itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the cup itself. Juice is really misunderstood and mis-dosed in many offerings to our little ones. Especially if given in a â&#x20AC;&#x153;sippyâ&#x20AC;? cup or worse yet, a bottle. Juice and milk are chock full of

natural sugar! Add the convenience of a sippy cup and youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve created the â&#x20AC;&#x153;perfect stormâ&#x20AC;? of aiding in tooth decay, poor nutrition, diarrhea, poor weight, and lethargy/sluggishness.

When someone takes a bite or sip of anything to eat or drink other than water, it takes about 30 minutes for the normal pH balance to equalize in the mouth. This is the process of allowing saliva to do its job and wash away food and sugar in the absence of brushing.

As far as the cup, kids walk around all day while they play with juice.

They play, take a sip, play some more and come back 10 minutes later, 20, 30, 45 and so onâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;you get the picture, right?

If it takes 30 minutes for the body to cleanse the mouth and a child is constantly sipping on sugar the mouth can never catch up! Enamel weakening and tooth decay are inevitable.

Juice is fine in small, correct amounts but at meal time only. The rule is

â&#x20AC;&#x153;drink it and be done with it.â&#x20AC;?

Do not allow a child to â&#x20AC;&#x153;take alongâ&#x20AC;? anything in their sippy cups or bottles other than water. During those clumsy toddler years where a sippy cup just makes sense, youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll still want to use it to offer the juice or milk but only in a sitting-mealtime environment. In summary, water for play, and juice or milk at the table only.

The American Pediatric Dental Association recommends the first dental visit at one year of age. We recommend seeing a pediatric dentist for this age child. Any child three years of age can see a pediatric specialist or a general dentist for their regular six monthsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; cleanings.

We encourage you to call your local dental office today and receive all the oral education and support that you need, not just a new toothbrush and a trip to the treasure chest. Let your little one quench their thirst while you quench your questions.

Dest Family Dentistry

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Protecting our children in a toxic world Our children are being exposed to a heavy load of environmental toxins. According to the Environmental Working Group, a study on newborn babies found up to 287 chemicals in the cord blood of randomly selected children.

Additionally, Dr. Leonardo Trasande, co-director of the Children’s Environmental Health Center at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine, when interviewed on CNN, said “We are in an epidemic of environmentally mediated disease among American children today.

“Rates of asthma, childhood cancers, birth defects and developmental disorders have exponentially increased, and it can’t be explained by changes in the human genome. So what has changed? All the chemicals we’re being exposed to.”

Children are the most sensitive to even the minutest amounts of toxins, which can affect their health for the rest of their lives.

Toxins can be extremely damaging to our children’s neurological systems.

Dramatic increases in ADHD, autism and epilepsy are being seen and much of the scientific research being done has suggested that toxins do play a role in the rise in neurological issues.

Toxins’ Role in Obesity

Another troubling trend is a huge increase in the incidence of childhood obesity. According to research, the number of children who are clinically obese has climbed three-fold in the past 30 years.

Surprisingly, this trend may not be due to poor diet and a lack of exercise alone.

Chemicals such as Bisphenol A and phthalates, known endocrine disruptors, have been implicated as possible factors in the increased numbers of obese children.

It is commonly understood in toxicity research that when laboratory animals are exposed to toxic chemicals, their metabolisms slow down and their body temperatures go down. There has been a trend that many doctors have seen in that the average temperature of people is going down, some-

thing that the toxicity model predicts.

If our metabolism slows down and our ability to derive energy from our food is impacted, what can we do? The impact on children is likely to be greater, which may be part of the explanation for why the percentage of children between the ages of 6 and 11 who are obese rose from 6.5 percent in 1980 to 19.6 percent in 2008.

In children between 12 and 19, obesity rates rose from 5.0 percent to 19.1 percent during the same time period. To put this in perspective, today one out of every five children is not just overweight but they are clinically obese, which means that they are 20-30 percent above the normal weight for their height. The percentages for overweight children are much higher.

So what does this obesity issue mean for the health of our children? According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), being an obese child can mean the following: • Obese youth are more likely to have risk factors for cardiovascular disease, such as high cholesterol or high blood pressure.

In a population-based sample of 5- to 17year-olds, 70 percent of obese youth had at least one risk factor for cardiovascular disease.

• Children and adolescents who are obese are at greater risk for bone and joint

problems, sleep apnea and social and psychological problems such as stigmatization and poor self-esteem.

• Obese youth are more likely than youth of normal weight to become overweight or obese adults, and therefore more at risk for associated adult health problems, including heart disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke, several types of cancer and osteoarthritis.

Reducing Toxins What can we do as parents to help raise a child in this increasingly toxic world?

Thankfully, there have been a great number of researchers not just looking at what is wrong and its ramifications, but an equal number looking at and reporting what successful programs are available to lessen the burden on our children as well as helping them to excrete the toxins more efficiently.

According to the Environmental Working Group, there have been 315 pollutants found in our tap water since 2004. Over half of these are unregulated and can legally exist in any amount.

The National Resources Defense Council four-year study shows that over 1/3 of bottled waters contain levels of contamination that exceed allowable limits.

See Toxins page 15

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March 30, 2011

Children’s health and fitness

Multivitamins and minerals improve children’s attention Can a daily multivitamin/multimineral supplement improve the attention span of healthy children?

Healthy levels of vitamins and minerals are essential for optimal attention spans. However, a large percentage of individuals, including children, suffer from deficiencies in one or more vitamins or minerals.

In a study reported in the British Journal of Nutrition, scientists investigated whether daily supplementation with vitamins/minerals could improve cognitive performance in 81 healthy children aged 8 to 14 years over a 12-week study. The study included assessments of their cognitive performance before taking a multivitamin/multimineral supplement and at 1 and 3 hours after taking the supplements. Interim assessments were also completed at home after 4 and 8 weeks, three hours after the children took the supplements. The researchers looked at the kids’ cognitive function by having them complete a cognitive test which included tasks assessing the speed and accuracy of attention and aspects of memory.

The supplements did significantly improve attention span in the children. The results indicated that the vitamin/mineral group performed more accurately on two attention tests compared to children who received a placebo.

The first signs of improvement were noticed only three hours after the first dose on the first day.

A quality, balanced multivitamin/multimineral supplement is chewable Kids Essentials.

Billy Wease, RPh, FAARM and Complimentary Prescriptions Staff

It’s better to determine children’s waist size opposed to their BMI. This will be helpful when assessing children’s future risk for cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

Some studies suggest children with high waist circumference measurements were five or six times more likely than children with smaller middles to develop Metabolic Syndrome by early adulthood.

Young or old, society as a whole should pay attention to Metabolic Syndrome, which is a cluster of risk factors associated with long-term development of very serious health issues, such as coronary artery disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes.

As parents we do our best keeping our children safe from the outside world, making sure they are fed, clothed and happy. However, somewhere down the road it becomes so normal and way too convenient to give in to Happy Meals and soft drinks, which soon aren’t enough and turn into super-sized everything.

Full-time working parents are so limited to quick and easy meals that drive-throughs and convenience become the way to go. It’s important

to try and be “Pre” prepared for meals, spending time at the first of the week planning what your family can eat.

I know first hand how challenging this can be with picky eaters.

Some suggestions would be to make soft drinks and fast food more like special treats rather than dinner every other night. The more our children consume water eventually that will become second nature and they may even start to prefer it.

Children only eat what we feed them so it’s good to start them young on proper nutrition.

One of the greatest gifts we can give our children is to keep them active! Physical activity for all of us is a great way to do our part to ensure lifelong health and well-being.

Healthy children are active and it’s our job to make sure physical activity becomes a habit. Starting young makes it more natural in adulthood.

Improving your child’s fitness may boost academic performance, selfesteem and mental health. It’s also a sure way to avoid childhood obesity, which can lead to lifelong health issues.

Starting young at most anything

will set our children up the way they continue to live as adults. This is why my belief is that childhood is the best time to learn healthy habits!

Carrie Lynch, Carolina Family Care

“Hands-on therapy from caring professionals you know & trust.”

Our mission is to glorify and honor God by reaching out to people with the love of Jesus Christ.

Don Miller DPT, MSPT, BSPT, OCS, Cert. SMT, CSCS Board Certified Orthopedic Clinical Specialist Certified in Spinal Manipulative Therapy

At Cleveland Physical Therapy Associates we will strive to achieve our mission by providing exceptional care and by using our resources to promote healing in the lives of our associates, our patients, and our community.

We offer a wide range of services including physical therapy, an aquatics program, a gait lab, and personal training. State-of-the-art facilities and highly trained therapists allow us to provide a full continuum of care ensuring the best possible results.

Eric Vranesh PT, DPT, OCS, SCS, LAT Doctorate of Physical Therapy, Board Certified Orthopedic Clinical Specialist, Board Certified Sports Clinical Specialist

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March 30, 2011

Toxins from page 13 Bottled waters are commonly packaged in plastics that contain toxins such as phthalates, dioxins and Bisphenol A. Kangen Water, made from an approved medical device in Japan, is free from toxins, pollutants and contamination. Kangen Water is detoxifying, hydrating, and a powerful anti-oxidant. More information is available at www.checkoutkangen.com The Environmental Working Group (EWG) reports there are certain fruits and vegetables that should be avoided unless they are organic because of the levels of pesticides found in them. The so-called dirty dozen are: celery, peaches, strawberries, apples, blueberries, nectarines, bell peppers, spinach, cherries, kale/collard greens, potatoes and imported grapes. The clean 15, which are the lowest in pesticides are: onions, avocado, sweet corn, pineapple, mangos, sweet peas, asparagus, kiwi, cabbage, eggplant, cantaloupe, watermelon, grapefruit, sweet potato and honeydew melon. In their research at EWG, they found that those who ate fruits and vegetables from the dirty dozen consumed 10 pesticides per day and those who ate from the clean 15 averaged less than 2.

So what else can we do to protect ourselves and our children? Major sources of toxins in the home are personal care products that contain phthalates, parabens and

xylene to name a few. There is a database you can access to see if the products you have in your home are safe as well as those that are good alternatives available from http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/.

Detoxifying After reducing exposure to toxic chemicals, the process of improving the ability to detoxify can begin. A number of products can help you and your child eliminate the toxic overload.

Kangen Water is micro-clustered water and helps to eliminate toxins from the body.

Drinking Kangen Water is a great way to decrease the amount of soft drinks and other sugary drinks kids often consume.

Detox Complex is a rice-based shake mix that supports the bodyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ability to detoxify pollutants and toxins. Detox Complex supports phases 1, 2 and 3 detoxification by providing the body with nutrients that aid in the bodyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s cleansing and features a mixed berry flavor.

Conclusion Raising healthy children in our toxic world is complex. Purchasing organically grown foods is important. Avoiding the numerous toxic exposures in our home by drinking Kangen Water and carefully selecting non-toxic personal care products is crucial as well. Finally, providing children with safe, effective, quality nutritional supplements can aid the body in minimizing toxic overload.

Billy Wease RPH, FAARM and Mark Schauss, MBA, DB

15

Caregivers need to remember eye health too Most docs will tell you that men, including yours truly, tend to avoid doctors visits for a variety of reasons that fit mostly into the category of denial. No one would argue this approach to personal wellbeing is smart. Women, the perennial care givers since the day they borrowed a rib, skip their visits for altogether different reasons. They are either too busy taking care of everyone else or finances and/or selflessness dictate that they will be the last served at the health care buffet. Well Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve got a question for you ladies that is both self serving and in your best interest to consider: If you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t take care of yourselves in April and through out the rest of the year, how do you expect to take care of the rest of us?

Fair or not, here are some facts that should make you contemplate a â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;me firstâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; attitude or at least a â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;me tooâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; approach. Over 35 million people on this planet of ours are blind and over two-thirds of those blind or visually impaired people are women. These global statistics hold up in the United States with over 700,000 of the roughly one million blind being women. Of the 1.6 million people suffering with macular degeneration, one million are women. The numbers are skewed against females because women in the US tend to outlive men, but additionally women also seem to have a predisposition to certain conditions that result in visual impairment.

There are simple steps we all can take to maintain the health of our eyes. I am sure it comes as no surprise that overall health and eye health go hand and hand. Eating well and staying in shape are crucial. Maintaining an appropriate weight through proper diet is important, but cardiovascular health matters too and it canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t be maintained through limiting calorie intake alone. Physical activity is the counterpoint to proper nutrition and helps relieve stress too. We have all heard of the wonders of antioxidants and how they play a valuable role in helping maintain eye health. Sunglasses with UV

protection are another gift that keeps on giving and what can I say about smoking that hasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t already been said. Smoking is not only a killer, but it also increases the chances of getting certain eye diseases so give it up. Lastly, get your eyes checked at regular intervals. Most people should get an eye exam every couple of years, but if you have diabetes, you need to schedule annual visits, Ladies, I salute you and encourage you to do the same. Put yourself on your list of priorities this year.

Dr. Foster Gaston Eye Associates

Camping from page 7 children develop creative thinking skills and figure out how to handle things on their own.

5. If your children go to camp, you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t need to drive them from soccer to swim lessons, to a play date, to computer camp, to art class to â&#x20AC;Ś.

Just think. Your child can participate in all those activities in one location. Whether at a weeklong residential camp or eight-hour day camp, children have the opportunity for a wide range of enriching activities without your chauffeurâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s serviceâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;and you have the opportunity to lie outside on your hammock, read a best-selling novel, and sip lemonade. Now thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a great way to spend the summer!

Donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t feel guilty about leaving your child at campâ&#x20AC;Ś it is one of the best gifts you can give themâ&#x20AC;ŚWhen they get home they will have more self- confidence and you will notice progress in the maturity process. After all, isnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t that what we want for our kids?

Cleveland County YMCA

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Autism from page 8 With picture therapy, Robin says she uses picture cues to inform the boys of what to expect next in their day-to-day routine. In “holding therapy”, she holds the boys in a bear hug to apply pressure to their body.

“This relieves them of excess stimuli and gives them comfort,” she said.

“When autistic children get over-stimulated it has to be released somehow,” she added.

In this process, referred to as “stemming”, they may flap their hands repeatedly, spin or twirl in a circular motion, rock their bodies or do other things until they calm down.

“For a child with autism it is like they don’t process stimuli like the average person. Therefore any change in routine is catastrophic for them because it causes such anxiety and they do not process anxiety like we do,” Robin said. “It can be mental stimuli (anxiety, fear, uncertainties) or it can be physical stimuli (noise, touch, pain, taste, sense of movement).

“Alec is soon to be 16 and puberty is tough on an autistic child because, there again, they are having to deal with a lot of change at once and it is happening directly to them. He is doing well though and I am so proud of how he has managed his difference,” Robin said. “He knows he has autism and reads about it. He often asks

me questions about his disorder. He tries to do the things that are uncomfortable for him such as eye contact, being around people he is not familiar with, doing things that require coordination, and being in a group of his peers.”

Although learning to read was extremely difficult for Alec, he mastered the challenge and now loves to read. At the age of four, Trevor could only speak about three words. He now has a full vocabulary.

Alec looks out for Trevor and, although they’re different, they get along well to-

March 30, 2011

gether. They play video games or wrestle in the floor.

“All four of our boys get along like boys. They love one another one minute and are trying to draw blood and kill one another the next,” Robin joked. “Everyone here is treated the same as much as possible because we know that when they are grown and in the world people are not going to make exceptions for them. We try to teach them to adapt to the world because it is not going to adapt to them.”

There’s a lot of laughter in the Crisps’ Kings Mountain home.

Quick facts: • Autism spectrum disorders are characterized by varying degrees of impairment in communication skills, social interactions, and restricted, repetitive and stereotyped patterns of behavior.

• It can be detected as early as 18 months, in some cases, and most often by the age of 3.

• Scientists aren’t certain about what causes ASD, but it’s likely that both genetics and environment play a role.

• For many children, symptoms improve with treatment and with age.

• People with ASD usually continue to need services and supports as they get older, but many are able to work successfully and live independently or within a supportive environment.

• There is no cure for ASD. Therapies and behavioral interventions are designed to remedy specific symptoms and can bring about substantial improvement. The ideal treatment plan coordinates therapies and interventions that meet the specific needs of individual children. Most health care

And although studies show that autistic children tend to be void of showing soft emotions like love, joy or compassion, Trevor and Alec break the stereotypical barriers in front of them. They are very loving and compassionate.

Robin says that another great resource for parents may be found at the Exceptional Children’s Assistance Center website: www.ecac-parentcenter.org “As a parent the best way to help your child is to arm yourself with as much information as you possibly can,” she said.

professionals agree that the earlier the intervention, the better.

Early indicators that may require evaluation by an expert include: • no babbling or pointing by age 1 • no single words by 16 months or two-word phrases by age 2 • no response to name • loss of language or social skills • poor eye contact • excessive lining up of toys or objects • no smiling or social responsiveness Later indicators include: • impaired ability to make friends with peers • impaired ability to initiate or sustain a conversation with others • absence or impairment of imaginative and social play • stereotyped, repetitive, or unusual use of language • restricted patterns of interest that are abnormal in intensity or focus • preoccupation with certain objects or subjects • inflexible adherence to specific routines or rituals

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Needs from page 9 six months before it becomes a real handicap for a child in the school room, playground, at home, in the community or social settings.

Aspel says that some children with ADD/ADHD need specific education services, while others can receive an appropriate education without any special interventions. ADHD affects from 3 to 10 percent of all children in America. Some studies estimate that about 20 percent of the population will eventually be diagnosed with ADD. Childhood ADD is about 10 times more common in boys.

Local teachers say symptoms of childhood ADD include: *Inattention - does not finish things once started, appears not to listen, is easily distracted, and not focused on school work or anything requiring a longer attention span, does not stay with a planned activity too long *Impulsivity - acts without thinking about consequences, moves excessively from one task to another, does not organize work though this is not because of any cognitive impairment, must have supervision, talks out in class, does not wait his or her turn in group situations.

Mary Accor, Director of Pre-School Services, said that in the Cleveland County School system there are 19 preschool classrooms in 12 of the elementary schools and 14 Head Start classrooms in nine of the elementary schools. Each classroom has a teacher and an assistant.

These classrooms serve children on a lot of different levels of academic readiness and social skills. These special needs can include children who are identified by the Exceptional Children’s Program and children who are identified as having attention deficit disorder. These children participate in all classroom activities like their typically developing peers, Accor says.

Children identified through the Exceptional Children’s Program have an individ-

HQ ualized education program or IEP. Each IEP is developed with a team consisting of the parents, the Exceptional Children preschool teacher, the regular education teacher, related service providers such as speech, occupational therapy, and physical therapy if those services are needed and the Exceptional Children Preschool coordinator.

Specific goals are created that relate to the skills that the child is delayed in as identified through the testing process. In addition to the regular instruction in the preschool classroom, these children are given extra instruction in the identified areas. Sometimes these children are given the additional instruction in the regular classroom and sometimes they are pulled aside in smaller groups or individually.

There is also a preschool classroom at North Shelby School. This classroom has a teacher and two assistants. All children in this classroom have an IE, and the teacher and assistants work on skills at the level that the students are at developmentally as well as goals that have been developed for their individual plan.

In addition to classroom services for children identified by the Exceptional Children Program, there are three itinerant preschool teachers that serve children with an IEP in daycare centers as “walk-ins.” Walkins are children that are not in a classroom or day care. Their parents take them to a school in their zone area to get small group or individualized instruction on the goals identified in their IEP. Kim Wease serves as the Preschool Exceptional Children’s Coordinator.

Says Accor, “Cleveland County strives to serve all pre-school children and give them good experiences so that they will be ready to start kindergarten.”

A medical diagnosis of ADD/ADHD alone is not enough to make a child eligible for services. If a child is determined eligible for special education services, an IEP team develops an Individualized Education Program specially tailored to meet the child’s needs. The IEP will contain specific educational, developmental and behavioral support and serves to help the child reach his IEP goals and make progress.

“It takes a team effort by parents and teachers,” says McCullough, who said that 187 kids in the school system with ADD/ADHD require special services and are getting the help to meet their unique needs.

Lib Stewart/Herald

Wendy Fitch, left, and Mary Accor look over a schedule for a typical school day in the Cleveland County School's Exceptional Children's Program.

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HQ

Immunizations from page 5 facturers are always looking to improve vaccine delivery.”

The bottom line, or main reason, for making sure your child gets immunized is simple, Clark says.

“Vaccines are administered to prevent vaccine preventable diseases. History shows that the vaccine preventable diseases (and deaths) have decreased phenomenally over the past years.”

As for getting information, both Clark and Price say the “gold standard” they recommend is the Center for Disease Control and Prevention web site (), and Immunize North Carolina, at http://www.immunizenc.com.

“They’ve got a wealth of information and other sites to go to that will help,” Price says.

School nurse stresses importance of immunizations Immunizing children is one of the most important tasks any parent will have before getting their child into any North Carolina school system.

Wanda Ammay, school nurse for three

Cherryville schools (between 1,200 and 1,300 students), says it is the one thing all parents owe their children, next to a great education.

“You cannot take the health of your little ones for granted,” Ammay says. “It doesn’t matter of they are just starting out in kindergarten or whether they are entering college for their first time and you are helping them get into their dorm.”

Ammay knows that most kids are afraid of needles, so vaccinations and immunizations are pretty scary adventures. Ammay knows because she is not only a mother, she has been a nurse for 30-plus years, and a school nurse for 10 of those years, eight at Gaston County schools. Before that she was with the Cleveland County school system.

“Many parents think their kids are all caught up with their immunizations and vaccinations, and there are still some who think (and believe) their kids simply don’t need them.

“In some cases, many can’t afford them or forget to take advantage of the many free clinics and helps they can get from local clinics, schools, or state agencies,” Ammay says.

But, the fact of the matter is this: for a child to attend a public school or a day care these days, he or she must be immunized against a whole host of ills and maladies that are communicable.

The immunizations children need to get into Gaston County schools are the diphtheria/tetanus/pertussis (DTP/DTaP): five

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That’s why they need periodic spinal checkups. It is possible to have subluxations yet be symptomfree. There are, however, certain warning signs indicating that the spinal column may be out of alignment including:

• Fatigue • Shoulder Blades Flared Out • Hyperactivity • Frequent Falling • “Noisy Bones” • Joint Aches • Neck Tilt • One Arm or One Leg Looks Shorter • A Foot Turned In or Out • One Hip or Shoulder Higher Than the Other

In addition to improved physical health, chiropractic care is known to improve a child’s behavior and emotional health.

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doses. The since the kindergarten child took the series is last dose of complete if tetanus/diphthe fourth theria,” she DTP/DTaP says. dose is on or Ammay after the notes that the child’s month of fourth birthApril is deday; polio clared Immu(IPV) vacnization cine: four Month, so she doses. hopes to “Three make more doses are acparents aware (photo by MEP/The Eagle) ceptable if of the necesSchool nurse Wanda Ammay talks about the new the last dose sary immuGaston County School immunization requirements was given nizations and listed on the sheets she gives to parents. Ammay is the on or after vaccinations school nurse for three Cherryville schools. the fourth their kids will birthday,“ Ammay says. need before getting into another school For the haemophilus influenza B vaccine year.

(HIB), one dose must be given at 15 months Perhaps two that weigh on her mind and and before five years of age. It is not re- ones which she feels need to be more recquired after the age of five, according to in- ognized among children and their parents formation from Ammay which reflects the today are immunizations against meningistanding of the school system. tis and human papilomavirus, or HPV. The measles immunization includes two “Among college students, meningitis doses after the child’s first birthday and at can spread due to the child being in such a least 28 days apart. dense population environment,” she says.

“This is usually given as the MMR, or “It’s not really required for our students.” mumps, measles, rubella immunization,” Nevertheless, it is a scary enough disease she adds. With the mumps vaccine, two that she encourages parents to not overlook doses are required. Only one mumps im- or ignore what it can do. munization is required if kindergarten entry As for an HPV immunization, Ammay was before August 2008. says that it is given to both males and feAmmay says only one dose of rubella is males. She knows that many don’t like to needed on or after 12 months of age and be- talk about it but adds she feels, as a health fore 16 months of age. professional, it should be on parental radar.

For the hepatitis B immunizations, Ammay says it seems that every year Ammay says three doses are required for all something changes. “The demographics students born before July 1, 1994, and a change in small communities, but diseases varicella, also known as “chicken pox”, im- don’t, as a rule. For that one we conquer it munization is needed for those born on or seems another, newer strain comes along, after April 1, 2001. forcing us to create new vaccines. Many Also, effective since January 2008, a parents still believe all they need is the new immunization requirement for one DTaP and their child is good to go!” dose for DTaP is now required for all stuAmmay concerns herself every year dents who entered the sixth grade on or with the kindergarten through grade six after August 1, 2008.

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Immunizations from page 18 crowd.

“I have to check all those records and make sure they meet all their requirements. If not, she sends out a letter of compliance.

“If the parent doesn’t get their child immunized or vaccinated after that, then their child will be excluded from school until such immunization takes place and we are notified of it,” she says.

In the case of religious exemption, Ammay says the school system must have the proper exclusion form filled out, and it must be signed by a parent.

As for those dreaded visits to the school nurse? Ammay laughs and simply replies not to worry.

“School nurses don’t give shots in school. Now, we did do the hep B series in 2005-2006 to get them up to date, but that’s all I remember.” Another time she says they may have helped out with actually giving injections might have been the H1N1 pandemic, but the county ultimately decided that course of action.

In the end, getting a child immunized is still up to the parent taking them to their personal physician, she says.

Overall, Ammay says she sees kids today being healthier. Although the lifetime of some immunizations is shorter than what was previously thought, children can have a "booster" injection added

HQ to their immunizations.

The bottom line, says Ammay, is that immunizations work. "Overall, diseases among children have dropped here in this country. Other countries, I'm not so sure.

I don't have figures on such as that.

Students not meeting state requirements for immunizations and a school physical exam by September 23, 2011, will not be allowed to remain in school.

Nutrition from page 4 The health department has seven nutritionists, two of whom are registered dietitians working under Carpenter. They serve 5,500 WIC participants. They also perform other nutrition services, such as diabetes counseling, through Gaston Family Services.

Carpenter continued that WIC’s clients and prospective clients find out about it through the Gaston County Department of Social Services.

“They usually tell them (the clients) about WIC,” she said. “Also, clients who are young mothers or mothers-to-be get referrals from our maternity clinic.”

Want to know more? Carpenter encourages you to check out the Website at www.nutritionnc.com

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MRSA, not just in the hospitals anymore MRSA, or Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, is a type of staph bacteria that has become resistant to many of the common antibiotics doctors prescribe. For many years, MRSA infections were found almost exclusively in healthcare settings.

Over the last 20 years, however, more and more cases of community-acquired MRSA (CA-MRSA) have started appearing. “There has been a significant rise in community-acquired MRSA cases over the last decade,” said Elias Ashame, MD, an infectious diseases specialist with Cleveland County HealthCare System. “These days about 50 percent of the staph infections I see are CA- MRSA.” Most cases of CA-MRSA are skin infections and can occur in otherwise healthy people. A CA-MRSA skin infection often looks like a small boil or insect bite and goes away on its own in about two days. “About eight out of 10 people who have CA-MRSA will have no serious infection,” said Dr. Ashame, “For most people it’s just a nuisance. The bad news is that the natural course of this disease is for it to recur.”

The patients Dr. Ashame treats for CA-MRSA are usually those who have multiple recurrences or infections that do not heal on their own. “It’s important to keep an eye on the infection,” he said. “Although most heal on their own, if the spot gets bigger, becomes redder or develops into an abscess (collects pus), they should seek medical attention.”

Information from the CDC explains that these skin infections usually spread through direct contact with another person’s infection. Although less common, the infection can also spread when someone touches objects that have touched a person’s infection like towels, bandages or razors. This is why it is important to keep cuts, scrapes and open sores covered and follow rules for good hygiene. “These bacteria like to hide in places that are wet and warm, like the nose,” Dr. Ashame stated. “The number one thing people can do to prevent infection is wash their hands often.”

As an infectious diseases specialist, Dr. Ashame is a doctor of internal medicine who completed several years of additional training in infectious diseases. His specialized expertise can help diagnose or manage infections including HIV and hepatitis.

Some personal prevention steps the CDC recommends are: Keep your hands clean by washing thoroughly with soap and water or using an alcohol-based hand rub.

Keep cuts and scrapes clean and covered with a bandage until healed.

Avoid contact with other people’s wounds or bandages.

Avoid sharing personal items such as towels or razors.

Submitted by Cleveland Regional Medical Center

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March 30, 2011 Spend the summer with your friends at the YMCA!

IT’S THE SUMMER TO DISCOVER CAMP

Exciting field trips, swimming, arts and crafts, fun games, sports, camper/counselor challenges and more. Throw in well trained staff and what else could you ask for? We offer 10 separate weeks of camp including options of half day camps, traditional day camp, sports and aquatics, specialty camps and more. Each week your camper can participate in whatever they like to do and there are a ton of options.

Ages 2 years old - 8th grade.

Registration begins April 16

Choose one week or all ten June 13-August 19

Dover Foundation YMCA

Kings Mountain Family YMCA

704.484.9622

704.739.9631

Girls Club YMCA

Ruby C. Hunt YMCA

704.482.8431

704.434.0441

*Fees will vary based on camp selected. Hours of camp will vary based on camp selected. For more information, please reference camp program guide available at the branch and online on April 11.

Healthy Kids Day™ A YMCA Initiative

MAKE IT A PLAY DATE Saturday, April 16, 2011 • 10am-Noon Dover Foundation YMCA 704.484.9622

Kings Mountain Family YMCA 704.739.9631

Ruby C. Hunt YMCA 704.434.0441

Membership Special All Y Locations will Waive the Joining Fee during business hours on April 16!

For more information contact your local Y branch

Stop by any Cleveland County YMCA for details!