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Toying with our Children’s Health: Happy Meals, Public Health & the Obesity Epidemic

Like a great many other pediatricians and parents, I have increasingly focused my attention in recent years on the topic of children and nutrition. With an ever-increasing number of children now deemed overweight or obese, quite frankly it’s a topic that’s all but impossible to ignore. Poor nutrition and less than ideal dietary habits are posing an ever-expanding threat to our children’s (and in many cases, our own) overall health and well-being – a threat that we simply can not take lightly. As Iowa Senator Tom Harkin put it, “The childhood obesity epidemic isn’t just a catch phrase. It’s a real public health crisis.”

I, for one, don’t take it lightly. As a pediatrician and parent of three, I hope I’m not alone in considering it my parental duty to pay attention to what my children eat – not only at home, but at school and elsewhere. Sure, I strongly believe in teaching them to become independent and make wise choices, but the fact of the matter is they still need nutritional guidance. After all, I am painfully aware that when it comes to making wise food choices, they’re up against some powerful forces.

Michael O’Connor’s January 30th Omaha World Herald article, Toying with kid’s health, brings to the front page one such force. The article addresses a proposed bill (Nebraska’s Legislative bill 126) that would “prevent fast-food outlets and other restaurants from including Barbie and other prizes in kids meals unless the food meets nutrition requirements.” My concern is that people will come to the same, nutritionally dangerous conclusion as the parent whose closing argument in the article was that “fast food is supposed to be fun and entertainment.” Believe it or not, I do understand this argument. I too have found myself pressed for time at the end of a long work day, driving children around from one scheduled activity to another, and faced with pleas for the “fun and entertainment” that fast food promises to deliver. But that doesn’t change what we know about fast food and all of the other outside forces that threaten our children’s nutritional fortitude.

It probably won’t come as news to anyone when I point out that here in the United States, unhealthy foods are marketed to even the youngest of children. But the magnitude is staggering and the extent to which our children are being influenced may surprise you. I hope the following information will help you better recognize just what we are up against.

Food Fact #1: Children are not only witness to literally thousands of television food ads every year, but an overwhelming majority are for foods significantly lacking in nutritional value. With the exception of a recent (and much heralded) carrot campaign, the vast majority of ads (on the order of nearly 98% for 2 to 11 year olds and ~90% for adolescents) tout energy dense, sugary, salty and/or fatty foods.

Food Fact #2: Exposure to food-related television advertisements increases consumption. In a study that looked at the impact of television ads on children’s eating behavior, exposure to food-related ads served as powerful enough cues to increase subsequent food intake in all children studied.

Food Fact #3: Fast-food companies use toys to market their children’s meals. This fact alone isn’t a big surprise, but now remind yourself that fast food meals typically take the cake when it comes to placing at the very top of the nutritionally dangerous list. Next consider that of the reported $520 million that fast-food companies spent on marketing children’s meals in 2006, toys accounted for nearly three-quarters of this spending. In other words, the marketing of unhealthy foods to children isn’t just limited to television ads. Like it or not, it’s in your Happy Meals and comes in the form of a toy.

While I’d like to agree with the parent interviewed in Mr. O’Connor’s article, I can’t. Reality tells me that even with the best of nutritional intentions, parents are up against a lot. While it is absolutely true that parents can and should try to steer clear of fast-food, teach children to opt for healthier options when purchasing children’s meals, limit children’s television time (and with it, exposure to unhealthy food ads), and encourage daily physical activity along with plenty of fruits and vegetables, I’m not sure that parental interventions alone are going to be enough to overcome the childhood obesity epidemic that is looming large.

Originally posted on Omaha World Herald’s Live Well Nebraska

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What’s the Big Deal About Chickenpox?

I presume that many of you just received the same notification that I got in my children’s school newsletter regarding Nebraska’s new 2011-2012 School Year Immunization Law. For any parents who may have missed it: in short, the state of Nebraska will soon require all students (K-12) to have two immunizations (instead one) for Varicella (Chickenpox) unless they provide written documentation verifying prior varicella infection. In keeping with Nebraska’s current immunization laws, children won’t be allowed to attend classes in public or private school until the school has written proof of either prior chickenpox infection or the required two varicella shots.

The update in Nebraska’s Immunization Law, with its increased requirement from one to two doses of chickenpox vaccine, came as no surprise to me since I make it a point to keep current on the latest immunization recommendations. That said, I have found that parents have had many questions about the chickenpox vaccine ever since it first became available in the US over 15 years ago. I figured it might therefore be useful to address some of the questions I’m most frequently asked about chickenpox and the vaccine.

What’s the big deal about just getting chicken pox? Let me first say that I fully understand the temptation for parents to consider chickenpox a not-such-a-big-deal childhood infection. After all, it is usually mild and self-limited – known primarily for being highly contagious and causing an itchy rash, fever and maybe some accompanying fatigue. What I have found, however, is that parents are often unaware of the fact that prior to the vaccine, chickenpox was also responsible for about 11,000 hospitalizations and 100 deaths in the US every year. Young children and adults were (and still are) more likely to develop serious symptoms as chickenpox infection can lead to severe skin infection, scarring, pneumonia, and even brain damage or death. In other words, chickenpox can be a very big deal.

Does the chickenpox vaccine work? Yes. The chickenpox vaccine does work to prevent chickenpox, as most people who get the vaccine will not get chickenpox. In fact, a single shot is estimated to be 80 to 90 percent effective. That said, it is possible to get chickenpox after having been vaccinated. Less than an estimated 1 to 3 percent of vaccinated children each year develop a mild varicella-like syndrome involving fewer blisters, less likelihood of fever, and shorter duration of symptoms.

Can you get chickenpox from the shot? While most people who get the chickenpox vaccine don’t have any problems with it, according to the CDC’s Chickenpox Vaccine Information Statement approximately 1 in 25 may develop a mild rash up to a month after getting the vaccine. While it’s possible for people with this rash to infect others, it’s extremely rare.

Why are two chickenpox shots needed instead of just one? Like a majority of other vaccines, it has been determined that chickenpox requires a second shot in order to provide adequate immunity. It is true that when chickenpox vaccine was first introduced in the US in 1995, it was initially recommended as a single shot (between the ages of 12 and 15 months). In 2006, however, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommended adding a second dose (between the ages of 4 and 6) after outbreaks were seen in previously vaccinated school-age children.

While I understand the temptation to cringe at the thought of yet one more shot added to our children’s already immunization schedule, I would like to suggest that we remember to be grateful for the fact that we have available to us a chickenpox vaccine that is much safer than getting the disease itself.

Originally posted on Omaha World Herald’s Live Well Nebraska

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Helping Children Cope with School Shootings

My children and I took our first trip to India over the holidays, accompanying my U.S.-born husband who hadn’t been back to visit relatives in over 20 years. The trip was eye-opening. We traveled all over India – making our way through big cities and tiny villages as we visited relatives and introduced our children to a world very different from the one they know. Continue reading “Helping Children Cope with School Shootings”

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Winter, Carbon Monoxide Poisoning, and Family Safety

In an attempt to maintain my glass-half-full view of the world, I’m always relieved when I sit down to read the morning paper and come across a good tragedy-averted story interspersed amongst the doom and gloom. So believe me when I say I was particularly happy to read John Schreier’s article, Carbon monoxide sickens students. While it’s unfortunate that more than 40 UNL students recently wound up at the hospital after waking to symptoms consistent with carbon monoxide poisoning, the operative word in this description would have to be “waking.” Because the fact of the matter is that carbon monoxide is one of the leading causes of poisoning deaths in the United States. Often dubbed “the silent killer,” this toxic gas is colorless, tasteless and odorless, but has the deadly ability to disrupt the body’s use of oxygen. In other words, things could have been worse at the UNL fraternity house. Much worse. Continue reading “Winter, Carbon Monoxide Poisoning, and Family Safety”

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I have to say, it’s a good thing I have the opportunity to talk to lots of parents on a regular basis, if for no other reason than because I’m able to reassure myself that I’m not the only parent having conversations like this one:

Me:     “You can’t wear shorts today.”

Child who shall go nameless: “Why not?”

Me:     “It’s winter, and it’s too cold outside for shorts.”

Child (still wearing shorts):    “So?! I’m not cold.”

Me:     “It’s not just a little cold. It’s frigid outside. As in snow temperature. As in it’s sub-zero wind chill and like the arctic tundra outside. Now go change!”

Child (still not changing):        “But mom, WHY?!”

Me:     “Because I give people parenting advice for a living, and if you don’t, you’ll make me look bad, so end of discussion – go change!”

I have to admit that there’s some irony to me telling my children to change into long pants or go put on a winter coat. After all, I grew up in the Midwest and I was actually known all throughout college for not wearing a coat – even when walking outdoors between classes during winters spent at the University of Michigan. In fact, last winter I passed a college friend on the streets of NYC who I hadn’t seen in almost a decade. He later told me that the only reason he hadn’t stopped me to say hello was because I was wearing a coat, so he figured it couldn’t possibly be me!

Okay, so now I’ve owned up to my own history of dressing inappropriately for the cold weather. But that doesn’t change anything when it comes to the parenting advice I’m about to share with you. The fact of the matter is that cold weather (like what we get here in Nebraska) can be dangerous, young children are especially susceptible to the cold, and it’s our duty as parents to insure our children’s health and safety in warm and cold weather alike. While it’s not actually true (except in more extreme instances) that being cold makes you “catch a cold,” there are definitely instances such as hypothermia and frostbite that most certainly can result from being inappropriately dressed for the weather.

With this in mind, the following information, excerpted from the American Academy of Pediatrics’ Winter Safety Tips, will hopefully help you better determine which cold-weather clothing battles are worth fighting. Don’t let it deter you if your children try to give you the cold shoulder after you lay down the law. Instead of resorting to “because I said so,” you too can feel free to justify your “request” that your child go put his shorts away until at least March (if not May) by simply saying, “Because Dr. Laura and the American Academy of Pediatrics say so!”

  • Dress infants and children warmly for outdoor activities. Several thin layers will keep them dry and warm. Don’t forget warm boots, gloves or mittens, and a hat
  • The rule of thumb for older babies and young children is to dress them in one more layer of clothing than an adult would wear in the same conditions
  • Hypothermia develops when a child’s temperature falls below normal due to colder temperatures. It often happens when a youngster is playing outdoors in extremely cold weather without wearing proper clothing or when clothes get wet. It can occur more quickly in children than in adults
  • Frostbite happens when the skin and outer tissues become frozen. This condition tends to happen on extremities like the fingers, toes, ears and nose. They may become pale, gray and blistered. At the same time, the child may complain that his/her skin burns or has become numb.

Originally posted on Omaha World Herald’s Live Well Nebraska

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A Parent’s Guide to Safe Holiday Travel with Kids

The season for holiday travel is almost upon us, so I thought it best to get down to basics and share some safe and practical travel tips for everyone facing the prospect of packing up the family car or heading off to the airport this holiday season. While I’m all about practicality, I also want to make sure that safety doesn’t inadvertently get left behind (or just plain forgotten) as you set out to share the holidays with family and friends.

Avoid flying objects. While car travel certainly eliminates some of the stress of figuring out how to fit everything you and your children will need for your holiday vacation into a single suitcase (or two), don’t lose sight of the fact that anything in the car that isn’t safely secured can, in the blink of an eye, become a dangerous projectile in the event of a crash. This not only includes unrestrained passengers, but any suitcases and other holiday “essentials” you bring along. To keep all passengers safe, keep all loose objects out of the passenger area of the car – tucked in the trunk or otherwise secured.

Use appropriate restraint. All too often, parents are tempted to compromise on car seats in the name of streamlined travel and efficiency. But the fact of the matter is child passenger safety never takes a holiday. That means that for anyone traveling by car, each and every passenger needs to be appropriately restrained.

  • For infants and children, this includes age-appropriate, correctly installed car seats.
  • Lap-shoulder belts need to be available for all adult passengers, as well as any children riding in booster seats. Simply using a lap belt alone doesn’t suffice when it comes to safety.
  • For those traveling by air, not only should you plan carefully so that your child can be safely restrained on the airplane (which means an FAA approved car safety seat or restraint for all children under 40 pounds), but also at your destination.
  • While most car rental agencies can arrange in advance to have car seats available, it always safest to plan on bringing your own. It may mean more to carry, but car seats are a must-have for holiday travel.

Dress for the occasion. It’s obviously important to make sure that you pack plenty of clothing to suit the climate of wherever you’re headed – especially given that young children are known to be more susceptible to both hot and cold temperatures.

  • For car travel, remember to consider what you’d want to have on hand should your car break down or get stuck along the way. While it’s not recommended that children wear bulky winter coats under their car seat harness straps (since this just adds slack into the harness system), you absolutely want to have coats on hand for any planned (or unplanned) stops along the way.
  • And as someone very accustomed to airplane travel, I can assure you that the most predictable thing about the temperature in the airplane cabin is its unpredictability. Not only is it wise to dress your child (and yourself) in layers, but bring a few extra items in your carry on.

Keep close tabs. Holiday travel inevitably throws off parenting routines. This means that you’ll want to pay extra attention to keeping a close eye on your child.

  • When traveling by car, never leave your child alone or unattended – even for a minute, no matter how much extra time or effort it may take to have the whole family pile out of the car for what you were hoping would be a very quick pit stop.
  • Whether on the road or in the air, also make sure your children have some form of identification with them, that preschoolers (and older) ideally know their own names (first and last) and a phone number, and that you have discussed with your children what to do in the event that you become separated.
  • If your children have already entered the digital age and have cell phones, this is a great time to have them on hand as well.

Originally posted on Omaha World Herald’s Live Well Nebraska

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Holiday Toy Safety Tips for Families

With December now upon us, it’s hard not to have all things holidays and winter top of mind. I’ve therefore decided to dedicate this month’s weekly blogs to what I consider to some of the most relevant parenting-meets-safety topics of the season. I hadn’t yet decided whether to first write about holiday travel tips, the selection of safe toys for tots, or addressing cold weather & frostbite concerns. But after a long weekend spent bombarded by Black Friday sales ads on television, literally three inches of ad inserts stuffed in Sunday’s paper, and a ridiculous number of CyberMonday emails filling my inbox, I am more convinced than ever that sharing a few important toy safety reminders with you now – during the peak of toy buying season – will go the longest way towards insuring that you and your family have a fun-filled and safe holiday season!

Before we get to the actual toy tips, however, I feel the need to acknowledge the fact that sharing toy-related injury information during this otherwise joyous time of year always makes me feel a bit like the grinch. Unlike the grinch, however (who was clearly in the business of indiscriminately taking away children’s toys), I hope to help you keep unsafe toys out of your children’s hands. To do that, it’s important to acknowledge that there are unsafe toys out there – some inherently unsafe, and others simply unsafe when they fall into the wrong hands.

According to Safe Kids, there were an estimated 181,900 toy-related injuries in 2009 alone – nearly half of which were in children under the age of 5. In order to avoid becoming part of next year’s statistics, I suggest using the following toy safety tips, derived from the Consumer Product Safety Commission, Safe Kids, and the American Academy of Pediatrics to guide you in the purchase of safe toys for the holiday season and throughout the year.

  • Pay attention to age-restrictions. When the box clearly states that a toy is “For ages 3 and up,” pay heed! I understand that it can be tempting to assume your two-year old is smart enough to handle anything a three-year old can. But when it comes to on-the-box age limits, the recommendation has nothing to do with smarts and everything to do with safety. Simply put, the small parts inside have been determined to pose a very real choking hazard to those under the age of three.
  • Keep older siblings’ toys away from younger children. I am well aware that even getting one’s children to share or put away their toys can be a parenting challenge, but for safety’s sake it is especially important to make sure that young children don’t get their hands on the small parts or other safety risks that are meant to be played with exclusively by their older siblings.
  • Be aware of top toy hazards. Your child’s wish list isn’t the only one where certain toys rise to the top. The top 5 toy hazards identified by the CPSC include:
    • Scooters and other riding toys. It may not make me particularly popular with your children when I tell you that riding toys cause more injuries than any other group of toys. Nor are they likely to want to hear that anything on wheels should always be accompanied by helmets and appropriate safety gear. But popularity is not what I’m after when I tell you that riding toys go fast, and falls can be deadly.
    • Small balls and other toys with small parts. Remember the advice to
    • While inflated balloons certainly add life to any party, it’s the broken or un-inflated balloons that can cause choking or suffocation and consequently put a child’s life in jeopardy. While the CPSC warns about the risks for children under the age of 8, this sage cautionary advice should be applied to all.
    • Small magnets like those found in building, science and other play sets seem to have become quite popular, but have the unfortunate ability to wreak serious havoc on the intestinal tract if swallowed. They really should be avoided altogether for children under 6, and used with caution by older children.
    • Chargers and adapters. These toy accessories can pose a serious burn risk to children. If you’re going to purchase toys that require them, be sure you also require adult supervision.
  • Read instructions carefully…and then follow them.
  • Get rid of any plastic wrappings on toys as soon as your children open them so that they don’t become dangerous play things.
  • Keep current on toy safety and other holiday safety tips, as well as any recall information from the CPSC, SafeKids, and the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Originally posted on Omaha World Herald’s Live Well Nebraska

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Giving Thanks: Things the Whole Family Can be Thankful For

I bought my turkey this past weekend. Not only did I buy it, but I even took a moment to think about how thankful I am for it. Sure I’m thankful because I love turkey, but also simply because I am fortunate enough to be able to afford a turkey. As a parent, I know full well that taking a simple weekend task like grocery shopping and turning it into a shared reflection on what our family has to be thankful for is likely to lead to some eye-rolling from my tween- and teenage children.

But the fact of the matter is that there’s no better time than the present (i.e. Thanksgiving week) to take a few moments – whether waiting in line at the grocery store or gathered with family and friends around the Thanksgiving table – and reflect on those things in your life for which you’re truly thankful. While trips to Disneyland, ipods, and the latest greatest toddler toys will understandably spring to mind first, I suggest you challenge your children, and yourself, to dig deeper. As a pediatrician and parent, I figured I’d get you started by sharing some of my own, all-too often taken for granted things to be thankful for.

Breathing through your nose. Spoken like a true pediatrician, right? But years of tending to snotty nose colds (my own, my children’s, and others’) has taught me that it’s hard to take time to stop and smell the roses if you can’t breath through your nose. You may think I’m kidding, but I’m not. Just think how many times your child’s (or your own) stuffy nose cold has kept you up at night and caused you misery. Instead of being frustrated by the annual average 6-10 colds that kids catch each year and the fact that we still don’t have a cure for the common cold, I suggest that we all remember to be grateful for each day that we wake up healthy.

Shots. I figure while we’re on the subject of waking up healthy, I’d take this opportunity to give my thanks to modern medicine and all of the medical pioneers that have given us vaccines. No, I’m not a huge fan of needles, and neither are my children. But I have such a healthy respect for the dreadful diseases we are now able to prevent by simply making sure that our children’s (and our own) immunizations are up-to-date that I count each and every shot a blessing, needles and all.

Car Seats. As someone who had 3 kids in just over 3 years – the youngest of whom only just outgrew the need for a car seat at age 10 – I am certainly aware of the parental challenges inherent in the purchasing, installing, and juggling of car seats, especially during holiday travel season. Yet despite having spent every day of the past 10 years overseeing the use of numerous seats of my own, I’m exceedingly grateful for the fact that car seats even exist, much less that they are so incredibly effective in protecting kids from harm. With nothing more important than my children’s health and safety, car seats (and all those who contribute to making sure that children are secured safely) deserve my thanks.

Cell Phones. Yes, I do have tween- and teenage children of my own. And yes, I do face the daily parental challenge posed by a world now dominated by texting tots and teens and threatened by everything from cyberbullying to sexting. But having just returned from a mobile health summit in Washington DC, I am now very, very grateful for cell phones. World thought leaders the likes of Bill Gates, Director of the National Institutes of Health Francis Collins, and the president of the Rockefeller Foundation joined over 2500 attendees from around the world who all share the belief that cell phone technology is the tool by which we will be able to reach the world’s poorest and provide them with access to better health.

Here in the United States, innovative programs like text4baby are making use of the ubiquitous nature of cell phones to put valuable health information and access to local resources right at the fingertips of pregnant women and new moms.

While I will absolutely not be thankful for any cell phones that make their way to my family’s Thanksgiving table, I will nevertheless be grateful that they exist, not just to make my life easier, but improve the health and well-being of those less fortunate than me.

Originally posted on Omaha World Herald’s Live Well Nebraska

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The Great American Smokeout: Why We Need to Clear the Air…for Our Children’s Sake

I am pleased to note that November 18th is the 35th anniversary of the American Cancer Society’s Great American Smokeout. That said, I have to admit that the existence of this day also makes me a bit sad. Sad because people still smoke. Sad because even those who don’t – including children – are nevertheless at risk. And most of all, sad because smoking is both deadly and powerfully addictive.

The fact of the matter is that despite decades of clear messages about the risk of cigarette smoking, there’s still more than enough smoke to go around. So much so that the FDA has now decided to resort to more drastic, scare-tactic measures, since high taxes and an ever-present surgeon general’s warning that “Smoking causes lung cancer, heart disease, emphysema, and may complicate pregnancy” hasn’t sufficed. Soon, fully half of each entire cigarette pack will be required to show grim images of what smoking actually does to you, with images of diseased lungs, toe tags and body bags up for consideration.

As a pediatrician, of course, my focus is on helping insure that all babies are born healthy; that all children are raised in environments that are nurturing, healthy and safe; and whenever humanly possible, keeping kids from trying out risky behaviors for themselves. Unfortunately, smoking puts children in the direct line of fire on all three fronts.

While getting people to stop smoking (or not to start in the first place) can be admittedly challenging, it is my sincere hope that it’s possible. Whenever anyone is faced with having to change a habit or behavior because it’s “good for them” – whether it has to do with losing weight, exercising more, improving one’s diet, or quitting smoking – they first have to want to change. I hope that a closer look at some compelling dangers our children face from cigarette smoke will provide added motivation to help clear the air of cigarette smoke once and for all.

  • Babies are at risk, even before they are born. According to the March of Dimes, expectant mothers who smoke are at greater risk for pregnancy complications including bleeding, serious problems with the placenta, and even stillbirth. Babies born to mothers who smoke are at greater risk for being born prematurely, being low birthweight, having birth defects such as cleft lip/palate, and a whole list of other serious health problems.
  • Sudden Infant Death (SIDS). According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, maternal smoking during pregnancy has emerged as a major risk factor in almost every study of SIDS and several studies also suggest that smoke in an infant’s environment after birth poses an added risk.
  • Breathing problems and increased infections. The EPA estimates that as many as 300,000 children under 18 months of age get bronchitis or pneumonia resulting in thousands of hospitalizations each year just from exposure to secondhand smoke….and this is only the tip of the cigarette iceberg. Children who are exposed to cigarette smoke also get more ear infections, and breathing problems include everything from coughing, wheezing, bronchitis and pneumonia to an increased risk of developing asthma, or more frequent and severe asthma attacks for those kids who already have asthma.
  • Smoke lingers. Smoking in a different room or away from your child may lessen the exposure a bit, but not enough to protect them. No amount of exposure is safe. Even when cigarette smoke is delivered secondhand, the end result is still dangerous exposure.
  • Glorified images of cigarette smoking are influencing our children. Most parents are unaware of the fact that despite all the known dangers of smoking, a CDC report reveals that more than half of PG-13 movies in 2009 still contained images of tobacco use. While you may be understandably tempted to say “so what?” this statistic becomes far more frightening when partnered up with the CDC’s statement that “exposure to onscreen smoking in movies increases the probability that youths will start smoking.” In fact, there are pediatricians who consider images of smoking in movies “the single biggest media risk to young people.” Yet Hollywood still allows for paid placement of cigarettes in movies. For anyone still tempted to blow off the impact that smoking in the movies has on children, I suggest you find out more at Smoke Free Movies.
  • Teens are still being tempted. When it comes to protecting kids from the dangers of cigarette smoke, we’re up against some very powerful forces: The addictive nature of tobacco makes it very difficult to quit once someone starts, and the continued portrayal of cigarettes as sexy and powerful in everything from celebrity magazines to movies serves as a powerful lure for our children. It’s no wonder that an estimated 20 percent of high schoolers smoke, and 4000 US teens each day still opt to gain firsthand experience of cigarettes’ harmful effects by trying out smoking for the first time.

Like elsewhere around the country, the good news is that if you want to quit, there are people, organizations and resources right here in Nebraska that are ready, willing and able to help you – from a free confidential Nebraska Tobacco Quitline (800-784-8669) to online support at QuitNow.ne.gov.

Whether you decide to take the first step for yourself, or for your children, you can start by joining Tobacco Free Nebraska, the American Cancer Society and Nebraska’s Department of Health and Human Services’ efforts as part of Thursday’s Great American Smokeout.

Originally posted on Omaha World Herald’s Live Well Nebraska

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Life-Saving Safe Sleep Tips for All Parents & Caregivers

Of all the topics I routinely discuss with parents, sleep has to rank right at the top of the list. This shouldn’t come as a big surprise, given that a good night’s sleep (or the lack thereof) can have a significant effect on just about everything else we do. When it comes to children’s overall health and well-being, it’s hard to sleep through all of the studies that reinforce that teenagers need more sleep (9 hours a night as compared to 8 for adults) in order to perform well at school, and that plenty of nighttime sleep (on the order of at least 10 hours a night) appears to be as important for keeping obesity at bay in young children as diet and exercise.

What I want to discuss today, however, isn’t just children’s need for an adequate amount of sleep, but the importance of safe sleep. While there are certainly aspects of safe sleep that apply to older children (bunk beds spring to mind), safe sleep has held a particularly prominent place in the national parenting consciousness every since the 1990s when the identified link between belly sleeping and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) led the American Academy of Pediatrics to recommend back sleeping in 1992. This was followed in 1995 with the official launch of the Back To Sleep Campaign.

While over a decade of subsequent parent education efforts have resulted in a dramatic increase in the number of back-sleeping babies (from 25% in 1992 to 85% in 2008), recent years have brought no additional increase in back sleeping. In fact, we may have started to backslide when it comes to insuring babies’ safety while sleeping. In the course of little over a single devastating month back in Feb/March of 2008, six babies died in Douglas County alone – all classified as SIDS attributed to bed sharing and suffocation.

While any increase in infant deaths is concerning, to say the least, the good news is that we know a great deal about what we need to do to keep babies safe while sleeping and reduce their risk of SIDS. The much larger task at hand is simply to make sure that all new and expectant parents and infant caregivers know the most effective ways to create safe sleep environments for babies.

This is the challenge being addressed in a new National Safe Sleep Education Campaign by the US Consumer Product Safety Commission, the American Academy of Pediatrics and Keeping Babies Safe. Their latest recommendations for providing a safe sleep for all babies include:

  • Place infants to sleep on their backs
  • Use a firm, tight-fitting mattress
  • Never use extra padding, blankets or pillows under baby
  • Remove pillows or thick comforters
  • Do not use positioning devices – they are not necessary and can be deadly
  • Regularly check cribs for loose, missing or broken parts or slats
  • Do not try to fix a broken crib
  • Place cribs or playpens away from windows and window covering cords to avoid fall and strangulation hazards
  • Place baby monitor cords away from cribs or playpens to avoid strangulation

These life-saving safe sleep tips can also be found in the campaign’s newly released 7 minute video, narrated by renowned journalist Joan Lunden and available for viewing or download on the AAP’s HealthyChildren.org and on the Keeping Babies Safe website. Additional information about safe sleep can also be found on in the newly revised 2nd Edition of my book, Heading Home With Your Newborn (AAP, Sept 2010), and on the Nebraska Department of Health & Human Services Website.

Originally posted on Omaha World Herald’s Live Well Nebraska