Flu & You: Protecting Your Family During the Flu Season

Originally posted on my US News & World Report parenting blog (Feb 16)

THIS YEAR’S flu season is officially reaching its peak, and this year’s strain of influenza virus is cause for considerable concern, striking with a vengeance not seen in decades. It’s causing more severe illness, more hospitalizations and even more children’s deaths, as parents do what they can to try to protect their kids.

In reality, the strategies being recommended to combat this year’s flu are essentially the same as those employed in years past. While you’re likely to have heard about many of these strategies before, it’s nevertheless useful to remind ourselves of the importance of washing our hands and covering our coughs; getting everyone in the family who is 6 months or older vaccinated; and being on alert for and recognizing early the signs of the flu – such as fatigue, body aches, cough, sore throat and fever – and it’s potential complications, from sinus infections and pneumonia to heart problems, particularly in more vulnerable individuals, like the very young and very old or those with compromised immune systems.

Now that’s easy to say, and it sounds like easy enough advice to follow. Yet each year I’m left wondering why it is that, as parents, we don’t always feel confident in our approach to fighting the flu. In large part, it’s the fault of the virus responsible for causing the flu. The influenza virus is cunning in its ability to change from year to year, which makes it all the more difficult to protect against.

But I would also suggest that there are some parenting practices and commonly held parenting beliefs that, despite our best intentions, stand to get in the way when it comes to protecting our children, and ourselves, from flu’s wrath.

It’s useful to start with a clear understanding of what “the flu” actually is, and what it isn’t….

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Why Every Parent Should Know about TED

As parents today, we are unavoidably exposed to overwhelming amounts of advice in the form of anxiety-producing parenting books, blogs and articles, not to mention an ever-increasing number of news stories generated 24/7 by fear-mongering media – all of which collectively stand to leave us wondering which way to turn. It’s no wonder that I’m so frequently asked my professional opinion on where parents can go to find good, credible advice on how to raise happy, healthy, responsible and engaged children. The fact of the matter is that knowing where to turn for credible information – parenting and otherwise – has become one of the defining challenges of the information age in which we live.

As a pediatrician, I can tell you with confidence that sites like the American Academy of Pediatrics’ HealthyChildren.org are a good starting point. If it’s early childhood you’re interested in – bookmark ZeroToThree.org. Autism? Add the CDC’s Learn the Signs campaign or Easter Seals to your trusted source list. Vaccines? Search the web with caution lest you fall prey to misinformation. Instead head to credible sites like the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia’s Vaccine Education Center. Pick just about any parenting topic, and it’s simply a matter of knowing where to look. The problem is just that knowing where to look that has become anything but simple.

It also doesn’t address the bigger parenting question of what your overall approach to parenting should be….You know, the bigger picture sense of what the future holds, what skills and ideas are going to be of most value, and how best to engage your children in becoming contributing members of the increasingly globalized, connected world.

Okay, so I am well aware that some of you may currently be too buried in diapers, homework, mealtime preparations and/or carpools to give this bigger picture much thought at the present moment. But given that just about every parent I’ve ever met at some point contemplates how best to set their kids up to succeed in the 21st century, the search for a big-picture parenting perspective got me to thinking.

What if I were to tell you that there is a website out there that has everything a parent could want to help lay out a strategy for success, to pique children’s interest, nurture their imagination, and help better prepare them for the modern-day world? What if you could take your pick – from perennial kid-favorite topics such as robots, bugs, or the wonders of the natural world to thought-provoking information on the power of play, education, technology, or even a kid-friendly way to learn Chinese? Better yet, what if all of this was available to you for free, with no one trying to sell or get you hooked on anything (other than ideas, that is). And best of all, what if all of these things were at your fingertips – whether on computer, smartphone or tablet – in the ever-so-parent- and kid-friendly form of short, engaging videos, generally no more than 20 minutes long?

The website I’m talking about is TED.com. And while I’ve admittedly never heard it referred to as a parenting site before, I’d like to suggest that it is, in fact, a site that every parent should know about.

For those of you not yet familiar with the concept of TED, let me back up a moment to explain. Technically speaking TED got its start as a Silicon Valley conference in the 1980’s focused on the convergence of technology, entertainment, and design. TED today, however, has become something very much bigger than that – a global phenomenon of conferences and over 1000 TED talks posted online – all driven by a dedication to sharing ideas that stand to make the world a better place. Covering an impressively broad spectrum of topics – from science to business to global issues and from animal life to life in the deep oceans, black holes and beyond, it’s all fair game.

While there is a flagship TED and a TEDGlobal conference each year, as well as independent TEDx events in communities large and small around the world, you need go no further than the website to share in the experience and watch TED talks, which as of November 2012 reportedly exceeded one billion views. In other words, TED.com has become one big, thought-provoking virtual playground of global proportions.

Granted not all TED talks are meant for children by any means – whether by nature of their content or the intellectual level at which they are presented. But some are. And the idea of engaging children in the wonders of the world around them is one that I strongly believe can’t start early enough. Start with the curated TED For Kids or Natural Wonder playlists for example, and you’ll find that TED videos can hold their own against video games and YouTube videos of cats chasing their tails any day. As your children get older, use TED to start conversations about increasingly complex topics, as well as more challenging issues facing our world.

And for you, as a parent, I recommend you carve out fifteen or twenty minutes in your day, go to the site, and pick a topic that piques your interest. You, too, may find yourself hooked.

As someone who is sympathetic to the time-pressures of modern-day parenting and at the same time fundamentally believes that children learn best by example, I believe that having your children see you engaged in and excited about lifelong learning is one of the best examples you can set as a parent.

After my 13 year old witnessed my own enthusiastic response to the mind-expanding experience of attending this year’s 2014 TED conference in Vancouver, he has now taken it upon himself to watch a TED talk a day. And if that’s not screen time that a parent can be excited about, I don’t know what is.

For those of you interested in expanding upon your virtual experience and becoming involved with the in-person TED community, the good news is that we have one right here in Nebraska, and it is growing quickly. Be sure to check out Omaha’s annual TEDxOmaha and monthly TEDx Salon events, as well as TEDxLincoln.

Originally posted on the Omaha World Herald’s Live Well Nebraska

Arming teachers with what they really need…pencils, books, and healthy, school-ready children!

There’s no ignoring it. The topic is everywhere. Our country is engaged in a national debate about gun control, and in many cases, whether or not we should arm our teachers. I certainly have concerns about putting guns in closer proximity to our children, since the absence of guns from their homes and communities has been proven the most effective way of preventing firearm-related injuries within this age group. And while the conversation about gun control is long overdue, I feel compelled to point out that there is a more important discussion when it comes to arming teachers.

Far less controversial and already proven “arms” exist, and we actually know a lot about what works when it comes to ensuring our children stay safe and healthy while at school. Here are a few ideas.

Books. Helping children grow up with a love of reading in a literacy-rich environment is crucial for their future success and well being. Every educator and pediatrician I’ve met agrees – children must spend their first few years of school learning to read in order to spend the rest of their lives reading to learn. The sad fact is that far too many child care settings and elementary schools lack the books (or the budget) needed to make this happen. And Omaha is not immune to this problem.

Breakfast. As the co-author of Food Fights, a book that offers solutions to kid-related nutritional challenges, it should come as no surprise that I believe that good nutrition (all day every day) is essential for kids (and adults, for that matter). It’s needed for good physical health, concentration and the ability to learn. The fact of the matter is, hungry children simply don’t learn as well as others. So it’s time to ask the tough questions: How do we provide all children, especially those who are disadvantaged, with a nutritious breakfast?

School nurses and other health professionals. Our health and ability to learn are inextricably intertwined, especially in our children’s earliest years. Unfortunately, budget cuts often leave our schools with little, if any, access to a school nurse or other health professional. Even fewer child care centers have this much-needed access, despite the existence of clear justification for these health consultants.

Vaccines and other germ-fighting tools. Making sure children and teachers are fully vaccinated is so important. This also means insuring measures are in place to limit the spread of infection and missed school days. We need to arm our teachers not only with the paper and pencils, but with vaccinated children, cleaning supplies and disinfecting procedures. Access to hand washing sinks, soap, hand sanitizer, bleach water and/or disinfecting wipes are small investments that can yield big returns.

Children who are ready-to-learn. Key words here: when they enter kindergarten. We have irrefutable evidence that proves investing in early childhood and a strong foundation is hugely important for safety, health and lifelong well being. We also know this foundation must be laid in the earliest years of a child’s life – well before he or she enters kindergarten. That’s why efforts such as First Five Nebraska and Educare are so crucial.

Originally posted on Omaha World Herald’s Live Well Nebraska

The truth about American Idol’s “Idol Bug”

I recently got around to watching a recorded episode of American Idol. Aside from all the melodrama associated with stress, sleep deprivation, and watching people who dream of living life in the spotlight compete against each other, I was struck by the fact that the episode was impressively reminiscent of the opening scenes from the movie Contagion. For anyone who hasn’t seen the movie, suffice it to say that the storyline is focused on the ensuing devastation invoked by the uncontrolled spread of a dangerous new virus.

Okay, so no one died on American Idol’s Hollywood Week episode. But I did experience the same sense of foreboding. Idol contestants shaking hands, exchanging frequent high-fives, offering each other lots of hugs, and just generally partaking in a whole lot of close contact also known as germ-sharing behavior. Worse yet, there was a clearly identified “Patient Zero” in the mix – runny nose, fever, fatigue and all. If germs were visible, I’m pretty sure any viewers who somehow missed the not-so-subtle foreshadowing by the shows producers would have been cringing along with me long before contestant after contestant proceeded to fall ill.

Hmmmm…If only germs were visible…Now there’s a thought. I majored in cellular, molecular biology, so I’ve admittedly had more opportunities to visualize germs than most. But the concept of helping people – even young children – be visually reminded of the presence of germs isn’t out of reach. In fact, there are even cool (and relatively inexpensive) soaps and science  kits that help children (and adults) visualize just how effective (or ineffective) they are at washing germs off their hands.

It is my sincere hope, however, that it won’t take actually visualizing germs for all of us to take stock in what simple measures we already know are effective in preventing the spread of germs. For a quick refresher, let me spell them out for you so you will have them at your (hopefully clean) fingertips! After all, the truth about the “Idol Bug” is that it was likely just another (admittedly nasty and poorly timed) virus making the most of making people sick.  More than just another virus, however, it was also a really good, attention grabbing reminder for the reported 19 million  that we’re still in the middle of cold and flu season, and that the sharing of germs that happened in Hollywood while the cameras were running could happen anywhere – especially to those who neglect to take the following actions!

Wash your hands with soap and water. Handwashing is particularly important not only before eating and after using the bathroom, but any time you or your children are sick or come in contact with people who are sick (or germy surfaces like grocery cart handles). And don’t just settle for a quick rinse. Lather up the soap and be sure to get all areas of the hands – both front, back and in-between fingers.

Cover your cough. I can tell you from lots of child-care-owning experience that it’s entirely possible to teach even very young children to not only cover coughs, but to do so with their arms rather than their hands. They may not get it right early on or every time, but over time they’ll pick up on this very important form of prevention. The fewer illness-causing germs that are coughed into one’s hands, the fewer that stand to contaminate surfaces or get shared directly with others.

Vaccinate. I often get asked longingly in interviews about whether or not we’ll ever discover how to prevent the common cold. I agree that this would be nice, as the symptoms associated with the common cold can certainly be quite pesky. But the severity of the common cold is nothing compared to all of the vaccine-preventable diseases (think measles, mumps, rubella, diphtheria, tetanus, polio) we are now able to effectively prevent. Simply put, vaccination is deserving of its recognition as one of the biggest public health success stories of the past century.

Avoid contact with those who are ill. Within reason, that is. That means that when you’re sick, it’s best to limit contact with others whenever possible – especially in the first days of an illness, when you have a fever, the flu, or other significant symptoms likely to spread germs and infect others (such as a lot of coughing).

Disinfect contaminated surfaces. Think snotty tissues on the nightstand, door knobs, telephone receivers, or any other high-traffic surfaces that are likely to have come in contact with unwashed, germy hands.  Germs can live for hours (and in some instances, days), so don’t forget to disinfect contaminated surfaces.

Originally posted on Omaha World Herald’s Live Well Nebraska

Raising Healthy Kids: Reaching for the Low-Hanging Fruit of Parenthood

For good or for bad, parents today are faced with the fast paced nature of both the real world and a virtual one. Much of the virtually continuous stream of information, videos, tweets and texts we receive on a 24/7 basis relate in one way or another to what we can, should, and/or are expected to do to be good parents. And let’s face it – keeping up with all of the modern-day parenting advice would be hard enough even if all of it was fact-checked for us. Unfortunately, this is not often the case, as much of what we hear, see and read is unfiltered, potentially unfounded, and confusingly contradictory.

Having spent much of my professional career as a pediatrician increasingly committed to making sense of pediatric and parenting advice in both of these worlds, I have found that what parents often want to know from me is simply how to filter the good from the bad and separate fact from fiction.

Knowing that you all are probably as busy as I am, I decided that this week I would distill down to as few words as possible the handful of things I consider to be some of the most well-founded, important things you can do as parents can do to make your kids smarter, safer and healthier. In other words, the following is my list of the “low-hanging fruit” of parenting.

Move more. I feel the need to say this because it’s painfully obvious that it has become incredibly easy for our children (and for us) to barely move in the course of any given day. Whether it’s walking instead of driving to school (or work) or taking an evening walk around the block, getting out of the car instead of rolling your way through drive-thrus, or signing up for organized sports, joining a gym, or participating in more vigorous daily exercise regimens – every step counts towards an healthier life style.

Use restraint. Literally speaking, I’m simply referring to the use of car seats and seat belts in motor vehicles. With motor vehicle crashes clearly identified as the number one cause of death in children, and the correct use of car seats and seatbelts clearly shown to have a huge impact on reducing motor vehicle-related injuries and deaths, taking the time to buckle up comes with a huge return on your parenting investment.

Read. For every parent who has ever asked my opinion on what they can do to help their children become smarter, excel in school, or head down a path of success, reading always factors in to my answer. Reading aloud to babies, toddlers, young children and teens alike not only fosters improved language skills, but also a love of reading that will serve children well for their lifetime. One of my favorite sayings to emphasize this point is that children spend the first few years of school learning to read, and the rest of their lives reading to learn.

Sleep. For parents of infants and young children, this conversation usually focuses on getting children to fall asleep, stay asleep, sleep in their own room, and do so without requiring repeated interventions. For parents of teens, the conversation often shifts to too little and too late. But regardless of your child’s age, it is becoming convincingly clear that instilling your child with good sleep habits is not only a good thing for your own chances of getting a good night’s sleep, but your child’s overall health and well-being.

Wash your hands…and while you’re at it, remember to cover your cough (preferably with your arm rather than your hand) and vaccinate. The fact of the matter is that while modern day science and research is continually coming up with new medicines, treatments and technologies to improve our families’ health and more effectively treat disease, the simple act of teaching our children to wash their hands (which includes committing to consistently doing so ourselves) remains one of the single most effective things we can do to limit the spread of disease. So is protecting against all of the vaccine preventable diseases.

Originally posted on Omaha World Herald’s Live Well Nebraska

Childhood By the Numbers: Helping Parents Count on Fostering Their Children’s Healthy Development

I admit that I sometimes (often) sit down to my computer to get work done while at the same time leaving the TV playing in the background. It was in this context that I recently overheard a discussion on one of the national morning news shows about how numbers can define women – most notably numbers that pertain to one’s age and weight. Without paying too much additional attention to the ensuing conversation, the idea nevertheless spurred me to write a blog on the subject. In part, that’s because I think it’s a fairly sad statement on our society when someone’s weight and waistline does more to define them than their skills and accomplishments. But that’s a topic for another day.

For now, I thought I’d take this interesting concept and take a closer (and hopefully more uplifting and lighthearted) look at how various numbers have a way of defining several stage of childhood.

Newborns by the numbers. Even the instant newborns make their appearance in the outside world, many run the risk of being defined by the number of hours of labor they subjected their mothers to. That said, newborns also start out being largely defined by their birth weight – which is more often than not included in announcing a baby’s arrival. I feel compelled to note that the accompanying but often-neglected length and head circumference measurements may seem of less immediate interest to proud parents, but they’re actually of equal importance.

And then, of course, there’s the number of diapers, the numbers of hours of sleep (or lack thereof), and the numbers of daily feedings that make up the bulk of a new baby’s day. These numbers are unarguably important, but I like to remind new parents that it’s good to make sure that these numbers don’t count for more than they’re worth. After all, getting to know and love your newborn goes well beyond a singular focus on numbers.

First year figures. What often wins out in the most noticeable numbers category for infants is simply the number of times you’re likely to call and/or visit your doctor, if for no other reason than the first colds, first fevers, and first (and many subsequent) shots that typically take place during this first fun-filled year. That said, don’t let these numbers scare you. Having numerous questions is to be expected, it’s a great time to take advantage of the frequent contact to establish a healthy relationship with your pediatrician, and the five to seven well-visits (along with their associated vaccinations) and any necessary sick-visits will all serve as an integral part of insuring your child’s health and well-being , not to mention your confidence as a parent.

Toddlerhood by numbers. Toddlerhood is all about numbers. Numbers of words, number of steps, numbers of teeth, and making the celebrated association between one’s age and one’s finger count as evidenced by the skill of holding up two finger to proudly answer the commonly asked question, “How many years (or fingers) are you?” Of course this age may also unfortunately give rise to keeping count of how many times one bites ones friends before learning to curb this normal but socially unacceptable impulse. While it can be painful to live through for everyone involved, toddlers usually overcome this impulse within a matter of weeks to months.

Keeping Count for Preschoolers. Number one and number two come immediately to mind, as three is the typical age at which children master the life skill of putting their pee (number one) and poop (number two) in the potty. While using the potty is a frequent focus of the age, this is also a time when children start to figure out (please note that as the owner of a child care center as well as a pediatrician, I said start, not necessarily master) social skills involved with interacting with, playing with, and negotiating with an increasing number of friends.

Kindergarten counts. At this age, the number of new crayons in the box (with the more the better) and the number of wheels on ones bike (the fewer the better) endearingly add up to quite a lot in the world view of a kindergartener (and more than a few early elementary age children as well!).

I could keep counting, but for the sake of space and time I won’t, except to fast forward to the age at which children start middle school. I can tell you from recent parental personal experience that an impressive amount of effort (and sometimes anxiety) is directed towards remembering the numbers associated with ones newly assigned locker combination, as well as the added challenge of finding ones way to a larger number of classes in a larger number of classrooms.

There are obviously plenty more numbers that relate to each of the ages and stages of early childhood. I’m just glad that for the most part, they all generally add up to fun, meaningful, and important aspects of an healthy childhood.

Originally posted on Omaha World Herald’s Live Well Nebraska

From Earthquakes to Outbreaks: Keeping Kids Safe

In the wake of this week’s earthquake, I’ve noticed that there’s been lots of subsequent commentary – from TV to Twitter feeds – about just how uneducated and unprepared east coasters were/are when it comes to earthquakes. This has been repeatedly noted to be in stark contrast to anyone and everyone who has ever lived on the west coast, for whom the eventuality of earthquakes and the associated disaster preparedness has become an accepted way of life. To be fair, I must say that it certainly seems understandable, given what most of the general public has been taught about plate tectonics, that we cut those east coasters who mistakenly ran out of buildings rather than hiding under their desks some slack.

That said, I also firmly believe this week’s unlikely earthquake has the potential to serve as a powerful teachable moment. No, the lesson learned isn’t that everyone on the east coast needs to go take all the same precautionary measures as those who live on known fault lines, or that any of us in the Midwest (with a few geographic exceptions) need to hurriedly sign up for a remedial course on “what to do in the event that an earthquake hits the heartland.” Rather, all the talk about earthquake preparedness (or its lack thereof) gives me the opportunity to bring up many important instances in which parents can and should expect the unexpected and plan accordingly. As a pediatrician, I can think of countless ways in which parents can better insure their children’s health and well-being by simply understanding the risks and planning ahead. For the sake of today’s blog, I offer you the following examples.

Tornados. For us Midwesterners, tornadoes are naturally of much greater relevance than earthquakes or hurricanes. And just as bolting one’s bookshelves to the wall may be foreign to us, I’m not sure how many Californians would recognize the meaning of a tornado siren and know to immediately head to the center of an interior room on the lowest level of a building away from corners, windows, doors and outside walls if a pre-designated storm shelter or basement isn’t available. All of the 250 students and staff at my child care center know what to do, however, as we faithfully practice each month getting everyone down into our custom-built basement storm shelter…all in 8 minutes or less. Similarly, my family has a game plan in place at home. Now would be a good time to make sure yours does as well.

Fire. Although tens of thousands of Americans die or are injured in fires each year – with a vast majority caused by house fires – I consider my family fortunate to have never personally experienced one. And I certainly never hope to. I don’t smoke, so the likelihood of cigarette ashes or a lighter starting a fire aren’t of concern. Nor are lit candles or the flames from a gas stove, since we don’t have either in our house. But that doesn’t mean that I don’t bother to take extra precautions, because I do. I have smoke detectors installed on every level of my home, and yes….they all have new batteries in them that I make a concerted effort to replace every year. These and other home prevention measures require minimal time or expense, and are more than worth the effort. While you’re at it, I also suggest inquiring as to what fire prevention and response measures your children’s child care and/or school have in place, and make sure they include regular fire drills and appropriately placed fire extinguishers/ sprinkler systems.

Vaccine-preventable diseases. Natural disasters, as well as man-made ones, shouldn’t be the only focus of your preventive efforts. Considered to be one of the greatest public health discoveries of all time, vaccines now offer us the opportunity to prevent diseases that in generations past claimed the lives of millions. Now I know that the threat of a disease such as polio (which until recently was all but eradicated) may not seem as real as it used to in the days of iron lungs, but the fact of the matter is that the threat of vaccine-preventable-diseases has proven itself time and again to be anything but hypothetical. And the likelihood of an outbreak of measles or pertussis, for example, is much greater than, say, an earthquake on the east coast, given that exposure to these diseases is only a plane-ride away.

Transportation Safety. I won’t belabor the importance of parents being committed to understanding, promoting, and enforcing transportation safety principles, except to say that injury-prevention innovations such as bike helmets, car seats and seatbelts should be considered worth their weight in gold. I don’t care if you’re the world’s best driver and your child is the world’s safest bike rider – you still need to prepare for the unexpected. I am also well aware that even if I convince you, you may well be faced with resistance from your children, as I have three helmet-resistant children of my own (who nevertheless have always been required to wear a bike helmet since the day they were introduced to tricycles). While lots of kids loudly and often successfully protest the use of booster seats, mine didn’t, because they knew it would fall on deaf ears.

Given that there are many, many more worthwhile preventive measures that you can take, I hope that your own pediatricians continue sharing these and other tips with you. I also want to leave you with several useful resources that will allow you to hope for the best for your children while pro-actively avoiding the worst.

Originally posted on Omaha World Herald’s Live Well Nebraska

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

Coughs, Kids & Vaccines: Why parents are the key to silencing the sounds of pertussis!

You really don’t have to listen very hard to hear the sounds of the season – the rustling of fall leaves, the weekend cheers of husker fans, and lawnmowers out for one last run before being swapped out for snow blowers. But if you ask me, the most noticeable sounds this time of year are all of the coughs, sniffles and sneezes that predictably make their annual show of force during cold and flu season. For parents and pediatricians alike, these are familiar sounds that we learn to live with and treat as needed. This year, however, we are hearing a lot more than usual about another sound – a sound for which we should all be listening carefully: the sound of pertussis.

Perhaps you’ve heard of pertussis – also commonly referred to as whooping cough – from your pediatrician. Some of you may remember reading about it each time you received the standard set of vaccine information sheets describing each of your child’s scheduled immunizations, since the DTaP (the “P” part referring to pertussis) vaccine is routinely given.

Chances are that if you’ve been following the national news lately, however, you may have also heard that there’s a pertussis outbreak in California. In the world of infectious diseases, let me assure you that California isn’t very far away from Nebraska, and this outbreak is not just another news story about an isolated incident hundreds of miles away. The spread of pertussis in California is, in fact, proving to be the worst outbreak in 60 years, having already claimed the lives of 10 infants under the age of 3 months. If that’s not a reason to stop and take notice, I don’t know what is.

The fact of the matter is that pertussis is caused by one of the most contagious bacteria we know. The infection can start out seeming like a common cold, but over the course of a couple of weeks manifests itself as an escalating cough which then turns into coughing episodes sometimes severe enough to result in vomiting or the characteristic “whoop” sound that represents the dramatic effort to draw air back into the lungs.

While adults typically experience weeks (if not months) of a cough that just won’t go away, they don’t often “whoop” like kids do. Neither do babies under 6 months of age – a fact that increases their risk of life-threatening illness or death at a time when they can’t yet be vaccinated (under 2 months) or haven’t developed full immunity (under 6 months of age). Unable to draw air back into their lungs, babies may gasp, gag, or simply stop breathing altogether – making them the most vulnerable at a time when they are also the most at risk.

As someone committed to helping insure the health and well-being of all children, I’ve therefore pulled together some very important facts about whooping cough, who is at risk, and what each of us can do to prevent the spread of pertussis in hopes that we protect all of Nebraska’s children and adults against a sound you never want to hear at any time of the year….the sound of a young child with pertussis.

Make sure your child is up to date on his/her shots. DTap is recommended at 2, 4, 6 and 15-18 months, and again at 4-6 years. The best time to get your child protected against pertussis is the first day your child becomes eligible for each recommended immunization.

Get your adult tetanus booster. Immunity to whooping cough doesn’t last forever. Any adult (or teen) who doesn’t remember getting a pertussis booster shot, or hasn’t had one since they were immunized as a child needs to get vaccinated. The fact of the matter is that babies too young to be protected by the vaccine rely solely on all of us to not expose them. Sadly, an estimated 3 out of every 4 babies with life-threatening pertussis infection got it from a loved one. Prevent this from happening by rolling up your own sleeves, getting an adult booster shot, and doing your part to limit the spread of pertussis.

Be on the lookout for pertussis and contact your doctor or your child’s pediatrician with any concerns. It’s all too easy to mistake pertussis for the common cold at the outset of the infection, and while people are contagious for up to a month, antibiotics are of little benefit after the first week or so. Half of babies with whooping cough end up needing to be hospitalized.

Listen to the sound of pertussis. If my blog hasn’t already convinced you, or you simply want more information, watch my recent pertussis-focused CNN interview with Kiran Chetry on American Morning, go to www.soundsofpertussis.com and let Jeff Gordon of NASCAR fame convince you, or simply listen to what a baby with pertussis sounds like .

Now let’s all commit to doing everything we possibly can to silence the sounds of pertussis.

Originally posted on Omaha World Herald’s Live Well Nebraska