Growing Together - Winter 2010

Winterl 2010
Vol. 34, No.1

Acrobat PDF version of Growing Together also available

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Growing
Together is published quarterly for parents and families in the Miami Valley
area by The Children’s Medical Center of Dayton. The purpose of Growing
Together is to show how
Dayton
Children’s
and families
are working together to
keep all
children healthy and safe.

Additional
copies of
Growing
Together are available by writing to
Dayton Children’s,
c/o Marketing Communica-
tions, One Children’s
Plaza, Dayton, Ohio,
45404-1815
or by calling
937-641-3666.

Your
suggestions
and comments are also appreciated.

Visit our web
site at www.
childrens
dayton.org
– your online
source of child
health and safety information

David Kinsaul, FACHE President and Chief Executive Officer

Vicki Giambrone
Vice President, Marketing and Development

Susan A. Brockman
Editor

Photography:
Tom Suttman Dayton
Children's Staff Photographer

Kohl's A Minute for Kids

Countdown to good health
5-2-1-0

Small changes can add up to big results for your health,” says James Ebert, MD, lead physician in Dayton Children’s lipid clinic.

January is a good time to make small changes to improve your child’s health. Fortunately, key lifestyle changes are easier when you remember 5-2-1-0.

What’s 5-2-1-0?

Children should eat at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables each day.
Spend no more than 2 hours in front of the TV, computer or video game screen each day.
Get at least 1 hour of aerobic activity every day to keep your child’s heart strong.
Make it a rule – 0 sugary drinks

Making smart meal decisions in childhood will help reduce the risk of three major leading adult diseases – heart disease, cancer and stroke.

Make it happen
Try a few of these small steps and enjoy tremendous health gains:

Have fruits and vegetables at every meal – fresh, frozen or canned (watch sodium and sugar).
For picky eaters, try fruit smoothies or put vegetables in sauces, pasta and soups.
Encourage physical activity or even quiet time over watching TV, which encourages unhealthy food choices.
Be creative with exercise. Indoors, lift weights with soup cans, play basketball or volleyball with balloons. Turn on some music and dance.
Drink water or low-fat milk instead of soda, sports drinks and juices.

Find more tips and a podcast on our website. You will find information on all the child health and safety topics that are part of the latest Kohl’s A Minute for Kids campaign – a partnership between Dayton Children’s and Kohl’s Department Stores.

HealthBeat

Little turtles return and spread disease

Those cute little turtles banned from sale in the US because of their potential to spread Salmonella continue to be found in some pet stores.

Turtles less than four inches in shell length were banned in 1975. Other reptiles have also been linked to Salmonellosis (an illness caused by Salmonella), but because children typically handle turtles differently than other reptiles, the risk of Salmonella transmission is greater. Researchers say children are more likely to play with the turtle and its terrarium water as well as kiss or lick turtles.

Symptoms include fever, headache, nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps and diarrhea.

Three ways to protect your child

Closely watch your child when he or she is handling a turtle or other animals.
Teach kids not to kiss the animals or put their hands in their mouth after touching them.
Make sure kids wash their hands really well or use a hand sanitizer after touching animals.

Turtles aren’t the only pet to avoid. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that children younger than 5 not have these animals as pets: reptiles (turtles, snakes, lizards, iguanas), rodents (hamsters, gerbils, guinea pigs, chinchillas, hedgehogs, prairie dogs, mice, rats) and amphibians (frogs, toads, salamanders). Ferret, baby poultry, monkeys and exotic animals are also included.

Checking holiday toys for hazzards

Toy safety has no season, but after the holidays, children may end up with toys from family and friends that could pose some safety risks. If you haven’t already done so, take a moment to check your child’s toys. Small parts, magnets and lead paint continue to be of concern.

To stay up to date on safety recalls, sign up for e-mail alerts from the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Go to The CPSC website to ensure you are notified of any product recalls. It is especially important to check recall information on any secondhand or hand-me-down toys.

Visit our website for more information on safe toys and other safety tips.

TOP OF PAGE

Table of Contents

Kohl's A Minute for Kids

Countdown to good health 5-2-1-0

Health Beat

Little turtles return and spread disease

Checking holiday toys for hazards

Teens and screens:
Helping kids manage their electronic world

Temporary tattoos, permanent problems

Thirdhand smoke another threat to children

Dayton Children's Focus

ENT and pediatric surgical services