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October 7, 2007 Dear Readers: Headlines about critical health issues are appearing with increasing frequency, as the negative effects of lifestyle and various medicines become apparent. Physicians are doing their part by petitioning the FDA about products they consider dangerous. Parents need help in sifting through health news and applying it to their families. Our "News and Views" newsletter is designed to inform and help you apply relevant findings to your daily life. At kSero, we believe that education is the first step toward empowerment and healthy living. Be well! -- Susan Hardwicke, Ph.D., Editor |
There's a saying that research tends to prove what people have known all along. The most recent case in point: combinations of food additives, such as sodium benzoate and artificial colors, produce hyperactivity in normal children. A study reported in the British medical journal, The Lancet, has been making headlines and causing concern in the food industry. Hyperactivity was measured by recognized observation checklists for 3-year-olds, and by checklists and computer-based tests for 8/9-year-olds.
This landmark study used a novel approach when evaluating the effects of food additives; additives were mixed, just as they occur in soft drinks and foods, and in moderate amounts. Previous studies evaluated the effects of specific additives in isolation. One mix of additives induced hyperactivity in 3-year-olds, and two different mixes of additives induced hyperactivity in 8/9-year-olds.
While food companies and even the FDA insist on the safety of specific chemicals (food colors, flavors, and preservatives), the study merits serious consideration by all parents: read labels for chemicals, and eliminate additives from daily diets.
Which foods and beverages contain the additives used in the study? Soft drinks such as Sprite, salad dressings such as most ranch dressing, and processed macaroni and cheese.
Read more.
In the early years of parenting my two daughters, I would browse the aisles of cough and cold medications as I was waiting for yet another prescription of Amoxicillin to be filled. When one of them was coughing so much that she couldn't sleep, I was desperate to help her. Several times I tried one of the popular medicines, often one that my pediatrician recommended. Because they rarely worked and caused grogginess and fatigue the next day, I ultimately discarded the bottles and gave up on them entirely. I turned to preventive measures, which brought more success.
Recently, the FDA warned consumers that children's cough and cold medicines should not ever be given to children under 2, and later issued an advisory about children taking medicines packaged for adults. These warnings follow on the heels of petitions from pediatricians and public health officials that all cough and cold medicines for children under 6 be pulled off the market. The problems are rooted in common ingredients such as pseudophredrine and dextromethorphan, which can have negative side effects on the heart, central nervous system, and brain. The effects of these typical, older ingredients have not been thoroughly reviewed for safety.
The FDA's advisory referred to such popular medicines as Little Cold, Toddler's Dimetapp, and Infant Triaminic.
Below is a list of ingredients from another popular medicine, Children's PediaCare Nighttime Cough.
Ingredients
Chlorpheniramine maleate 1mg (antihistamine), Pseudoephedrine HCL 15mg (decongestant), Dextromethorphan HBr 7.5mg (cough suppressant).
Chlorpheniramine maleate 1mg (antihistamine), Pseudoephedrine HCL 15mg (decongestant), Dextromethorphan HBr 7.5mg (cough suppressant).
Check your medicine cabinet for these types of medications. Consider discarding any over-the-counter cough or cold medications for toddlers or infants. Use children's formulas with extreme caution, if you must, and watch for negative side effects. Report negative reactions, such as increased excitability or dizziness to your doctor immediately. I recommend keeping a notebook on medications and side effects, which can become part of your child's medical history.
A new study shows that patients, aged 12-19 years, suffering from bulimia respond better to family-based treatment than to supportive psychotherapy.
Bulimia is a psychological condition in which the person engages in recurrent binge eating followed by intentional purging. Bulimia has a prevalence of 1to 2 percent in among adults. [what about adolescents 12 -19 years, as in this study? ] [Redundant]
Family-based treatment involves the parents but does not address potential underlying causes of bulimia. It tries to focus on the behavior of the patients, whereas supportive psychotherapy traditionally will not offer advice ( but tries to find underlying emotional issues which could be at the root of the disorder).
Nearly 40% (16 total) of the patients receiving the family-based treatment abstained from binge eating immediately after treatment ended. Just 18% of the patients receiving supportive psychotherapy abstained. And fewer patients were abstinent at the six-month follow-up (29% versus 10%).
Family-based treatment is promising. It is not yet clear whether the positive results come from the family involvement or from the focus on eating behavior.
For more information click here.
The story of Caitlin McOrmish is nothing short of amazing, UNLESS you understand how adaptive the brain is and how it responds to enriched environments. As a baby, Caitlin contracted mumps, which, her parents were told, caused irreversible brain damage. She was destined never to lead a normal life. Fast forward 27 years, and Caitlin just completed her Ph.D. in neuroscience and published research on stimulating the brain.
Caitlin and her parents attribute her success to their refusal to accept the orginal prognosis-- a dismal one, at best. Instead, her parents began intensive stimulation and enrichment in the home environment, which helped her exceed anyone's expectations.
Caitlin's story goes beyond a human interest story about perserverance. It illustrates how remarkable the human brain is, and how it adapts to stimulation and enrichment. At kSero, we've seen lives and families transformed from training the brain and improved diets.
Read the story.
By now you may already see your child struggling with classwork, homework, or tests. For only $169.00, you can receive vital information about your child's attention and self-control, and the possibility of food-related problems. CALL (804) 360-5976 today to learn more about your child's ability to focus, control impulses, and memorize material for class and tests.
Sincerely,
Susan Hardwicke, Ph.D.
Director
kSero Centers for the Mind
©kSero Corporation Inc. 2007