Summer Newsletter 2008
Measles (Rubeola or Hard Measles) Update
Measles is an acute, highly communicable rash illness caused by a virus that is transmitted by direct contact with infectious droplets or airborne spread. This disease can be severe and symptoms include fever, cough, runny nose, conjunctivitis and a rash. Complications can include diarrhea, ear infections, pneumonia and encephalitis which can result in permanent brain damage. According to the CDC, 64 confirmed measles cases were reported in the US from January 1 through April 25, 2008. Cases have been reported in nine states and outbreaks are ongoing in four states (Wisconsin, Arizona, Michigan, and New York). Of the 64 cases reported, 63 had not received the measles vaccine. Because of the risk of exposure when traveling abroad (including Europe), all travelers should be immune to measles. During 2008, measles were brought into the US from Switzerland, Israel, Belgium, India, Italy, and China; but measles can occur from almost anywhere.
The vaccine against measles is highly effective in preventing infection! Before the measles vaccination program, between three and four million persons in the US were infected each year, of whom 400 to 500 died, 48,000 were hospitalized, and another 1,000 developed a chronic disability from measles encephalitis. Measles vaccine (MMR) should be given at one year of age with a booster between the ages of four and five. Some possible reactions to the vaccine include fever, rash and achiness usually occurring 7 to 12 days after the vaccination.
Sunscreens
You can begin using approved sunscreens like Blue Lizard as early as two months of age. You may need to ask at Walgreen's for Blue Lizard, as it can be hard to find. Other sunscreens may be used starting at six months of age. Always remember to choose an SPF of 30 (higher is not necessary and usually more costly) and one that is PABA free. It is important to reapply frequently, at least every two hours, especially with water exposure. With a first exposure, you may try a small amount on an area of the child's skin to test for sensitivity. Please ask one of the nursing staff if you have additional questions. Happy Summer!
Dental Care For Your Infant
As your baby begins to teethe, they may experience some discomfort. Cool cloths, cool teething toys and over-the-counter pain medication such as Tylenol may be used. You should begin brushing your baby's teeth when the first tooth erupts. You may use a soft toothbrush and water or a children's toothpaste without fluoride. At one year of age, you may begin using a pea size amount of children's toothpaste with fluoride once a day at bedtime. The American Dental Association recommends the first dental visit by three years of age. Early visits allow the dentist to protect your child's teeth from cavities and routine dental cleanings usually begin at age three. However, if there is a significant family history of dental caries, it is important to have your child see the dentist by age one.
Tooth decay may occur when milk, formula, or breast milk sits on the teeth. Therefore, babies should not be nursed to sleep or take a bottle to bed. We recommend your child drink only water or milk (formula). Cavities are caused by high sugar drinks (juice, soda etc), candy and other sugary foods. If your child starts out with a low sugar diet, they will be less likely to crave sugary foods later. The bacteria that cause cavities lasts for a lifetime. It can be passed from parents to children. Avoid placing pacifiers in your own mouth or sharing utensils, cups or straws. Many infants and toddlers use a pacifier or suck their thumb - this is normal. We recommend eliminating the pacifier by 15 months of age and children should stop sucking their thumbs by age 5.
Personal Watercraft Use By Children/Adolescents
Personal watercraft became commercially available during the 1970's when Kawasaki Motors Corporation introduced the Jet Ski. This craft allowed one person to maneuver a small boat while standing up. Newer sit-down models made by several manufactures allow as many as three people on board, can pull a water skier, and may be able to reach speeds of 60 mph with engines ranging from 60 to 135 hp. The lure of speed and mobility at a relatively inexpensive price has proven irresistible to many recreational boaters. Since 1990, the number of injuries from the use of personal watercraft has increased four times. Personal watercraft are the only recreational boats for which the leading cause of death is not drowning; most fatalities result from blunt trauma. When the cause of death is drowning, most victims are not wearing personal floatation devices. Most injuries seem to occur when the craft collide, either with other vessels (including other personal watercraft) or with fixed objects such as docks or tree stumps. Operators who rent watercraft are especially at high risk!
Recommendations for use:
No one younger than 16 years of age should operate a personal watercraft.
The operator and every passenger must wear a US Coast Guard approved personal flotation device.
Alcohol use should be avoided before and while operating a personal watercraft.
Safe operation practices, such as no operation between sunset and sunrise, no wake jumping, and observing posted speed limits or no-wake zones, should be followed.
Personal watercraft should not be operated where swimmers are in the water.
If a personal watercraft is being used to tow another person on skis, knee boards, tubes or other devices, a second person must face the rear to monitor the person being towed.
Safe boating classes are available and recommended for everyone driving a personal watercraft.
Tattoos
Teens get tattoos for many different reasons. Most teens get a tattoo because they like the looks or to express themselves. Some get a tattoo to feel like part of a group. In both Kansas and Missouri, tattoos are prohibited for minors (children under age eighteen), without the written consent of a minor's parent or legal guardian.
According to a recent study, people with tattoos are nine times more likely to be infected with hepatitis C. Hepatitis C can develop into a chronic disease that attacks the liver, leading to liver failure and liver cancer at an early age. It is spread by infected blood and infected needles, which is the virus' connection with tattooing. Hepatitis C is considered the "silent killer" as frequently there are no symptoms, and there is no vaccine at this time. People can have the virus ten or more years and not be aware they have it until they have reached end-stage liver failure. There is a major epidemic of hepatitis C in this country! Parents and teens need to be know that a tattoo is not just a "neat picture" on their skin. Tattoos can result in life-long infections. Tattoos are achieved by injecting ink into the skin with a tattoo machine. Attached to the machine is a bar with needles that move up and down inside a tube, vibrating 50 to 3,000 times a minute. Because the skin is punctured, there is usually a lot of bleeding and the machine must be stopped often to wipe away the blood. It can take from fifteen minutes to several sessions to get a tattoo depending on the size and detail of the tattoo. Most people say it hurts to get a tattoo.
If you choose to get a tattoo despite the warnings, safety rules should always be followed:
A tattoo parlor should be as clean as a dentist's office! The work area should have good lighting.
Equipment should be sterilized using a heated machine called an autoclave.
The artist should wash and dry his hands and wear a new pair of gloves.
New needles should be used. The needles should be sterile and disposable and you should be able to watch the artist open the package in front of you.
New ink should be used. Extra ink should never be poured back into the bottle and reused.
Other risks can include scars and large keloids, bacterial skin infections, allergic reactions to dyes (dyes are not regulated by the government), hepatitis B, HIV/AIDS, and tetanus and bleeding. Remember if you are unhappy with your permanent tattoo or later regret getting one, it is a painful process costing thousands of dollars to remove.
