Blog

As much as parents strive to keep their children healthy, some factors are outside of their control. They can make sure they eat right and encourage them to exercise, but the environment and genetics can both affect a child's health and wellness despite a parent's best efforts. For many parents, their child's development of asthma is one such problem. 

Asthma is the most common chronic pediatric medical condition in the United States, where it affects one in 10 kids. While parents have a number of options for managing the problem, there is some hope for recovery in the long term. Based on a recent study published in the journal Pediatrics, 20 percent of children may overcome asthma in adulthood. This differs depending on the sex of the child and his or her specific type of asthma. For example, children are less likely to overcome fur allergies, and the condition is more likely to persist in girls than it is boys. 

The study noted that while doctors are unlikely to say that a child no longer suffers from asthma, many will say that the disease is in remission after a prolonged period without any symptoms. Patients were considered to be in remission if they did not use asthma medication for 12 months. 

"This study can give parents some hope, but there's no guarantee for any child," said Jennifer Appleyard, M.D. 

The condition may not be fully outside a parent's control
However, there are a few ways parents can minimize the effects of asthma on their children. Kids who stay fit are less likely to suffer some of the worse problems associated with the disease. Recent findings published in the American Journal of Epidemiology found that obese children are 1.16 to 1.37 times more at risk of developing asthma than other kids, and the chance increases with a higher body-mass index. Obese girls between 6 and 10 years old were especially vulnerable to the affliction, who were 1.36 to 1.56 times more likely than their peers to develop the disease. 

Asthma symptoms were especially pronounced among obese children, and overweight kids usually had to use their inhaler more often than other asthma sufferers. Researchers also suspected that body fat plays a role in inflammation, and that the additional stress placed on a child's chest by the extra weight could also worsen the condition. 

The study took advantage of Kaiser Permanente's database of 623,358 children when establishing the link between asthma and weight. 

"When they have difficulty breathing, it seems more extreme to them than to kids with normal weight," said Mary Helen Black, Ph.D., a research scientist biostatistician at Kaiser Permanente. 

Because of this, researchers suggested that parents and physicians should watch for asthma symptoms in overweight children. Families can also motivate their children to exercise more often and eat healthy meals, which should minimize the risk of developing the condition. 

While every parent knows that a healthy diet is an important part of his or her children's health and wellness, the temptation to slip into a fast food restaurant for a bite can be a compelling alternative to preparing a meal. This kind of quick fix may seem fine in the short term, but it can set a precedent that leads to long-term problems like child obesity. 

Worse, many inexpensive, easy-to-prepare foods are also high in calories, but low in nutrition. A recent Dartmouth College study found that when shoppers have to choose between quality or price, they will regularly buy their groceries based on cost. This was usually true regardless of their education, nutritional knowledge or income level.

"Even with all good intentions, with our concern for nutrition, when we see something that's too expensive and we can't afford it, we don't buy it. When we see something on sale, we buy it, even though it may not be very good for us," said Kusum Ailawadi, the marketing professor at the Tuck School of Business who led the study. 

While many participants in the study regularly exercised and avoided fast food and junk food, they still ate sugary, high-calorie food like cereal and yogurt that they believed were healthy. 

Because of the way price influences grocery purchases, Ailawadi suggested that taxing unhealthy food may encourage consumers to buy more nutritious alternatives. 

Healthier living on a budget
Reacting to the study, LiveScience suggested a few healthy, but inexpensive, alternatives parents could add to their children's diet. Instead of buying French fries or other foods that are high in starch, you can buy brown rice. It's healthier than many other groceries and less pricey, too – a pound usually costs less than $2. 

The news source also suggested that pita pizzas are a good option because the basic ingredients only cost about $0.80 per serving, and you can customize the toppings to find a tasty combination of ingredients that your children will enjoy eating. Their ability to pick and choose what they use can also add a bit of fun to their meal, which can also encourage them to eat better every day.

Finding the right mix of cost-effective, healthy food that kids like to eat can be difficult, but more awareness about your shopping habits and your dining options can help you avoid compromising quality for price. 

When it comes to childhood hazards, choking is one of the most severe. According to a recent report, an estimated 34 kids are treated each day at emergency rooms for choking-related incidents, HealthDay News reported – an alarming statistic that should influence the way parents approach children's health and wellness.

"It's a very common thing," said researcher Gary Smith, M.D., director of the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. "We think much more attention needs to be paid to food choking."

Smith and his team of researchers analyzed a national database covering the period of 2001 to 2009. They found that in 2001, about 10,400 U.S. children were treated for non-fatal choking emergencies, while by 2009, the average number of kids seen rose to 12,400.

The study, which was published online by the journal Pediatrics and appears in the August print edition, pinpoints specific foods like candy, meat, bones, fruits and vegetables as major culprits behind potential choking episodes for kids.

Preventing choking
So, apart from cutting foods like these out of children's diets or limiting their access to them, what are some ways that parents can keep kids safe and prevent choking?

According to Smith, certain strategies, like redesigning food labels to caution parents about the risks of choking, can be useful.

"We know that labeling is one thing we can do, but we know from experience, from other public health [efforts], labeling is not effective as a standalone," added Smith.

Additional methods that parents can take include educating themselves about choking hazards and being mindful of the types of toys they give kids. Those that are recommended for older children should not be given to youngsters, as they may put kids' health at risk.

Choking is a serious risk and a leading cause of injury and death for children, and because it can happen at any time, it's essential that parents try to be as vigilant as possible.

Some common risks for choking include food, small toys and even liquids. The Child Injury Prevention Alliance recommends that kids under 4 not be given popcorn, hot dogs, chewing gum, marshmallows, whole grapes or chunks of fruit that could become lodged in throats.

Other ways that parents can prevent emergencies is to be prepared for situations before they occur. By taking a first aid and CPR course, adults can immediately come to children's aid if they begin choking or experience a similar emergency. Making sure that youngsters don't run, walk or play with food in their mouths is one way to reduce the likelihood of choking, and cutting food into smaller bites can make it easier for kids to eat.

Whether you're a first-time parent or you're an experienced one, looking out for children's health and wellness is a serious concern. For many adults, managing physical activity has become easier in recent years, with the use of mobile applications targeting health and fitness.

Many of these devices use mobile sensing tools to enhance the ways in which people are able to benefit from them. According to research firm ON World, there could be up to 1.4 billion mobile sensing health and fitness app downloads by 2017 across the globe, Fierce Mobile Health reported. 

"Advances in low power wireless communications, MEMS and multi-sensor arrays have resulted in viable body area network applications for clinical patient monitoring, assisted care, at-home chronic disease management and general wellness," said Mareca Hatler, ON World's research director. "At the same time, there has been enormous growth for mobile sensing apps for smartphones and tablets."

The survey by ON World also demonstrated that nearly 48 percent of individuals who own smart watches would likely use them for health and fitness-related management purposes.

Apps make prescriptions easier to gain
In addition to making it easier for individuals to manage their health and that of their children, mobile apps are also transforming the ways in which people are able to get prescriptions.

In a recent survey including 2,000 participants, researchers with Digitas Health learned that, although 66 percent of individuals would pick up prescriptions from doctors, 90 percent would prefer to receive them through a mobile app.

"We were expecting this to be a little more recent and, looking at heavy smartphone use, we were assuming users would have only recently been diagnosed, or working with a patient," Geoff McCleary, Digitas Health's group director of mobile innovations, told PM LIve. "But we found that we're looking at people that have had a condition for some time and are still doing research and seeking to get additional information."

According to researchers, individuals using mobile apps for prescriptions are of different ages, yet women seem to use them more often than men.

For parents, mobile apps for prescriptions could be an effective way to manage chronic pediatric medical conditions and also determine whether a medication is the right one for children. CNN reported that popular mobiles apps include ZocDoc, which let users book doctor's appointments through the service, and HealthTap, which gives users the chance to submit questions and learn more about overall wellness.

Mobile apps cannot replace the influence that pharmacists have, especially those that provide individualized counseling, but apps can make the selection and balance of new medications more seamless than before. 

A tough day at work can spell trouble for parents in more ways than one, impacting not only their physical energies, but also their children’s health and wellness, according to findings released by the U.S. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.

Researchers sought to uncover the link between workplace stress, health and confidence and family life, as well as the role that supervisors can play in impacting the wellness of employees.

In addition to revealing that work is one of the leading stressors in an individual’s life, the report – which was presented in Los Angeles at a recent annual conference – demonstrated that high levels of job stress can throw the balance of work and home out of sync and leave adults more likely to experience depression and anxiety as opposed to those who are not stressed at work, HealthDay News reported.

“In the research literature there’s correlational evidence that when parents are more stressed, kids are more stressed,” said Leslie Hammer, a professor of psychology at Portland State University in Oregon, and director of the Center for Work – Family Stress, Safety and Health. “Kids experience that stress, and it comes out in terms of health compliance, it comes out in terms of behavioral difficulties.”

Signs that a parent may be stressed out include sleeplessness, lack of attention, short-temperedness, making poor food choices and not working out. For children, it can be easy to pick up on these types of changes in mood, and they may make kids more likely to act out or feel frustrated.

Improving stress
If you’re a busy parent and you’re trying to better balance the demands of work and family, you may want to consider a few of these tips.

For starters, you should consider if the job is worth the stress it could be putting on your home life. If a job is pushing you to your limits but you don’t think it’s worthwhile, don’t be afraid to start looking around for another position.

Kids may start to duplicate a parent’s behavior, so restlessness, lack of sleep and bad eating habits could show that your children are affected by your stress.This in turn could leave kids more vulnerable to colds, the flu and other chronic pediatric conditions that can impact health and wellness.

If your loved ones are feeling the strain, why not plan a family outing to a park, museum or local amusement park? These can be easygoing ways to reconnect with children and a partner without breaking the bank, and they can be helpful for overcoming stress.

If you want your son or daughter to ease up on the amount of time he or she spends glued to the television, you may want to turn off the tube yourself more often.

Findings to be published in the August print edition of the journal Pediatrics revealed that children’s TV viewing habits are impacted heavily by the amount of time parents spend watching TV.

“The best predictor of children’s TV time is their parents’ TV time,” said study author Amy Bleakley, a policy research scientist at the University of Pennsylvania’s Annenberg Public Policy Center in Philadelphia. “If Mom and Dad automatically turn on the TV when they have free time, it’s likely that their kids will learn to do the same.”

According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, kids under the age of 2 should not be allowed to watch any TV, while children over 2 shouldn’t watch more than two hours of TV daily.

Excessive TV viewing could mean that children are leading mostly sedentary lives, which in turn could contribute to weight gain and obesity.

According to a recent study published in BioMed Central Journal, the number of hours that a child spends in front of the tube could directly correlate to a growth in his or her waistline over time, My Kids Health reported.

Promoting children’s health and wellness
Watching too much TV may not seem like a problem for children, but it may make youngsters more susceptible over time to a range of other health issues, including obesity.

A child who doesn’t have proper nutrition or who is overweight could also be more likely to be impacted by colds, the flu or a chronic pediatric condition related to having a weakened immune system.

Parents who are eager to promote children’s health and wellness should consider reducing the amount of viewing time that youngsters have each week for TV – by limiting the hours a child spends in front of the tube, parents may have an easier time encouraging him or her to get out and exercise.

For those who are sick, parents may struggle with ways to get children to take medicines. One major stumbling block when it comes to getting kids to follow through with necessary treatments is taste – many may resist taking liquid medicine because of how it tastes, which is why making medicine taste better is crucial.

To help with this, parents should speak with their local pharmacists about custom medicine flavoring. Having the option to pick out a favorite flavor for liquid drugs can help children feel more excited about not just taking medicine, but feeling better in the process!

Maintaining children’s health and wellness is a major concern for parents and healthcare providers alike, and when kids are struggling with chronic pediatric medical conditions like asthma, it can make this an ongoing issue.

However, a recent study published in the Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology discovered that there may be a more effective way to help kids who are affected by asthma.

Researchers suggested that instead of having parents do all of the talking, children should speak to allergists directly about their symptoms and how the condition – which is characterized by wheezing and difficulty breathing – affects their daily lives.

“Our research shows that physicians should ask parents and children about the effects asthma is having on the child’s daily life,” said study lead author Margaret Burks, M.D., of the pediatrics department of the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio.

An estimated 80 children took part in the study, along with their parents. After working with the kids, all of whom were asthmatic, researchers learned that there are a few essential topics that they should bring up when speaking with a medical professional.

Children should speak with their allergists if they find that asthma has interfered with their abilities to play sports, or if symptoms get worse outside of the house, as this can be a sign that pollen, mold or another allergen is what is behind frequent asthma attacks.

If a youngster feels isolated or melancholy as a result of asthma, this can be important to bring up with a healthcare provider, as well as whether he or she has missed school due to episodes.

The impact of asthma on kids
According to the American Lung Association, an estimated 7.1 million children under the age of 18 are impacted by asthma, and factors that could trigger an episode include respiratory colds, the flu, excitement or stressful stimuli, indoor or outdoor pollutants, and a range of other elements.

In addition, the ALA reported that asthma is the third-leading cause of hospitalization among children under 15, which highlights how pervasive and problematic this condition can be.

For parents who do find a course of treatment for asthma for children, pharmacy automation can make it easy to maintain medication adherence and boost kids’ overall health.

Reaching out to a pharmacist in the area and discussing other ways of improving compliance with treatments can help parents do their best to ensure that children stay well, even when they have to cope with a long-term condition like asthma.

During the summer months, parents may find themselves frequently piling the kids into the family car and headed to the homes of friends and relatives for a festive cookout.

While these get-togethers can be an excellent time for grown-ups and little ones alike, it’s important that adults take the time to consider the types of foods that children will be consuming at these shindigs. For parents of kids affected by celiac disease, these barbecue menus can be especially important to consider during the summer.

Celiac disease is an autoimmune disorder that results in an intolerance to gluten – a class of proteins present in wheat, rye, barley and other grains, according to the Nemours Foundation.

Children and adults with celiac disease, or a sensitivity to gluten, may suffer from a range of symptoms, including rashes, bloating, diarrhea, weight loss or abdominal pain that could affect everyday life in a major way.

Staying safe at cookouts
During a barbecue or mixed party setting, there may be a smattering of meals of all different varieties. It also may not be uncommon to find plates of hot dogs, cheeseburgers, cookies and cupcakes scattered across patio tables. However, these dishes may not be gluten-free, and as a result could irritate children’s sensitive systems.

“When going to a cookout, parents with a child who is gluten-free because of celiac disease or a wheat allergy need to make sure that cross-contamination has been avoided and that they read labels carefully,” said Mary Kay Sharrett, M.S., R.D., from the Celiac Disease Center at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, in a hospital news release.

According to experts, one great way that parents can overcome risks to children is to bring gluten-free foods to events, including fruit or meat that has been grilled without seasoning. Avoiding cross-contamination can also be crucial to preventing flare-ups of the condition.

“Closely watch the condiments,” Sharrett added. “Read the labels, and if squeeze bottles aren’t being used, try to be first in line to avoid contamination from knives that have touched bread containing gluten.”

Children’s health and wellness is a major concern for parents, which underscores the importance of planning and preparedness, especially if children grapple with chronic pediatric conditions like celiac disease.

While celiac disease impacts one in 133 people, those impacted by it need to follow a diet that is highly specialized and specific. If you suspect your child has celiac disease and you want to manage it better, you should consider reaching out to a healthcare provider today.

Children enjoy playing video games because they can experience what it might be like to go on interactive adventures, but in many cases playing video games can rob kids of the physical activity they need to stay healthy.

According to a recent study published in BMJ Open, there may be a great way for parents to overcome this: investing in video games that are more active!

Researchers at Curtin University, in Perth, Western Australia, revealed that more physically engaging games can boost children’s level of exercise. Overall, kids in developed countries may spend as much as 90 minutes every day playing video games, HealthDay News reported.

After following 56 children between the ages of 10 to 12 over the course of eight weeks, researchers learned that slight increases in physical activity that active video games can yield may help kids stave off the harmful effects of inactivity. This is especially essential as more youngsters incorporate computers and smartphones into their days.

“While our study focused on the home setting, school offers another opportunity for more active technologies such as sit-stand desks or active-input electronic media as part of lessons,” said the study’s authors. “Therefore small changes across a variety of these platforms could result in a more substantial clinical impact.”

Making kids more active
Are your little ones turning into couch potatoes right before your very eyes? This can be a disheartening thing to witness and can leave you feeling frustrated that you haven’t done more as a parent to instill your children with a love of exercise.

But thankfully there are many ways that you can get kids animated about working up a sweat either indoors or in the great outdoors – all you need to do is get started!

The Nemours Foundation recommends getting kids excited about doing aerobic activities like bicycling, basketball, swimming, soccer, tennis and jogging. Any of these feats can help children build muscle endurance, strength and increased flexibility.

Among the additional benefits of exercise include reduced risk of obesity and a range of chronic pediatric medical conditions that may be caused by high blood pressure or cholesterol levels.

For youngsters who may be affected by a cold or flu that keeps them from exercising, parents should consider speaking to a local pharmacist about the benefits of custom flavoring for liquid medicines.

Similar to exercise, which can help kids take command of their overall wellness, custom flavoring can be a beneficial way for youngsters to feel more enthusiastic about getting better and can help medicine taste better.