Date: December 13th 2005

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BABY 411 NEWS UPDATE: December 2005
The free eNewsletter for the readers of BABY 411
http://www.Baby411.com
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What’s in this issue?
1. Whooping cough booster shots for kids and adults
2. Did Dr. Ferber change his mind?
3. Wheezin’ season

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1. Whooping cough booster shots

Two new vaccines have been approved (Boostrix, Adacel) by the FDA to help reduce the incidence of whooping cough. Whooping cough (pertussis) is a bacterial infection that causes a chronic hacking cough in older children and adults, but can be fatal in young children. Kids have been immunized against this disease since the 1940’s but whooping cough is still alive and well and causing disease. One reason for this is that our immunity wanes over time after being vaccinated.

So, a new way to prevent whooping cough outbreaks is to vaccinate those who may be spreading the disease—teenagers and adults. Yes, it is time to roll up your sleeves to protect our vulnerable little ones. If has been at least five years since you have had a tetanus shot, you can now get a combo DTP vaccine (diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis) that boosts your immunity to whooping cough. And if you have a child/babysitter who is 11 years or older, he/she should get vaccinated too.

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2. Did Ferber change his mind?

Many of you may have heard sleep guru, Dr. Richard Ferber on the news recently discussing infant sleep training. On the eve of the release of his revised sleep bible, Solve Your Child’s Sleep Problems, he tried to clarify his position. It appears he has not changed his mind—kids need consistent sleep rituals and routines to have good sleep. But he has added that there is no one size fits all approach to infants.

It also appears that Dr. Sears is bending a little on his position as well. He is now acknowledging that it is not all about the baby and perhaps parent sleep habits should be considered too when deciding what to do at night.

Here is our take on the situation. Perhaps these folks have had a reality check. Most of us (parents) try to find a middle ground where everyone in the house gets some sleep. We have not changed our position. For the first three months, do what you gotta do to get your baby to sleep—just make sure it is a safe space. And with the American Academy of Pediatrics recent SIDS recommendations (October 2005), that means in your room, but not in your bed.

Start setting up good sleep routines around four months of life. Those are the ones you want to keep. Don’t let your baby be dead weight on your shoulder and then gingerly place her in bed anymore. If she learns to fall asleep on her own now, you will be thankful later. Have her drowsy and relaxed, but not asleep when she is put to bed. By six months, you should be on your way! For more about infant sleep, check out the sleep chapter in Baby 411.

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3. Wheezin’ season

Cold and flu season shows up every year, just like that fruitcake that Aunt Mabel brings for the holiday meal. Some areas of the country are already seeing some cases of flu (influenza virus). And, RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) is here as well. RSV can infect anyone, but it causes more severe illness in infants—especially babies who were born prematurely. As opposed to the common cold, RSV attacks the tiny branches of the lower lung airways (bronchioles). Swollen bronchioles make the air flow turbulent, creating a wheezing noise.

Most kids are “Happy Wheezers”. They breathe faster than normal, but maintain good oxygen levels and are not in distress. Other symptoms include fever and lots of snot! This virus seems to go on forever, with kids coughing and wheezing for weeks. Not surprisingly, many kids will get ear infections after having a bout of RSV. So if your child is fever free for over 24 hours and suddenly spikes a new fever or acts fussy, get it checked out. Most of the time, kids do not need medicine for the wheezing because they are not in distress and do not usually respond to asthma medications used for wheezing. There are a small percentage of kids who do, though.

If your child has labored breathing, is under three months of age, or is under two years of age and a former preemie, call your doctor.

What’s the best way to prevent against RSV and the other usual suspects of the season? Good hand washing! Your mom was right again.

Well, that’s it from the home office of Baby 411. We hope you have a wonderful holiday season and a healthy 2006. Baby 411 makes a great gift for parents!

Best wishes,

Dr. Ari Brown, Denise Fields, and the elves at Windsor Peak Press

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