Date: May 30th 2006

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BABY 411 NEWS UPDATE: June 2006
The free eNewsletter for the readers of BABY 411
http://www.Baby411.com
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What’s in this issue?

1. Dr. Ari Brown to appear on TLC’s Surviving Motherhood this Thursday, June 1
2. New bug spray for babies
3. New eczema products
4. Study of media use and infants: is TV a pacifier?
5. Steroids and asthma
6. Mumps update

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1. Dr. Ari Brown to appear on TLC’s Surviving Motherhood this Thursday, June 1

Surviving Motherhood is a new mom-to-mom show that recently premiered on The Learning Channel. Dr. Brown will be featured as the expert on two upcoming shows. June 1 (3p EST/2p CST), Ramel’s Story, will be about a mom worried about her high-energy preschooler. June 5 (10:30am EST/9:30am CST), Rebecca’s Story, is about a mom dealing with toilet training. Go to The Learning Channel’s link to find out more information:

http://tlc.discovery.com/fansites/survivingmotherhood/survivingmotherhood.html

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2. New bug spray for babies

Skeeter Beater: While we know that DEET is an effective way to prevent mosquito bites, we have an effective alternative for kids: picaridin. The Centers for Disease Control approve of this chemical as a way to protect against mosquito bites and West Nile Virus. A new product, Off Skintastic Clean Feel contains picaridin as its active ingredient and it’s approved for use in children from two months old and up. The other good news: it’s safe to reapply this product up to three times a day (DEET containing products should only be put on once for the day, and rinsed off after coming indoors).

For more info, check out http://www.offprotects.com/mosquito%2Drepellent/

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3. New eczema products

Two new prescription skin creams have joined the armamentarium for eczema control—Mimyx and Atopiclair. These products have essential fatty acids as their active ingredient. Mimyx is contains olive oil and Atopiclair contains shea butter. They act to restore the top skin layer, which is chronically impaired in kids who have eczema. Both products also reduce the itchiness associated with eczema. And, both products are FDA approved for use in infants. Side effects include redness and burning. FYI: Shea butter is a derivative of a shea nut. So, if your child has any nut allergies, be sure to mention that to your doctor. Ask your doctor for more information on these new medications.

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4. Study of media use and infants: is TV a pacifier?

Are you using TV as a pacifier? The Kaiser Family Foundation released a report in May on media use in young children. After surveying over 1000 families with children from six months to six years old, they concluded that parents use electronic media to “manage busy schedules, keep the peace, and facilitate family routines such as eating, relaxing, and falling asleep.” Thirty-percent of homes have the TV left on most of the day; and in those homes, children watch more TV and spend less time reading or being read to.

Parents in the survey felt that TV programming was educational and thus, felt less guilty about spending less time with their kids because of the perceived benefit of the program’s content.

Videos and cable networks designed for the under age two are gaining popularity. 43% of children in that age group watch TV daily, despite the American Academy of Pediatrics, who feels that media use is not a good idea for this age group of kids, even if it is ‘educational’.

The study also points out that although media has become a “fabric of family life”, it seems to do a better job of separating family members instead of bringing them together.

Bottom line: If your baby is watching TV, consider what, where, when, and how much he is watching. Consider watching with your child, not during dinner, and not having one in your child’s room.

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5. Steroids and asthma

Do steroids prevent asthma? Two studies in the New England Journal of Medicine in May took a fresh look at asthma therapy in infants and preschoolers. The current standard of therapy of chronic, persistent wheezing is to treat with a rescue medicine (albuterol) and a preventative medicine (inhaled steroid).

The infant study addressed treatment with inhaled steroids for intermittent wheezing and found no difference in the babies who went on to develop asthma and those who didn’t. No surprise here: most infants wheeze when they have viral infections like RSV— and do not improve with steroid treatment.

The preschooler study took two groups of two and three year olds with chronic wheezing and placed one group of kids on inhaled steroids for two years straight, then took them off for one year. The other group did not receive inhaled steroids on a regular, daily basis. Both groups had their lung functions compared after year three. The kids who were on long term steroids had no better lung function than and better function while they were taking the medication. Bottom line: inhaled steroids really help when a child has chronic, persistent wheezing. But, that effect does not appear to last once medication is discontinued.

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6. Mumps update

Mumps update: The Centers for Disease Control reported 2957 cases of mumps from January 1 to May 2, 2006, in Iowa and multiple states. The highest number of cases is in people ages 18-24 years old. (So, make sure your college babysitter this summer has been vaccinated!). There have been 25 hospitalizations thus far for mumps complications, which include meningitis and encephalitis. Fortunately, there have been no deaths. The MMR vaccine protects against mumps infection. With two doses, people are about 90% protected. One dose provides about 80% protection. In the routine immunization schedule, children get their first dose of MMR vaccine at 12-15 months and their booster dose before kindergarten.

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When is our next book coming out? Look for news on a new book from Dr. Brown and Denise Fields to arrive with our next newsletter! Stay tuned.

Sincerely,
Dr. Ari Brown and Denise Fields
Authors, BABY 411
http://www.baby411.com