Date: April 4th 2007

BABY 411 ENEWS: Dr. Brown on Dr. Phil this Thursday, trendy new child health products

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BABY 411 and TODDLER 411 NEWS UPDATE: April 2007
The free eNewsletter for the readers of BABY 411 and TODDLER 411
http://www.Baby411.com
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Happy Spring! Since there are so many new and trendy health products out there for young kids, we thought we’d devote this eNews to taking a look at them.

TV ALERT! But before we jump into the products, we have big news:

Dr. Ari Brown will be in the Dr. Phil show this Thursday April 5! Set your TiVo’s!

Dr. Phil invited Dr. Brown and a team of medical professionals to tackle hot topics in the news. Dr. Brown will also discuss one of your favorite parenting dilemmas—getting your child to sleep through the night! Stay tuned for a lively discussion! Check out www.drphil.com for more info on the episode. And, check your local listings for airtime.

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New products:

1. Probiotic-enhanced formula.
2. Allergy medications.
3. Yeast diaper rash ointment.
4. Helmets for flat heads.

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1. Probiotic-enhanced formula

In May 2007, Nestle Good Start Supreme will be the first formula in the U.S. that contains active living bacteria cultures like the stuff found in yogurt. Good Start has Bifidus lactis, a ‘good germ’ similar to what resides in the guts of babies who are breastfed. The potential benefits include fewer illnesses, less severity/frequency of diarrhea, and maybe even less colic. And, there do not seem to be any significant risks. (Source: Weizman Z, etal. Effect of a probiotic infant formula on infections in child care centers: comparison of two probiotic agents. Pediatrics. 115(1); 2005; pp. 5-9.)

Are the health benefits worth the added cost? Maybe, but only time and more research will tell. A cheaper option: Buy a probiotic supplement like L reuteri and toss it into whatever your baby is eating once a day.

FYI: If you use a probiotic-enhanced formula, be sure to mix it with water less than 100°F or you will kill all those little germs you paid extra for!

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2. Allergy Medications.

Just when you thought it was safe to go outside . . . bring on spring pollen season. If your child has watery, itchy eyes and a watery runny nose, he may be suffering from allergies. While most babies under a year of age do not suffer from seasonal allergies, older toddlers and preschoolers do.

You’ve got several over the counter options to treat allergy symptoms in kids. Diphenhydramine (Benadryl) works well, but can be sedating. Loratidine (Claritin) is also approved for kids as young as six months of age. It’s conveniently dosed once a day and does not usually cause sedation. Zaditor eye drops are now over the counter and work well for those itchy eyes (if you can pin your child down long enough to put them in!)

Another new product is Fexofenadine (Allegra) liquid, available by prescription. The tablets have been around for a while, but the liquid is new for kids six months of age and up.

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3. New diaper rash ointment

There’s a trendy prescription diaper rash ointment that’s being advertised everywhere right now. The product, called Vusion, is a combo of an anti-yeast medication plus zinc oxide and white petroleum. It works by creating a barrier for the skin from moisture and irritation (that is, pee and poop), while killing the yeast at the same time. If you’ve tried over the counter Lotrimin AF, you may want to ask your doc about Vusion. Here’s a great pic from our famous Rash-o-rama on baby411.com of yeast diaper rash.

http://www.windsorpeak.com/baby411/rashorama/diaper2.html

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4. Helmets for flat heads.

As you all have heard, the best way to prevent SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome) is to have babies sleep on their backs. While the Back to Sleep campaign has decreased the number of SIDS deaths by over 50%, the number of babies with flat heads has increased significantly. The good news: most babies’ heads round out over time. And, tummy time in the first several months of life helps prevent the flat head issue (called positional plagiocephaly).

You all may have also heard about children who have ‘had to wear a helmet’ to help reshape their heads. Although most of the time this is unnecessary, it is a treatment option for babies ages 4-12 months old with severe plagiocephaly.

Wondering if your kid is a helmet candidate? A recent study was looked at children with flat heads who were followed for 9 years after helmet therapy vs. no helmets. Although all parents who chose to use helmets were very positive about the short-term results, there was no significant difference between groups in the satisfaction rate (or the amount that the child was teased) when the kids were 9.

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Enjoy your spring!

Sincerely,
Dr. Ari Brown and Denise Fields
Authors, BABY 411 & TODDLER 411