Date: October 29th 2007

BABY 411 E-news: Flu vaccine, Jenny McCarthy, Autism report, Cough and cold meds, Crib bumpers

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BABY 411 and TODDLER 411 NEWS UPDATE: November 2007
The free eNewsletter for the readers of BABY 411 and TODDLER 411
http://www.Baby411.com
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What’s in this issue?

1. Flu vaccine: what’s new for 2007
2. The New McCarthyism: Vaccines under fire.
3. Autism Report from the AAP
4. Cough and cold meds.
5. Are crib bumper pads safe?

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1. Flu vaccine: what’s new for 2007.

It’s time for you and your kids to get your flu vaccine for the upcoming winter season. Flu vaccine supply should be plentiful this year, so you won’t have an excuse to miss getting vaccinated. Many practices (like mine) are offering flu shots and Flumist, a live-inactivated vaccine nasal spray.

The exciting news this year (yes, this is what we pediatricians get excited about—sad, I know) is that the Flumist nasal spray has been FDA approved for healthy kids, TWO years of age and up—previously it was only approved for kids over age five. Babies can get the flu shot starting at six months of age.

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2. The New McCarthyism: Vaccines under fire!

And, speaking of vaccines…. Odds are, you saw Jenny McCarthy’s face last month, as she pitched her new book about her journey with her son’s autism. Since you know us, you know we cannot sit here and let her medical inconsistencies go unchecked!

Jenny has been telling the world her child was a normal toddler until he received his MMR vaccine and yet, she points out in her book that she missed the early signs (as early as five months of age, when he smiled at her for the first time when it should have happened around two months). She also believes that mercury in vaccines cause autism. The childhood vaccination program went mercury-preservative free in 2001, and her son was born in 2002. While we are proud of her for being such an advocate for her child, using her soapbox to scare the heck out of parents about vaccines is irresponsible and dangerous.

And adding insult to injury: McCarthy’s book claims that autism steals a child’s soul—an assertion many parents with autistic kids take great offense at!

Check out our blog to see Dr. Brown’s rebuttal to Ms. McCarthy, which was published in the Wall Street Journal on October 27, 2007:

http://baby411.typepad.com/baby_411_blog/2007/10/the-new-mccarth.html

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3. AAP publishes Autism Report

The American Academy of Pediatrics released a whopping 50 page report (complete with over 500 references!) today on the state of autism diagnosis and management. The report gives medical providers strategies to diagnose autism earlier and discusses the current research on both traditional and nontraditional therapies—what works, what doesn’t, and what may be dangerous.
Here are the Top 5 Questions answered in this report:

(1) Q. What causes autism?

A. We still don’t know. But new research is looking at a critical period of fetal brain development injury as early as 20-24 days after conception that may lead to later autism. A woman may not even know she is pregnant when potential damage occurs.

(2) Q. I’ve heard some children start out normal and then regress with their milestones?

A. In at least 50% of cases studied, kids who regress according to parents will have subtle developmental delays noted on earlier video footage.

(3) Q. What therapies are proven to work?

A. One treatment that clearly works is daily intensive behavioral therapy (25 to 40 hours a week). The earlier a child is diagnosed with autism, the earlier he begins therapy, the better the outcome. So, it’s critical to make a diagnosis or a referral to a developmental specialist as early as possible. (Getting insurance companies to cover the cost of this therapy is the next step!)

(4) Q. Does the gluten-free, casein-free diet really work?

A. Currently, the research is not solid enough to support or refute this therapy. From a realistic standpoint, it may be very difficult to accomplish with a child with autism (they are usually extremely picky eaters anyway). While it’s not dangerous to try this diet, some alternative therapies can be very harmful or even fatal (like chelation therapy) and are not recommended.

(5) Q. What’s the take home message for doctors?

A. When a parent or doctor has concerns for autism, don’t take the “wait and see” approach. Get it checked out.

The American Academy of Pediatrics has a pamphlet available to parents to identify early signs of autism and a 48 page booklet for families with a child diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder.

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4. Cough and cold meds: What’s a parent to do?

As you’ve probably heard, the manufacturers of the leading cough and cold remedies voluntarily recalled all products intended for kids under age two. A week later, an advisory panel for the FDA recommended that cough and cold medications should not be used in kids under age six.

What’s all the fuss about? There have been several deaths due to accidental overdoses of these products. And, even medications used properly can cause annoying adverse effects (like insomnia).

Bottom line: these products do not treat the disease, and aren’t that effective in treating the symptoms either. (We’ve never recommended them) So, instead of having marginal benefit with some potential health risk...it's a good idea to just stop using these products.

What’s a parent to do as cold and flu season approaches? Saline nose drops, cool mist humidifier, acetaminophen/ibuprofen for fever or pain, and lots of TLC.

Just to clarify: Tylenol (acetaminophen) and Motrin (ibuprofen) are fine to use. These same manufacturers make combo cough/cold/fever remedies that have been recalled. Confusing, we know.

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5. Are crib bumper pads safe?

A study last month in the Journal of Pediatrics questions the safety of bumper pads. We use them in cribs to prevent bumping the head or getting a limb caught between the crib rails. And let’s face it, they match the crib sheets and look really cute. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission discourages use of pillow-like bumper pads whereas the Canadian Consumer Product Safety Bureau discourages the use of any bumper pads in a crib. http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/cps-spc/legislation/pol/bumper-bordure_e.html.

The study looked at a national database for crib-related deaths and injuries over a twenty-year period. The results? Medical examiners determined 27 accidental deaths were related to the bumper pad and 25 minor head injuries were reported in cribs that did not have bumper pads.

As we discussed in our sister book, BABY BARGAINS, bumper pads are purely optional—and this study suggests the risks of injury far outweigh any benefits.

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Ok, that’s the news from here! Thanks again for reading our books, BABY 411 and TODDLER 411. And remember, we have just released a revised and updated 3rd edition of BABY 411! Check it out in bookstores nationwide. And, for those of you buying baby gifts, order the new Baby and Toddler 411 gift set at our website ( http://www.baby411.com ) or in bookstores nationwide!

Happy Halloween!

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