Strollerderby : Motrin

Babywearing Moms New Pain in Motrin's Side

JeanneSager — Mon, 17 Nov 2008 16:33:00 GMT

An ad that debuted on Motrin's Website during International Babywearing Week (which ends tomorrow in case any of you want to make a sling cake and celebrate) has the mom-blogosphere a-buzzing. They're giving me a headache.

Babywearing moms around the nation say the pain reliever is picking on them for choosing perhaps the most "attachment-oriented" of all attachment parenting methods. The ad says wearing your baby seems to be in fashion and "in theory, it's a great idea." It even lists some of the reasons so many moms have run out to buy a carrier or sling, from "going hands-free" to the various places you can prop your papoose (back, side, front . . ).

But the focus of the ad? It's on moms who experience pain while babywearing. ("These things put a ton of strain on your back, your neck, your shoulders. Did I mention your back?!") I know, total shocker coming out of a company that sells . . . wait for it . . .pain relievers. Did you really think they were going to spend money an ad telling you their product isn't necessary?

The moms have been tweeting away on Twitter about the need to boycott Motrin's parent company, Johnson & Johnson. They're using words like "disgusts me," "insulting," and "absolutely infuriating."

I found one sentence of the whole thing a little condescending - "it totally makes me look like an official mom." Being an official mom takes more than a look or a baby sling. But the rest of it? Talking about putting up with the pain because it's a "good kind of pain," and looking "tired and crazy"? That's pretty darn realistic for some moms. Notice I said "some," not all. In fact, a lot of babywearing moms report trial and error before finding a position that worked for mom AND for baby. For some, it just never works - despite multiple attempts, they're not going to find a carrier that makes the baby weigh less or makes the baby less likely to move around and throw them off kilter. I tried two different carriers and never was able to get the hang of it - eventually ending up in physical therapy thanks to the enormous strain put on my back first by my pregnancy and later by carrying my daughter. When the therapist suggested I just "not carry my daughter," I laughed in her face.

What I find condescending are the moms out there who insist that this will scare of would-be babywearers. Motherhood isn't glamorous. And we do sacrifice plenty for our kids (so do dads, by the way, who carry their kids in their arms, in carriers, in slings . . . ). But considering how many of us know childbirth is going to hurt and sign up for the whole she-bang anyway, I think we deserve a little more credit.

Image: Motrin

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Don't Fear the Fever

Karen Murphy — Tue, 08 Jan 2008 15:27:00 GMT

Fever! Just the very word sends fear striking at parent's hearts: Fever! Fevers are bad! Cuz, well, look at the kid! Hot! Uncomfortable! And hot! That has to be bad, right? Oh, and fever can kill! Kids can explode, can get brain damage, whatever. It's just...bad, that fever, right? Bad! Must medicate! Must take Tylenol/Motrin/have an alcohol bath/sponge bath. Must! Because fever = B.A.D.

Um, except, it's not. And this is why:

I remember when I learned the truth about fevers in children. It was scary letting go of all those notions about fever that I learned from my parents as a child during my twice-yearly bouts of strep throat, when I'd be forced to chew tiny orange St. Joseph's aspirin tablets, or worse, swallow fuzzy white terrible-tasting tablets in order to Get.The.Fever.Down.

It turns out I could have been spared all that aspirin. Except in extreme cases, fevers are actually, well, good. But about 94% of parents don't know this (thank you, acetaminophen industry! and the thermometer industry!). I didn't. We parents are afraid of fever, and fever is the #1 reason why doctors are called in the middle of the night or kids are rushed to the ER. Fever. Which is actually the body's defense against illness, and (except in extreme cases), is a good thing.

Fever reduces bacterial and viral reproduction and signals the immune system to get in gear. Febrile seizures? They're likely caused by how quickly a fever rises, not to the amount of fever, and they don't cause permanent damage. Nor do high fevers (officially defined as above 105.8 degrees).

Though doctors could learn a thing or two about this: "In a 1992 study of 234 pediatricians, two-thirds said that an elevated body temperature in itself could be dangerous to a child. They believed that brain damage and death were fever's worst outcomes. And we doctors again showed our ignorance in a study whose authors wanted to know why pediatricians were telling parents to alternate Tylenol and Motrin to control fevers. This is something that doctors routinely advise parents to do. About a third cited guidelines on fever management from the American Academy of Pediatrics. Another quarter said they learned it from their teachers or mentors. The problem is that there is nothing in academy guidelines about alternating antipyretics, and, at the time of the study, there was no evidence showing that doing this was effective and safe (now there are studies suggesting that it may be effective, but the risk of misdosing or overdosing a child doesn't warrant it)."

Uh, that's scary, that even doctors don't know what's what.

But for several years now I've heard a different approach to fever, and I've learned to almost welcome it as a help in fighting whatever illness seems to be going on.

But in kids, you really have to look at their comfort to know when to treat a fever and when to leave it alone. If they look comfortable, as they might with even moderately high fevers, there's no need to seek medical attention. Ice water baths induce shivering, which makes kids less comfortable, and alcohol baths increase the risk of dehydration and hypoglycemia, so neither of those is a good idea.

However, if your child has five to seven days of fever, you can't bring down high fevers (above 104 degrees), or there are other symptoms (rashes, lethargy inconsolable crying, a headache or stiff neck that could suggest meningitis), you need to see a doctor.

Otherwise, embrace the fever, and likely the length of illness will be reduced and within a day or two you'll have a happy kid again.

If Ferris Bueller's parents had known this, he'd have had a totally different day.

Photo: www.therapy-school.co.uk

In Some Cases, Ibuprofen Best Pain Killer for Children

Rachael Brownell (Redsy) — Mon, 05 Mar 2007 22:39:00 GMT

Hate to see your child in pain, but concerned about over-medicating or using the wrong medicine? You are not alone. A new study might ease this burden. Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario in Ottawa led a study of 300 children concluded that ibuprofen (also known as Motrin, Advil, and Nuprin) is more effective than acetaminophen (also known as Tylenol and paracetomal) in treating certain types of pain in children, specifically broken bones, bruises and sprains.

While ibuprofen interacts with more drugs than Tylenol, it is often more effective in treating other types of pain associated with teething and the like because of its anti-inflammatory properties. Whatever you decide to use in treating your child's pain, remember to watch dosage very closely. The American Academy of Pediatrics has a chart which tells you the correct concentration and dosage to administer to your child depending on her age and weight.