Strollerderby : asthma

Asthma Coaches Keep Kids Breathing

JeanneSager — Tue, 17 Mar 2009 14:33:00 GMT

It might be time to welcome a new member to the team of healthcare professionals helping keep your kid healthy - their asthma coach.

In a study at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, community health workers randomly assigned to make home visits and phone calls to low-income parents to teach them about asthma and encourage positive management behaviors decreased the need for hospitalization for kids.

Just over thirty-six percent of the kids, ages two through eight, who were assigned an asthma coach were hospitalized during the two-year study. By comparison, just over fifty-nine percent of the kids assigned to "usual care" (ie. a pediatrician only) were hospitalized during that same time period. There was no reduction in the number of emergency room visits.

It's important to note that asthma is not being cured by the coaches - they're simply providing parents with the skills to better manage their children's care. And although this study was based on low-income families, it's fair to say that EVERY family could use an education that doesn't come straight from Google.

A lot of parents are wary of allowing a professional to come into their homes to make suggestions on how to care for their kids, and I can't blame them. I don't want someone walking into my house to tell me why I'm a bad parent. But even the most caring pediatrician doesn't have adequate time to explain every detail and answer every question. With a disease like asthma - which can often be exacerbated by environment - these home visits seem that much more crucial to getting a handle on a child's disease management. A trained professional can make a real difference in a child's life - and as much as we hate to admit it, sometimes we parents need their help.

Would you call on an asthma coach?

Image: TopNews

Pollution Causing Asthma Before Baby's Even Born

JeanneSager — Mon, 16 Feb 2009 18:30:00 GMT

A warning to all pregnant women: stay out of traffic.

A new study says traffic fumes will actually reprogram the DNA of an otherwise healthy fetus, paving the way for the child to be born asthmatic.

Scared? Me too. We've long known that pollution = bad for your health, and for pregnant women there's always that extra fear that what harms her harms her baby as well. But the idea of DNA being reprogrammed whilst inside the body runs a bit too close to science fiction for my tastes.

Expect it's not . . . fiction that is. The study at the Center for Environmental Genetics at the University of Cincinnati homed in on the ACSL3 gene, which other studies have shown is involved in the structure of cell membranes. Looking at the cord blood of fifty-three kids (a very small study, I'll admit), the BBC News has reported that scientists found "a significant association between chemical changes which control activation of the gene and high levels of maternal PAH exposure."

Curiously, the kids themselves were reportedly showing signs of asthma by age five, not at birth. As an asthmatic myself, I know that asthma in kids is still mystifying medical experts because a child can show signs at a very young age, only to have them disappear for a time and then show up again when they're teenagers (a major bone of contention between pediatricians and parents over whether it's appropriate to continue treatment when a child isn't showing symptoms). It manifests itself in different ways from person to person - with some kids highly affected by the cold, others by the warmth. Some people have symptoms brought on by stress, others by environmental factors. Pollution itself reportedly causes at least two-thirds of asthmatic events - which would seem to support this study.

So why is this good news? Because if a mother knows she's been subjected to traffic fumes, and doctors can test her child for the malformed gene, treatment can start early - before kids show symptoms.

The only question I have - will they be willing to listen?

Image: BBC NEWS

Babble Talk: When It's Too Cold to Play

JeanneSager — Fri, 30 Jan 2009 17:23:00 GMT

I wanted to be all huffy about Kim Brooks' essay about raising her son in cold climes this week. After all, Bad Parent: Cold Comfort points a finger at Northeasterners like me as "bad parents."

But my righteous indignation falls woefully short. I hate the cold.

And before you get that Mommy tone of voice on and tell me "hate is a strong word, young lady," let me tell you - I REALLY hate the cold. What's more, I refuse to do fun things outside in the cold with my over-eager pre-schooler.

The pending invitation to a sleigh-riding party for one of her little friends' birthdays has me pinning my hopes on no shadow for that pesky groundhog next week. A born and raised New Yorker, I should be used to it - at least that's what everyone tells me. But like Brooks, I often rue the day I left Virginia with its barely there winters and its elongated summers. I could blame it all on my asthma, aggravated by the cold, but that's truly only a fraction of my distaste for winter.

I hate driving in it - especially now that I'm a mother. Gripping the steering wheel while she chatters in the backseat, I've used the "shut up" words - the words I never, ever wanted to say in front of my daughter - out of pure fear. Before, it was only me who could be hurt; now it's her life at stake. It makes it harder to get out of the house for those indoor/away from home activities that Oz shared in her list of what to dos in winter.

I hate tromping through the snow, the cuffs of my pants filling with chunks of slush, the water wicking up my jeans and leaving my calves cold and chafed. I hate the wind, whipping past my face and leaving my cheeks chapped and raw. I hate shoveling, the back-breaking work a reminder of all the childhood school cancellations ruined by afternoons spent in the yard making paths to the bus and paths to my father's shop.

Even the so-called fun - the winter sports - don't hold a candle to a good book and a soft spot on the couch. I'm resigned to my inner klutz, which has made skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing and the like utterly impossible and utterly unenjoyable. Time spent on the ground, rubbing my sore tush, could be better spent, I figured, inside making blanket forts and baking cookies.

And still, my daughter - like Kim's little boy - stares plaintively out the window. She begs to be released from the confines of the house for just a little while to run and jump with the dog in the wonderful world of white.

And I say no.

I'm waiting for her to grow up a little, to be old enough to be trusted outside alone for a little while (we do live on a back road, in a quiet neighborhood, so that day will come). So Kim, if you're a bad parent; I am too. But hopefully our kids will be just as bad - and grow up to hate the cold!

Babies Get It -- "Dirt Don't Hurt"

Amy Kuras — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 20:29:00 GMT

Good news for those of us whose housekeeping skills are, perhaps, a little less than sparkling – accumulating evidence suggests that eating a little dirt is actually good for kids. And that annoying tendency of babies to put every little thing in their mouths may actually be an instinctual attempt to build up their immune systems.

As someone who hates housecleaning more than anything else in the world, pretty much, I love the “hygiene hypothesis.” This holds that our hyper-clean, germophobic society may actually explain why autoimmune diseases, allergies and asthma have all been on the rise in recent years.

The theory is that kids who live in super-clean environments don’t have sufficient opportunity to build up their immune systems. The human body harbors something like 90 trillion microbes, some of which are actually good for us, and not getting exposed to those can cause immune over-response.

No one is suggesting that outright dirty and foul conditions are acceptable, but simple handwashing after diaper changes, bathroom breaks and before and after handling food would go a long way to stop pathogens, while running around with antibacterial hand sanitizers and wipes can actually be harmful.

Skip this next bit if you are eating: intestinal worms are actually considered key to the development of a healthy immune system. The human whipworm has shown promise as a treatment for multiple sclerosis, and pig whipworms as a treatment for Crohn’s disease.

Given that I spend huge amounts of every day fishing God knows what out of my almost one-year-old son’s mouth, this is the kind of thing that makes me feel much, much better.

They Say: Steroids No Help With Wheezing

Kate Tuttle — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 21:02:00 GMT

So, your young child has had a cold for a few days and starts wheezing. Time for the doctor to prescribe one of the many steroid-based asthma treatments they typically use, right? Not so, according to studies published this week in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Apparently it's not uncommon for a non-asthmatic child to develope wheezing as a symptom of a viral infection, and in most cases treating with steroids is no more helpful than giving a placebo. This non-asthmatic wheezing accompanying a cold can affect about one-third of young children, but the study reports that at least 75% outgrow it by the age of six.

In another study, a steroid treatment for wheezing was found to be helpful, but carried a risk of suppresion of growth. In an experiment comparing Flovent with a placebo, 129 children aged one to six were gien either Flovent or a placebo after presenting with an upper respiratory infection. The drug was found to be effective in many of the kids, but those treated with Flovent grew less -- a small amount, but one that doctors worry could be magnified over time in kids who are frequently prescribed the drug.

As a doctor friend once told me, a very good question to ask when being prescribed any drug or treatment is, "what's the downside of doing nothing?" It seems that, as with the demise of cold medicines for kids under six, wheezing treatments as well may soon be replaced by a simpler class of care: rest, fluids, and plenty of TLC.

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They Say: Vicks VapoRub Bad for Baby

JeanneSager — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 15:31:00 GMT

Have you always been slightly creeped out by rubbing greasy slime along your kid's upper lip? Good news - you don't have to do it anymore.

Of course, if you're one of those people who has always wiped the Vicks VapoRub under the kid's nose, and hoped for the best, you might want to keep reading.

Reseachers at Wake Forest University School of Medicine in North Carolina announced this week that Vicks VapoRub applied under the nose of children two and under might actually be making it more difficult for them to breathe.

Of course, Vicks is not promoted for kids under two, and the package clearly states it should not be put directly under the nose. But hundreds of parents do it anyway - thinking the layer of gunk under the nose is going to get their kids' mucus moving faster than it would if they smeared it on the chest (in other words, if they followed directions). Unfortunately, according to Wake Forest researcher Dr. Bruce Rubin, the incredients in VapoRub can irritate the nasal passages and cause the body to produce more mucus. The thickened secretions - especially in infants and young children, whose airways are narrower than an adults - will then make breathing more difficult.

Rubin and his colleagues started their project after treating an eighteen-month-old girl in respiratory distress whose parents had treated her with VapoRub, under the nose - despite warnings on the package.

Those pesky directions, they'll get you every time.

Image/Source: Reuters

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Alternative Medicine Can Help Kids Too

Amy Kuras — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 17:02:00 GMT

Generally I am kind of wishy-washy on alternative medicine – I am not one of those people who believe everything they read on the internet and are washing down colloidal minerals with an acai-pomegranate cocktail. But I do take fish oil every day and have used both valerian and St John’s wort to good effect.

I thought this story on CNN discussing the best alternative medicine for
kids was interesting. It suggests thing that might help and won’t hurt, like probiotics for diarrhea, chamomile tea for colic, St John’s Wort for mild to moderate depression, and fish oil for asthma and eczema.

Let’s not discount the placebo effect with some of these things – but hey, if you can get he placebo effect with a relativley mild natural compound versus powerful pharmaceuticals, so much the better. And some things you might already be using without realizing it. Both baby gas remedies I have used with my little guy have chamomile extract in them – and both worked a lot better than simethicone drops like Mylicon, for what it’s worth. And some of this just bears out conventional wisdom, like to eat yogurt after you have had antibiotics to build back the beneficial bacteria in the gut.

Still, all of this should be taken with a healthy dose of skepticism and maybe even a chat with a real medical practitioner, versus the hairy fellow working the checkout at your local health food store.

They Say: Antacids During Pregnancy Up Risk for Child's Asthma

JeanneSager — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 15:35:00 GMT

Yet another checkmark on the list of things I've done to screw up my daughter's future: scientists are now saying moms who take antacids during their pregnancies are increasing their baby's risk of developing asthma.

Researchers from the Children's Hospital of Boston analyzed more than five hundred thousand birth records of kids born in Sweden between 1995 and 2004. They say moms who used acid-suppressing medicines were linked to a forty-three percent greater likelihood that their child would suffer from an allergy serious enough to require prescription medication or hospitalization.

The chance of a child developing asthma if his or her mother used antacids was as high as fifty-one percent.

Lest you think you and I are the only ones who did this to our kids - eighty-five percent of pregnant women experience heartburn, the researchers admitted, because high estrogen levels are thought to weaken the lower esophageal sphincter (say that three times fast), which makes it easier for the stomach acids to roil back up. And then there's that kid pushing up on everything . . .

Diagnosed with hyperemesis gravidarum, the condition that essentially means you have morning, noon and night sickness throughout your pregnancy, I had the kind of killer heartburn that felt like I was carrying a dragon with a bad case of the hiccups. Stomach acids would come up, and I would, well. . . upchuck. Thanks to my friendly OB/GYN, in the later months, after I finally got off of the anti-nausea drugs they give to chemotherapy patients, I was considering an investment in the stock of certain antacid makers.

What's important to note here, is women who can't keep any food down are hardly doing their babies a service by turning away the Tums. Even one of the Children's Hospital researchers says as much in this PRWeb release. She suggests you try cutting out caffeine and spicy foods and try to have smaller meals instead of using antacids; but how many pregnant women do you know who can FIT anything more than a teeny weeny meal in that eighth month . . . after they've already cut caffeine for the sake of the baby and the scent of hot wings makes them want to ralph?

So, by all means, it's worth a shot. But if you come running back to the antacid gods, don't let it eat at you. Have heart - at least you can have a handfull of peanuts now.

Image: OnlineDownloads.com

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They Say: Prenatal Folic Acid Not So Good After All

JeanneSager — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 17:57:00 GMT

Am I the only one who is starting to feel like scientists flip a coin every day to decide what's good for our kids? The latest flip flop hits those prenatal ~~horse pills~~ vitamins every mother tries to force down throughout her pregnancy.

Turns out that folic acid we always thought was so necessary for their development? This week, they're saying we probably should hold off about three months. Stay tuned (these things are subject to change).

The study out of Norway has some heft to it. Researchers followed thirty-two thousand kids over a period of three years and found moms who took folic acid during the first three months of gestation were more likely to have a baby with respiratory issues all the way up to the eighteen-month mark. The kids were also twenty-four percent more likely to land in the hospital because of their wheezing.

Over the years, folic acid intake by pregnant moms has been liked to everything from a decrease in the incidence of spina bifida to a possible decrease in cancer in kids. I've known moms who started taking prenatal vites months before they even began TRYING for a baby because they wanted to have a healthy folic acid build-up in the body. And I'd imagine you'd be hard-pressed these days to find a prenatal vitamin that DOESN'T have folic acid built in (thank you March of Dimes).

So what's a mom to do? Would you say the benefits outweigh the risks? Or should we just stay tuned for the other flip flop to drop?

Image: MLive

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They Say: Your Baby's Getting Asthma

Madeline Holler — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 13:29:00 GMT

Oh great. Anybody else here set to give birth soon? Because you might want to set a little aside for inhalers.

A new study shows that babies born within four months (months!) of the peak of cold and flu season ... are 30 percent (30 percent!) more likely to develop asthma in childhood.

As you know, asthma is a chronic condition that can be serious or even deadly. And no fun for anybody involved.

The researchers think viruses common to the fall and winter trigger asthma.

From MSNBC:

They found that all babies in the study were at increased risk if they had bronchiolitis, a lung infection usually caused by respiratory syncytial virus or RSV. But autumn babies were at the highest risk.

Oh, and by the way, nearly every child, according to the article, is infected with RSV early in life (between 3 and 6 months old). Who knew?

Did your fall baby develop asthma? Am I the only one who gets freaked out about asthma (my city has an unbelievably high rate of asthma)?

Photo: distanochiro.com

They Say: Our Kids Are Developing a (Legal) Drug Habit

JeanneSager — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 20:35:00 GMT

Either kids are getting sicker or doctors are pill happy. A study published in a recent issue of the Journal of Pediatrics says prescriptions for kids with chronic health problems jumped by more than one hundred percent over a three-year period.

Kids aged five through nineteen who suffer from type two diabetes (so-called adult onset diabetes) took one hundred three percent more medications in 2005 than they did in 2002. Prescriptions for kids in the same agre group went up by forty-six and a half percent for kids with asthma, forty percent for ADD and ADHD and fifteen percent for cholesterol treatments. Although the latter number isn't nearly as high as that of the diabetes jump, both stand out for their mere presence in the younger population. Until childhood obesity became buzzwords in pediatric circles, type two diabetes and cholesterol issues were highly regarded as "adult" issues.

The study's author says behavior modifications can have a major impact on most of the chronic diseases studied, but whether doctors are counseling their patients on making the changes - and whether kids are listening - will make the difference in kids' health. Do you feel like your pediatrician's become a drug pusher? Or are kids just getting diagnosed better?

Source: Los Angeles Times

Image: More4Kids

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FEMA Trailers Making Children Very Sick

Cole Gamble — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 18:31:00 GMT

Tens of thousands of children may face a lifetime of health problems due to living in FEMA trailers in the aftermath of hurricane Katrina. Formaldehyde, a cancer-causing substance, has been found in FEMA trailers at levels five times what is considered safe.

Months after Katrina I remember commentators saying the effects of that storm and the aftermath would reverberate for decades. It was kind of hard to wrap your head around, but here we are and there are children who may have lifetimes of medical problems. It's often been said that the real damage of Katrina was not done by the storm, but by our own government's lack of action. Three years later and the same crap is still going on. Well, at least our government is consistent. Seriously, can anyone name one thing they've done right in the last eight years?

Now if you'll excuse me, I must go punch a wall.

Photo: AP

They Say: Pregnancy Stress Can Make Your Kid Have Trouble Breathing

Jen Chaney — Mon, 19 May 2008 17:02:00 GMT

If you're pregnant and stressed out, here's some news designed to make you even more stressed: Apparently your excessive fretting c ould place your unborn baby at higher risk for asthma and allergies.

A new study by researchers associated with Harvard Medical School in Boston indicates that expectant mothers who experience stress -- over finances, relationships or other issues -- are more likely to deliver a child with elevated levels of IgE, an antibody found in asthmatic and allergic reactions. The study was conducted on 315 moms.

This new data only confirms what seems like common sense: Being anxious and tense during pregnancy can have an adverse effect on both the mother and her child. The question is, how do we women avoid that? We can do our best to remain calm and manage our worries. But some issues arise -- problems at work, a relative's illness, a spouse's lost job -- that are totally out of our control and will inevitably cause some amount of discomfort.

It's the classic maternal Catch 22: We know that stress is bad in pregnancy. But trying to keep that stress at bay can cause even more stress. One day, I'd love to see a study that proves stress is actually beneficial. And when that day comes, I will be the healthiest woman in town.

Cribsheet: Circumcision, vaccination, and autism rates

editors — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 18:00:00 GMT

Percentage of American boys circumcised in 1963-65: 76
In 1999: 65.3
In 2003: 55.9
Percentage of American pediatricians who recommend circumcision to all parents: 24
Percentage of American pediatricians who discourage circumcision: 9.4
Percentage of American pediatricians who make no recommendation: 50.4

Mean number of parents refusing immunization, per 1000 children according to one survey: 7.2
Immunization refusals based on fear of side effects: 52%
On religious belief: 28%
On anti-government sentiment: 8%
Number of new U.S. cases of polio each year in the 1950s: 20,000
Year polio vaccination was begun: 1955
Number of cases of wild polio per year in the U.S. today: 0

Percentage of people under the age of 21 who have Autism: 0.2-0.6
Number of American children diagnosed with ADHD: 4.4 million
Number of American children receiving ADHD medication: 2.5 million

Increase in diabetes rates among people under the age of 44 since 1980: 100%
Number of diabetes cases today that are type 2 (formerly considered "geriatric") diabetes: 90-95 percent
Fraction of American children born five years ago who are expected to develop diabetes: 1/3

Number of American children with asthma: 5 million
Number of schooldays missed due to asthma every year: 14 million
How asthma ranks among reasons for hospitalizations of 3 – 12-year olds: #1
Increase in death rate for asthma among children since 1980: 80%
Percentage of summer campers on one or more medications for chronic conditions: 40

Research by Sarah Sundberg. Cribsheet appears in Strollerderby every Wednesday.

Top Ten Reasons We Take Kids to the Doctor

Karen Murphy — Mon, 14 Jan 2008 13:25:00 GMT

Taking kids to the doctor is always such a judgment call. Is it just a cold? Will they get over it in a day or two? That sore throat, is it strep or just a sore throat? What about allergies? And what about alternative remedies? Which ones to use when and do they really work?

Those of us who have a $10 copay can take our kids in at will, risking only the accumulation of germs at the doctor's office (and the perpetuation of the out-of-control U.S. healthcare system, but that's another story), but in general, how do you know when to go and when to stay home? Here's a list I found on MomLogic of the top ten reasons kids visit the doctor:

1. Routine physical exam. Yay, this should be #1. Preventive care is the best care. Yay for you if this is you; nearly 23% of visits are routine health visits.

2. Ear infections. This is a toughie, though I'm inclined to administer garlic oil and something for the pain. I've read things that say that traditional medical treatment is no better, though some kids can develop chronic infections. A judgment call, for sure.

3. Common colds. I know, I know, when the kids are miserable we want to do something, but I think more education about what's-a-cold and what's-something-that-requires-medical-treatment would be helpful. I've been in the mommy business a long time and I still second guess myself.

4. Sore throat (non-strep). See #3, above. But...I know, you're wondering, "What if it's strep? How do you tell?" The answer: better education. See #1, above.

5. ADD. Wow. That's a LOT of visits for ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder). Is anybody else concerned about over-diagnosis here?

6. Asthma. You can't mess with asthma, and a kid's got to breathe, but I can't help but wonder what about our environment is making this more prevalent than it used to be.

7. Chronic sinusitis. Are they kidding? In kids? How did this get to be a problem?

8. Vaccine for bacterial disease. In other words, most standard vaccines. I would expect this to be on the list.

9. Strep throat. Sometimes it is, sometimes it isn't, and only a throat culture knows for sure.

10. Allergies, the hayfever kind. See #6, above; again, could this be environmental to a degree? When we were kids only a few has asthma or allergies, so what gives here?

So where to you fall on the continuum? What is likely to win your kid a trip to the doctor?

Photo: aroundtownkidsfrisco.com

Waiting for My Kids to Get Asthma

Madeline Holler — Wed, 26 Dec 2007 12:50:00 GMT

I am a bit of a broken record when it comes to air quality and health. Months before my family moved to Southern California a few years ago, I watched a news report on how the exact city we would be moving to had the highest childhood asthma rate in the universe (or some such superlative). Since arriving, I've considered every cough of my formerly pink-lunged kids as the next step down the spiral of childhood asthma and a youth tied to inhalers and doctors visits. So far so good, but reports like this renew my resolve to obsess about the air (and particulate matter) we breathe.

Researchers have found (what I think has always been obvious) a direct link between children living near high-traffic areas and suffering from symptoms of asthma. We live less than a mile from the main corrider that connects the humongous port where alllllll those lead-laden goods shipped from China are loaded on semis and the greater expanse of the country. The air is so dirty that we're not the only ones who reluctantly eat basil grown in pots outside the back door or refuse to use zest from the lemons grown in our yard's very own tree. The schmutz is extra sticky, extra nasty, extra thick. No doubt a lead scare all its own. And then, of course, how the air affects young lungs:

"These results are significant because they quantitatively demonstrate that closer exposure to roads leads to chronic airway inflammation and reductions in lung function," said researcher Fernando Holguin. "This study points the way for future research to determine what preventive measures may be taken to reduce exposure and-or the health effects of vehicular emissions in susceptible children."

What's weird is that the hometown crowd doesn't seem as easily whipped up about the sludgy atmosphere as me. But I understand, you get beaten down, you get used to it, you get resigned. Still. Yuck.

What's your local environmental hazard?

Asthma Drugs Under FDA Scrutiny

Madeline Holler — Thu, 29 Nov 2007 20:29:00 GMT

On the one hand, I should feel relieved that the FDA is cracking down on medications marketed for children, as they did in the recent crackdown on ineffective and potentially life-threatening children’s cough and cold medicines.

On the other hand, what else are parents dosing their kids up with right now – at a doctor’s behest – that could someday warrant closer scrutiny? Like the latest treatment that millions of kids use to, uh, stay alive.

Asthma drugs. The FDA wants a child-specific warning – that these drugs carry an increased risk of asthma-related death and/or hospitalization in children, and that these should be used with other asthma drugs and not alone -- stamped on each and every Serevent and Advair inhaler and are considering the same recommendation for Foradil. They also want a panel to consider whether the benefits of these drugs outweigh the risks. Yikes!

FDA reviewers found five deaths among nine adverse-event reports in children during its 13-month review period for Serevent. Such reports don't mean a drug caused a problem. They said there was evidence that inhaled steroid therapy was "not protective" in young people taking Foradil.

I’ve been lucky enough, so far, to not yet have a child diagnosed with asthma, though, in truth, I’m waiting for it to happen. I live in one of the dirtiest cities in the country and saying your kid has asthma here is about as common as saying she has dance classes too. (Excuse me, how sad is that?).

How many of your kids have one of those inhalers stashed in your purse or your school’s nurses office? Would you oppose a recall? Do you read warning labels or discuss them with your doctor?

Study Confirms What I've Been Saying For Years: Housework Is Bad For You

Kelly Mills — Mon, 15 Oct 2007 18:25:00 GMT

I'm wading through the dust bunnies and the piles of stuffed animals and jackets and assorted crap to tell you that housework might just mess with your health. Scientists even think so. They said exposure to cleaning sprays and air fresheners even just once a week could increase your risk of adult asthma. Which means you might want to leave an extra big tip for your cleaning person if you have one, because he or she is screwed.

And let me tell you why else housework is bad: Your clean house just makes some of us feel serious envy. I believe a clean house is a thing of beauty, my biggest wet dream. But with two working parents, we rarely achieve a level of hygiene that would get us past the local health inspector. There's often good intentions of picking up nightly and establishing some kind of routine, but more often we just get to it when the filth level makes one of us (me) fly into a rage, or if we are having guests over and want to maintain the fiction that we dust. When I go to someone's house and I see clean laundry still sitting in baskets, I think, "Whew, I'm not the only one." And when I enter a spotless house, I hang my head a little bit. I guess I should just be grateful I can still breathe.

Eczema-Asthma Link Theory in Kids Debunked

Karen Murphy — Mon, 15 Oct 2007 11:28:00 GMT

There's been a common belief that kids with eczema mostly go on to develop asthma. But you can forget about all that, according to a new report in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, which is in contrast with earlier research. But data from 14 previous studies was reviewed and it was found that the association between eczema and asthma was in actuality quite weak.

The new findings reveal that "on average, only 1 in 3 young children with...eczema develops asthma at the age of 6 years or older." Which is a far cry from the "invariably" association that's been commonly assumed. In fact, it was found that no more than 46% of children with eczema go on to develop asthma.

I don't know, 46% still sounds like a lot, though, doesn't it? And 46% suggests that the association between the two is weak? Hmm. I'm not ready to completely throw out the notion that there's a correlation between the two, but at the same time I'm glad to see that people are questioning long-held presumptions. If any of my kids had eczema (and about 1 in 10 kids do) I'd likely try to avoid environmental or dietary triggers for asthma as well as treat the immune system as a whole, and hope for the best in avoiding asthma or forms of allergies, whch also seem to be related to eczema.

One of these days we'll get all this health stuff figured out, maybe, but until then it's pretty much a guessing game.

Oh Sh*t! Now Breastfeeding CAUSES Allergies?

Karen Murphy — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 20:27:00 GMT

Wait a minute. I can't believe I'm hearing this: breastfeeding is BAD? It CAUSES allergies or asthma? Okay, time for a paradigm shift!

Get this: a new Australian study indicates that exclusive breastfeeding of babies in a family were there is a family history of allergies INCREASES their long-term risk of developing food allergies, asthma, or eczema.

The study finds that while exclusive breastfeeding of babies – whose mothers have an allergy – protects them in early childhood, it actually increases the risk of them developing allergies as adolescents and adults.

The study also finds breastfeeding offers no protection from allergies among children without a family history of allergies.

Oh. Shit. I'm going to go with this one. It's a fairly large and long-term study (8500 subjects) which followed people into middle age, the first of its kind, which is why it's at direct odds with the results of all the previous studies which stopped in childhood. Apparently, childhood allergies are abated with breastfeeding, but when there is already a family history of allergies, it appears that exclusive breastfeeding may exacerbate that genetic tendency. Yikes.

All this really tells me that we just don't know everything about everything yet. Which if you're trying to make the best possible choices for your kids, leaves you in a bit of a bind, because there's a serious deficiency of hard evidence about a lot of things. If I had a family history of severe allergies and my kids were still breastfeeding, this news would give me pause, for sure. Would it make me stop? Likely not, but you can bet I'd be looking into it.

Sancti-Nursers: We Must Concede

Madeline Holler — Fri, 14 Sep 2007 13:00:00 GMT

As Captain of Team Breastfeeding, I’m calling on our officers to revise the propaganda: breastfeeding does not protect against asthma or allergies!

A study to be published in the British Journal of Medicine followed 13,889 Belarussian children from birth until 6 ½ years old, with randomized samples and control groups and everything. Researchers found that the group of mothers who received extra education on extended and exclusive breastfeeding – and presumably followed through -- had babies who were no better protected against asthma, hayfever or eczema than the group that continued with “traditional practices.” The Science Daily article doesn’t explain “traditional practices,” but I assume it means feeding babies formula or breastfeeding for only a short time.

Before you get all over Belarussia as the place for the study, apparently it has one of the lowest asthma and allergy rates in the world, which allowed scientists to rule out environmental factors that might have contributed to these annoying and/or life-threatening conditions. Nursing moms, I feel we have no choice but to concede this point in the Battle of Breast vs. Bottle.

But all is not lost, devoted lactaters. One researcher said that the breastfed babies in the study suffered fewer gastrointestinal infections and atopic eczema for the first year of life. Put that in your Comfort Proteins and drink it!

Some Kids Being Misdiagnosed With Asthma

Karen Murphy — Sun, 02 Sep 2007 12:23:00 GMT

Well, it's a busy weekend for asthma news. Yesterday we heard that the back-to-school season triggers asthma attacks in kids, and today we hear that many kids diagnosed with asthma don't even have it.

What?! Yeah, you heard me right. Apparently there's another condition that mimics the symptoms of an asthma attack. Something about the whole not-breathing thing (a definite clue that something is amiss), but from a whole different cause. But asthma is so prevalent nowadays that when you're in the ER fighting for breath they often just assume it's asthma, because it so often is.

Except when it's Vocal Cord Dysfunction (VCD), which is when the vocal cords tighten involuntarily. It sounds scary, but it can be corrected by learning some breathing exercises, while asthma requires medication. A simple breathing test, called spirometry, can tell which it is, VCD or asthma.

Its important to note that kids can have both VCD and asthma. Having VCD doesn't necessarily rule out asthma, but some kids previously diagnosed with asthma later had the spirometry test and it turned out they didn't actually have asthma, so its a good bet that other kids are in the same boat. You'd think they would test for those things before giving out steroidal meds, but that doesn't always happen.

Back-To-School Can Trigger Asthma Attacks in Kids

Karen Murphy — Sat, 01 Sep 2007 12:33:00 GMT

I figured this was going to have something to do with chalk dust and that smell that I swear every elementary school I've ever been in has, but no. Actually, the main reason why tons of asthmatic schoolkids show up in emergency rooms after school starts in September is ... colds. Yep, the common cold. From, you know, being around all those other germy kids.

Granted, this article was written about asthmatic Canadian kids, but I figure it applies probably to kids in the U.S., too. We're like in the same continent or something, right? Or close, anyway? So when they say that 20% of asthmatic kids don't have their asthma under control, that probably applies, right? Or maybe it's worse in the U.S. because Canadian kids have all that lovely healthcare stuff. Actually, I made up that figure, but they did say that a lot of kids go off their inhalers in the summer, mostly because they're not having triggers to their asthma. But add that to all the viruses floating around once school starts, extra ragweed and mold in the air due to climactic changes, and being around other kids who track in stuff like cat dander from their own homes, and you've got a recipe for a lot of trips to the emergency room.

So the experts suggest going back on the inhalers by Labor Day, though they caution to keep in mind that it takes a while (up to four weeks!) before the medication becomes fully effective. The important thing, then, is to know your kid's triggers and be aware of changing conditions and what to do in case of an attack.

Swimming Indoors May Contribute to Childhood Asthma

Karen Murphy — Thu, 07 Jun 2007 18:49:00 GMT

Apparently everything causes asthma: smoking in pregnancy (although if you also eat apples you may balance this out a bit), even car seats for crying out loud, as well as a whole host of genetic factors, environmental factors, and lack of exercise. Ooh, lack of exercise? Maybe we could take care of that one with some swimming? Swimming's good exercise, right? Good for you?

Uh, no, actually, because swimming seems to be a contributor to asthma. Yep, kids who began swimming as infants were found to have asthma-type symptoms later on, as opposed to kids who began swimming when they were a bit older. What next, asthma gods, what next? Will you not be satisfied until every kid wheezes and complains of chest pain? What must we sacrifice in order for you to be sated? What? What?!

No word as to why indoor pools were targeted as opposed to outdoor pools. Or lakes. But then, no one swims much in lakes anymore, because there's you know...lake monsters. Exposure to which probably causes, you guessed it, asthma.

Kids' Asthma Inhalers Don't Do Jack

Karen Murphy — Wed, 23 May 2007 11:50:00 GMT

A few months ago I was concerned about impending doom and a chronic cough that I had, thinking about throat cancer, lung cancer, and assorted other dire diagnoses, so I went to a doctor who told me that I had asthma. So I was prescribed a steroidal inhaler which was very cool and purple and all, and by the third week I was pretty much forgetting to use it, mainly because I don't think I ever had asthma in the first place and lacked a certain motivation, plus had a healthy suspicion of taking medication I don't need.

But plenty of kids do have asthma, and for them it's no laughing matter. Feeling like you can't breathe is scary business, especially for a kid. So when a study shows that one of the primary medications being given to kids to control asthma and prevent attacks, namely that same steroidal inhaler that I never finished, doesn't work in the majority of kids who take it, I think that's cause for major concern.

The thought is that there may be genetic differences among some children who take the steroids, but that sounds pretty lame because the majority of kids who take non-steroidal medication seem to be controlling their asthma just fine. Here's a theory—maybe inhaled steroids don't work for asthma? or certainly not for every kid. Just throwing that out there. I'm sure there will be "further study" on the matter. Just don't hold your breath for answers.