El Camino Pediatrics eNews
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McNeil Recalls Certain Children's Liquid Products
| McNeil Consumer Healthcare announced yesterday
it is voluntarily recalling a number of OTC children's and infants' liquid
formulations including certain Tylenol, Motrin, Zyrtec and Benadryl products.
The company said the reason for the recall is that some of the products may not
meet quality standards. Some of the products included in the recall may
contain a higher concentration of active ingredients than specified; others may
contain inactive ingredients that may not meet internal testing requirements;
and others may contain tiny particles.
A press release issued by the company last night states, "This recall is
not being undertaken on the basis of adverse medical events. However, as
a precautionary measure, parents and caregivers should not administer these
products to their children."
The company urges consumers to discontinue use of the recalled products.
For more information and a full list of recalled products, visit: http://www.mcneilproductrecall.com and http://www.fda.gov/medwatch
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Celiac Disease Article from Dr. Block
| What is Celiac Disease? Why is it that some people need to make sure there is no gluten in their foods?
Celiac Disease is an autoimmune response in the small intestine to ingested gluten. What is gluten?
Gluten. noun
1. The mixture of proteins, including gliadins and glutelins, found in wheat grains, which are not soluble in water and which give wheat dough its elastic texture.
2. Any of the prolamins found in cereal grains, especially the prolamins in wheat, rye, barley, and possibly oats that cause digestive disorders such as celiac disease.
[French, from Latin gluten, glue.]
The gluten protein of particular grains are ingested (eaten) and absorbed in the small intestines. In people with celiac disease, the immune system views the gluten as an intruder, consequently an inflammatory response that damages tissue begins. Normally, the cells of the small intestines are lined with millions of villi, finger-like projections, that produce enzymes and absorb nutrients. In the inflammatory response that occurs in individuals with celiac disease, the villi are attacked, and they change shape, inadequately producing enzymes and absorbing fewer nutrients.
The classic symptoms of Celiac Disease occur due to the inflammatory response in the intestines and the altered absorption due to the altered villi. The classic symptoms include flatulence, bloating, diarrhea, constipation and abdominal pain. Over time, individuals may have poor growth, vitamin deficiencies, weight loss, anemia, skin abnormalities, fatigue, headache, menstrual abnormalities and infertility. Conditions associated with Celiac Disease include diabetes, neurologic disorders and autoimmune thyroid diseases.
Gluten is not only present in the grains listed in the prior definition, but also as a thickening agent and filler in products including ketchup, ice cream and medications. Foods in a kitchen or restaurant can get contaminated by being processed on the same machinery as foods with gluten, or stirred or strained with gluten-touched utensils. Even a trace ingestion of gluten can set off the inflammatory cycle, therefore making a person have their symptoms of Celiac Disease. Now it is understandable why a person with Celiac Disease is particular about the foods ordered in a restaurant.
Talk to your doctor if you have symptoms that may be consistent with Celiac Disease. A diagnosis is made with blood tests and a small bowel biopsy.
Of note, there are people who are on a gluten-free diet who have chosen to be on a gluten free diet without a confirmed Celiac diagnosis. Some individuals may have difficulty digesting gluten, but not have an autoimmune response. There are no tests for this problem, other than a trial and error with a gluten-free diet.
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Mumps Virus and Male Infertility
| Due to a reduction in the number of children receiving mumps vaccine (this is part of the MMR - measles-mumps-rubella), there has been a noted increase in the rates of infertility due to increased cases of mumps. The study done in England, showed that as many as 40% of men who were infected with mumps had 1 or more complications of mumps, including mumps orchitis, which is an infection in the testes which can lead to infertility.
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Travel Tips and Safety
| With summer travel around the corner, there are some safety issues to consider when traveling. A study found that 80% of hotel cribs had one safety hazard present. Make sure when you use a hotel crib that you do your own safety check:
- Make sure slats are no more than 2 3/8" apart, which is about the width of 3 adult fingers
- Check for any sharp or jagged edges
- Make sure the mattress fits tightly and sheets are tightly fit on the mattress
- Check for any loose hardware on the crib
- Avoid cribs with cutouts on the head or foot boards
Flying with your children can offer challenges and the new American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Website, Healthy Children offers some tips on flying at this link. This new website AAP website has much information about children's health issues and you can sign up for their monthly newsletter.
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School Success Seminar
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Parents are invited to a complimentary seminar called Success in
September Starts in the Summer. The seminar will be held on Tuesday, May 18th at 6:00 P.M. in Del Mar. Topics
will include: modeling book-ready language, building basic skills like
phonics, math facts and spelling rules, increasing fluency, reading for
meaning (comprehension), note taking to facilitate memory, writing book
reports and essays and pre-reading next year's novels and textbooks. The
presenters are California licensed speech-language pathologists and
educational therapists with decades of experience in helping children.
For more information call 858.509.1131 or visit www.speak4success.com.
Participants must call in advance to reserve a space as seating is
limited. No children in attendance for this seminar please.
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