ParentDishhttp://www.parentdish.comParentDishhttp://www.parentdish.com/media/feedlogo.gifParentDishhttp://www.parentdish.comen-usCopyright 2012 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only.Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/Treatments for Autism: What Works, What Doesn'thttp://www.parentdish.com/2011/04/07/treatments-for-autism/http://www.parentdish.com/2011/04/07/treatments-for-autism/http://www.parentdish.com/2011/04/07/treatments-for-autism/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , ,

Watch a video on how autism can be treated.
treatments for autism

Credit: Getty Images

Moms of kids with autism usually try everything under the sun -- from medications to diets to behavioral therapies -- to help their kids. But there's new guidance in the world of autism treatment: A report in the most recent issue of Pediatrics says that while medications can be a mixed bag, behavioral interventions can help -- a lot.

Researchers at Vanderbilt University reviewed the evidence behind drugs, injections of the hormone secretin, and behavioral therapies. What they found: Antidepressants (such as Prozac) and stimulants (such as Ritalin) don't help autistic children and neither does secretin. And while the anti-psychotic drugs risperidone and aripiprazole decreased kids' hyperactivity and irritability, they also caused serious side effects, such as weight gain and sedation.

On the other hand, children who received intense behavioral intervention -- working one-on-one with a therapist at least 25 hours a week -- made moderate to huge improvements in their IQ, language, and social skills. Since kids on the autism spectrum vary widely in their abilities, there's hardly a one-size-fits-all approach and the report looked at studies of several methods. Experts generally agree, however, that the earlier a child can get therapy, the better.

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Do you know a child affected by autism? What therapies have helped? Chime in here!

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]]>autismautism researchtreatment for autismtreatments for autismthe editors at iVillage.comThu, 07 Apr 2011 11:30:00 ESTStop and Listen!http://www.parentdish.com/2011/02/23/stop-and-listen/http://www.parentdish.com/2011/02/23/stop-and-listen/http://www.parentdish.com/2011/02/23/stop-and-listen/#commentsFiled under: , ,

Credit: Andy Kropa/Getty Images

A friend of mine forwarded me the story below, which I found amazing. It reminded me of a time when Phil and I stopped in our tracks to listen to a street musician who was completely immersed in his music, and whose sound was so beautiful and pure he practically brought tears to my eyes. To this day the memory of it can make me smile - and I wish some of the hurried Metro passengers in this story had only stopped to listen. Read the story below (and read the original report from the Washington Post for more), then let's talk about it. Have we really become so rushed in our daily lives that we can't experience a moment of beauty?

The Story

On a cold January morning in 2007, a man with a violin played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes in a Washington, DC, Metro station. During that time, approximately 2,000 people went through the station, most of them on their way to work. After about three minutes, a middle-aged man noticed that there was a musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds, and then he hurried on to meet his schedule.

About four minutes later, the violinist received his first dollar when a woman threw money in the hat and, without stopping, continued to walk.

At six minutes, a young man leaned against the wall to listen to him, then looked at his watch and started to walk again.

At 10 minutes, a small boy stopped to listen, but his mother tugged him along hurriedly. The kid stopped to look at the violinist again, but the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk, turning his head the whole time. This action was repeated by several other children, but every parent - without exception - forced their children to move on quickly.

By 45 minutes, with the musician playing continuously, only six people had stopped and listened for a short while. About 20 gave money but continued to walk at their normal pace. The man collected a total of $32. When he finished playing, silence took over. No one noticed, and no one applauded. There was no recognition at all.

No one knew it, but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the greatest musicians in the world. He had played one of the most intricate pieces ever written, using a violin worth $3.5 million dollars. Two days earlier, he had played the same music in a sold-out theater in Boston, where the seats averaged $200 each. This day, though, he was playing incognito in the Metro as part of a social experiment organized by the Washington Post about perception, taste, and priorities.

This experiment raised several questions:

o. In a commonplace environment, at an inappropriate hour, do we perceive beauty?

o. If so, do we stop to appreciate it?

o. Do we recognize talent in an unexpected context?

One possible conclusion reached from this experiment could be this:

If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world, playing some of the finest music ever written, with one of the most beautiful instruments ever made, how many other things are we missing as we rush through life?

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]]>the editors at MarloThomas.comWed, 23 Feb 2011 15:36:00 ESTDr. Jessica Wu's Top 5 Skin Care Tipshttp://www.parentdish.com/2011/02/08/dr-jessica-wus-top-5-skin-care-tips/http://www.parentdish.com/2011/02/08/dr-jessica-wus-top-5-skin-care-tips/http://www.parentdish.com/2011/02/08/dr-jessica-wus-top-5-skin-care-tips/#commentsFiled under: , ,

feed your face picture

"Feed Your Face" by Jessica Wu. Credit: Jessica Wu

My new book, "Feed Your Face," is a fun and easy guide to getting the best skin of your life - no expensive products or prescriptions required. In addition to the delicious 28-day meal plan it features, the book is packed with yummy, face-friendly snack ideas, a Restaurant Guide, and real-life stories (including those of some celebrity friends). Here are my top five tips:

1. Be sure to eat a good breakfast. This helps keeps your blood sugar stable the rest of the day, so you're better able to fight wrinkles, breakouts, and rashes. Plus, it also means your body will be less likely to store fat, so your clothes will fit better. But this doesn't mean you can have just anything for breakfast (so no, I'm not giving you permission to eat donuts and danishes). Instead, be sure to include protein. For example, add peanut butter to your toast or lox to your bagel. If you have time in the morning, scramble some eggs and slice a tomato on the side. For breakfast on the go, try Greek yogurt topped with berries (tastes like cheesecake!) or order an oatmeal topped with almonds at the coffee shop.

2. You can eat pizza! But not the greasy, deep dish kind piled high with bacon and sausage. Instead, ask for thin crust, preferably whole-wheat; get it light on the cheese, and add protein (like grilled chicken) as well as green and yellow veggies to fight crow's feet. For an extra dose of antioxidants, have a glass of red wine on the side.

3. For clear skin, stay away from dairy. Milk, cheese, yogurt, ice cream, and other dairy products have been linked to acne breakouts. In recent years, research has shown that dairy is inflammatory, which means that it leads to redness, swelling, and pus-all of which can worsen pimples. Even if you choose organic milk products, which are made without bovine Growth Hormone, all milk products contain intrinsic cow proteins that can have a hormonal effect on your skin and lead to increased oil production and clogged pores. Try switching to soy milk or almond milk. If you do, just make sure you're getting your calcium another way.

4. Eat tomatoes every day to fight sun damage. Tomato paste has been shown to protect from sun burn and sun damage. This is because tomatoes contain a high concentration of a substance called lycopene, which is an antioxidant. This means it helps protect skin from the damaging effects of UV rays. Make them readily accessible by adding them to salads, sauces, and meats.

5. Steal this celebrity trick: Before a party or event where they'll be serving food, pre-eat before you leave so you won't be hungry for fattening, collagen-busting snacks upon your arrival. Some ladies carry baggies of snacks in their evening bag. I'm a fan of walnuts, baked green beans, and fruit with almond butter.

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]]>the editors at MarloThomas.comTue, 08 Feb 2011 15:55:00 ESTMultiple Concussions in High School Athletes Linked to Lasting Health Issueshttp://www.parentdish.com/2011/01/27/multiple-concussions-in-high-school-athletes-linked-to-lasting-h/http://www.parentdish.com/2011/01/27/multiple-concussions-in-high-school-athletes-linked-to-lasting-h/http://www.parentdish.com/2011/01/27/multiple-concussions-in-high-school-athletes-linked-to-lasting-h/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

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Study shows that high school athletes who experience head trauma show signs of "post-concussion syndrome." Credit: Wade Payne, AP


Repeated concussions suffered by college and professional athletes have been a growing concern in recent years because of their potential long-term impact on the brain. Now a study finds that the damage may begin much earlier -- in high school.

Researchers from St. Joseph's University in Philadelphia looked at more than 2,500 teens in three states who played contact sports.

They found that some high school athletes who'd experienced two or more prior incidents of head trauma were already showing signs of "post-concussion syndrome." Symptoms can range from headache and balance problems to memory loss and other cognitive impairment.

"It appears that youth athletes who sustain multiple concussions experience a variety of subtle effects, which may be possible precursors to the future onset of concussion-related difficulties," wrote lead author Philip Schatz and his colleagues in the Neurosurgery study.

Dr. Michael A. DeGeorgia, the director of the Center for Neurocritical Care at University Hospitals in Cleveland, called the findings "scary" because they deal with children.

"This is very, very important, especially with our kids playing all these sports," he told AOL Health. "It may be related to the sheer aggressiveness of today's sports. I recognize it in my own kids. ... It's all kind of ratcheted up to a pre-professional level that may contribute to the higher incidence of injuries."

Previous studies have found a dramatic jump in the number of sports-related injuries in children, including those to the head. They've also discovered a heightened risk of developing dementia and Alzheimer's for professional athletes under 50.

"This is serious stuff," DeGeorgia said. "We haven't really been taking it as seriously as we should be in the past."

The Philadelphia research team examined the standard pre-season evaluations the students filled out about possible concussion symptoms. The group was divided into those with one previous concussion, those with two or more and those with no prior head injuries. None of the teen athletes had had a concussion in the four months preceding the research.

The high school students with past concussions, especially those who'd sustained two or more, had a higher rate of concussion-related symptoms of three types: cognitive or intellectual impairment, such as difficulty remembering or feeling "mentally foggy;" sleep changes, including sleeping more or less than usual; and physical symptoms, including dizziness, trouble balancing and headache.

There wasn't a marked difference between teen athletes with no history of concussion and those who'd had just one, the findings showed. There was also no significant increase in the level of emotional symptoms that can crop up after head trauma, including depression and irritability.

Schatz, who also works at the Sports Concussion Center and the International Brain Research Foundation, said the results indicate "subtle, yet significant increases" in concussion-related symptoms among high school athletes who'd had two or more head injuries.

But he cautioned that the analysis didn't draw a definitive cause-and-effect relationship. Teens who've had multiple concussions, he theorized, may just be "more sensitive to physical, cognitive and emotional fluctuations."

One well-publicized condition tied to repeated head trauma is known as chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE. The degenerative brain disorder, which normally afflicts professional athletes, has been identified as a possible factor in several of their suicides and in that of an 18-year-old college football player whose brain scan showed signs of the disease. It can cause depression, psychotic thoughts, erratic behavior and loss of impulse control, as well as symptoms mirroring those of Alzheimer's.

"These troubling findings beg the question of whether high school athletes with a history of repeated concussions may also be exhibiting the reported cognitive, emotional, physical and behavioral symptomatology as seen in retired professional athletes with CTE," the study authors wrote.

DeGeorgia believes linking CTE with players' suicides is "a big jump to make." But the condition is a very real concern.

"Repeated concussions can lead to structural brain changes, and you can have a whole range of symptoms mimicking Alzheimer's/dementia," he told AOL Health. "Whenever you get hit in the head, your brain tries to repair itself. Part of that repair process is the laying down of proteins, including [those] known to be associated with Alzheimer's/dementia."

An athlete can also have small brain hemorrhages that don't show up on a scan, but can be very dangerous, he said.

"One manifestation can be disinhibition, or loss of self control," leading a person to do things he or she wouldn't normally do, DeGeorgia said. "If you're a teenager, you're already struggling with that issue, so then this can be very troubling."

In a child who is still developing, the ramifications of repeated head trauma can be frightening, as it can interfere with the proper formation of neurological pathways to the brain.

So what is a parent or young athlete to do? DeGeorgia advises taking precautions and seeing a specialist if there are lingering side effects after a head injury.

"We need to take every concussion seriously," he said. "Any player that has any type of confusion or suspicion of a concussion needs to at least be evaluated by a school physician. And if there are any more complicated symptoms, he or she needs to be seen by a neurologist."

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]]>concussionsConcussionsFootballPlayersthe editors at AOLHealthThu, 27 Jan 2011 16:54:00 ESTMaternal Ambivalence: Dr. Barbara Almond Discusses the 'Hidden Side of Motherhood'http://www.parentdish.com/2010/12/10/maternal-ambivalence-dr-barbara-almond-discusses-the-hidden-s/http://www.parentdish.com/2010/12/10/maternal-ambivalence-dr-barbara-almond-discusses-the-hidden-s/http://www.parentdish.com/2010/12/10/maternal-ambivalence-dr-barbara-almond-discusses-the-hidden-s/#commentsFiled under: , ,

maternal ambivalence

Dr. Barbara Almond tackles the topic of maternal ambivalence in "The Monster Within." Book cover design and illustration: Lia Tjandra

Twenty years ago, psychiatrist Dr. Barbara Almond assumed all women had the maternal instinct.

It didn't occur to her that some women might make the conscious choice to not have children. That assumption was proven wrong when she treated several women who were each conflicted about whether or not to have offspring. The more she heard the more awestruck she became with the intensity of their mixed feelings, what she later came to call "maternal ambivalence."

In her new book, "The Monster Within: The Hidden Side of Motherhood," she writes: "I came to realize that all my female patients, past and present, had been or were (at least part of the time) dealing with guilt and shame about the quality of their mothering or their avoidance of motherhood."

ParentDish recently spoke with Almond about her new book. An edited version of the conversation follows.

ParentDish: This is not a self-help book, but I'm wondering if some women might be seeking some sort of self-help material when they pick up the book. What will they find inside that might be useful?
Barbara Almond: I think that it's not a self-help book, but it's a help book. It's meant to help. I'm describing a pretty widespread phenomenon, I would say ubiquitous, among women. No matter how much they love their children, it can never be 100 percent nor should it be 100 percent. There's much too much guilt and much too much pressure, internally generated pressure in women, which is supported by the pressures that all their friends and relatives are also struggling with, you know that one is supposed to be an all-loving, all-understanding perfect mother as if mothers were not people with needs of their own. Needs for quiet, for sleep, things like that.

PD: Your comment about not having to be 100 percent brings to mind a comment by author Ayelet Waldman about how she loved her husband more than her kids. It caused quite an uproar. What's your take on it?
maternal ambivalence

Dr. Barbara Almond. Photo: Richard Almond


BA: I think she loves her children but her children don't give her the kind of satisfactions that her husband does. They give her a different kind of satisfaction. She's a grown woman and he's a grown man, they have an emotional, intellectual, sexual relationship of the sort you don't have with 4-year-olds. They're adorable and you love them, but they don't satisfy the needs of the adult woman, they satisfy the maternal needs that she has, which are not an exact overlap.

PD: In your book you talk about the "guilty mom" and the "angry mom," two different ways of responding to maternal ambivalence. Can you elaborate?
BA: The point that I'm making is that women feel guilty about the negative side of their ambivalent feelings. Even though I make pretty sure in the book to say several times that ambivalence is a normal human phenomenon, that when you love someone or need them or care about them, you can't help not being aware that you might lose them in one way or another. You might lose their love, they might grow up and leave you, they might run off with another woman, there are all kinds of threats and even when something is very important to you that's not a human relationship, [for example] an athlete may lose his powers, a pianist may have an injury to their hand ... you can't help feeling some ambivalence toward anything that is very important to you, that is, you both love it and hate it because it's so important to you.

This is a normal phenomenon, but women feel so guilty about their angry feelings and their angry dreams and their occasional angry murderous thoughts, that they give themselves an awfully hard time, they feel guilty, they feel angry at the child for provoking their guilt and angry at the child for not being the perfect child that they as perfect mothers should be raising.

PD: How has the book been received? Any surprises?
BA: One thing that surprised me is that the book even got published. My agent ran into so much resistance to this idea, that it would freak people out, that nobody would buy it, that it would be too upsetting to their readers; and I felt it was a needed book. It really kind of blew me away. I thought to myself, 'Well, don't these people read the newspaper? They think this is bad news?' That surprised me.

I'm surprised it's catching the attention it is and doing as well as it is because I was given to believe that no one would touch it with a 10-foot pole. I don't know that I believed that but it was certainly said to me enough times.

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]]>barbara almondBarbaraAlmondJulie Z. RosenbergFri, 10 Dec 2010 11:12:00 ESTWhen Mom Has an Eating Disorder, Everybody Suffershttp://www.parentdish.com/2010/11/12/when-mom-has-an-eating-disorder-everybody-suffers/http://www.parentdish.com/2010/11/12/when-mom-has-an-eating-disorder-everybody-suffers/http://www.parentdish.com/2010/11/12/when-mom-has-an-eating-disorder-everybody-suffers/#commentsFiled under: , , , ,

When Mom has food issues, kids play Follow the Leader. Illustration by Dori Hartley

It's every mom's nightmare: Finding out your child has an eating disorder. Even worse is thinking you're probably to blame.

Teresa Coates, a 40-year-old mom and solo parent of two, was anorexic in high school. She survived on 3 Musketeers bars and not much else. After high school she continued her bizarre eating habits until one day she went into convulsions at work and was rushed to the hospital. The emergency room doctor told her if she ever wanted to have children, which she did, she would have to start eating.

Coates' daughter recently turned 13 and she worries about her. A lot. "I worry genetically about my daughter because I come from a family of very heavy women. And that was a concern when she came home from the hospital. I remember being worried about that. It's a hard thing to know you're genetically predisposed to not be thin."

She does feel, however, that her daughter is off to a much better start than she was at her age. "I came from a real working-class family. We didn't eat a lot of fruits and vegetables and the vegetables we ate came from cans. My take on healthy food wasn't really there. I've been cognizant trying to teach both my kids how to tell if food is good for you. They both read labels, a lot. They eat a lot of fruit and vegetables. They're very aware that you need to drink water."

But that doesn't mean it's easy.

"It's a constant battle in my head," Coates says. "I think about [food and eating all the time." She still resorts to mind games, vestiges from her anorexic days, like "chewing food and spitting it out, so you can taste it but not eat it," she says. "I still do stuff like that that I get really frustrated with and I don't know how to stop."

She says she's able to hide that from her daughter as well as other unhealthy food-related behaviors. "I've tried really hard not to pass on the weird eating things," she says. "Those are easy to hide."

Not so, say the experts.

"Kids are seeing various behaviors in moms [with eating disorders] and absolutely they pick it up," says Brooke Hailey, PhD, a licensed marriage and family therapist and clinical director at New Directions Eating Disorders Center in Sherman Oaks, Calif. "I hear from kids who are older and come in for treatment: 'My mom never ate dinner with the family;' 'My mom would always eat a special meal and cook separately for herself;' 'My mom never eats carbohydrates, why do I have to?' They're much more influenced by what they've seen their mom do than by what they hear their mom say they should do."

Coates is in the eye of the storm in terms of her parenting with an eating disorder. Every day she struggles, wondering if and how she is going to get over her own eating issues. She doesn't want her daughter to suffer the same disordered eating and negative body-image issues like she did and, unfortunately, still does.

Tsilah Burman, a 52-year-old mother of two, found her escape hatch two years ago. After dealing with food and weight issues for almost her entire life (her doctor put her on a diet at age 11), she finally found relief in a program called Heal Your Hunger. She learned that food was just the symptom and worked through her real issues. After that, the weight came off effortlessly -- 70 pounds so far. And with that, of course, the protective layers that concealed the painful truths she tried for so long to ignore. Six months ago she separated from her husband of 23 years.

"I realized [the marriage] wasn't right, and it wasn't right from the beginning but I had made myself believe that it was. I saw that I was eating because I was angry, or tired or was in a situation I wasn't comfortable in so to hide that I would eat. My kids saw that as they grew up. I wish that I would have found and started this recovery process before I had kids so that they would grow up in an environment with a mom that was healthy around eating and [I'd be] a role model for that."

As her daughter embarks on her teen years, Coates knows it's going to become harder to shield her from disordered eating and body-image distortion: "It's not just the anorexia, it's not just the not eating, it's the whole self-hatred that comes along with that scares me more than anything."

Although at different stages of parenting and recovery, both Coates and Burman have experienced tremendous fear, shame and isolation. Yes, Burman recently found relief, but she suffered for many years in silence.

"Mothers with eating disorders would be shocked if they knew how many other mothers there are with eating disorders," says Abigail Natenshon, a psychotherapist in Illinois. "So many parents with eating disorders are so secretive about it because they think they are the only ones with these eating disorders. And they are not! There are many, many, many, many! They feel isolated and alone. They need to find each other."

Natenshon, who has been working with people with all sorts of eating disorders for more than 40 years, shares her wisdom and experience on her website, Empowered Parents, a treasure trove of resources on all things eating disorder-related.

She cites this statistic on her site: "By age 5, kids of parents with eating disorders demonstrate a greater incidence of eating disturbances, whining and depression." Some moms aren't interested in seeking recovery for whatever reason, until they realize the severe damage they are inflicting on their children. That's often all the motivation they need to seek help.

If there's one thing she wants to make clear, it's that eating disorders are curable. "Most people don't know that eating disorders are 100 percent curable. But they're curable in 80 percent of the cases," says Natenshon. "People think eating disorders are an addiction and like all addictions it never fully gets cured. That's not the case. An eating disorder is not an addiction. Aspects of it behave like an addiction, but it's not an addiction. And it's curable."

Correction, Nov.15, 2010: The original version of this article left off the quote, "But they're curable in 80 percent of the cases." The quote has since been included.

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]]>anorexiaAnorexiaNervosaanorexicbulimiabulimiceating disordereating disorder anorexiaeating disordersEatingDisorderEatingDisorderAnorexiaEatingDisordersfatJulie Z. RosenbergFri, 12 Nov 2010 16:30:00 ESTChilean Miners and Their Families Need Time to Grieve, Regrouphttp://www.parentdish.com/2010/10/15/chilean-miners-and-their-families-need-time-to-grieve-regroup/http://www.parentdish.com/2010/10/15/chilean-miners-and-their-families-need-time-to-grieve-regroup/http://www.parentdish.com/2010/10/15/chilean-miners-and-their-families-need-time-to-grieve-regroup/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , ,

chilean miners picture

Miner Franklin Lobo, right, embraces his daughter Carolina after he was rescued on Oct. 13.Credit: Gabriel Ortega/Chilean government/AP

The families of 33 Chilean miners dramatically rescued yesterday from an underground bunker as the world watched are, of course, filled with jubilation at the return of their husbands, fathers, sons, brothers and uncles.

But, says our expert, they will also need time to grieve.

Susan Stiffelman, ParentDish's Advice Mama, author and family therapist, compares the men to soldiers returning from war. Ever since the 125-year-old San Jose Mine collapsed on Aug. 5, they and their loved ones have been caught somewhere between extreme hope and extreme fear, as the miners waited for 69 days to be rescued from an underground refuge with limited food and water.

On Oct. 13, each of the 33 men was carried out of the mine in an escape capsule as the world -- and their loved ones -- watched, transfixed, for nearly 23 hours.

"People have been holding their breath," Stiffelman tells ParentDish. "The initial joy and elation will eventually have to give way to the outpouring of grief and anger that has been pent up and held in for all this time."

The whole range of emotions these 33 men and their families have experienced since the mine collapsed can be likened to a "really long holding of the breath," she adds.

"Even right up until the point of being fairly confident that the rescue would be successful, there has been this intense mix of tremendous hope and absolute uncertainty, and at some point there will have to be an outpouring (of emotion) or a letting loose," Stiffelman says.

It will be especially important for the children of the miners to express their emotions, because, as Stiffelman says, it's a given that they have suffered some emotional trauma. Children of soldiers can have a similar reaction to a parent returning home from an overseas tour of duty, or kids of those coping with a life-threatening illness.

While the outcome is positive, the experience of dealing with it still leaves them with residual grief, fear and anger that needs to come out, one way or another, Stiffelman says. She adds that there is the additional adjustment of dealing with more than one parent again after an extended amount of time.

"When a father or mother comes back, and the other parent has been the primary caregiver, there is an element of having to reassert authority, getting that balance between two parents again," she says.

But, perhaps most pressing, is the fact that these men are now suddenly in the world spotlight. Honors, all-expenses-paid luxury vacations and even jobs offers have been pouring in following the rescue. While the fame and fortune may be enticing, it's imperative that these families have the chance to reunite in peace and quiet right now.

"These people are going to be bombarded with gifts, courted and seduced by access to money, fame and fortune," Stiffelman points out. "It will be interesting to see how that plays out. It's one thing to be part of the mainstream world and (to have something like this happen), but it's another thing to be a miner in a small Chilean village and, suddenly, Oprah wants you to be on her show."

Being plunged into fame could be tremendously stressful for these families.

"It can have an adverse effect on the person himself, but also on siblings, spouses and children, who feel they have to compete for that person's time," Stiffelman says. "Children, in particular, don't want to be competing for their fathers' time, especially with someone like Larry King."

However, there is certainly cause for celebration, she adds, and reminds us that most people who survive a crisis carry few negative after-effects, and often experience a rebirth of sorts.

"Most people don't succumb to violent post-traumatic stress," Stiffelman says. "Most survivors do quite well. They have a period of time when they have to adjust and emote, but most people find a new lease on life."

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]]>chilean minerschilean miners familieschilean miners foundchilean miners rescuechilean miners trappedChileanMinersChileanMinersFamiliesChileanMinersFoundChileanMinersRescueChileanMinersTrappedPTSDtraumaAmy HatchFri, 15 Oct 2010 09:44:00 ESTPregnant? Get Your Flu Shot!http://www.parentdish.com/2010/10/12/pregnant-get-your-flu-shot/http://www.parentdish.com/2010/10/12/pregnant-get-your-flu-shot/http://www.parentdish.com/2010/10/12/pregnant-get-your-flu-shot/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , ,


Syringe flu shot picture

Don't avoid the needle, moms-to-be. Credit: ZaldyImg, Flickr

If you're expecting, be sure you're first in line to get a flu shot this year.

The flu vaccine has been recommended for pregnant women for years, so why the added urgency this flu season?

Last year's H1N1 outbreak brought to light how hard the flu can hit pregnant women, and new research indicates that immunity is passed down to your baby.

In fact, 10 leading health organizations, including the March of Dimes, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, have co-signed a letter urging health care providers to recommend the flu shot to pregnant women and those trying to conceive.

Although the flu is generally considered a harmless bug that everyone gets, complications can arise, and when they do, they can be especially devastating to pregnant women and their babies. Also, pregnancy can compromise the immune system -- pregnant women are more likely to be hospitalized for flu complications than their non-pregnant counterparts -- so when the flu hits, they can get really sick.

Read the rest of the story at Parenting.com.

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]]>flu shotflu shot and pregnancyFluShotFluShotAndPregnancythe editors at Parenting.comTue, 12 Oct 2010 12:33:00 ESTSchools Are Doing Less Nitpicking Over Head Licehttp://www.parentdish.com/2010/10/05/schools-are-doing-less-nitpicking-over-head-lice/http://www.parentdish.com/2010/10/05/schools-are-doing-less-nitpicking-over-head-lice/http://www.parentdish.com/2010/10/05/schools-are-doing-less-nitpicking-over-head-lice/#commentsFiled under: , , , , ,

head lice shampoo picture

Hey, parents -- your child with lice doesn't have to stay home! Um, sorry, teachers. Credit: Sharon Gekoski-Kimmel/Philadelphia Inquirer/MCT

We all dread that phone call from school -- you know, the one telling you your kid's hair is infested with head lice. The only thing worse? When we actually catch the nasty little buggers from our kids.

But as disgusting as a case of lice is, it's no longer a reason to keep your child out of school, as it was for years. As a result of new guidelines issued this summer by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), many schools are changing their policies, and the issue has now become a problem teachers have to deal with.

In its updated recommendation, the AAP says head lice is not a health hazard or a sign of poor hygiene and, unlike body lice, it's not responsible for the spread of any disease.

"Head lice actually crawl, they don't jump or fly, and so they're only contagious with direct head-to-head contact, where they crawl from head to head," Dr. Barbara Frankowski tells HealthRadio.

As a result, the AAP advises that "no-nit" policies, which keep kids out of school until all nits, or eggs, are gone, are detrimental to a child's education, and should therefore be reversed.

In Omaha, Neb., where some schools have already reversed their "no nit" policies, one teacher says head lice is such a problem in her classroom that she doesn't want to interact with her kids as she normally would. She says other teachers feel the same way, according to WOWT's Channel Six News.

Sharon Wade, supervisor of health services for Omaha Public Schools (OPS), tells the news outlet that the new policy makes sense, since head lice can fester in a child's hair for weeks before it starts itching. So, she says, there's no reason for children to stay home from school for an extended period of time.

"If a child is identified with head lice they are allowed to stay until the end of the school day and then the parent is contacted and we insist on immediate treatment for them to return to school," Wade says.

OPS Spokeswoman Luanne Nelson tells Channel Six this time of year is tough, as schools seem to face the issue of head lice as soon as the weather starts getting cooler.

"Every principal in the district who's been affected by this has tried to work with our health department to alleviate it," she says.

Molly Erickson, president of the Millard Education Association, tells the news outlet she can see how the new policy can be a problem.

"I could see how there could be some concern if kids are coming to school infected, if it disrupts learning ... It disrupts the flow of the classroom if the teacher's nervous," she says.

For teachers who are working with students with active head lice infestations, Erickson says going to the principal is completely appropriate.

Despite the new policy, Wade says some children in the district are sent home -- but only if it affects their ability to focus on schoolwork.

"If a child would be extremely uncomfortable, we don't want them to have to stay in the classroom and be subjected to that," Wade says.

Frankowski advises that you don't want to tell your child to stay away from people.

"I always think of head lice as being sort of a normal risk of being a healthy, active, social child," she tells HealthRadio. "Your child's going to come into contact with other kids, and some of those kids may have head lice, and your child might get it -- just like your child could get a cold, or if you have an active child that might fall and scrape their knee -- all those are normal risks of being a child."

Policy or no policy, common sense plays a big role in the equation, Channel Six reports. If a child is infested with head lice, and home treatments aren't curing the problem, it's time to see your child's pediatrician.

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]]>head licehead lice treatmentHeadLiceHeadLiceTreatmenthealthlicenewsschoolHoney BerkTue, 05 Oct 2010 16:14:00 ESTSleep by the Numbershttp://www.parentdish.com/2010/09/27/sleep-by-the-numbers/http://www.parentdish.com/2010/09/27/sleep-by-the-numbers/http://www.parentdish.com/2010/09/27/sleep-by-the-numbers/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , ,


To sleep, perchance to dream ...

Eh, when you're a parent, it's more about just getting some snooze time (and praying that your little one won't give you a 5 a.m. wake-up call!)

Did you know that 1 in 50 teens wets the bed? And that you will die of sleep deprivation before starvation? Check out these and more dreamy facts from Psychology Degree about getting your Zzzzs.


Source: Psychology Degree

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]]>the editors at onlineschools.orgMon, 27 Sep 2010 15:53:00 ESTBest Children's Hospitals: Neurologyhttp://www.parentdish.com/2010/08/10/best-childrens-hospitals-neurology/http://www.parentdish.com/2010/08/10/best-childrens-hospitals-neurology/http://www.parentdish.com/2010/08/10/best-childrens-hospitals-neurology/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , ,

Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

Pediatric Stroke Program director Dr. Rebecca Ichord conducts a neurological exam with her patient. Credit: Children's Hospital of Philadelphia

When your child is ill, only the best care is good enough. So we're highlighting the hospitals that are leading the way in research, innovation, treatment and, most importantly, patient care. This is the eighth in the series on best children's hospitals in the United States.

In children, diseases of the nervous system are complicated and include myriad complex diagnoses, from brain tumors to epilepsy and seizures. For this reason, receiving care at specialized children's neurology and neurosurgery hospitals is paramount.

Below are the leading pediatric children's hospitals that treat children with disorders of the nervous system:

Children's Hospital Boston, Boston, Mass.
Children's Hospital was ranked the No. 1 children's hospital for neurological disorders by U.S. News and many of the leading researchers and medical experts at Children's Boston also are on the faculty of Harvard Medical School. In an effort to provide the earliest possible intervention and the earliest possible identification of brain injury, Boston Children's is a leader in pioneering research in pediatric epilepsy and neuromuscular conditions. The medical experts are renowned for creating the latest research and treatments in fetal-neonatal neurology for infants who have suffered neurological damage during fetal development or during newborn periods of development. The hospital boasts a team of experts in learning disabilities, sleep disorders, brain tumors, cerebral palsy, pediatric neuroimmunology, pediatric multiple sclerosis and related disorders. And for the second consecutive year, the hospital was named a top hospital by The Leapfrog Group's Hospital Survey, which measures the national standards of safety, quality and efficiency that are relevant to consumers and purchasers of care.

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]]>childrens hospital bostonchildrens hospital of philadelphiachildrens-hospitalsChildrensHospitalBostonChildrensHospitalOfPhiladelphiajohns hopkins childrens centerJohnsHopkinsChildrensCenterneurologyMary Beth SammonsTue, 10 Aug 2010 16:30:00 ESTMore Girls Entering Puberty Early, Study Findshttp://www.parentdish.com/2010/08/10/more-girls-entering-puberty-early-study-finds/http://www.parentdish.com/2010/08/10/more-girls-entering-puberty-early-study-finds/http://www.parentdish.com/2010/08/10/more-girls-entering-puberty-early-study-finds/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Girls are maturing earlier than ever. Credit: Getty Images


Girl, you'll be a woman soon. Sooner than you thought.

A new study finds that U.S. girls are entering puberty at younger ages than in the past. Early maturity is a public health concern because studies have shown that these girls are more likely to eventually develop breast and uterine cancer, CNN reports.

The study finds that nearly 25 percent of black girls and 15 percent of Hispanic girls had entered puberty by age 7. White girls mature more slowly, but the study finds that more than 10 percent of white 7-year-old girls had started puberty by age 7, up from 5 percent in a similar study conducted in the early 1990s, according to CNN.

Dr. Frank Biro, the study's lead author and director of adolescent medicine at Cincinnati Children's Hospital, says it's unclear why girls are entering puberty earlier, but researchers are looking at several potential factors, including genes and environment, Medical News Today reports.

"Breast cancer is such a common problem, so if we can find some of the things that make it more likely, we could improve screening of those early developers," says Dr. Susan Nickel, M.D., an assistant professor of pediatrics at the Texas A&M Health Science Center College of Medicine, who was not part of the study.

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]]>breast cancerBreastCancerpubertyColleen EganTue, 10 Aug 2010 11:19:00 ESTBest Children's Hospitals: Orthopedicshttp://www.parentdish.com/2010/08/09/best-childrens-hospitals-orthopedics/http://www.parentdish.com/2010/08/09/best-childrens-hospitals-orthopedics/http://www.parentdish.com/2010/08/09/best-childrens-hospitals-orthopedics/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

Children's Hospital Boston

Does your child have a sports injury? Check out the top hospitals for orthopedics. Credit: Elise Amendola, AP

When your child is ill, only the best care is good enough. So we're highlighting the hospitals that are leading the way in research, innovation, treatment and, most importantly, patient care. This is the seventh in the series on best children's hospitals in the United States.

With more children getting involved in competitive sports each year, the number of children's sports injuries is on the rise.

As a result, parents are increasingly turning to specialized orthopedic hospitals to treat their children. At the same time, these hospitals are sources of refuge for parents of children with cerebral palsy, scoliosis, spina bifida and other musculoskeletal disorders, who require long-term care, says James V. Luck Jr., M.D., CEO and medical director for Los Angeles Orthopaedic Hospital.

With four active athletes of his own, Dr. Luck knows firsthand what it feels like to be a parent whose child is raced to the hospital after a fall or sports injury, or is treated by an orthopedic specialist for musculoskeletal trauma, degenerative diseases, infections, tumors or congenital conditions. "In addition to treating children, our focus also is to make playgrounds safer and prevent sports injuries," says Dr. Luck.

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]]>childrens hospital bostonchildrens hospital of philadelphiachildrens medical centerChildrensHospitalChildrensHospitalBostonChildrensHospitalOfPhiladelphiaChildrensMedicalCenterorthopedicsMary Beth SammonsMon, 09 Aug 2010 16:28:00 ESTBest Children's Hospitals: Diabeteshttp://www.parentdish.com/2010/08/04/best-childrens-hospitals-diabetes/http://www.parentdish.com/2010/08/04/best-childrens-hospitals-diabetes/http://www.parentdish.com/2010/08/04/best-childrens-hospitals-diabetes/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , ,

John's Hopkins Children's Center

Johns Hopkins is a leader in juvenile diabetes research. Credit: John's Hopkins Children's Center

When your child is ill, only the best care is good enough. So we're highlighting the hospitals that are leading the way in research, innovation, treatment and, most importantly, patient care. This is the fourth in the series on best children's hospitals in the United States.

Some 151,000 people under the age of 20 have been diagnosed with diabetes. Faced with the rise of both type 1 and type 2 diabetes in children and the emerging epidemic of childhood obesity, America's top children's hospitals are ramping up their research and treatment options for diabetes and endocrine disorders.


Here are three leaders:
Johns Hopkins Children's Center, Baltimore, Md.
Johns Hopkins is blazing a trail on the forefront of diabetes and obesity research. The hospital was named No. 3 in the U.S. News & World Report study of leading children's diabetes hospitals. Working as part of the team of researchers for the Baltimore Diabetes Research and Training Center (DRTC), the Johns Hopkins team recently zeroed in on what could be a promising new drug therapy for the disease. The $7.4 million training center is funded by the National Institutes of Health, and unites Johns Hopkins researchers with a team of 140 researchers from the University of Maryland School of Medicine and the Bloomberg School of Public Health to conduct community-level research on diabetes and obesity in children and adults.

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]]>childrens-hospitalsjohns hopkinsJohnsHopkinsJuvenile DiabetesJuvenileDiabetesNew York Presbyterian HospitalNewYorkPresbyterianHospitalucsfMary Beth SammonsWed, 04 Aug 2010 17:47:00 ESTBest Children's Hospitals: Cancerhttp://www.parentdish.com/2010/08/03/best-childrens-hospitals-cancer/http://www.parentdish.com/2010/08/03/best-childrens-hospitals-cancer/http://www.parentdish.com/2010/08/03/best-childrens-hospitals-cancer/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

St Jude Children's Research Hospital

At St. Jude's, no child is denied care because their family can't pay for treatment. Credit: Seth Dixon, St Jude Children's Research Hospital

When your child is ill, only the best care is good enough. So we're highlighting the hospitals that are leading the way in research, innovation, treatment and, most importantly, patient care. This is the third in the series on best children's hospitals in the United States.

Leah Heilman-Pollack was 11 when she was diagnosed with Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia (ALL). For nearly five years, the Portland, Ore., youngster virtually moved into the Doernbecher Children's Hospital's pediatric cancer ward, as she valiantly battled the disease. Two and a half years into treatment, she was diagnosed with myelodysplasia, the precursor to an even more serious form of leukemia. Leah would need a bone marrow stem cell transplant.
"During her cancer years, the treatment Leah received was amazing," says her mother, Laurie Heilman. "With both cancers, there are nationally established protocols that dictate the best-known and most thoroughly tested treatment regimens, so it's not as if she wouldn't have received the same medicines elsewhere."

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]]>childrens cancer hospitalchildrens hospital of philadelphiachildrens-hospitalsChildrensCancerHospitalChildrensHospitalOfPhiladelphiast judes childrens research hospitalStJudesChildrensResearchHospitalMary Beth SammonsTue, 03 Aug 2010 18:30:00 ESTBest Children's Hospitals: Digestive and Liver Disordershttp://www.parentdish.com/2010/08/02/best-childrens-hospitals-digestive-and-liver-disorders/http://www.parentdish.com/2010/08/02/best-childrens-hospitals-digestive-and-liver-disorders/http://www.parentdish.com/2010/08/02/best-childrens-hospitals-digestive-and-liver-disorders/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , ,

Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center

Nurses keep things light. Credit: Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center

When your child is sick, only the very best care is good enough. So, we're highlighting the nation's top children's hospitals and their achievements in research, innovation and, most importantly, patient care. This is the second in the series on best children's hospitals in the United States.

Six-year-old Shane Cohen has endured countless probes, injections and tests since his birth, recently undergoing his 17th endoscopy.

Born with a condition called Eosinophilic esophagitis (EoE), the Bucks County, Penn., youngster has undergone the treatments in an attempt to make it less painful to swallow and to stave off the vomiting that is at the core of his condition. He and his mom Jessica are no strangers to the postoperative team at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia and the hospital's outpatient center in Chalfont, Penn.

"The staff is courteous to the parents and fabulous with the children," says Shane's mom. "Shane has been there so many times now that each of the nurses comes in to the room to say hello to him when we get there. We have never had to translate the words spoken by one doctor to another because they have already been in touch. Now we just need to find a cure."

The Cohens' experience speaks volumes about the lifestyles of the millions of families whose children battle chronic digestive and nutritional disorders, ranging from ulcerative colitis to liver disease, that put kids on transplant lists. "These are not situations where medical experts simply treat the child; these are conditions where the child and parents need to be educated and empowered to transform that treatment into a lifestyle," says William F. Balistreri, M.D., professor of pediatrics at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine and president of The Children's Digestive Health and Nutrition Foundation (CDHNF).

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]]>childrens hospitalChildrens Hospitalschildrens-hospitalsChildrensHospitalChildrensHospitalsDigestive disordersDigestiveDisordersMary Beth SammonsMon, 02 Aug 2010 18:00:00 ESTHead Lice Is No Reason to Miss School, Report Sayshttp://www.parentdish.com/2010/07/26/head-lice-is-no-reason-to-miss-school-report-says/http://www.parentdish.com/2010/07/26/head-lice-is-no-reason-to-miss-school-report-says/http://www.parentdish.com/2010/07/26/head-lice-is-no-reason-to-miss-school-report-says/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , ,

Experts say kids with lice can stay in school. Credit: Sharon Gekoski-Kimmel, Philadelphia Inquirer / MCT

Your daughter's teacher notices a tiny speck moving near the nape her neck: It's lice. Should she:

A.) Call you to come pick up your child.
B.) Ask the nurse to confirm her diagnosis of lice.
C.) Let the child finish the school day, but tell you not to bring her back until you are sure the infestation has cleared.

According to a revised clinical report issued by the American Academy of Pediatrics, the only correct answer is B. There is no need to send a child home from school because he or she has been found to have head lice, the report states.

The reason? They've probably had the lice for ages, anyway. Lice can live on a child's head for six to eight weeks before itching starts, Cynthia Devore, a pediatrician, chair elect of the Council on School Health for the American Academy of Pediatrics and a co-author of the revised report, tells ParentDish.

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]]>aapexpire-images:2011-7-26Head Licehead lice treatmentHeadLiceHeadLiceTreatmentliceMonique El-FaizyMon, 26 Jul 2010 13:00:00 ESTNew Guidelines Aim to Reduce Repeated C-Sectionshttp://www.parentdish.com/2010/07/22/new-guidelines-aim-to-reduce-repeated-c-sections/http://www.parentdish.com/2010/07/22/new-guidelines-aim-to-reduce-repeated-c-sections/http://www.parentdish.com/2010/07/22/new-guidelines-aim-to-reduce-repeated-c-sections/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Study finds new ways to avoid C-section Credit: Getty Images


WASHINGTON (AP) - Most women who've had a C-section, and many who've had two, should be allowed to try labor with their next baby, say new guidelines - a step toward reversing the "once a cesarean, always a cesarean" policies taking root in many hospitals.

Wednesday's announcement by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists eases restrictions on who might avoid a repeat C-section, rewriting an old policy that critics have said is partly to blame for many pregnant women being denied the chance.

Fifteen years ago, nearly 3 in 10 women who'd had a prior C-section gave birth vaginally the next time. Today, fewer than 1 in 10 do.

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]]>C sectioncaesareanCSectionVBACAssociated PressThu, 22 Jul 2010 10:00:00 ESTWhooping Cough Vaccine Safe, Researchers Insisthttp://www.parentdish.com/2010/07/20/whooping-cough-vaccine-safe-researchers-insist/http://www.parentdish.com/2010/07/20/whooping-cough-vaccine-safe-researchers-insist/http://www.parentdish.com/2010/07/20/whooping-cough-vaccine-safe-researchers-insist/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Flyers in several languages urging whooping cough vaccinations are seen at a recent news conference by the CDC, to publicize a recent, sharp increase in the number of whooping cough cases reported in California. Credit: Reed Saxon, AP


Some parents are a bit concerned about the vaccine against whooping cough. Watching a child have a seizure will do that to you.

But that happened with an older version of the vaccine, researchers from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention tell the Reuters news service.

And whooping cough -- known to be deadly (especially in past generations) -- poses a much larger threat to children than any vaccine, they add.

The current vaccine, they insist, is safe.

"Our findings provide reassuring evidence that the vaccine is not associated with acute seizure events and is safe for routine immunization in early childhood," researchers write in the journal Pediatrics.

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]]>expire-images:2011-6-30vaccineswhooping coughwhooping cough vaccineWhoopingCoughWhoopingCoughVaccineTom HendersonTue, 20 Jul 2010 16:30:00 ESTIn-Vitro Babies Show (Slightly) Higher Risk for Cancerhttp://www.parentdish.com/2010/07/20/in-vitro-babies-show-slightly-higher-risk-for-cancer/http://www.parentdish.com/2010/07/20/in-vitro-babies-show-slightly-higher-risk-for-cancer/http://www.parentdish.com/2010/07/20/in-vitro-babies-show-slightly-higher-risk-for-cancer/#commentsFiled under: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Research shows invitro babies may be at higher risk of birth defects. Credit: Stefan Wermuth, AFP/Getty Images


Many people feared "test tube babies" in the '70s and '80s.

The whole in-vitro thing seemed so unnatural. Critics feared it would lead to mutant children at a higher risk of birth defects, cancer and a whole slew of genetic complications.

Turns out their fears were justified. Just a little.

Swedish researchers, in the latest issue of the journal Pediatrics, report a slightly higher risk of birth defects and some kinds of disease (including cancer) among children born through in-vitro fertilization.

Continue reading In-Vitro Babies Show (Slightly) Higher Risk for Cancer

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]]>birth defectsBirthDefectscancerIn-vitroFertilizationtest tube babiesTestTubeBabiesTom HendersonTue, 20 Jul 2010 14:00:00 EST