The Danger of Laundry Detergent Pods

According to a recent study published in Pediatrics, exposure to laundry and dishwasher detergent pods increased 17% and 14%, respectively, among children under age six from 2013 to 2014, with most exposures (85%) occurring through ingestion.  Researchers reported these findings after analyzing data from the National Poison Data System on reported exposures to packet and non-packet laundry and dishwasher detergents. The researchers identified 62,254 cases of pediatric exposures to these detergents, with exposure to laundry detergent pods accounting for 35.4% of these cases.

Researchers found that children exposed to laundry detergent pods were 3.9 to 8.2 times more likely to experience clinical effects, most commonly vomiting, than children exposed to any other detergent type or form.  They found that children under age 3 were at the highest risk of exposure due to the large amount of time they spend in the home, their newfound mobility, and their curiosity leading to exploratory and mouthing behavior.  Exposure to laundry pods was linked to coma, respiratory arrest, pulmonary edema, and the deaths of two children. 

A CNN article discussing the study explains that laundry pods were introduced in the United States in 2012 as a less messy alternative to detergent powder.  They are typically colorful and have strong fragrances, characteristics that are thought to attract children.  Researchers recommend storing the pods out of sight in a locked cabinet and that the parents of children under age six use traditional laundry detergent rather than pods. 

Suffocation Deaths: Connecticut's "Distinctive Injury"

A recent WNPR article discusses a John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health research study finding that suffocation deaths are Connecticut’s “distinctive injury.” The study analyzed data from 2004-2013 from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to identify one type of injury death in each state that was significantly higher than the national average.  In Connecticut, suffocation deaths were 1.3 times (or 30 percent) higher than the national average.

The study did not examine the causes of Connecticut’s above average suffocation death rate, but the article’s author contacted local sources for possible explanations.  According to the Office of the Child Advocate, 140 infants died between 2002 and 2010 because of unsafe sleep environments, such as infants in bed with adults, older children, or adult pillows and other large items.  Accidental asphyxiation from such practices claims 17 to 23 infants each year, making it the leading cause of death of healthy infants.

In 2015, the legislature addressed infant death by suffocation by requiring hospitals to give new parents information about safe sleep practices.  In addition, Department of Children and Families workers counsel parents about safe sleep practices and distribute "Pack N' Play" cribs to households with inadequate sleeping arrangements.

Insufficient Sleep Increases Risky Behavior in Teens

A recent study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that high school students who slept less than seven hours on school nights were more likely to engage in risky behaviors, such as texting and driving, drinking and driving, riding with a driver who was drinking, not wearing a seat belt, and not wearing a helmet when riding a bike.  Researchers concluded that sleep deprivation may play an important role in poor judgment and decision-making among teenagers.

A 2011 study, also by the CDC, found that teens who slept less than eight hours a night were more likely to, among other things, use cigarettes, alcohol, and marijuana; not get enough exercise; feel sad or hopeless; and attempt suicide.  The study found that almost 70% of teens were not getting enough sleep. 

The National Sleep Foundation recommends that adolescents ages 14 to 17 sleep eight to 10 hours per night and suggests the following to promote good sleep:

1. Do not take naps that are too long or too close to bedtime.
2. Do not consume caffeine close to bedtime.
3. Keep bedrooms cool, quiet, and dark (but let in bright light in the morning to signal your body to wake up).
4. Establish a bed- and wake-time cycle and stick to it (even on the weekends).
5. Do not eat, drink, or exercise within a few hours of bedtime.

Obesity’s Declining. Then Again, Maybe Not….

In a 2014 blog post, we discussed a CDC report  found that childhood obesity among American two- to five-year-olds had dropped a remarkable 43% from 2003-2004 to 2011-2012. However, as reported in the Washington Post, a new study published this month in Obesity found an opposite trend. The study looked at the same data from the 2014 study and data for the intervening years and preceding years going back to 1999. The researchers found that, contrary to the CDC’s findings, obesity has not been on a sustained decline among this cohort and most recently, it is once again on the rise.

How did the same data yield such different results upon re-examination? According to the CDC report, the obesity rate dropped from approximately 14% in 2003-2004 to 8% in 2011-2012. However, the latter study noted that the average obesity rate for boys and girls this age from 1999-2000 had been approximately 10.7%, which meant it spiked almost 3.5% in the years preceding the earliest CDC data, and after dropping for a few years, the average spiked once again to approximately 12% in 2009-2010 before again dropping down to 8% in 2011-2012. The most recent data (2013-2014) shows the rate is once again on a gradual rise (9.25%). It’s worth noting that the data, when broken down by gender shows a mostly downward trend for girls, while for boys the rate has risen and dropped more erratically.

In short, the study notes, “the significant decline previously reported in prevalence [of obesity] for 2- to 5-year olds for 2003-2012 is not evident in our results, for girls or boys, using all data from 1999 to 2014.”  As the study’s author told the Post, “...when you look at trends, it matters where you start.”

Click here to read the full Post article and here to read a press release about the latest study.  

Are Healthy School Lunch Options Successful?

When schools across the nation improved the nutritional quality of lunches in the 2012-2013 school year, it left many people wondering whether the change would improve children’s eating habits.

The Pew Charitable Trusts issued a brief recently that includes results from four of multiple studies conducted.  The four studies represent those that tracked the largest number of children, and the results indicate that children have been eating healthier.  Three of the four studies measured student food consumption and the fourth evaluated the changes in the nutritional quality of the lunches students chose.

One of the studies completed by researchers from Yale’s Rudd Center for Food Policy and Obesity compared the amount of food children consumed at 12 Connecticut schools from 2012 to 2014.  The results show an increased consumption of 12.7% for entrees, 18% for vegetables, and 2% for fruits.

Researchers from Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children’s Hospital, Harvard School of Public Health, and the University of Washington who studied the eating habits of students from selected schools in Texas, Massachusetts, and Washington also reported positive findings from their studies.

FDA Proposes Limit on Arsenic in Infant Rice Cereal

The federal Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently proposed a limit on the amount of inorganic arsenic permissible in infant rice cereal. Additionally, the agency recommended that (1) parents vary the starter cereals they provide their toddlers and (2) pregnant women eat a variety of grains. As noted in the New York Times, “as rice plants grow, the grain tends to absorb more arsenic than other crops.”

The FDA’s proposed limit of 100 parts per billion for inorganic arsenic in infant rice cereal mirrors the limit currently in place in Europe on such arsenic in rice.

According to the FDA, the proposed limit is based on a 2016 agency risk assessment, which found that “inorganic arsenic exposure in infants and pregnant women can result in a child’s decreased performance on certain developmental tests that measure learning . . . .” The agency also noted that, of 76 rice cereals sampled from retail stores, only 47% had arsenic levels that complied with the proposed limit.

The FDA will accept public comments for 90 days before finalizing the proposed guidelines.

For more information, see the full FDA risk assessment and the agency’s press release on the proposed rule.

New Comic Book Aimed at Easing a Child’s Hospital Stay

According to an article on Comicbookresources.com, Marvel Comics and Disney have joined forces (so to speak) with Child Life Council, a nonprofit organization of professionals who help children overcome trauma, to create a new Guardians of the Galaxy comic book that will be distributed to children’s hospitals across the country.

According to Marvel Editor and Custom Solutions Project Manager Mark Basso, as quoted in the article, “This year’s comic is all about friendship, camaraderie, and relying on other when you need help…There is nothing shameful about needing help from friends, family, or professional caregivers, and we wanted to underscore that them in the story.”

Click here to access the full comic book online.

Click here and here to read previous blog posts comic book and cartoon superheroes helping children learn about challenging subjects.

Lead Poisoning and Its Life-Long Consequences In the Media Spotlight

The recent controversy over lead levels in the drinking water of Flint, Michigan residents has once again drawn national attention to the danger lead exposure poses, especially to young children.

Image Source: Wikimedia commons 

According to the CDC, “no safe blood lead level in children has been identified. Lead exposure can affect nearly every system in the body… [but because] lead exposure often occurs with no obvious symptoms, it frequently goes unrecognized.”

A recent New York Times (NYT) article on lead exposure and lead poisoning further explained, “even low levels of lead in blood can have profound effects on the brain and nervous system. Lower intelligence, difficulty in paying attention and with fine motor skills, and lower academic achievement have all been connected to elevated lead levels.”

According to the article, calcium, iron, and vitamin C intake may all help to slow lead absorption, but to date, there is no way to reverse the effects of lead poisoning. For that reason, medical professionals emphasize the importance of lead exposure prevention.

To learn more about lead exposure, including common sources of lead exposure and how to detect it, click here to read the full NYT article. 

Move Over Immune Platoon, Here Come the Centsables!

Q: How do you make banking and financial literacy interesting for children?
A: Create a cuddly bunch of cartoon superheroes who fight crime while teaching kids how to manage their money – i.e., the Centsables!

In keeping with the cartoonization of fairly sophisticated subjects for the younger set (see our previous post on the CDC’s Immune Platoon), Fox Business has added to its Saturday morning lineup a show in which bankers-by-day become superheroes (e.g., Veloci-Rabbit and Greenback) in times of crisis and battle villains such as the evil Liquidator and Credi-tor.

The show’s website includes links to full episodes, along with financial lessons and “factivities,” and a glossary of banking terms.

Additional resources for teaching kids about money are also available at the federal government’s online web portal for children: kids.usa.gov.

Private Child Placing Agencies in Connecticut

OLR Report 2015-R-0226 explains Connecticut regulations concerning child-placing agencies.

By law, private child-placing agencies must be licensed by the Department of Children and Families (DCF) to place a child in Connecticut. Additionally, DCF regulations distinguish between “child placing agencies” and “non-approved child placing agencies.” The regulations prohibit non-approved agencies from placing a child, for any purpose, in Connecticut.

According to DCF regulations (1) a “child placing agency” is an agency in or outside of Connecticut licensed or approved by DCF for the placement of children for adoption purposes and (2) a “non-approved child placing agency” is an agency anywhere in the United States that is licensed or regulated by its local jurisdiction but not approved by DCF.

For additional information about these agencies and applicable regulations, click here to read the full report.

Library Storytellers, Mobile Devices Growing in Popularity Among Very Young

The New York Times ran stories on consecutive days this month highlighting the importance of (and some concerns about) communicating with children in ways both time-honored and cutting edge.

The Times reported on November 1 on the fast-growing popularity of story times at libraries in New York City and around the country. Lines at some New York City library branches “stretch down the block . . . with tickets given out on a first-come first-served basis because there is not enough room to accommodate all the children [and parents] who show up,” the Times reported.

Traditional library story hours are more popular than ever, the article noted, as educators emphasize “the importance of early literacy in preparing children for school and for developing critical thinking skills. The demand crosses economic lines, with parents at all income levels vying to get in.”

The next day the Times reported on a different method of communicating with children in ways much less traditional. According to a small survey of Philadelphia parents, three-quarters of their children had received tablets, smartphones, or electronic music devices by age 4 and used them without supervision. Although the survey was not scientific, the article noted that some experts saw these findings as adding to the “growing evidence that the use of electronic devices has become deeply woven into the experience of childhood.”

In fact, one-third of the parents who responded to the survey said their children like to use more than one device at a time. But the health experts with whom the Times spoke were not unanimous in their concern.

Some experts said it was an apparent lack of parental supervision, rather than the use of the devices themselves, that they found worrisome. Another said it is not clear that the use of these devices causes harm. Studies such as this “ring the alarm bell without any content on why we should be alarmed,” said one expert.

When it comes to Toy-Related Deaths, Tricycles are the Most Common Culprit

According to an article in the October issue of Pediatrics, in 2012 “tricycle accidents were the most common cause of reported toy-related deaths in children” (i.e., five out of 11 toy-related deaths were trike-related.) From 2005-2009, trikes were the second most common cause of toy-related death in US children under age 15 (i.e., 17 out of 88 toy-related deaths were trike-related.)

Researchers also examined data associated with tricycle-related injuries treated in emergency departments (ED) in 2012 and 2013 and reported, among other things, that:

• there were approximately 9,340 trike related accidents treated in EDs during that time period;
• the average age of injury was three years old, though the most common age of injury was two years old;
• the most commonly (1) injured body region was the head, (2) fractured body part was the elbow, and (3) reported type of injury was laceration;
• Of those children treated at the ED for trike-related injuries, 2.4% were admitted to the hospital; and
• most trike-related injuries reportedly occurred at home.

To reduce the risk of injury researchers suggested that children should (1) wear elbow pads and helmets while riding trikes and (2) only ride trikes under adult supervision. 





Image Source: pixabay



Childhood Poverty, Even Short Term, May Hinder Adult Success

A new report from the Urban Institute provides sobering statistics on child poverty in America and the effect poverty has on adult success. According to the report, 38.8% of American children are poor (i.e., family income is below the federal poverty level) for at least one year before they turn age 18. Researchers compared adult outcomes of children who were “never poor” to those who were “persistently poor” and those who were poor but not persistently (“ever-poor”). Some of the researchers’ notable findings include the following:

• Overall, 10.5% of American children are persistently poor, but broken down by race, 38.5% of black children are persistently poor compared to 4.3% of white children.
• “Persistently poor children are 13% less likely to complete high school and 43% less likely to complete college” than children who are poor but not persistently so.
• “Compared with ever-poor children whose parents do not have a high school education, ever-poor children whose parents have a high school education or more than a high school education are 11 and 30 percent, respectively, more likely to complete high school.”
• 92.7% of never poor children complete high school, compared to 77.9% of ever-poor children.
• “Ever-poor children who move three or more times for negative reasons [e.g., home foreclosure] before they turn 18 are 15% less likely to complete high school, 36% less likely to enroll in college or another postsecondary education program by age 25, and 68% less likely to complete a four-year college degree by age 25 than ever-poor children who never move.”

To learn more about factors that contribute to successful adult outcomes, click here to read the full study.

Requiring Children to Choose Fruits or Vegetables at Lunch Doesn’t Mean They’ll Eat Them

A recent study of schoolchildren in two northeastern schools found that while they chose required fruits and vegetables at lunch, they didn’t necessarily eat them.

The U.S. Agriculture Department (USDA), trying to improve nutrition for schoolchildren, required in 2012 that kids participating in the federal lunch program choose either a fruit or vegetable with their meal. But the study, published in August by Public Health Reports, that while children took 29% more fruit and veggies than they did before the mandate, they actually ate 12% less of these items, and threw away 56% more of the fruits and vegetables than they had before. In many cases, the researchers wrote, “children did not even taste the [fruits and vegetables] they chose.”

The researchers are not giving up, however. They suggest school cafeterias consider making fruit and vegetables more appealing by “cutting up vegetables and serving them with dip,” or slicing apples and oranges rather than serving them whole.” The researchers also said their findings “support the importance of public health practitioners addressing the environmental, home, and personal factors that encourage children’s” consumption of fruits and vegetables.”

“Guidelines need to be supplemented with other strategies to enrich fruit and vegetable consumption,” one researcher told the Washington Post. “We can’t give up hope yet.”

Immune Platoon To The Rescue!

Oh no! Is that Master Mumps? Better call the Immune Platoon!

The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC)
“Immune Platoon” website teaches children about the human body’s immune system and methods of disease transmittal and prevention. According to the site, the Platoon is “a team of super-powered white blood cells dedicated to protecting your body from infections and other diseases that threaten your body's good health.”

Image Source: http://1.usa.gov/1O261Ww

Children (and adults) can learn about the various communicable diseases the Platoon “fights” through the site’s “Disease Database.” In the database, various illnesses are depicted as cartoon villains complete with nefarious nicknames (e.g., Measles’ moniker is “Krimson Kreeps”). The database provides various facts about the villainous diseases, such as their “powers and abilities,” “preferred method of attack,” and “known weaknesses.” The site also describes how the body’s immune system (i.e., the Platoon) combats the villains.

Click here for additional CDC health resources for children.