One of the more common viral infections in school-age children is Fifth disease. The classic sign is a red rash that makes your child’s cheeks look unusually red - as if they’ve been slapped. The rash can take on a lacy appearance and usually within one day will begin to spread to other parts of the body - arms, legs and abdomen. As the rash fades over the next 7 to 14 days, it tends to fade from the center outwards.
Other symptoms of Fifth disease include fever, joint pain and temporary anemia. If the child experiences discomfort, acetaminophen (not aspirin) can be given to the child.
Caused by human parvovirus B19, Fifth disease is generally mild and doesn’t tend to cause complications in healthy children. However, pregnant women who have been exposed to someone with Fifth disease, or who exhibit the lacy red rash, should see their physician because parvovirus B19 can harm an unborn baby.
Most adults do not contract Fifth disease because they have been exposed to it earlier in their life and have developed antibodies. The disease most often affects preschool and school-age children and is easily spread when someone coughs or sneezes.
In some cases children may develop the rash again when exposed to sunlight, stress, excessive heat, exercise or have a fever.
The obesity epidemic that currently plagues American youth has many far-reaching repercussions. Not only is it leading to an increased risk and rate of diabetes and kidney disease, but it’s also associated with arthritis. New research shows that 1 in 5 young adult Americans (ages 24-32) has high blood pressure — and many of them don’t even realize they do. That complicates things because if the youth is unaware of the condition, they can’t take steps to improve their health. The new survey that revealed these results followed a group of kids ages 12 - 19 starting in 1995. When these youngsters were first being tracked, 11% of them were obese. Just five years later, 22% of them were obese. By 2008, 37% of them were obese and another 30% were overweight — for a total of 67% of this group. It is an alarming trend — and they’re only in their early 20s.
It’s up to parents and children to reverse this trend. Limit computer and video game time. Encourage outdoor recreation that gets your kids moving. Eliminate soda and limit sweetened drinks. Eliminate fast food, or cut back severely. Remember parents, you are the role model for your child. And while it may be difficult to make fresh meals and get kids to eat their fruits and veggies, consider the consequences on your child’s long-term well-being if you do not. Hypertension. Diabetes. Arthritis. Kidney disease. The list goes on and on. And researchers are seeing these conditions in youth who are only in their early 20s.
Noroviruses - which can lead to diarrhea, abdominal pain and vomiting - are highly contagious. Thus outbreaks typically occur in crowded environments such as resorts, daycare facilities, hospitals, cruise ships or nursing homes. The infection can be spread by close contact with an infected person - who may or may not have symptoms - or via food or drink that has been contaminated by an infected person or animal.
Most people infected with norovirus become ill within 24 to 48 hours and recover within three days after becoming ill. However, in some cases infected persons may suffer from more severe diarrhea and vomiting, and may be sick up to five or six days. In such cases it is very impotant that the person drink plenty of fluids in order to remain hydrated. Remember that sodas, sugary drinks and caffeinated beverages do not help a person hydrate and can, in fact, lead to more frequent urination that contributes to dehydration.
Yes, kids are full of energy - it’s one of the benefits of being young. Yet today children are increasingly consuming so-called “energy” drinks. It’s estimated that 77% of children regularly ingest caffeine-laden soda, energy drinks and other products with “hidden” caffeine - such as hot chocolate, coffee ice cream, certain teas/iced teas and dark chocolate. The problem is, most parents and children are not aware that caffeine can have detrimental side effects on youth and children.
According to the Caffeine Awareness Association, children who consume caffeine regularly can suffer academically because they’re unable to focus and are more fidgety. If they consume too much caffeine, children can exhibit ADHD-like symptoms, feel nauseas, have difficulty sleeping and even experience heart arrhythmias.
It’s no secret — in general, American children consume too much added sugar. Processed foods, and most notoriously soda, have plenty of added sugars. The two most common added sugars are sucrose and high fructose corn syrup (but these sugars have a variety of different names as well). Plenty of researchers are examining the connection between added sugars, obesity and diabetes II. Now, new research indicates that an abundance of added sugars in a teen’s diet can lead to heart problems in later life.
According to the report in “Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association,” teens who consumed the most sugar had significantly less “good” cholesterol (and more “bad” cholesterol) than those who consumed the least added sugars. This can put teens on a path for greater risk of cardiovascular disease as they age.
It’s a good idea to monitor your family’s sugar intake. However, it’s not always easy to tell how much added sugar a product contains because manufacturers have a lot of different names for those added sugars. This list of pseudonyms for added sugars, from the Harvard School of Public Health, can help. More details on the added sugars research can be found at http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2011/01/12/132814924/for-teens-too-much-sugar-can-be-a-heartbreaker.
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