Archive for the ‘For Kids’ Category

You use them to clean your ears, remove excess eye makeup, apply medication to wounds, and more. They may be small, but they’re very much handy. Cotton buds, ear buds, cotton swabs, or Q-tips have become staple medical or hygiene products at home.

Cotton buds were invented back in the 1920s by Polish-born American Leo Gerstenzang. Since then, cotton buds are found in many homes, clinics, and medical institutions. Even though cotton buds’ physical makeup are quite elementary (a stick with a swab of cotton at each opposite end), their stems can either be plastic or paper. The question now is which is better – plastic or paper?

Call it odd if you want, but you’d notice that there is quite a difference between cotton buds with plastic stems and those with paper stems. Plastic stems tend to be more flexible, allowing the stem to bend while cleaning the ear. Paper stems, on the other hand are sturdier.

However, it’s not the feel, the sturdiness, or the flexibility that spells the difference between the plastic and paper stems. It’s the chemical makeup. You may have heard about the eco-debate paper vs. plastic. You know very well that plastic products do not disintegrate. They’re non-biodegradable, so the environment and the future generations to come are the ones suffering for them. The sad thing is, some people just used cotton buds down the toilet. As a result, used cotton buds became the second most common trash washed up in a lot of beaches. That means that even though a lot of people may have clean ears, the environment may be pretty filthy because of it.

So to answer the question which one is better? Well, you already know the answer.

We put baby oil in our child’s skin in order to keep their skin hydrated and moisturized, especially after they bathe or when the weather’s too cold or dry. What we don’t know is that what we may be putting in our baby’s skin to protect it may actually be causing more harm than good.

Some commercial baby oils have mineral oil, which is also a typical ingredient in creams, lotions, and other baby products. Mineral oil is clear unscented oil that will not spoil. It is produced through the distillation of crude oil or gasoline. Since it is abundant and quite cheap, it is therefore used by many baby oil manufacturers. The problem with mineral oil is that it has many harmful effects to the body, most especially to infants.

Mineral oil is difficult to be absorbed by the skin, so it can clog the pores of the skin, which can therefore slow down the skin’s capacity to eliminate toxins. Once broken down and absorbed by the body, it will absorb most of the fat-soluble vitamins, which is kind of stealing away the important vitamins that the body won’t be able to replace. This can then lead to nutritional deficiencies. Studies show that mineral oil can cause decreased lung function which is also known as lipoid pneumonia.

Mineral oil also has hydrocarbons which may not only cause stomach and lung problems, but may also cause the organs to stop functioning. Once ingested, mineral oil can cause a child to vomit and once it gets into the lungs, it can cause lung inflammation, which may then lead to death.

For those of us who want to use safer and more natural baby oils, there are safer products out there, such as Gourmet Body Treats GBT Baby Oil, Lavera Baby Neutral Skin Oil, and Badger Baby Oil.

It is important to regularly clean the baby’s mouth to keep it healthy. Even though babies drink only milk and water, oral hygiene for the baby is still as important as it is for adults. If you have a baby, you’d probably notice that your baby’s tongue is white or has these white patches on the surface. This can be either of two things – they’re either just milk residue, or thrush.

How do you know if it’s just milk residue or thrush?

Wet a clean cloth with clean warm water and then wrap it in your pointing finger. Using the cloth, gently try to remove the white coating or patches on your baby’s tongue. If they are easily removed or wiped off, then they’re only milk residue. Just clean the tongue thoroughly but gently and make sure you do this regularly to keep the baby’s mouth clean.

However, if the white patches can’t be removed, or when you are able to wipe a spot off and you see a red or bleeding surface underneath, then it might be thrush.

Baby’s thrush is caused by the fungi candida albicans. Thrush manifests as white patches or spots, like milk curds, in the baby’s mouth. It can be on the tongue, gums, inside the cheeks, and the roof of the mouth. Although it usually occurs in two month old babies, older babies can have it too.

Thrush is actually an infection which can be caused by several things:

• Babies have immature immune systems so their bodies are unable to resist infection.
• The mother herself has thrush so the infection is passed onto the baby through breastfeeding.
• The infection could have happened during the baby’s normal delivery.
• The mother is taking antibiotics even though she’s breastfeeding, which have reduced the number of healthy bacteria in the baby’s body, therefore allowing the fungi to spread.

Aside from the white tongue patches, another symptom of thrush would be the baby crying whenever he or she breastfeeds or drinks from the bottle.

To address this properly, see a doctor right away so that the doctor can give the baby an oral antifungal medicine. This needs to be applied to infected areas using your clean hands. The mom also has to receive antifungal treatments herself so that breastfeeding the baby won’t mean passing the infection back to the child.

There are 2 types of baby diapers – the disposable ones and the cloth ones. Although disposable diapers are ultra convenient and absorbent, parents who would like to go green are using cloth diapers. And to help keep cloth diapers in place and prevent mess, diaper pins are used. The problem is, these pins can accidentally hurt the baby, especially if they’re not used or put on properly.

When buying diaper pins, always go for those that adhere to industry standards and safety regulations. Those with safety locks that prevent children from opening them are great picks. Moreover, pins that adapt to the shape or contour of the baby’s body are good buys. Babies would have a hard time reaching them as they are hidden from sight instead of sticking out in the baby’s sides.

Ironically, pins with sharper points are safer than those with dull points. Pins with duller points are more difficult to install. Because much more force would be required to place them, the child is exposed to greater risks of injury.

Whenever pinning a cloth diaper to the child, always place one hand between the pin and the baby’s skin. Place your hand beneath the diaper to create a barrier between the pin and the baby’s skin whenever sticking the pin into the diaper. Don’t choose pins that are quick to rust as rust can cause irritation to the baby’s delicate skin. Moreover, rust can be toxic once it is transferred onto the hand and eventually ingested by the child.

Always choose quality diaper pin brands that are proven safe, such as Gerber Diaper Pins and Kendall Drive baby Cloth Diaper Pins.

A lot of parents buy baby walkers to help their kids learn how to walk, while at the same time, keep their tots entertained while they go and do something else. Problem is, a walker can put the baby at risk, especially when the child goes unsupervised, even for just a few seconds.

Walkers can enable a baby to move from one spot to another in a matter of seconds. With this speed, a child is vulnerable to hurting himself, like bumping his head onto the table edge or the wall. Furthermore, there have been reports of children in walkers falling off the stairs. Some reports showed how children were able to reach toxic household chemicals because they were put on their walkers. Due to these incidents, Canada has banned the sale and use of baby walkers since April of 2007.

Aside from the safety issues, experts say that walkers don’t really help children learn how to walk. In fact, studies say that babies who use walkers learn walking a month later than those who don’t. Experts argue that walking is learned by watching how others do it and by understanding how each foot is moved. The child must then copy the movements and do it on his or her own. However, trays installed in walkers prevent the children from seeing their lower bodies, reducing the amount of information that they need to develop their motor skills.

Despite the safety and developmental issues that come with walkers, a lot of parents from all over the world are still getting walkers for their babies. It’s a good thing there are manufacturers who have improved on their baby walker models, making much safer products since the year 2000.

However, safety doesn’t depend entirely upon manufacturers. It will always be the parents’ responsibility. Every safety precaution must be made in order to keep babies in walkers safe.

• Never leave the child unattended.
• If leaving the baby for a few minutes to do something else, remove the baby from the walker and transfer him or her into the crib.
• Stairs must be blocked with a high, sturdy gate or door.
• Keep the baby away from areas with hot surfaces, such as the kitchen.
• The entire house should be baby-proof.
• Install electrical outlet covers and make sure there are no dangling appliance chords.
• Keep ceramics and other fragile items in a locked cabinet.
• Always lock the door leading to the toilet, pool, and other areas with water source.
• Keep all chemicals and sharp objects locked away in a safe or higher place.

In light of the ongoing debate about the issue of arsenic content in apple juices, it is only right to know what arsenic is and what effects it has on humans.

Arsenic is a metalloid. It’s an element distributed widely across the Earth’s crust. When combined with sulfur, oxygen, or chlorine, it becomes inorganic arsenic which is harmful to humans. When combined with hydrogen or carbon, it becomes organic arsenic which is less harmful than the inorganic type.

Arsenic is naturally present in the environment, specifically in minerals and soil. It can also be present in water, thus likewise present as organic arsenic among creatures thriving in water habitats such as fish, crustaceans, and seaweeds. It has no odor or taste, so it would be very hard to know if it’s present in food or water.

Humans can be exposed to arsenic through ingestion of food, drinking of water, or breathing of air. However, exposure to arsenic is most possible through water and food ingestion. Humans are also exposed to arsenic through private wells, pesticides, insecticides, and herbicides, wood preservatives, taxidermy, and even cigarettes.

Arsenic is considered as a carcinogen, a substance that can cause cancer in any living tissue. It can also cause birth defects, stomach pains, vomiting, nausea, diarrhea, decrease in white and red blood cells production, fatigue, damage to blood vessels, abnormal heart rhythm, impaired nerve function, cancer in the liver, kidneys, bladder, lungs, and prostate. It can also result to skin, circulatory, and nervous disorders. Exposure to high doses of arsenic is fatal.

Children are more vulnerable to arsenic’s bad effects to health. Children exposed to arsenic are found to have low IQs. They also experience the same symptoms as with the adults such as stomach pains, damaged blood vessels, skin problems, and decreased nerve function.

A recent episode of the “Dr. Oz Show” reported about the alarming levels of arsenic found in apple juices. When that episode aired, the topic became highly controversial. Good Morning America even had Dr. Mehmet Oz and Dr. Richard Besser, ABC’s health and medical editor, debating on air because of this issue. Dr. Besser referred to the report made by Dr. Oz on his show as “irresponsible” and even continued on accusing his former classmate as “fear-mongering”.

What Dr. Besser, the FDA, and others that question Dr. Oz’s investigations refute is the fact that Dr. Oz’s findings were based only on the total amount of arsenic found in the apple juices tested. They said that such data are false and inconclusive because one has to base the amount of harmful arsenic on the amount of inorganic arsenic. Dr. Oz’s reports were based on the combined number of arsenic – both organic and inorganic.

According to the FDA, for a food or beverage to be considered unsafe for public consumption, it should have at least 23 ppb (parts per billion) of combined organic and inorganic arsenic. Anything that has an arsenic content above this limit would be subject to retest by the FDA to measure the exact amount of the inorganic arsenic which is more unsafe than the organic arsenic. Dr. Besser and the FDA refute Dr. Oz’s claims simply because he did not base his reports on the amount of the inorganic arsenic.

Arsenic is harmful to humans, especially to children. Some of its bad effects are brain and development problems, kidney problems, diabetes, hormone system changes, organ damage, and cancer. High doses of arsenic are capable of causing death.

Although Dr. Oz’s reports and claims were dubbed as false and irresponsible by many, he still deserves some credit for being able to stir up talks and debates about this issue. Although his report did create this sense of worry among parents, the public deserves to know the truth and the FDA needs to do more tests. Although inconclusive, Dr. Oz’s reports were able to bring focus and attention to this arsenic issue so that it could be addressed accordingly. He emphasized that he never said that children are dying or will die from apple juices. He’s just merely concerned about the long term effects of arsenic to children who are drinking apple juices that may contain arsenic levels that exceed those set by the FDA itself. A watchdog for public safety is laudable.

Before, people used candles and oil lamps to light their houses, especially come night time. Today, people use electric light bulbs. In one switch or click, light can be turned on or off. However, with every technological advancement comes a series of environmental drawbacks.

People raved when Thomas Edison invented the incandescent light bulb, which is a light producing article that works through the heating of a filament wire in high temperatures that cause the said filament to glow. This filament is protected by a glass bulb full of inert or non-reactive gas. People were given something more convenient when incandescent light bulbs came about. However, it was soon discovered that incandescent bulbs consume huge amounts of electric power without providing effective lighting. 90% of the power consumed by a light bulb comes out as heat, instead of visible light. Since people believed that reading in low or dim light can cause visual health problems like eye strain, when fluorescent lamps were created, people made the switch, literally.

Former US vice-president Al Gore joins the throng of environmentalists who are campaigning for the use of CFLs or compact fluorescent lamps over incandescent light bulbs. Two of the main points in their argument are: CFLs use less electricity and CFLs last longer. Here are a few more advantages of CFLs over incandescent:

• For the same amount of light, a regular incandescent bulb needs 60 watts of power while a CFL needs only 15 watts.
• Regular incandescent bulbs last up to 1,000 hours, while CFLs last up to 10,000 hours.
• A life of a single CFL is equivalent 10 incandescent bulb changes.

Sure, CFLs last longer and consume much less electricity compared to incandescent bulbs. However, many people are concerned about the mercury content of CFLs. You see, a fluorescent bulb has electrodes at the opposite ends of its tube. This tube contains mercury vapor and argon, and is lined with phosphor coating inside. When electrons flow through the gas in the tube from one electrode to the other, the electrons “excite” the mercury atoms. When the mercury atoms go back to their relaxed or original state, they give off these ultraviolet photos that strike the phosphor coating which then create visible light.

Since CFLs contain mercury which is a highly toxic substance, the Environmental Protection Agency issues stern warnings against the use and disposal of mercury infused CFLs. CFLs must be properly discarded to prevent the spread of mercury which can cause adverse health effects (See also A Mercury-Free Home).

So what are people supposed to use? Since scientists and inventors still need to come up with a better and safer substitute for the CFLs, people really have no choice but to settle for the better option than the incandescent bulbs which are the CFLs. People would just have to use and discard CFLs properly to avoid mercury poisoning.

No doubt, music is one part of culture that we humans can’t live without. Since walkmans and iPods were invented, we were given access to the music that we love anytime, anywhere. This is of course, with the help of audio output devices or what we’ve commonly referred to as headphones, earphones, or earbuds.

Headphones originated from telephone earpieces primarily used to listen to audio signals. Fast forward to the present time, headphones now have different brands, sizes, and color. Most have stereo sound features, while some have turbo bass. Whatever the features are, headphones allow us to listen to our favorite playlist anytime we want to without disturbing other people. Moreover, we can crank up the volume on our headphones and still not be a bother to others. Problem is, headphones pump music directly into our ears, which can be harmful. If we turn up the volume to a level that is way past 80 decibels, then we are highly susceptible to hear loss or deafness.

According to the US Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), 7 hours of continuous listening to noise set at 80 decibels can be harmful. Imagine what 100 decibels at more than 8 hours can do to your ears. Loud music, especially when played at close proximity in a contained manner like with headphones, can affect sensory ear cells and cause either temporary or permanent hearing loss. Moreover, hearing loss can occur if we listen to loud music like in concerts even for a mere 15 minutes.

It’s therefore important that we preserve our hearing by turning the volume down. Sure, we love to “pump up the jam” whenever we hear our favorite song playing. Who wouldn’t? However, we need to give our ears some break. Experts say that listening to mp3 players like iPods needs to be done in at least an hour at just 60% of the maximum volume. If we do need to listen via headphones for 8 hours a day, we need to take an hourly break of at least 15 minutes. This would prevent the buildup of ear wax that can block our ears and cancel any type of noise, resulting to hearing loss.

It’s okay to listen to music which we all love, but it’s still important to preserve our hearing. Abusing our sense of hearing may backfire someday and we might end up not hearing anything at all.

Summer is fun, but not when you get sun burnt. Sunburns are caused by too much exposure to the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) radiation. A UV ray has three wavelengths – UVA, UVB, and UVC. The first two are the ones that reach the earth. Therefore, sunburns are specifically caused by UVA and UVB rays.

When a skin is overexposed to the sun’s rays, the skin’s living tissue is burnt. This burnt tissue manifests as reddish skin. Depending on the length of exposure and the amount of UV radiation, sunburns may either be mild like a suntan, or life-threatening like skin cancer. Sun tanning may be healthy if done in moderation. Since sun tanning can increase the amount of melanin in the skin, the skin’s natural defense also improves. Melanin is the dark pigment in the skin’s epidermis. It’s an excellent photoprotectant or a natural protection against UV radiation.

To prevent sunburn, avoid going out from 10am until 3pm. These are the hours during daytime when the sun’s rays are at their strongest. Stay in the shade as much as possible. If you really need to go out, apply some sunscreen at least 20 minutes before heading out. Use sunscreens with SPF 15 and above. However, if going out to the beach, choose sunscreens with SPF of at least 40. SPF means Sun Protection Factor. Choose sunscreens that provide protection against both UVA and UVB rays. Never apply sunscreen on the skin of children aged 6 months and below.

Wear hats and other sun protection gear like sunglasses. Use an umbrella if the sun’s too high. Wear only light-colored clothes during summer to keep you feeling cool. Moisturize your skin as frequently as possible. Apply lotion even when not going out. And last but not least, keep your body and skin hydrated by drinking lots and lots of water.