Immunity Against Pertussis Disappearing After Vaccine Dosage Completed?

   

      It's difficult to diagnose.  It's potentially lethal, and it's spreading.  An infectious disease that, until the introduction of the vaccine, was once the leading cause of childhood illness and death during the first half of the 20th century, is back---despite the high rates of children receiving the vaccine to prevent against the disease.
       Pertussis (more commonly referred to as Whooping Cough) is caused by the bacterium Bordetella pertussis (or B. pertussis).  When an infected person coughs or sneezes, tiny germ-laden droplets are sprayed into the air and breathed into the lungs by anyone who happens to be nearby.  Once inside a person's airways, the bacteria multiply and produce toxins that interfere with the respiratory tract.  The bacteria causes inflammation that narrows the breathing tubes in the lungs, causing uncontrollable coughing.
      When a person becomes infected with pertussis, it takes an estimated three to 12 days for signs and symptoms of the disease to occur.  The symptoms are usually mild at first, and may resemble the symptoms of the common cold.  They can include:

*Runny nose
*Nasal congestion
*Red, watery eyes
*Mild fever
*Dry cough

     After a week or two, the signs and symptoms will become worse.  However, if pertussis is diagnosed early, it can be treated with antibiotics. 
     Before a vaccine was available, pertussis claimed the lives of between 5,000 and 10,000 people in the United States each year.  The first vaccine was developed in the 1930s and became widely used in the 1940s.  According to the March of Dimes, a new vaccine called Tdap was introduced in the early 1990s.  But, despite widespread vaccination, there seems to be an unfortunate incidence where immunity is waning.  A study published in the April 2013 edition of the medical journal Pediatrics  set out to determine how long immunity to pertussis lasts after children receive their fifth dosage of the diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis (DTap) vaccine between the ages of four to six years-old.  Joint researchers with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the public health offices in Oregon and Minnesota tracked the immunization records of children in both states and compared them with pertussis data.  Their results were startling, as researchers unveiled an increase in the incidence of pertussis in children in the six years after receiving their fifth dose of DTaP, and the incidence of the disease in children aged 7 to 10 years old in Minnesota increased more than sixfold from 2007 to 2010. 
     This study reveals that when matched with similar recent studies, immunity  begins to disappear after vaccination, which according to the researchers, "helps to explain the growing incidence of pertussis in 7 to 10 year-olds who previously had a low risk of disease, presumably due to vaccination with whole-cell vaccines rather than the acellular pertussis vaccine now in use."
     The authors maintain that while new vaccines will be introduced in the future, it's, "important to maintain high immunization rates with existing vaccines to protect vulnerable populations as more disease is circulating in the community."
    

Too Much of a Good Thing Too Soon--- Alarming New Trend in Introducing Solid Food Before Baby May Be Ready

 

 

 

     As your little one grows, introducing a new, wide variety of healthy foods at the proper time is so important for your baby's growth and development.  Starting good eating habits at this early stage will help to set healthy eating habits in your baby for life.  Normally, pediatricians recommend the introduction of solid foods when your baby is between the ages of four to six months-old.  Typical signs to be on the lookout for that your baby may be ready to move onto solid foods can include some of the following:

* He/She can sit up with your support and can hold his/her neck up well.
*Her/His weight from birth has doubled.
*She/He can keep food in their mouth rather than letting it dribble out of his/her mouth.

      However, a new study published in the March 25th online edition of the medical journal Pediatrics, has revealed that many moms are introducing their babies to solid foods earlier than recommended.  Researchers examined data taken from an estimated 1, 300 mothers who decided to introduce solid food to their infants during the first year, as well as collected their reasoning's as to why they introduced solid food.  According to the study, 40.4 percent of moms started their babies on solid foods before they turned four months-old, with the highest percentage found among formula-fed infants (52.7 percent).  The lowest percentage was found in breast-fed infants (24.3) percent. 
     Additionally, while the study's researchers mentioned that they were many factors that influenced a mother's belief about infant feeding--mothers who introduced sold food earlier than recommended were found to be more likely to, "be younger, unmarried, have a lower level of education, or be participating in the WIC (Woman, Infants and Children) program." 
     Pediatricians across the country are noticeably concerned over this new trend, as the researchers note that, "babies bodies are not yet prepared for these foods, and early introduction may increase the risk of some chronic diseases.  It can also mean that the many benefits of breastfeeding are cut short."
      Modest Momma lies on the side of caution--- always follow the advice of your baby's pediatrician before you try to introduce solids to your little ones! :

Simple Ways to Keep Your Hands Looking Healthy

     Although your face is probably the most important feature in determining your age, your hands come in a close second.  It is almost impossible for anyone to go through their day without using their hands.  From washing, driving, writing, gardening─ our hands are one of our most used body parts.  As with anything that is used on a frequent basis, the delicate skin on our hands tends to give off very visible signs of aging and distress.  Stop for a moment to take a good look at your hands?  Do they look or feel dry?  Is the skin thin, wrinkled, spotty or veiny? How can we at least attempt to offset the effects of stress and aging on our hands?  Fear not, as there are several simple ways to keep your hands looking radiant, youthful and healthy.

●Exfoliate and moisturize!─ As our hands build up layers of dead, flaky skin, the addition of an exfoliating cream in your daily skin care routine will gently slough off dead skin cells, and go a long way to keep the skin on your hands looking vibrant. There are several worthwhile products on the market that will go a long way to help keep the skin on your hands looking vibrant.  I have recently had the privilege of trying two very excellent products, each separately for a four week period to see how well they worked, and the results from both of these products were remarkable.

     Moroccanoil Hand Cream─ Filled with antioxidant rich argan oil, containing essential fatty acids and natural tocopherols (Vitamin E), Moroccanoil Hand Cream assists in hydrating and nourishing your hands.  As a librarian, my regular hand washing habit has wreaked havoc on my hands, leaving them red, chapped and raw.  I found that after using this product for a whole month, the cream quickly disappeared into my skin, without leaving a heavy oily feeling. Moroccanoil Hand Cream is available at Bluemercury and luxury spas nationwide.  For further information about the Moroccanoil line of products, please visit their website at: http://www.moroccanoil.com/usa/b_us_en/

     While it is marketed specifically for the hands, Gold Bond Ultimate Intensive Healing Hand Cream  works just as well on your face (at first, I was a bit hesitant, as I have long suffered from very sensitive skin on my face) and body.  Its size made it extremely portable, and fit easily in my purse where I used it throughout the day at school.  After four weeks of usage, this product always left my hands feeling soft and supple, without a greasy residue.  I also greatly appreciated the fact that it is not highly fragrant, and it has a good thickness but does not make your skin feel heavy in any way. Gold Bond Ultimate Intensive Healing Hand Cream is available at Target and Wal-Mart’s nationwide, and for further information about Gold Bond Ultimate’s line of skin care products, please visit their website at: http://www.goldbondultimate.com/home.html

●Plant an herb garden─ Herbs have long been valued not only for their benefits when taken internally, but also for their healing and beautifying properties when used externally. For example, Lavender’s natural healing properties assist in relieving red, dry and inflamed hands.

●Don’t forget your sunscreen! ─ Sun damage causes hands to develop those dreaded age spots.  So, it’s important to remember that after you’ve finished applying sun block to your face and other extremities, don’t forget to apply some to your hands if you plan to be outdoors for an extended period of time.

Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs

     Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs is a simple yet funny retail of the classic fairytale, Goldilocks and the Three Bears, by three-time Caldecott Honor winner Mo Willems.  After tidying up their home, mommy and daddy dinosaur and a little suitcase carrying dinosaur visiting from Norway, started to feel very, very hungry.  So, daddy dinosaur cooks up three bowls of scrumptious chocolate pudding all at different temperatures (one hot, one cold, one, well…you remember…just right!).  But, our naughty trio decides that this pudding would taste so much better with the addition of a delicious child!  Quickly hatching their plot, the three lay in wait in the nearby woods for an unsuspecting little girl to come by!  While trying to not give so much of the tale away, your little readers will always remember the look on Goldilocks face when she is done eating the bowls of pudding, and the “We are natural gas” poster is hilarious (although for your little ‘dinosaurs’ you may need to explain why it’s so funny). Delightfully entertaining from start to finish, your little ones will have you reading this tale over and over again!

Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs (2012)

Retails for $17.99 (Hardcover)

As retold by Mo Willems

Ages 4 and up (or, as the author notes, “For dinosaur ages Triassic to Jurassic”)

ISBN: 978-0-06-210418-2

Publisher:  Balzer + Bray (An Imprint of HarperCollins Publishers)

Website: www.harpercollinschildrens.com

 

 

 

 

 

Charlie and the Christmas Kitty

     Stories that take children on an adventure that they perhaps may never get a chance to experience in life are those that I am drawn to, both as a mother as well as an elementary school librarian.  To see the joy in my child’s as well as my students faces when I share a story with them that they will learn something new brings me great pleasure, which I experienced when I shared Charlie and the Christmas Kitty, Ree Drummond’s delightful follow up to her New York Times best-selling picture book, Charlie the Ranch Dog.

     Our tale quickly transports us back out to the Drummond’s Oklahoma ranch, where Charlie, the helpful basset hound’s idyllic life as chief ranch hand and occasional squirrel chaser is quickly turned upside down by the arrival of a new baby kitten.  As Charlie soon tries, to no success, in getting the kitten to go away (“Maybe if I take a nice, long nap, it’ll go away”), he realizes that after the little kitten helps to make his back feel better from a hard day’s work on the ranch by scratching his fur, maybe this little addition to the family won’t be so bad after all.  With Diane de Groat’s colorfully detailed illustrations, and Drummond’s cheerful prose, this delightful storybook is destined to become a great addition to the list of holiday tales that I will share with  both my family as well as my students every year.

Charlie and the Christmas Kitty (2012)

Written by Ree Drummond & Illustrated by Diane deGroat

Retails for: $17.99 (Hardcover)

Ages 4 thru 8

ISBN: 978-0-06-199657-3

Publisher:  Harper Collins

Website: www.harpercollins.com

 

 

ALEX ®Duct Tape Tote™ kit.

     It may seem funny to us adults, but duct tape has become a unique fashion trend among kids and teens, and your budding fashion accessory designer will find it’s so simple to use to create a one-of-a-kind tote purse with ALEX ® Duct Tape Tote™ kit.

     Simply take the plain pre-sewn tote bag (featuring two straps) and either use the clear instructions found in the kit, or go about setting and expressing your own individual style with the six colorful rolls of duct tape and stencil to design your unique purse.  You can also add your own stickers, using the tape, stencils as well as paper that are included in the kit.   

     We found that although the tape was not as sticky as regular duct tape, we completely recommend this great product from ALEX, as it helps to foster girls’ imaginations to create their very own creations.

     Perfect for ages 7 and up, the ALEX® Duct Tape Tote™ kit retails for $18.95.  To find  a retailer near you, please visit the ALEX website at: www.alextoys.com

 

Santa on the Loose! ─ A Seek and Solve Mystery!

Santa on the Loose! ─ A Seek and Solve Mystery!
     Santa Claus’ sleigh has been checked and is ready to make his annual nighttime trip, except there’s just one (big) problem─ the presents are missing!  This colorful and amusing book by author Bruce Hale reminded me of the “Where’s Waldo?” books that were so popular when I was younger.   Both you and your little one will have to search among brilliantly bright illustrations to solve the clues.  Who hid the presents, you ask?  Was it Loki the eyeglass wearing reindeer? Or could it be Emo, Santa’s elf helper?  Both you and your little one will have to search among pages of brilliantly bright illustrations by artist Dave Garbot.  With so many suspects, your little one will have to do a lot of thinking to crack this case before Christmas comes! 

 

Written by Bruce Hale & Illustrated by Dave Garbot

Retails for: $7.99 (Hardcover)

Ages 4 thru 8

 ISBN:978-0-06-202262-2

 Publisher: Harper Festival

Website:www.harpercollins.com