Tag Archive for 'AAP'

Weekly Highlights (10/3/2011)

Published on October 3, 2011 in News. 2 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , .

Welcome to “Weekly Highlights”, our weekly post that recaps important child health and safety news, research, and recalls from the previous week and other great reads we’ve come across in our internet travels.

In the News:

Baby Death From Shopping Cart Accident Serves as Warning - Very tragic. Please, please, please don’t ever place your child in a car seat on top of a grocery cart.

Some Pediatricians Refuse to Treat Unvaccinated Children – Some pediatricians, mine included, are now dropping families from their practice whose children are not vaccinated over concerns that it puts other children at risk. The AAP’s stance, however, encourages educational efforts first.

Illness, Deaths From Listeria-Tainted Cantaloupes Expected to Rise - Recent illnesses and deaths have made the latest listeria outbreak the deadliest food outbreak in the U.S. in decades. The CDC expects more to come because the incubation period for listeria is up to a month or longer. Do not eat cantaloupe unless you know where it’s from. Be especially careful for those with compromised immune systems, including pregnant women.

Junk Food Really Cheaper? - Debunking the myth that junk food is cheaper than real food. Interesting research cited on how eating junk food leads to a craving for more.

New Research:

Babies Can Hear Your Voice & Emotions While They Sleep
In a study of babies, aged three to seven months, researchers monitored the brain patterns of the babies while they slept. When they heard human voices making happy, sad, or neutral sounds, their brains showed patterns similar to how adults respond to the same emotional input when awake.

Early To Sleep, Early To Rise Lowers Obesity Risk For Kids
A study of children’s sleep habits in Australia found that despite getting the same amount of sleep each night, those who stayed up later and slept in later were more likely to be obese. In the sleep study, those who woke up early exercised 27 minutes more and watched 48 minutes less of TV than their late rising counterparts. Good reason to start early in forming good habits with our little ones.

Pools, Play-in Fountains Spread Diarrheal Disease
The CDC reports 134 disease outbreaks associated with recreational water in 2007-2008, a 72% increase from the previous report and largest number ever reported in a 2-year period. Cryptosporidium was the most common culprit, a bacteria that is fairly resistant to chlorine, and the highest risk places for contracting this bacteria are public sprinklers and fountains which often use recirculated water.

How to Get Kids to Eat Healthy Foods
In a study aimed at making school lunchrooms healthier, Cornell University researchers found that putting fruit in a colorful bowl more than doubles fruit sales in schools. The researchers also suggest other changes including smaller cereal bowls, moving chocolate milk behind plain milk, and an express lane for those who choose healthy foods.

Good Reads:

A Beautiful Body from Our Regularly Scheduled Program - A tender, bedtime conversation that captures the essence of a message I plan to share often with my children.

The Perfect Play Haven from IHeartOrganizing - I am in LOVE with this play room. Fantastic ideas for organizing your kids’ toys!

Secrets of an Unflappable Working Mother from RealSimple - 10 surprisingly good tips from a working mom who’s been juggling work & family for years.

International Walk to School Day, Every Day from HuffingtonPost - One mother’s example why we should let go of our fears and take action, if necessary, to provide our children with a safe, positive school environment.

Recalls, September 28 – October 3:

CPSC Child Product Recalls

Child Safety Seat Recalls
No child safety seat recall announcements this week.

USDA/FDA Recalls

If there’s anything you see and think we should feature, please send it our way to jasmine@purebebe.com. We hope your week is off to a great start!

XOXO,

Jasmine & Heather

How Safe is Your Sunscreen? The ABCs of Sunscreen

Published on June 22, 2011 in Health & Safety, Organic and Skincare. 4 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , , , .

Did you know that just one blistering sunburn in childhood or adolescence more than doubles the chances of developing melanoma later in life? The same is true for a person who has had 5 or more sunburns at any age. Regardless of what type of sunscreen you use (chemical or mineral-based), the proven benefits of sunscreen outweigh potential risks. That being said, you can limit your child’s exposure to known chemicals by knowing which ingredients to avoid.

First, a few facts about sunscreen to get out of the way.

Chemical versus “Mineral” Sunscreens

Today’s sunscreen market is dominated by either “chemical” sunscreens or “mineral” sunscreens. Any liquid that you put on your child’s skin can penetrate her skin and get absorbed into her bloodstream, so it is very important to know the difference between the two types of sunscreen.

How Do I Know Whether My Sunscreen is “Chemical” or “Mineral” Based?

The best advice we can give you is to check the list of ingredients on your sunscreen bottle before you make a purchase. Mineral sunscreens contain either zinc oxide and/or titanium dioxide as the active ingredient. Chemical sunscreens usually contain one or more of the following ingredients:

  • Benzophenones (dixoybenzone, oxybenzone) - linked to allergies, hormone disruption and cell damage. Also linked to low birth weight in baby girls whose mothers have been exposed to oxybenzone during pregnancy.
  • PABA and PABA esters (ethyl dihydroxy propyl PAB, glyceryl PABA, p-aminobenzoic acid, padimate-O or octyl dimethyl PABA) – research shows this chemical releases free radicals, damages DNA, has estrogenic activity, and can cause allergic reactions.
  • Ethylhexyl p-methoxycinnamate and Octyl methoxycinnamate – Estrogenic effects have been found in laboratory animals as well as disruption of thyroid hormone, and brain signaling.
  • Octocrylene -may be used in combination with other UV absorbers for higher SPF formulas. Produces oxygen radicals when exposed to UV light.
  • Ethylhexyl salicylate, Octyl salicylate – It is a penetration enhancer, which may increase the amount of other chemical ingredients passing through skin.
  • Homosalate – Research indicates it is a weak hormone disruptor, and can enhance the penetration of a toxic herbicide.
  • Menthyl Anthranilate – not permitted for use in Europe or Japan. 1 study found that it produces damaging reactive oxygen species when exposed to sunlight.
  • Avobenzone – Sunlight causes this ingredient to break down into unknown chemicals, especially in the presence of another active ingredient, Octinoxate.

What’s Wrong With Chemical Sunscreens?

Chemical sunscreens are concerning for 3 reasons:
(1) They are powerful free radical generators.
This means that the chemicals used in chemical sunscreens increase cellular damage and changes to the skin, that can lead to cancer.

(2) They have strong estrogenic activity.
Several chemicals used in chemical sunscreens may disrupt the body’s hormone system. A human’s hormone system influences almost every cell, organ and function of our bodies, including the ability to have children.

(3) Synthetic chemicals used in chemical sunscreens tend to accumulate in the body.
No one truly knows how the new chemicals that have been introduced in sunscreens will affect our bodies over time. Many of these chemicals were created in laboratories and have not been tested, for generations, on humans.

Why Are Mineral Sunscreens Better?

The Environmental Working Group (EWG) has determined that Mineral sunscreens offer the best “safety profile” of today’s sunscreens. Mineral sunscreens are labeled as such because they contain zinc oxide and/or titanium dioxide minerals. Mineral sunscreens are often classified as having either micronized- or nano-scale particles of zinc oxide and/or titanium dioxide.

Zinc Oxide versus Titanium Dioxide

In case you were wondering, there is a difference between what both minerals offer in sunscreens.

Zinc Oxide offers broad spectrum protection against all UVA and UVB rays.

Titanium Dioxide, on the other hand, protects against both UVA and UVB rays, but does not cover the entire UVA spectrum. Also, recent research suggests that zinc oxide is superior to titanium dioxide at wavelengths between 340 and 380 nm.

Micronized versus Nanoparticle Sunscreens

This section caused me the most headaches while writing this article. Believe it or not, it is important to know whether your mineral sunscreen contains micronized or nanoparticles, and their sizes, because sunscreens with larger particle sizes (micronized) are less reactive than smaller particles (nanoparticles). As such, micronized sunscreens are usually classified as containing mineral particles greater than 100 nm in size.

What Is A Nanoparticle And Why Is It In Sunscreen?

According to the ASTM International Committee on Nanotechnology, a nanoparticle is defined as a particle between 1 to 100 nm and can be “composed of many different base materials (carbon, silicon, and metals such as gold, cadmium, and selenium)”. Many mineral sunscreens appear white or grayish when applied. So several mineral sunscreen companies have begun using nanoparticles in their sunscreens, in order to make the particle size small enough to get better absorbed into the skin and not create whitening.

However, according to Environment, Health & Safety at MIT:
“In the last year and a half, there have been a number of research articles on the toxicity of different types of nanomaterials. These studies have suggested effects at the cellular level and in short-term animal tests. The effects seen depend on the base material of the nanoparticle, its size and structure, and its substituents and coatings. Additional toxicology testing is being funded or planned by the National Science Foundation (NSF), the National Toxicology Program, and other research organizations in the US and in Europe. ”

So try to avoid nanoparticle mineral sunscreens and buy micronized mineral sunscreens.

What Does Uncoated/Coated Zinc Oxide Mean And Why Does It Matter?

Coated Zinc Oxide
Many sunscreen companies use zinc oxide whose particles have been coated with an inert substance. Coating minerals make small nanoparticles less reactive (less likely to generate free radicals) and easier to mix with base ingredients.

Uncoated Zinc Oxide
Uncoated zinc oxide is more photoreactive than coated zinc oxide, which means that when uncoated zinc oxide is exposed to UV light, it can generate free radicals, which can damage living cells.

Sunscreen companies, such as Badger, that use uncoated zinc oxide argue that uncoated zinc oxide is less reactive than even coated titanium dioxide, and that researchers have found that zinc oxide sits on the outer, dead, layer of skin. Therefore, any free radicals generated will not affect the living cells below the dead layer of skin.

Sun Protection Factor (SPF)

The SPF is a laboratory’s measure of the effectiveness of sunscreen. According to Wikipedia, “The SPF is the amount of UV radiation required to cause sunburn on skin with the sunscreen on, as a multiple of the amount required without the sunscreen.” In other words, if you normally get sunburned after 1 hour in the sun then a SPF 30 sunscreen would allow you to stay out in the sun for 30 hours before you get burned. However, we all know that, even with sunscreen on, several factors will determine whether or not someone will sunburn (i.e. time of day in sun, whether or not sunscreen is reapplied, exposure to water with sunscreen, etc.).

Typically, chemical sunscreens have protected users from UV-B (the ultraviolet radiation that causes sunburn) but have done little to protect users from UV-A (ultraviolet type a radiation) rays. UVA rays can cause invisible damage to the skin cells deep within the skin, and skin aging. In order to make sure that your sunscreen protects against both UVA and UVB rays, make sure that it is labeled as “Broad Spectrum.”

Do Sunscreens Higher Than SPF30 Really Work?

SPF30 blocks out 97% of the sun’s UVB rays. So anything above SPF30 will not offer any extraordinary amount of protection, just a marginal addition. It is safe to deduce that any sunscreens above SPF30 is purely marketing tactics. Also, the maximum amount of time that you have in the sun with any sunscreen is about 2 hours because after that the sunscreen’s ingredients begin to break down. That’s why most doctors will advise you to reapply every two hours, unless your child is sweating and/or playing in water, in which case you might need to reapply more often.

What Can I Do To Protect My Infant Under 6 Months Old?

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has historically recommended that sunscreen not be applied on infants under 6 months of age. The Australian Cancer Society has come out, though, and said that there is no evidence to suggest that sunscreen on small areas of a baby’s skin has any long-term effects, so the AAP now recommends that when you’re not able to fully protect an infant’s skin with clothing, sunscreen on areas such as the face, neck, and back of the hands is reasonable.

Vitamin A

Recently, the EWG has recommended that people avoid sunscreens containing retinyl palmitate (vitamin A), as a recent FDA study indicated that vitamin A may speed the development of skin tumors and lesions when exposed to sunlight. 30% of sunscreens sold in the U.S. today contain vitamin A. So, try to avoid sunscreens that contain retinyl palmitate/vitamin A.

We will soon publish our 2011 sunscreen picks post after we finish our research, so stay tuned!

What other questions do you have about sunscreens?

Related Articles:
Protecting Your Children’s Delicate Skin from the Sun
Is Your Sunscreen ‘Safe’? Vitamin A Added to Sunscreens May Do More Harm Than Good

Portable Pools are Just as Dangerous as In-Ground Pools

Published on June 20, 2011 in Educational and Health & Safety. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , .

Courtesy of Luiza, Flickr

In the first U.S. study on child drownings in portable pools, the journal Pediatrics has found that a child drowns in portable pools every 5 days during the Summer months.

The Pediatrics study, released today, also found that from 2001-2009, there were 209 fatal drownings and 35 non-fatal drownings. 94% of these drownings involved kids under the age of 5, and 73% of the drownings occurred in the child’s own back yard.

As such, the American Academy of Pediatrics has concluded that portable pools “pose a significant risk” of drowning for kids age 5 and under. Dr. Gary A. Smith says, “”I tell parents that drowning is quick, it’s silent and it’s final.”

Tips to Prevent Your Child (or Someone Else’s) From Drowning in a Portable Pool:

  • If you have any kind of pool, including inflatable, you need a fence to keep out children. Remember that your neighbor’s children can drown in your pool if there is no fence to keep them out.
  • Know the signs of drowning. Remember our post on “Drowning Doesn’t Look Like Drowning?” In most cases, there is no splashing, yelling, or waving.
  • If you have a baby pool in your backyard that is full of water, monitor your child at all times.
  • Teach your child the “rules of the pool” (not allowed to go anywhere near the pool without mommy or daddy).
  • Learn CPR.  If you remember from our post on CPR, after 4 minutes of no normal breathing, a victim’s brain cells will begin to die.  And since the average response time for Emergency Medical Service is 8 minutes, the first responder to a drowning could mean the difference between life and death.
  • Enroll your child in swim lessons, as early as 6 months of age.

The CPSC offers the following additional tips to prevent drowning in swimming pools (portable and in-ground):

  • Install a fence or wall around your pool and hot tub. Fence gates should be self-closing and self-latching. The latch should be out of a small child’s reach.
  • Install a power safety cover – a motor-powered barrier that can be placed over the water area.
  • Keep rescue equipment by the pool and make sure a phone is nearby for emergencies.
  • Don’t leave pool toys and floats in the pool or pool area that may attract young children to the water.
  • Remove, secure and lock steps and ladders to the pool when the pool is not in use.
  • If a child is missing, always look in the pool first. Seconds count in preventing death or disability.
  • Install pool alarms for an added precaution. Pool alarms should meet the requirements of the ASTM standard.
  • To prevent body and/or hair entrapment, have a qualified pool professional inspect the drain suction fittings and covers on your pool and spa to be sure they are properly sized and attached.

Additional Links & Resources:

Is Your Baby Protected in the Water?

Drowning Doesn’t Look Like Drowning

CPSC Warns about Pool Hazards, Reports 250 Deaths of Young Children Annually


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