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| Vol. 23, No. 3 |
| February 15, 2001 |
 Pacifiers With Honey Pose Problems for Babies Sweetening your baby's pacifier with honey may seem like a good idea, but it is a practice that should be avoided, said Dr. Kathleen Motil, a gastroenterology and nutrition specialist at Texas Children's Hospital. "The American Dietetic Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics caution parents to avoid giving honey to babies in any form up until the age of 1," Dr. Motil said. "Honey, especially raw, can harbor spores of a toxic bacteria." These spores are harmless for adults and older children; however, they can cause botulism, a severe foodborne illness that can be fatal in babies younger than 12 months, Dr. Motil said, in addition to promoting tooth decay. - Courtesy of Texas Children's Hospital Yoga Provides Ultimate Workout Other activities might build bigger muscles or burn more calories, but yoga gives the body and mind the ultimate workout. "There may be more physically demanding activities," said Dr. Ken Goodrick, an associate professor of medicine at Baylor College of Medicine, "but yoga has other benefits such as reducing stress and allowing individuals to breathe more easily." Yoga strengthens bones and muscles and improves posture and overall health and vitality. "The best part of yoga is that you don't have to be in peak physical shape to do it," Dr. Goodrick said. "That makes it ideal for seniors who might not otherwise exercise." - Courtesy of Baylor College of Medicine Helmet I.D.Tags Aid in Emergencies The benefits of wearing a helmet are well documented for a variety of activities, such as bike- and scooter-riding, inline skating and skateboarding. Now, helmets offer another advantage - identifying the wearer. Identification tags can provide vital information such as:
"Many helmet wearers, including children, do not have personal identification with them," said Dr. Alexander Injac with Texas Children's Pediatric Associates. "Adhering a tag with personal and medical information to the inside of the helmet could prove invaluable if the wearer were in an accident and needed immediate medical care." - Courtesy of Texas Children's Hospital Be on the Lookout for Signs of Huffing Parents who suspect their child is "huffing" should intervene as soon as possible. Huffing is a potentially deadly form of inhalant abuse in which intoxicating vapors or fumes are inhaled through the mouth to get a quick "high." Everyday products like spray paint, cooking spray, air freshener and butane can be sprayed into cans and small plastic bags or onto clothing so the concentrated vapors can be huffed or inhaled. Chemicals found in spray cans of whipped cream can also be huffed. "This is a dangerous practice, because the chemicals can trigger irregular heart rhythms," said Dr. Nancy Neff, assistant professor of family and community medicine at Baylor College of Medicine. Clues that your child might be huffing include an unusual breath odor or unusual odor on clothes; a drunken or dizzy appearance; slurred or disoriented speech; chronic runny nose and red eyes; mood changes such as anxiety, excitability, irritability, or lethargy; and frequent sniffing of clothing. If your child has these symptoms, he or she could suffer a heart attack, so consult your primary care doctor as soon as possible. If your child faints or loses consciousness, call 9-1-1. Perform CPR if the child has no pulse. Long-term treatment usually requires enrollment in a 12-step drug-abuse program. - Courtesy of Baylor College of Medicine Respiratory Virus Poses Health Threat to Infants Respiratory syncytial virus, which causes a serious lung infection, affects thousands of infants annually, and it's in season until March. "About 70 percent of children will contract RSV by age 1," said Dr. Michael Speer, a pediatrician at Texas Children's Hospital. While the virus may be especially dangerous to premature and multiple-birth babies, it usually amounts to little more than a cold for most healthy children, Dr. Speer said. To reduce the risk of exposing infants to the virus, wash hands often, stay away if you have a cold or fever, limit exposure to children with cold symptoms, avoid crowded areas and refrain from smoking around babies or children. - Courtesy of Texas Children's Hospital Fish Oil Fat Holds Promise as Mood Stabilizer A fat that's good for the heart might also be a salve for the brain. Omega-3 fatty acids, the fish oil fat long touted for heart health, might also help soothe the manic highs and depressive lows of bipolar disorder. In a four-month pilot study, researchers at Baylor College of Medicine and Harvard's Brigham and Women's Hospital found that patients who received omega-3 fatty acid supplements in addition to their standard medications were four times less likely to suffer recurrent mood symptoms than those who received a placebo. An expanded study has been launched. Bipolar disorder is one of the most prevalent of severe psychiatric illnesses, affecting more than 2.5 million adult Americans during their lifetime. Individuals with the disorder suffer cycles of deep depression and euphoria that might or might not be broken by periods of normalcy. Episodes typically last weeks or months. "These extreme mood swings are very disruptive to work and relationships," said Dr. Lauren Marangell, a Baylor associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral science. - Courtesy of Baylor College of Medicine
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