BAM! Body and Mind: Making health education fun for kids

 As parents, we know it is important for kids to learn about health, wellness, and how their bodies work so they can lead healthy lives as kids and as adults. Schools usually include some health education into their curriculum but parents still have a responsibility to provide further instruction. The challenge lies in how to do that in a fun, engaging way so kids actively learn the information and can then actually apply what they learn. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC), which is an agency of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, has created an online educational website devoted to helping parents and educators teach health education in just such a way.

The CDC’s website for kids ages 9-13 years old is named BAM! Body and Mind and according to the website’s description:

“gives them the information they need to make healthy lifestyle choices. The site focuses on topics that kids told us are important to them — such as stress and physical fitness — using kid-friendly lingo, games, quizzes, and other interactive features.

 

BAM! Body and Mind also serves as an aid to teachers, providing them with interactive, educational, and fun activities that are linked to the national education standards for science and health.“

Using BAM!, kids can learn about various diseases, food and nutrition, physical activity and fitness, safety, how bodies work, and how to handle emotions and stress. One of the coolest features is the KABAM! Comic Creator which allows the user to make choices for the characters in the comic and solve problems the characters are facing, such as peer pressure and bullying. This interactive tool puts the user in control and helps kids learn how to make smart and safe decisions and learn problem-solving skills.

BAM! also allows kids a place to tell the CDC what they want to learn about on the site and their suggestions for improving the site. Kudos to the Centers for Disease Control for designing this excellent online learning tool for kids, parents, and teachers.

Holiday Food That Makes You Sick

Every host wants guests to leave the table with a full stomach, not a stomach bug. Unfortunately, 76 million cases of food-borne diseases occur in the United States each year, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that 325,000 of those cases result in a trip to the emergency room. This time of year, with heaps of food and extra guests, it’s all too easy to contaminate meals with food-borne bugs or a nasty flu virus.

Luckily, there are a few simple safe-cooking precautions that will keep your friends and family safe and healthy this holiday season. Barbara Kowalcyk, director of food safety at The Center for Foodborne Illness Research & Prevention in Grove City, Pa., shares her tips to help prevent both food poisoning and germ-sharing.

At the Store

Keep raw meats and poultry separate from packaged foods in your cart. The outside of meat packages can be contaminated with bacteria, and touching them means you can easily spread germs and bacteria to other products. “Don’t be afraid to use a plastic bag from the produce department as a glove when handling meats,” says Kowalcyk. “A little precaution now can save you from a big mess later.”

At Home

Proper preparation is the key to safe cooking. Before cooking any meals, clean your hands and all work surfaces. Designate different cutting boards for different types of foods to help prevent cross-contamination. It’s also important to pay attention to what you’re doing. “Don’t go from cutting a chicken to making a salad. Wash your hands,” says Kowalcyk.

Knowing which foods to wash also prevents illness. Always wash the tops of cans and all fruits and vegetables. “People are often surprised to learn that something like a salad can make them sick,” says Kowalcyk. She recommends skipping prepackaged bagged leaves and buying the whole head instead. Remove the outside leaves as well as any with tears, which are the most likely to be contaminated.

Don’t put meat and poultry in the sink. “It doesn’t need to be washed,” says Kowalcyk. Washing raises the risk of contaminating other surfaces in your kitchen. It only takes between three and 10 microbes to start an infection (more than a million can fit on the head of a pin). Just a few drops of dirty water can really wreck havoc on your kitchen. Washing the food won’t kill bacteria, but cooking your food to the proper temperature will.

If You’re Sick

If you’re fighting the flu or a cold, you should stay out of the kitchen altogether. Give instructions to another family member or consider wearing a mask as you prepare the food. If nothing else, wash your hands more often — especially after you cough or sneeze.

In the Oven

Testing meat for color, touch or until juices run clear is not a good way to tell if food is done. “Testing the internal temperature is the only way to know if it’s cooked to a safe temperature,” says Kowalcyk. She recommends you ditch the dial thermometers and pop-up buttons included with some prepackaged turkeys since both may not be calibrated properly. Instead, use a digital thermometer to test meat at its thickest point and poultry at the joint between the thigh and leg.

The United States Department of Agriculture recommends cooking foods to the following minimum temperatures to ensure safe consumption:

• Poultry:  165 F
• Ground turkey and chicken:  165 F
• Pork:  160 F (for medium)
• Ham:  160 F
• Beef, veal and lamb:  145 F (for medium rare)
• Ground beef, veal, lamb and pork:  160 F
• Roast beef:  140 F
• Seafood:  145 F
• Egg dishes:  160 F
• Stuffing:  165 F

At the Table

Don’t let food sit out for more than two hours. This includes the time it may be on the counter or table before you serve it. Keep hot foods hot in the oven and cold foods cold in the refrigerator. “Don’t let your foods get to room temperature,” says Kowalcyk. “That’s where bacteria likes to grow. And the longer it sits out, the more you increase your risk of getting sick.”

After the Meal

Transfer warm leftovers to shallow dishes so they’ll cool down evenly and quickly in the fridge. Also keep in mind that the temperature increases in an overstuffed fridge, so you may need to adjust yours for a few days after a big meal to make sure it stays at a safe 40 F.

The Next Day

Everyone loves leftovers, but not everyone should reach for the cold turkey. Those vulnerable to illness — young children, pregnant women and people with chronic conditions — should reheat leftovers to 165 F before eating them. “Most people will be OK, but it’s always better to be safe than sorry,” says Kowalcyk.

National Influenza Vaccination Week

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) urges parents to vaccinate themselves and their children from the seasonal flu and H1N1 influenza during National Influenza Vaccination Week (NIVW). NIVW is a national observance established to educate the public about the importance of influenza vaccination and is being held January 10-16, 2010. Originally scheduled to be held in December of 2009, the date was changed to a time that demand for flu vaccines usually decreases significantly. The CDC hopes to encourage more people to get vaccinated to help curb the spread of both H1N1 and the seasonal flu.

“Vaccination is your best protection against seasonal and 2009 H1N1 flu viruses,” says Dr. Anne Schuchat, Director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases at CDC. “Influenza is a contagious disease that can cause symptoms such as fever, sore throat, cough, extreme tiredness, runny or stuffy nose, and sometimes vomiting and diarrhea. Complications can include pneumonia, bronchitis, sinus infections and ear infections, and worsening of chronic medical conditions such as asthma, diabetes, and some neurodevelopmental conditions.”

“This year, more than ever, do all you can do to protect yourself and your children from the flu,” says Schuchat. “The 2009 H1N1 flu virus is spreading rapidly. We’re already seeing it attack otherwise healthy children, teens, and young adults. Medical clinics on college campuses are being flooded by persons with influenza. So keep informed, wash your hands often, cover your coughs and sneezes, keep sick children at home, and if you’re sick, stay home from work and get you and your family vaccinated against seasonal flu and 2009 H1N1 flu.”

Children are in the high-risk category for the H1N1 influenza virus, as it seems to have a stronger impact on young, healthy kids than the seasonal flu usually does. It is recommended by the CDC to vaccinate all people ages 6 months to 24 years for H1N1 influenza and seasonal flu and especially any person who has a medical condition that would make them more susceptible to complications of influenza, such as asthma or an immune disorder.

Many people wonder why it is necessary to get an influenza vaccine yearly instead of once, or every few years like other vaccines. The CDC states:

Flu vaccines are effective for a year from the time they are administered. For children ages six months to eight years who have never received a seasonal flu vaccine before, two doses are needed, spaced four weeks apart. One dose will suffice for older children. For the 2009 H1N1 flu vaccine, all children through age 9 years should receive two doses.

As for infants younger than six months, the CDC says this:

Children under six months are too young to receive flu vaccine, but they are among the most vulnerable to developing serious, even fatal, complications from flu. This makes vaccination of their family members and caregivers especially critical for their protection.

CDC also recommends that close contacts, especially family members and caregivers of all children less than six months old, get a seasonal flu vaccine each year to provide added protection to this high‐risk group.

If you have questions about whether your child should or should not receive either type of influenza vaccine, please talk with your child’s doctor who can help you determine whether or not to vaccinate and which type of administration (injection aka “flu shot” or the flu mist nasal spray) is the best for your child if you do choose to vaccinate.

 For more information and resources about protecting your children from H1N1 and seasonal influenza, please visit www.Flu.gov/getvaccinated

What’s New with Swine Flu: Keep Your Family Safe & Have a Laugh Too

What do you do when you hear “global pandemic?” Is it time to build a bunker? Should you and your family lock yourself in with enough PB&J for weeks of sustenance? The novel H1N1 virus commonly known in the US as swine flu has officially been deemed a global pandemic. Somehow, though, the initial flutter seems to have died down. Parents now alternate between worrying about how to protect their families from this illness and wondering if they should purposefully expose their children now when the virus is “mild.”

Though the media buzz has calmed a bit and my friends are surprised to hear it, our pediatric practice in San Francisco is seeing huge numbers of children infected with swine flu. Since it is clear that this virus will be with us for some time, I will review what we know about the 2009 H1N1 influenza virus. A strain of flu that infects pigs has mutated so that it can make humans sick, and also be transmitted between humans. It has spread across borders and has caused human-to-human transmission in many countries. It was officially elevated to the level of a “global pandemic,” by the World Health Organization in early June.

It is now clear that this strain of flu will cause illness in tens or hundreds of thousands of people, but that most people who get sick will have a mild to moderate illness. Experts are debating the likelihood of the current virus mutating to a form that is much more virulent by the fall or winter, but the virus may well stay mild. Only time will tell the extent and severity of the 2009 H1N1 influenza.

Being on the front line of a pandemic is quite an experience, and at times I am tempted to feel a little nervous myself. At the moment, however, the best thing that all of us can do is use common sense, stay informed, and, as usual: don’t panic.

Here are some basic facts about this flu virus so far. Things continue to change: please visit a reliable source like the CDC’s website for up-to-date information.

• The symptoms of this swine flu are the same as “regular” seasonal flu: fever, cough, runny nose, sore throat, and body aches. Some people have vomiting or diarrhea and headache along with these symptoms.
• So far the cases in the US have been mild, but there have been deaths, mostly in people with chronic health conditions.
• Many people do not know that seasonal influenza causes an average of 35,000 deaths yearly. These deaths are mostly in the elderly.
• The virus spreads in the same way that seasonal flu spreads: mainly from person to person through coughing and sneezing.
• The swine flu germ can also be spread by touching an object or surface contaminated by the virus. Some germs can live on surfaces for up to 2 hours.
• The swine flu virus cannot be transmitted by eating pork products.
• People with the swine flu may be contagious one day before getting symptoms and up to 7 or more days after they become ill.
• If you are exposed to swine flu you may become ill 1 to 7 days after exposure.
• The current flu shot does not protect against this strain of flu virus. A swine flu vaccine is being manufactured, but will not be ready for several months.
• There are medications to treat swine flu but these medications are only effective when given within the first 24-28 hours of symptoms and only shorten the duration of the illness by one day. Most health authorities are currently recommending the selective treatment of people who are very ill or who have chronic illnesses. These recommendations are also changing: you may read the details on the CDC website or contact your health care provider.

Tips for parents:

• As always, try to prevent your child (and you!) from getting sick.
  • Wash hands frequently with soap and water or use hand-sanitizing cleaners.
    • Having your child sing the ABC song during the hand washing may get them close to the recommended 15-20 seconds.
  • Cover little mouths and noses when sneezing or coughing.
  • Try to avoid close contact with sick people.
  • If you are sick, try to limit your contact with others as much as possible. (I know, this is all *much* easier said than done).
• If your child has a mild illness, it may be best to stay home, give them your usual excellent care, and closely observe them for signs of serious illness.
• If your child is moderately ill, please contact your health care provider.
• If your child is extremely ill, please go to the local emergency department.
• There is gobs of good and bad information about the swine flu available on TV, the radio and on the internet. Try to get your information from a trusted source.
  • Keep yourself updated about the situation by following the updates by the CDC’s website.
  • In many states, the public health department has a website that is being updated with local information and recommendations. California’s swine flu site has local recommendations.
  • A lover of maps, I like watching this attempt at mapping the number of cases as the virus races around the globe. Since I diagnosed about 12 cases (not laboratory confirmed) last Monday without telling these guys, however, I can only imagine that the real numbers are much larger.

 On the Lighter Side:

A firm believer that humor eases our stress in times of crisis, I wrote a post on my blog about my favorite moments in the virus-formerly-known-as-the-swine-flu epidemic (now pandemic). But they just keep coming. Here are several that hit my funnybone recently.

• Thanks to Dr. Rahul Parikh for pointing me to the variety of multimedia tools that the CDC  has pulled out for this one!
  • You can send your coworkers and friends an e-card to remind them to wash their hands, cover their sneezes, and keep their snotty little ones out of your kid’s school. But please “send all”– I’m pretty certain I would be offended if I received one of these directed just at me.
  • You can browse flikr to see electron micrograph pictures of the dastardly flu virus itself. There are also pictures of people getting immunizations, presumably part of a vaccine campaign: don’t miss the black and white photo of a woman getting an immunization from a device that looks like a nail gun. Now that’s going to make the kids rush in to get their flu shots!
• Dr Parikh also highlighted the potential of this outbreak to start a whole new fashion movement. I’m heading in to work today with a sharpy and my favorite red lipstick to make sure that my N95 mask is tres chic.
• Many of my patients ask me about the prudence of so-called “chicken pox parties” but the idea of a swine flu party is altogether batty. I agree with US officials who call it a “bad idea.” Though most people who get swine flu have only a mild or moderate illness, young healthy people–both children and adults–have developed very severe illness and even died. I would try to make a joke about swine flu parties about I cannot touch the British humor of Bryony Gordon.

Are you finding some humor amidst the chaos and tragedy of this pandemic? If so, please share. We can all use a laugh in these trying times.

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LINK INFORMATION

• WHO: http://www.who.int/csr/disease/avian_influenza/phase/en/index.html
• CDC (linked to twice in this section): http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/
• Calif swine flu site: http://www.cdph.ca.gov/HEALTHINFO/DISCOND/Pages/SwineInfluenza.aspx
• Flu map: http://flutracker.rhizalabs.com/
• My blog: favorite moments: http://drkimmd.com/2009/05/11/humor-in-chaos-watching-the-swine-flu-epidemic-evolve/
• Rahul Parikh’s blog post: http://open.salon.com/blog/rahul_k_parikh/2009/04/26/the_web_20_guide_to_swine_flu
• CDC swine flu site: http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/
• Ecards: http://www2a.cdc.gov/eCards/browse.asp?act=brs&chkcategory=&keywords=&page=2
• Flikr: http://www.flickr.com/photos/cdc_e-health
• Dr. Parikh on flu fashion: http://www.flickr.com/photos/cdc_e-health
• US official on swine flu parties: http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5i-VB_9IP5TEVmozh2Ua58D_6miqQ
• Bryony Gordon telegraph article: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/columnists/bryonygordon/5712631/A-swine-flu-party-sounds-fun-but-Ill-stick-to-the-wine-flu.html