Vol. 29, No. 1
healthbeat
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Growing Together is published quarterly for parents and families in the Miami Valley area by The Children’s Medical Center of Dayton, One Children’s Plaza, Dayton, Ohio 45404-1815.
Visit our web site at www. childrensdayton.org – your online source of child health and safety information.
Inhaling helium is not safe
Many have tried it. Many are told it’s harmless. But inhaling helium to get a high-pitched, cartoon voice can be dangerous, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).
While most kids and teens inhale helium from a balloon, some use a pressurized tank, which is particularly dangerous. Helium acts as a simple asphyxiant, displacing oxygen in the body and increasing the risk of suffocation when present in high concentrations.
Inhaling helium can result in a cerebral arterial gas embolism caused by air bubbles in the bloodstream, which can lead to a temporary stroke. Symptoms include sudden loss of consciousness, nausea, dizziness, seizures, uncontrolled falling, visual disturbances, headaches and asphyxiation.
Protecting your child from abduction
In a child’s mind, many child abductors are not strangers. These may be people they have seen before in the neighborhood or around the school. They may be neighbors or others they know well.
To help your child avoid people or situations with which he or she is uncomfortable, teach the following four rules developed by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children:
- Don’t go out alone.
- Always tell an adult where you are going.
- It’s your body.
- Say “no” if you feel threatened.
For more tips, including internet safety, go to: www.missing kids.com
Is it a cold or the flu
It’s that time of year – when sneezing, coughing, runny noses and cries of “I don’t feel good” have parents asking “Is it a cold or the flu?”
Fortunately, treatment is pretty much the same for both colds and the flu.
“Children who have a cold or flu need extra bed rest, extra fluids and light, easy-to-digest foods. Children also may take over-the-counter medicines after following directions on the package,” says Sherman Alter, MD, director of infectious disease at The Children’s Medical Center of Dayton.
Children who have the flu may have a higher fever, coughing that may be severe, aches and pains, and exhaustion. Children with the common cold usually have a lower fever, runny nose and less coughing.
Prevention
- To protect your kids, teach them to practice good hand-washing. All family members should wash their hands frequently to prevent the spread of infection.
- Use tissues or your sleeves to cover coughs and sneezes. Make sure tissues are disposed of properly.
- Use disposable paper cups in the bathroom and kitchen.
- Keep sick children home from school or day care to control the spread of disease.
- Never give a child aspirin to treat cold or flu symptoms. Aspirin use in children and teens – especially to treat a fever – has been associated with Reyes syndrome.
Serious complications from the flu are rare. Children under 2 years of age, however, may be at risk if exposed to the flu, Dr. Alter says. “They have smaller airways and do not tolerate illness as well as older children or adults.”
Most of the time, cold and flu symptoms can be treated at home with over-the-counter medications to relieve symptoms. If you have concerns, do not hesitate to call your pediatrician or family doctor.
Flu misconceptions
Here are two common misconceptions related to the flu. Knowing the facts will help you get the best care for your child.
- No such thing as “stomach flu.” Many people use the term “stomach flu” to describe gastrointestinal illness with nausea, vomiting or diarrhea. These symptoms can be caused by many other viruses, bacteria or even parasites. While these symptoms may sometimes be related to the flu – particularly in children – they are not symptoms of influenza.
- Hold the antibiotics. Antibiotics do not help. The influenza is caused by a virus and antibiotics have no effect on viruses. The flu may make someone more susceptible to later bacterial pneumonia, but that is a completely different illness. Antiviral medication may be helpful in treating the flu. Talk to your child’s doctor about the best treatment.
Carbon monoxide – the silent killer
Every year, physicians at The Children’s Medical Center of Dayton see children die from carbon monoxide poisoning.
“We tell parents to have furnaces and wood-burning stoves examined every year by a professional to ensure they are operating safely,” says Thomas Krzmarzick, MD, director of the regional pediatric trauma and emergency center at Dayton Children’s. He also recommends that motor vehicles be completely removed from any attached garages when warming them up.
If you have a carbon monoxide detector, make sure it is checked at least once a year. As with smoke detectors, doing this when the time changes makes it easy to remember.
Symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning include:
- Flu-like symptoms
- Headache
- Dizziness
- Weakness or clumsiness
- Blurry vision
- Fatigue
- Loss of consciousness
What to do
- If you have an alarm, treat all activations as the real thing.
- Leave the house immediately.
- Leave the door open on the way out.
- Call the fire department from a neighbor’s house.
- Get medical help.
- Do not return to the house until inspected by a professional.
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