California's Children

DXM OTC drugs off-limits to minors, beg. Jan. 1

As of January 1, 2012, minors will no longer be able to buy over-the-counter (OTC) cough and cold medication containing dextromethorphan (DXM), a common cough suppressant, reports Jondi Gumtz of the Mercury News.

From WebMD: DXM is in more than 125 drugs for cough, cold, and flu, including Dimetapp DM, Nyquil, Robitussin, Coricidin, Delsym, Zicam, Theraflu, and Vick’s Formula 44. It’s also used in store brands of cough and cold medicines, such as Wal-Tussin or Wal-Flu and can come in cough syrups, capsules, lozenges, tablets, and gelcaps.

The soon to be enacted bill, SB 514, authored by state senator Joe Simitian, D-Palo Alto, requires stores to use cash registers that ask the employee to check for identification when anyone purchases OTC medicines containing DXM; California is the first state in the nation to ban the sale of these medicines to minors.

DXM abuse has grown in the last decade, primarily among youth; called robo-tripping, skittling, dex, or candy, when taken in large doses it produces intoxication, hallucinations, seizures and "out of body" sensations. According to the 2010 "Monitoring the Future" survey by the National Institute on Drug Abuse, 3.2% of 8th graders, 5.1% of 10th graders and 6.6% of 12th graders have used DXM in the last year.

The California Poison Control Call System statistics from the bill's Senate floor analysis state that 228 calls were made reporting DXM abuse by minors in 2010. Of these cases, 71% were treated in an emergency room, 4% were admitted to the hospital intensive care unit, and 4% were admitted to the hospital in a non-critical care unit.

Legislation was first introduced in 2004, but stalled due to a lack of understanding of the extent of the problem. This year, Simitian reintroduced the bill:

"Today the extent and seriousness of the problem is better understood," he said. "By putting age limitations on these drugs, we're communicating to kids and their parents that, when used inappropriately, these are dangerous drugs with serious consequences." 

Written for California's Children by Elizabeth J Carlyle.

 

Salt intake should be monitored in infants

Children who eat starchy foods with large amounts of salt (crackers, soft breads, cereals) as an infant are more likely to exhibit a preference for salt later on; therefore, a new study suggests salt intake should be reduced beginning early in life, according to Shari Roan, reporting in the LA Times.

Researchers believe there may be a "sensitivity window" in which exposure to certain foods and tastes programs the brain for future eating habits.

As a result, parents may be unknowingly programming their babies preference for salt by giving them foods that do not "taste" salty but do, in fact, contain a lot of salt.

Researchers, led by Leslie Stein Ph.D., at left, a physiological psychologist at the Monell Chemical Senses Center (an independent nonprofit research institute based in Philadelphia), compared reactions of 61 babies tasting salty water at 2 months old and then at 6 months old; at 2 months old the babies showed indifference in their facial expressions but by 6 months were able to distinguish between the water, a mild salty solution (1%) and one slightly stronger (2%). They recorded how much fluid they drank from each bottle during a one-minute period — an indication of how much they preferred each solution.

A correlation was found between those babies who drank more of the salty solution and the amount of exposure to "table food" (regular food that the family might eat); the babies who has eaten table food (26--almost half) consumed 55% more salty solution than babies with no exposure.

As a follow-up, the children's eating habits were surveyed again at the age of 5; those who preferred the salty water at 6 months exhibited a preference for salt in their food (e.g., licking the salt off crackers).

The study will appear in January's American Journal of Clinical Nutrition.

This is the salt content of some popular baby "table food" (taken from the LA Times Booster Shots blog by Jeannine Stein:

1 Cup Cheerios: 160 milligrams

Quaker oatmeal: 260 milligrams

5 saltine crackers: 190 milligrams

1 slice of Wonderbread: 190 milligrams

Gerber Graduates Lil' Crunchies (18 pieces): 50 milligrams

Though there are no federal guidelines, the Institute of Medicine recommends no more than 160 milligrams daily for babies under 6 months, and 370 milligrams for babies 6 months to 1 year.

Written for California's Children by Elizabeth J Carlyle.

 

Prenatal exposure to smoke thickens child's arterial walls by 5 years old

Women are aware of the risks of smoking during pregnancy, but now there is clear evidence that the habit can also create cardio-vascular problems for their children.

Even by the age of 5, the walls of the carotid artery (that delivers oxygenated blood to the head and neck) thicken and become more rigid, finds a new study, reported on in the LA Times by Jeannine Stein.

Researchers at the Julius Center for Health Sciences and Primary Care, Utrecht, Netherlands, found that children whose mothers smoked during pregnancy had significantly thicker and more rigid artery walls; when the father also smoked, arterial changes were even more pronounced. However, children whose parents did not smoke during pregnancy but did so afterwards had no significant changes to their arterial walls, pinpointing the gestational period as the crucial time when most of the damage occurs.

In the study, led by Caroline C. Geerts M.D., researchers concluded:

"...tobacco smoke exposure during gestation has structural and functional effects on the vascular wall of young children. In view of the early origins of cardiovascular disease, preventive measures against smoking should be specifically directed at the gestational period."

The study included 259 children who participated in the Wheezing Illnesses Study Leidsche Rijn (WHISTLER)-Cardio study, a birth cohort study started in 2000 to examine factors in wheezing illnesses such as asthma susceptibility and toxin exposure; for this study researchers followed one birth cohort up to 5 years old. Parents completed initial questionnaires about smoking habits and at 5 years old, children underwent ultrasonographic measurements of the carotid artery to check for vascular disease. In addition, parental smoking data were also updated.

The study will be published in January's edition of Pediatrics.

Written for California's Children by Elizabeth J Carlyle.

Noisy toys can cause hearing loss, UC Irvine study says

Noisy toys can do more than annoy parents during the holidays --the loudest could potentially damage hearing in children, reports Lauren Williams of The Daily Pilot.

A study, led by Dr. Hamid R. Djalilian, at left, at the University of California, Irvine (UCI), Department of Otolaryngology, finds that toys such as the I Am T-Pain Mic and Road Rippers reach decibels as high as a chain saw or subway train if held close to the ear. 

Researchers measured 10 popular toys' loudness by holding them next to a speaker and from 12 inches away, which is the estimated length of a toddler's outstretched arm. The two distances represent how children interact with toys.

"Most of these toys, if used properly, they should be OK," said Djalilian. "A lot of children try to find out where the sound is coming from, so they put the speaker against their ear, so that's one of the issues."

From the Orange County Register:

Below, the 10 loudest toys Dr. Djalilian and his team tested at UCI Medical Center, followed by the decibel level (dBs) up close and at a distance of 12 inches. [Noise above 85 decibels can cause hearing loss, with duration contributing to impairment as well, according to the American Academy of Otolaryngology.] 

1. Mattel The Secret Saturdays Fire Sword, 121/109

2. Zillionz Deluxe ATM Savings Bank (left), 115/106

3. Zillionz Talking Cash Register, 108/100

4. VTech Nitro Web Notebook, 108/100

5. VTech Touch & Teach Turtle, 106/97

6. Leap Frog Learn & Groove Musical Table, 106/96

7. Little Tikes Jungle Jamboree: 2-in-1 Piano/Xylophone, 105/95

8. Little Tikes Poptones Big Rockers Keyboard, 105/96

9. Mattel Batman Dark Knight Sword, 105/95

10. First Act Discovery Rock-it Guitar, 105/93

Written for California's Children by Elizabeth J Carlyle.

A look back: 1970's busing in Pasadena

A YouTube clip reminds us of California's public education issues, still unresolved, of 40 years ago.