Freaky Friday: Pica Disorder

Pica Disorder is a fairly common disorder among children. As many as of children will put nonfood items in their mouth at some time. Kids are naturally curious and the mouth is a natural way to sensory explore.

Children who have pica go way beyond exploration and %25 to %35 of children have the eating disorder pica, which is described as “persistent and compulsive cravings to put nonfood items into their mouth”.

My oldest son had symptoms of having pica and would pick up dirt, garbage on the sidewalk, sticks, anything left laying on the floor, soap, etc. and put the items in his mouth. He once put a rusty nail in his mouth when we were visiting him at his orphanage.

Pica is most common with children who have developmental disabilities such as autism, with children who have brain injuries, and in children who have special needs. It can also be common in pregnant women.

It can be dangerous and lead to lead poisoning.

WHY do people have Pica?

In my son’s case it was simply an issue of 1.  nutritional deficiency. He was lacking almost ALL of his nutrients and craved iron and zinc.

Other reasons for pica:

2. dieting

3. malnutrition

4. special needs

5. pregnancy

Bipolar Parents Pass on Gene

It’s pretty common knowledge among the adoption community that if a parent has a mental illness or a learning disorder that a child has a high likelihood of inheriting the same disorders. A recently study has proven that parents who have bipolar disorder have an eight-fold chance of having ADHD and a six fold chance of developing two or more mental disorders.

Bipolar is a serious mental illness characterized by severe mood swings, mania, and depression. My oldest son was diagnosed with early onset bipolar just last year. He also has signs of ADHD and ha sensory processing disorder.

The study from the Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic in Pittsburgh tested children from both bipolar and typical parents.

Their results, published in the American Journal of Psychiatry, point to an elevated risk for ADHD and other psychiatric disorders among children of parents with bipolar disorder.

And while only three children of bipolar parents had mood disorders, children of parents with bipolar disorder, especially those with ADHD and oppositional defiant disorder, had significantly more severe manic and depressive symptoms than comparison children.

The researchers indicated that one of the best ways to diagnose bipolar is to have a watchful eye from a parent who can recognize the symptoms. They also found that early detection is possible, especially when there is a genetic connection.

Freaky Friday: Lice

We all know that lice is gross. Grosser that gross, actually. I don’t think I ever had it but I do remember my mother being cautious and washing my hair with the nasty smelling shampoo when one of our neighbors had it. Yuk.

What is lice? Insects that live on the scalp and hair and attach their eggs to the individual hairs. They love human hair and can complete their life cycle in one to three weeks. They are VERY visible, VERY itchy, and VERY contagious because they can live without human contact for days.

How to get rid of them? Well, that is the tricky part…the shampoos work on the scalp but you also have to treat the rugs, couches, beds, stuffed animals, etc. They live everywhere. Lice only die if they are suffocated or treated with a pesticide. You can also try some natural remedies.

Natural Remedies for Children’s Colds

My household has been fighting the same cold since early November and we continue to pass it back and forth. The good thing is that my husband and I can take medication for it. The bad? Our two year old suffers the worst of it because he can’t take anything but Tylenol or Acetaminophen.

However, there are some herbal alternatives that are becoming more popular due to the limited pharmaceutical options now. When the runny nose, congestion and hacking start where do you turn?

Humidify: Use a cool mist humidifier to help clear stuffy noses and keep the head clear.. You can also add the Vicks 1.5 Gallon Vaporizer with Night-Light
to the room to add medication.

Fluids: Increase fluids with Vitamin C to help with mucous production.

Sleep: Sleep can help your ability to fight off illness, even in infants and toddlers. Try to get children to take longer naps, sleep later, or even watch a movie on the couch.

Syringe Bulb: Clean the nose as often as you can to help with drainage.

Colder than Cold

It used to be that decongestants and cold remedies for children were safe. In fact, up until the past two years pediatricians prescribed and gave out samples of cold and allergy medications like nasal decongestants, antihistamines, cough suppressants, and expectorant, all which were commonly used to treat respiratory infections or the common cold.

However, since several  infants have died in the last few years and dextromethorphan, an active ingredient in cough medications, was found to have  dissociative hallucinogenic effects.

There are four types of cold medications that are available for children OVER the age of FOUR: Nasal Decongestant, Anti-histamine, Cough Suppressant, Expectorant. The FDA has pulled all medications labeled labeled for children under age two and has recently declared that all of of those medications should also not be used in children under the age of four.

The CDC recommends that you do the following with the medications in your home and with children’s medications:

1. Throw out all old cold medications and cough medicines that have an old label on them.

2. Read the label carefully to make sure you know what medications you are giving to your children.

1. Don’t give children younger than age four any medications intended for older children.

2. Don’t give your child two medications with the same ingredients. ie: a Tylenol Cold and Flu with another Tylenol.

Holiday Choking Safety for Kids

Small children are always getting into holiday decorations, food, and small toys left around the house during the hectic shuffle. There are ways to avoid misfortunes though.

1. First, the general rule is that if an item is small enough to actually fit into the mouths of babies and toddlers then it is too small to play with. Keep these items out of immediate reach at all times. Do this by doing a daily check of the floors, the kitchen, the bathroom, and near the tree and major decorations.

2. Place all small and breakable ornaments at the top of the tree away from tiny hands. You should also keep lights away from tiny hands if they like to touch them. Toddlers will pinch lights and can embed glass in their fingers.

2. Avoid chocking hazards like peanuts, popcorn, grapes, hot dogs, and raw carrots.

3. If you do have holiday decorations that include small objects like marbles, coins, and beads, do think about NOT putting them out until children are older.