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.

Baby Bottle Syndrome

Ever seen a child with nasty, nasty front teeth? Mostly likely these little ones had bottle rot. Baby bottle tooth decay usually appears on the very front top teeth (but can surface on any tooth) and is usually dark brown or black.

Baby Bottle Syndrome happens when you fill a bottle or sippy with milk formula, juice, or sugary drinks (in international countries caregivers often fill bottles with soda or even sugar water) at bedtime or for long periods of time. When a baby or toddler keeps that bottle or sippy in their mouth the sugar and acids erode the teeth.

It can lead to bacterial infections, pain, and even tooth loss.

To help prevent Bottle Syndrome:

1. Clean teeth and gums after every meal

2. Only allow sugar drinks at meals

3. Use a pacifier as a soother between meals instead of a bottle or sippy. If the child MUST use a sippy fill it with water.

4. Give tap water, not bottled. Tap provides necessary flouride.

5. Every child should see a dentist at age one.

6. Brush teeth every night and every morning. Until the age of six or seven you should help your child brush and floss.

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.

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 Allergies

We don’t usually expect the holidays to include allergies and allergic reactions because the most allergic times of the year are usually Spring and Fall. However, Winter allergies can be just as devastating to children as the Spring and Fall allergies.

Winter allergies include molds from decorations, trees, snow covered grasses. Artificial scents can be very difficult for allergy sufferers. In fact, candles, sprays, perfumes, scented decorations (like cinnamon pine cones) , can all trigger allergic reactions.

My oldest son has even had problems in the last winter with the late snow covered ground…when the snow melts and the ground finally reveals the mold that has been growing beneath the surface.

The most common allergies during the holiday are actually food allergies; make sure to inform family members and friends of special diet restrictions and bring plenty of safe foods for your children to eat at holiday get-togethers. A good idea is to prepare foods in advance and freeze them (or refrigerate them) so that you have them on hand to take to those events for your child. (If you are going to restaurants just tell them about your child’s restrictions and they will most likely allow you to serve your child their own meal).

Bronchiolitis in Children

As a child I only had Bronchitis once, when I was in 9th grade. My oldest has already had a bad bout with both Bronchitis (with us) and several cases of Bronchitis and Pneumonia (when he was in the orphanage). However, as an adult I have had this disease more than once because I had my tonsils removed  when I was in 11th grade and my physicians believe that opened my lungs up for infection.

My youngest actually does not have the croup but has a bad cold and, in my opinion, is on his way to getting Bronchitis, as am I now. You all know how germs spread, right?

Bronchitis usually starts with a cold and progresses fairly quickly to a tight, wheezy cough.

• Make wheezing sounds
• Breathe rapidly
• Have retractions due to the need to use additional muscles to inhale and exhale
• Make grunting or whistling noises with each breath

How to help the kiddo at home?

Similar to the croup, make sure to have moist air…get the humidifier out, use the warm shower, keep fever’s down, and make sure to get plenty of liquids in the kiddo. Also, make sure to keep nasal passages clear to keep drainage to a minimum. Do this by using a saline spray and a nasal bulb to clean the sinus cavity out.

Vaccines for Internationally Adopted Children

My two sons are both internationally adopted and fortunately had all of their vaccines up to date when they joined our family. However, there are many children who don’t have accurate vaccines although their medical records indicated they do.

Often times vaccination records are “fudged” so that orphanages or doctors don’t have to administer the expensive vaccines, or the vaccines are expired and not effective, and sometimes they are not given the second or third doses of the vaccines but the records indicate that they have received them.

The best thing to do, instead of automatically giving kids the vaccines again, is to run titers. A titer blood test indicates the amount of antibodies in the blood. The body uses these antibodies to attach and remove foreign substances like germs and toxins.

The most important titers to run when adopting a child internationally:

• Diphtheria antibody
• Hepatitus A and B (if not running a separate blood test)
• Tetanus antibody
• Poliovirus antibodies Types I, II, and III
• Chicken pox, measles, mumps, and rubella immunization titers (for older children)

And  after 6 months…

• TB PPD Mantoux skin test
• CBC
• Hepatitis B panel (if child did not have immunity to hepatitis B at first visit)
• Hepatitis C antibody
• HIV 1 & 2 antibody

Croup

Between my oldest son and my youngest I think we have experienced every illness there is for babies and toddlers. We are currently dealing with our very first case of the Croup, a viral condition that causes an inflammation of the upper airways – the voice box and the windpipe. My little guy literally sounds like a barking seal when he coughs and a gurgling drain when he cries.

The good thing is that when I did research this weekend (because he, of course, got sick over the weekend) I learned that most cases of the croup are mild and can be treated without a doctor. However, some children can be more prone to getting croup than others.

Causes: Croup is typically caused by a viral infection such as influenza, the common cold, or RSV. However, some croup infections are caused by bacterial infections, allergies, inhalants, or even acid reflux.

Treatment: most of the time treatment is simple. Children don’t need fancy medications for croup…they simply need relief so they can breathe. Install a cool mist humidifier in the room and allow access to cold air when the “barking” cough begins. If the cough continues for longer than 3-4 days or is severe the child may need a steroid  to help open the airways.

Additionally, when your child is sick try to sleep in their room or with them so you can provide close observation.

One Thing We All Can Do To Address Violence & Abuse In Relationships: Start By Educating Children

People often ask me, the tireless big mouth on the subject of victimization and toxic relationships, what’s one thing anyone and everyone should do to prevent victimization, abuse and bad relationships. My response is to tell them to educate children.

Children need to be taught that they have rights to their own bodies, that they have a right to be and feel safe, and that when either they or their rights have been violated, what they ought to do about it. If you’re looking for a good place to start, get My Body Belongs To Me a picture book by Jill Starishevsky and Sara Muller. (Here’s a great review of the book.)

If you disagree, if you “yeah-but” a list of excuses why not to educate children about their own rights and safety, then you need to look at what messages you learned and perpetuate — yes, your personal choice to remain silent on educating children about their own rights and safety is perpetuating the taboos that allow children to be victimized.

When children grow up certain of their own rights to their own bodies and are armed with the knowledge of what to do if they should be abused or have their rights violated, they grow up to become adults who are confident in their rights, demand respect, respect & protect the rights of others — including taking legal action against those who commit such trespasses.

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