What are flu symptoms?
The swine flu, H1N1, is a contagious respiratory disease, caused by an influenza virus affecting pigs and contains genetic material of bird and pig versions of the flu. Symptoms include a fever of more than 100 degrees. Coughing, runny nose, and/or a sore throat, joint aches and headache, chills, fatigue, lack of appetite, and sometimes vomiting and diarrhea.

Who might get the flu?
Just about anyone. You might get the flu if you decide not to get the vaccine, because of potential side effects, or just because there isn’t enough to vaccinate everyone. You can get the flu, even if you have had the vaccine.

Oh no…got the flu? Payton hopes to avoid it.

Yesterday, my husband was talking to Dr. Maurice Ramerez, founding chairperson of American Board of Disaster Medicine. Dr. Ramerez said the H1N1 swine flu has already mutated, so the vaccine won’t be as effective as they hoped. Furthermore, it won’t be ready to distribute until mid-October. You might get the flu even if you’ve done all that you can to build a strong immune system, although it will be less likely.

What do you do if you still get sick?
It’s vital to keep the sick person hydrated and isolated. Don’t send a child with a temperature or runny nose or a headache to daycare or school. Don’t go to work or to the store if you are ill. It’s best to keep a distance of about six feet from others who are well. Adults remain infectious for about a week, kids a little longer up to ten days. If you child becomes sick, can you take time off work or telecommute? How is your child’s school going to handle kids who get sick during school hours?

The best place to care for a sick child is at home. If you are worried about your child, call your pediatrician’s office. Don’t take your child in to the doctor’s without first calling. If you have an infant, under three months, call the doctor if a temperature of 100 or more persists or if your baby doesn’t’ pass urine for more than 6 hours.
Usually, you’ll need emergency help if you notice any of the following symptoms in children:
>Rapid breathing or trouble breathing
>Bluish or gray skin color (a sign that they’re not getting enough oxygen)
>Dehydration or refusal to drink (keep your child well hydrated)
>Inability to wake up or interact with you
>Extreme irritability or not wanting to be held
>Symptoms which improve, but return with a fever and a worsened cough

Prevent spreading the flu
>Keeping the sick person away from other people as much as possible.
>Remind the sick person to cover their coughs, often clean their hands with soap, and water or an alcohol-based hand rub.
>Have everyone in your home often clean their hands, using soap and water or an alcohol-based hand rub.
>When holding a small child who is sick, place their chin on your shoulder so they will not cough in your face.
>Daily clean the surfaces, especially bedsides, bathrooms, toys, and in the sick room with a disinfectant.
>Avoid hugging dirty linens and towels before washing them. Clean your hands after handling dirty laundry.
>Because you might become ill from your exposure, and can infect other people before you have any symptoms, wear a mask when you have to leave the home, to prevent further spread to others.

Sooth and shorten the flu
Children should not be given aspirin and aspirin-containing products and children under six should not be given cough and cold medicines with alcohol. I went to my nearby nutrition store yesterday to stock up on homeopathic medicine, just in case. It a good idea to do the same, because once an outbreak occurs in your area, flu relief items will fly off the shelf. Of course, the usual support such as vitamin C, garlic tabs, and probiotics will help strengthen a weakened immune system.

I found a couple of products which may be given to children over the age of two. As always, consult your physician:
>Bronchial Soothe, Ivy Leaf Syrup by Enzmatic an alcohol free non-drowsy formula for respiratory support.
>Oscillococcinum by Boiron for flu symptoms.
>If you’re pregnant it gets more challenging. I found Now AlliBiotic an herbal immune support which may be taken with Now Super Colostrum.

For info about the FREE Baby Bites Ezine, Click Here.

Listen to today’s podcast, Click Here.

For a synopsis of Baby Bites: Transforming a Picky Eater into a Healthy Eater, Click Here.

A Shot in the Dark

The H1N1 flu virus has been around for decades in various strains. Each year different flu viruses combine, that’s why a new vaccine is required annually.

June 11, 2009 The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the H1N1 to be a pandemic. The H1N1 virus contains a mix of human, bird, and swine strains.

Making a vaccine
at warp-speed
Vaccines are prepared by first identifying the current year’s flu types. H1N1 was identified only last spring. The first concern is the rush to production for the H1N1 vaccine.

Madison gives her sister, Katy, a pretend shot.

The last time the government embarked on a major vaccine campaign to inoculate the public was in 1976. A November 1976  CBS program with Mike Wallace, stated there was only one recorded death attributed to the swine flu, but 300 claims of death from the vaccine. The CBS program related there were 4,000 filed claims (mostly Guillian barre a neurological disorder/neurological illness, one of the side effects from the shots).

This time around, people will have no recourse. You take a flu vaccine at your own risk. The 2006 Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness Act (PREP) allows the DHHS Secretary to invoke almost complete immunity from liability for manufacturers of vaccines and drugs used to combat a declared public health emergency. As long as manufacturers do not deliberately harm consumers, they won’t be liable for damages.  Guillian barre shows up within 4 to 8 weeks after a vaccine. Waiting a full eight weeks before releasing a vaccine is important to see if there’s a complication risk. Hopefully, this year they will wait until the human tests are done and complication data have all been tabulated.

How are vaccines produced?
The next concern is that the vaccine production has changed. Traditional production of vaccines has been in chicken eggs. People allergic to eggs could not receive a vaccine. The egg method is more time consuming, therefore limited, especially when rushing to meet a deadline. Cell-based technology is relatively new and it brings faster results. Cell-based vaccines offer the potential to increase production surge capacity, such as with H1N1. The cell-based vaccines use mammalian (human, often kidney) cells to incubate the vaccine.

Dr. Joseph Mercola raises alarming questions about the H1N1 vaccine. He says, ”The swine flu vaccine has been hit by new cancer fears after a German health expert gave a shocking warning about its safety. Lung specialist Wolfgang Wodarg has said that there are many risks associated with the vaccine for the H1N1 virus. The nutrient solution for the vaccine consists of cancerous cells from animals, and some fear that the risk of cancer could be increased by injecting the cells. The vaccine can also cause worse side effects than the actual swine flu virus.”

Are African green monkey cells being used to culture the virus for the vaccine? If in human cells, how were they obtained? Where is the vaccine being manufactured that will be used in the U.S.? Doesn’t the public deserve to know?

How effective is any flu vaccine?
What’s the ability of any flu vaccine to produce the desired result? This is really a BIG question. A problem for all flu vaccines is that viruses mutate and by the time vaccinations are given, the vaccine may not match the virus in circulation.

Effectiveness of the flu vaccine depends on who you ask. Even the Centers of Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) numbers are all over the place. When the vaccine is well-matched to a current virus they say the vaccine is 70 to 90 percent effective. Another CDC study found the vaccine was only 49 percent effective in children 6 to 24 months.

CDC’s own official records documented in National Vital Statistics Reports, reports only a few hundred people died from influenza (flu) in 2001. Although the average number usually given is 36,000; many of these deaths occur in people with pre-existing conditions, weakened immune systems, and the elderly. The CDC is projecting 50 percent of the population may get the swine flu this season. The most vulnerable are 18 to 24 year olds and pregnant women, with the primarily concern among people with pre-existing illnesses.

Dr. J. Anthony Morris, formerly Chief Vaccine Control Officer at the FDA said, “There is no evidence that any influenza vaccine thus far developed is effective in preventing or mitigating any attack of influenza. The producers of these vaccines know that they are worthless, but they go on selling them, anyway.”

Think Twice is an extensive site, full of articles, studies, and documentation. Although the H1N1 strain of influenza seems relatively mild, contracting the flu will put you out of commission for the better part of a week. The CDC is predicting that half of the U.S. population will get H1N1. The most vulnerable are those with pre-existing illnesses and pregnant women.

The thimerosal question
If you decide to inoculate your family, ask for preservative- thimerosal-free vaccines. The CDC claims there are no harmful side effects from thimerosal, yet it’s surrounded by controversy. Thimerosal is a mercury-based preservative used in vaccines.

There are studies indicating that thimerosal can induce neural damage similar to that seen in autism patients. According to one study, thimerosal-induced cellular damage caused concentration-and time-dependent mitochondrial damage, reduced oxidative-reduction activity, cellular degeneration, and cell death. Thimerosal at low concentrations induced significant cellular toxicity in human neuronal and fetal cells. Thimerosal was found to be significantly more toxic than the other metal compounds examined.

As you may have gathered, the information in this blog is NOT approved by the FDA. You need to make an intelligent decision with your health care provider about H1N1 vaccination. I’ve provided hot links (click on the words highlighted in green) to read the studies and articles I’ve mentioned. Please do your own research to decide weather or not to vaccinate your family this flu season. In case you’re wondering, I’ve never had a flu shot and I won’t get one this year either.

Next: “What to do if you get the flu”

For info about the FREE Baby Bites Ezine, Click Here.

Listen to today’s podcast, Click Here.

For a synopsis of Baby Bites: Transforming a Picky Eater into a Healthy Eater, Click Here.

 

A Healthy Diet for a Strong Immune System

The best flu prevention strategy is regular exercise, sufficient sleep, proper hygiene (hand washing), and good nutrition. A healthy diet, packed with vitamins and nutrients, including immune-boosting foods such as fish, citrus fruits, and leafy green vegetables, will help your family avoid the flu. This is especially important as H1N1 (swine flu) is expected to increase this fall and winter.

Eliminate Sugar & Processed Foods
For a strong immune system, able to fight off viruses, like the flu, don’t eat sugar and processed foods. Sugar suppresses the immune system, almost immediately, and sugar’s effect lasts for up to five hours. Sugar is an ingredient in most processed foods. If your children start the morning with sugared cereal, eat some cookies or colored fruit rollups with lunch, drinks a soda, and has ice cream or cake for dessert, their immune system is compromised the entire day!

Madison is snacking on snap peas, which support her immune system.

Eat More Fruit & Vegetables
Whole foods are better than supplements for the prevention of colds and flu, because you get the whole nutritional package. Eating fruits and vegetables do a better to keep your immune system strong, than taking the vitamins alone. An orange is better for you than just taking vitamin C. An orange provides a combination of nutrients: magnesium, potassium, folate, vitamin B6, flavonoids, and of course vitamin C.

Although, there are a couple of whole food supplements which will help support a healthy immune system along with a healthy diet. Almost everyone (even children) is defiant in Vitamin D. At your child’s next doctor visit ask to check his/or her vitamin D3 levels. In the meantime, you can incorporate cod liver oil in your family’s daily routine to optimize vitamin D levels. Carlson’s Cod Liver Oil with lemon is one of the very best. It’s high in Omega-3 fatty acids, too. The other supplement important for a strong immune system is probiotics. Probiotics help keep your child’s intestinal track healthy, making it possible to properly absorb the nutrients from food. You can purchase probiotics designed especially for children.

Families usually eat fewer fruit and veggies during the winter months. This is opposite of what you should do. Eating at least five servings of fruit and vegetables every day will help you and your family consume the vitamins necessary to keep your immune systems strong.

You can incorporate more fruit and veggies by:
• Drinking 100 percent juice
• Incorporating fruit and veggie snacking
(Try veggies like edamame, snap peas, and julienne slices of zucchini and cucumber.)
• Preparing at least one veggie for both lunch and dinner
• Making strawberry or blueberry fruit smoothies for breakfast
• Making yummy healthful desserts like pumpkin pudding, peanut butter-apple bars, and baked apples
• Eating more winter fruits: oranges, lemons, grapefruit, and pumpkins
• Packing dried fruit and carrot sticks for a yummy snack, when you’re on the go
• Making veggies yummy… the Italian way

Kids Won’t Eat Veggies?
In Baby Bites^TM I provide a clear plan, which is easy for parents to follow. First, parents improve the nutritional value of their children’s foods: the foods they’re presently eating. Simultaneously, incorporate positive-discipline and directed-play during mealtimes. The key to success in transforming a picky eater is the synergy of the Baby Bite Steps. It’s the combined effect of the steps that’s greater than the sum of their individual parts. In just about a week, your picky eater will be tasting new foods…and enjoying it.

Next Week: “The flu vaccine” and “What to do if you get the flu”

For info about the FREE Baby Bites Ezine, Click Here.

Listen to today’s podcast, Click Here.

For a synopsis of Baby Bites: Transforming a Picky Eater into a Healthy Eater, Click Here.

Like seasonal flu, the H1N1 (swine) flu virus is spread primarily from person to person through coughing or sneezing. When a healthy person breathes in flu germs, or touches their eyes, nose, or mouth after touching something with flu germs, they’re likely to become ill.

Ally is working up a good lather.
She knows the importance
of hand washing.

1. The number one flu prevention is to wash hands.
Moms always say, “Wash your hands!” They’re right.  According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), hand washing is the most effective way to stay healthy. Eighty percent of infections are spread by hand contact.

It takes about three weeks to learn a new habit. Emphasize hand washing before the flu season. Wash hands after coming into the house, before cooking and eating, after using the toilet, after changing a diaper, and before bed. Use a chemical-free soap, not an antibacterial soap, to wash your hands, your baby’s hands, and your kids’ hands. Talk to your children’s teachers to see how the school can encourage hand washing as well.

Teach your kids how to effectively wash their hands. Frequent hand washing will wash the viruses and bacteria you and your children may have collected down the drain. Thoroughly cleanse hands with regular soap and warm water. This is the single most important thing you can do to prevent illness. Most people splash a little soap on their hands and quickly rinse,.

It’s important to scrub your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. While scrubbing their hands, teach your kids to include the back of their hands, in between their fingers, and under their nails, and scrub for at least 20 seconds. Have your kids sing a song or count to 20, you can have them count backwards from twenty to one. Rubbing their hands together under running water is as important as the soap is for cleanliness, because it dislodges the germs. The water washes the germs down the drain.

When soap and water are not available use an alcohol-based gel, which is 60 percent alcohol. Hydrogen peroxide (available in spray bottles) and vinegar make safe hand cleansers as well.

2. Cover coughs and sneezes.
Flu and cold germs are primarily spread by touch. We tell our kids to cover their mouths when they cough or sneeze. Covering your mouth with your hands will only spread the germs when you touch something. Remind your child to sneeze and cough into a tissue or the crux of their elbow. Remind them to wash their hands after coughing or sneezing into them. The most difficult thing for kids (and me) is to keep their hands away from their eyes, nose, and mouth.

3. Clean Surfaces.
The least likely form of flu transmission is picking up germs from a surface, because the virus lives for only a few hours outside the body, but it’s possible. If your baby or toddler is in daycare, then the likelihood dramatically increases. Babies and toddlers frequently pick up objects which other children have held and place them in their mouths. The virus lives on hard surfaces such as toys, counter-tops, and desks for two to eight hours. Therefore, it’s advisable to wipe down hard surfaces which are frequently touched, such as light switches, refrigerator doors, desks, and counter-tops with a disinfectant or household cleaner. Use a weak bleach or vinegar solution or you can even put some toys in the top rack of the dishwasher. Use an antibacterial wipe to wipe off door handles, telephones, faucets, key boards, video game controls, TV remotes, etc. Use your own pen when out (you don’t know how many people used the pen before you).

The virus lives only a few minutes on soft surfaces, like sheets or towels. If someone in your home has a cold or flu, definitely don’t share towels. One precaution is to have a towel, especially hand towels, for each member of your family. I recently purchased several hand towels on sale, so that I can keep fresh, clean hand towels in my downstairs bathroom.

Coming Next: “How to Keep Your Immune System Strong”

For info about the FREE Baby Bites Ezine, Click Here.

Listen to today’s podcast, Click Here.

For a synopsis of Baby Bites: Transforming a Picky Eater into a Healthy Eater, Click Here.

Swine Flu Pandemic or Not? 

Health experts are warning that the swine flu or H1N1outbreak is likely to intensify this autumn. Indications last spring were that H1N1 could be the worst flu strain we’ve seen in years. It now appears the H1N1 strain is weaker than first thought. In fact, the odds of dying from the swine flu are no different than for seasonal flu.

Still, catching any flu isn’t any fun and there is concern on how widespread it will be. USA Today reports that H1N1 could infect half of the US. Others, like Dr. Joseph Mercola, are saying this flu season will not be much different from other years.

Wyatt & Katy are determined to keep healthy.

No matter what the outcome of this year’s flu season, as always, children and pregnant women are most at risk. Even skeptical Dr. Mercola recommends preparing for a self-imposed two-week quarantine, in case there is an outbreak of H1N1 in your area.

Last spring, when H1N1 began to appear in the U.S., California was one of the first states affected. I happened to be with my grandkids in Southern California at the time. I thought it’d be a good idea to purchase some protective face masks. I stopped in numerous stores and was told exactly the same thing in each one, “We sold out the first day that swine flu was reported to be in the area.” A few days later, I returned to a Walgreens for another item. I was pleasantly surprised, as they had a new shipment come in since I was last there. Needless to say, I purchased three boxes.

Once an outbreak is reported, it may be extremely difficult or impossible to purchase items you may need. EVERYONE will be looking for same items at the same time. Regardless if you decide to have your family vaccinated or not (and I’ll address this in another blog), there are some practical things you can do to prepare for the cold and flu season.

Obviously, purchasing needed items BEFORE an outbreak is advisable. Health experts are recommending an emergency kit for a potentially severe outbreak. Of course, if you get the flu yourself, then it doesn’t matter how severe the outbreak, because you’ll be confined at home. Preparing ahead of time for a personal emergency, self-quarantine, or even bracing for the worst, a potential pandemic, only makes sense. The following recommendations work for not only a flu epidemic, but any emergency. Now is the time to prepare, before the flu season even begins!

FOOD
Every home should have a bare minimum of three days worth of nonperishable food items. You’ll want to store whole-grain dry cereals, peanut and other nut butters, canned goods (such as soup), whole-grain crackers without altered fats, and whole foods like seeds and nuts. Also, store sugar-free 100 percent fruit juices. Juices like apple juice and cranberry are healthful especially when you can’t eat much solid food. To more effectively prepare for a potential quarantine or for yourself (just in case you are confined to your home because you have the flu) it’s advisable to have a food storage for two weeks or more.

WATER
You should have at least one gallon of water, per person to last at least three days. Bottled water can be stored for about a year at room temperature, if it’s stored away from direct sunlight.

FIRST AID KIT
Every one should have a first aid kit. The first thing in your first aid kit should be a first aid manual. You’ll also need bandages, gauze, gloves, tweezers, scissors, and a thermometer. Then add antiseptic wipes, antibiotic ointment, eye-wash solution, and over-the-counter medicines such as antihistamines and pain relievers, (make sure you have Tylenol as children should not take aspirin). Also, any prescription drugs your family needs.

HOME REMEDIES
Familiarize yourself with natural home remedies, such as honey for a cough. Studies have shown that honey works as well (or better) than over-the-counter cough and sore throat remedies. Baking soda and apple cider vinegar have numerous practical healthful uses. For a child’s upset stomach, add a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar and ¼ teaspoon of aluminum-free baking soda to a small glass of water. (For an adult, it’s a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar and ½ teaspoon of baking soda in 8 ounces of water.) Also probiotics are helpful for stomach upsets and diarrhea. I always keep these stocked in my kitchen.

SURGICAL FACE MASKS
Purchase face masks, now, before the flu season begins. The most protection will come from masks with the FDA rating N-95. But, it’s better to have any face mask, rather than none. Masks need to be replaced often and disposed after use. Even if there isn’t a general warning to wear face masks in public, you can protect family members in your own home if someone comes down with the flu or even a cold.

Coming Next Week: “Clean Hands & Surfaces” and “How to Keep Your Immune System Strong”

For info about the FREE Baby Bites Ezine, Click Here.

Listen to today’s podcast, Click Here.

For a synopsis of Baby Bites: Transforming a Picky Eater into a Healthy Eater, Click Here.