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Natural Immunity
Dr. Molly,
Thank you for your forum, I registered here solely to ask this question so I hope you have time to actually read and respond to these.
Our three year old son was just in the hospital for H1N1 and was confirmed via a nose swab test at the hospital of having an A strain of the flu, most certainly the H1N1 based on the symptoms according to the doctors at the hospital and our son's pediatrician. Notwithstanding this, our son's pediatrician still recommends that he get the H1N1 vaccine (he already had the seasonal). The reasoning from the doctor was that they were unsure how long the natural immunity from having H1N1 would last and felt the vaccine would provide a booster to ensure he was safe. Further, upon later discussing this with the pediatrian's nurse the nurse stated that a child can get the exact strain of flu more than once unless then receive the vaccine.
This simply does not make sense to me and my wife. In our limited understanding, the process by which one becomes immune to a strain of the flu is the same whether you have the flu or you obtain the vaccine; ie. cells of the flu enter your body and your body builds antibodies to fight off the flu, which said antibodies stay with you and create this immunity which prevents you from getting that stain of flu ever again.
Could you please clarify this for us? We were setup to receive the vaccine and the pediatrician has a nose vaccine waiting for our son; however the risk / reward decission seems to be more risk and less reward now that our son has had the flu. Not to mention under the circumstances we would prefer that our son not have the mild side effects of the nose vaccine (fever, vomitting, etc) so soon again. Further, if it is still recommended for our son to get the vaccine, is the nose vaccine the right course and should we get it now or wait a few months?
flue shots
I've been going to different sites - in vain- trying to find out if there is any alternative to flu shots (swine or seasonal) that are not incubated in eggs. What are people who are allergic to eggs to do? The only time in my life I had a flu shot I got very sick. Thanks.
Circumcision pros and cons - more details
That was a very brief summary of the issues. There are a few points I would like to provide additional details for parents to be aware of.
First, the jury is out with respect to the effects of the foreskin in HIV rates. But, babies do not have sex. It is premature to circumcise an infant for an adult disease that is readily prevented through practicing safe sex. Also, by the time the infant is old enough to have sex, there may be a cure or vaccine for HIV.
Second, hygiene is straightforward for intact boys and men. Baby boys require no more care of their intact penis than their fingers. Wipe it off. Retraction is not required and will harm the boy if done prematurely. It takes a moment to retract the foreskin in the shower and rinse it off.
As for sensitivity, I was circumcised at birth. I restored my foreskin by manual tugging after I reached my 50s. I have much more sensitivity and enjoyment with my restored foreskin than I ever remember having when circumcised. Sure, it's anecdotal, but that does not mean it does not happen.
Also, the Internet is a great educational tool and many young men are learning what happened to them when they were circumcised. Unlike many men who were circumcised years ago and who are in denial about the ill-affects of circumcision, the youth of today are much better informed and are more willing to question why. Many young men are questioning why they were circumcised when there was so little, if any, true benefit to the surgery. They are questioning why their parents consented to the surgery when there was all sorts of information available about how circumcision is primarily a cosmetic surgery performed for the benefit of the parents.
Chances are, when today's infants grow up they will want their foreskin. Parents should be aware that there are many young men who are very angry at their parents for having them circumcised as an infant.
high frructose corn syrup
Dr. Molly,
Is there a diffrence in high fructose corn syrup and corn syrup? After attending a recent peds convention, you mentioned high fructose corn syrup was going to be very limited in your family's diet. There are so many names for sugar, how is the average consumer suppose to know which is healthier and a better choice for the family?
Thank you.
great question! The short answer is yes, corn syrup and high fructose corn syrup are one in the same. I am going to blog more about this topic in the next week or so. Stay tuned!
Early diagnosis of Tics in kids?
Among other things, you learned "Tics in kids really can't be diagnosed until they are around age 5." Can you speak to the fact that my son was diagnosed with Tourette Syndrome before age 4 (based on a couple of persistent, but changing, motor and vocal "tics"). Based on your recent experience, do you think it was too early to diagnosis and is it possble that I have been worrying for nothing (since he was diagnosed about six months ago)?
Although there are rare times when tic behavior can be severe enough to warrant the diagnosis of Tourette's at a young age, I feel that it is inaccurate. Even if some proportion of kids with stereotypies go on to have true tic disorders and a smaller percent of those go on to have Tourette's, I see little value in labeling a young child. I will write more about this topic in the next couple of weeks too.
2-1/2 year old still isn't talking
My grandson is 2-1/2 years old and still is not talking or potty trained. They have had his hearing checked, and autism screening. He seems bright and smart. He's very athletic and inquisitive. He's social at his pre-school and has no real behavioral problems. Anyone have any experience with this phenomenon?
I have had some experience with both normal late talkers and kids with true speech and language problems. It is really hard to know which category your grandson falls into Without a lot more info but having his hearing checked and being assessed for autism were important steps. The lack of potty training at this age is not at all concerning as most kids won't be potty trained until age 3 or so. I would suggest that he have a speech evaluation though Early On to determine if there is more that can be done to encourage his language development.
Re: Handling the prepuberty bulge in kids
Put them to work . Shovel snow or picking beans @4 am
Re: Handling the prepuberty bulge in kids
A buddy of mine was quite chubby from early childhood all the way into his adult life. For this, he was picked on by nearly everyone; sometimes mercilessly. This profoundly affected his personality. You could tell he really craved acceptance but feared any social setting. Quite a conundrum indeed.
I met him again some years after graduation. He had grown from a chubby little guy to a towering 6Ft. 8in. mountain. Unfortunately, he had snapped one day when someone stole his most precious possession; a souped up GTO. In his anger, he yanked a guy off his motorcycle and simply took it. They caught him by following the trail of bouncing checks to Idaho.
He paid for his crime and even made something of himself after that. But there's no doubt in my mind that the bullying he experienced as a child played a major role in his actions when he 'snapped'. And I have no doubt that the bullying was primarily motivated by his rather rotund frame throughout his childhood.
It's ironic, though; he grew to proportions big enough to break anybody who ever picked on him. Yet, none of them suffered the consequences of their actions; none of them felt his vengeance. It was a total stranger who just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time that suffered most - he and a series of gas stations and convenience stores. None of his victims had done anything to him personally.
Funny how the world turns. Irony and tragedy at the same time.
Perhaps we should be more concerned with our childs neuroticism than rotundness.
Re: happy diwali
Hello everyone i am completely new to this forum.
Interested in learning many new things. Hope we all will share our
knowledge and talk about different concepts in this forum.
Very nice Dr. Molly Forum......
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Girish
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wow gold--wow gold
squalene
It is not universally accepted that squalene is safe. While it is a natural substance, it is not something that you want injected directly into your bloodstream as it can cause your immune system to attack all of the squalene in your body, not just the foreign vaccine adjuvant.
Squalene has been linked with Gulf War Syndrome and is known to cause incurable autoimmune diseases in lab animals.
child taking deep breaths
My 4 year old child has recently begun taking deep sigh-like breaths every few breaths during the day. This has been going on now for about a month. She does not do it while sleeping. I have not noticed any other significant symptoms. I did take her to her pediatrician, and he thinks it is a tick as her lungs and heart sound fine. It is very difficult to watch her do this, as it often appears she just can't get a full breath in. If this does not go away on it's own, is there any other possible cause? Are there any other tests I should have done at this time?
If deep sighs are the only symptom and there is no cough with exercise, shortness of breath with exercise, or history of wheezing with illness, I think you are fine just waiting it out and seeing if the behavior disappears. Any presumed tic behavior should resolve in a few months time if it is ignored. See how that goes.
Bone health/calcium
HHS just launched a new bone health campaign for girls called Best Bones Forever! The Web site (www.bestbonesforever.gov) has lots of information about getting enough calcium, vitamin D and physical activity in order to build strong bones. The parent's site is also a great resource (www.bestbonesforever.gov/parents)
Bone health
HHS just launched a new bone health campaign for girls. The Web site (www.bestbonesforever.gov) has lots of tips for getting enough calcium. The parents site (www.bestbonesforever.gov/parents) is also a great resource!
constant yeast infections
I have suffered from constant yeast infections for a very long time. These tips look like they can also help me out. Thanks.
Circumcized?
I think the word is properly spelled "circumcised". Sorry to be pendantic.
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