Most children with ADHD have mild symptoms and do not need medication, says Michael L. Goldstein, M.D., a child neurologist in Salt Lake City and a former vice president of the American Academy of Neurology. "Many children and families have developed good strategies on their own so that symptoms do not cause distress to the child," he says. (See our guide to ADHD and treatments.)
When implementing a nonmedication strategy, he says, "Parents should remember that ADHD is a disorder that decreases the child's ability to do what they want to do. Increasing punishment doesn't work for ADHD symptoms. Some behaviors may be deliberate misbehaviors that may require discipline, but most ADHD impulsiveness and inattention is not intentional and will not improve with discipline." What does work is "understanding what the child can do and changing the adults' expectations to closer align with the child's abilities. 'Now' is always the best time to initiate nonmedication strategies." (See more about ADHD treatments that work.)
Following are nonmedication strategies from child neurologist Martin L. Kutscher (see video above) that you can use anywhere to help you and your child cope with ADHD. (See more about parent support.)
Keep it positive. Because people with ADHD cannot put brakes on distractions, they will always attend to whatever is most appealing in their environment. Like moths, they are attracted to the brightest light and will stay there until something else becomes more interesting. Positive re-enforcers will get their attention. Constant criticism rarely improves a person's attitude. Keep it calm. No one (child or parent) can think clearly when stressed. Keep it organized. Kids with ADHD often do their work and forget to hand it in the next morning. They need organizational support from parents and the school. Keep doing all of the above. People with ADHD are born with a neurologically different brain that has difficulty executing a plan. Constantly provide a safety net: Continually monitor the situation from the sidelines, but step forward to help when needed.
Keep it positive. Because people with ADHD cannot put brakes on distractions, they will always attend to whatever is most appealing in their environment. Like moths, they are attracted to the brightest light and will stay there until something else becomes more interesting. Positive re-enforcers will get their attention. Constant criticism rarely improves a person's attitude.
Keep it calm. No one (child or parent) can think clearly when stressed.
Keep it organized. Kids with ADHD often do their work and forget to hand it in the next morning. They need organizational support from parents and the school.
Keep doing all of the above. People with ADHD are born with a neurologically different brain that has difficulty executing a plan. Constantly provide a safety net: Continually monitor the situation from the sidelines, but step forward to help when needed.
Whether on vacation or at family gatherings, you're probably doing a lot of shooting this summer. But are you getting the most out of your digital camera? Here are some common mistakes to avoid:
Using flash when you shouldn't. Flash can cause red-eye, wash out skin tones, and flatten scenes that ought to have depth. To avoid using flash, shoot with the sun or other light source to your back or move your subject closer to a window or other source of light. Using a slower shutter can also let you shoot in natural light, providing the subject and camera both remain quite still. When all else fails, turn up the ISO setting, but only as much as absolutely necessary. Never use flash on a subject more than a few feet away, as at a sporting event. All you'll get is a dim subject with a black background. (See more family and child photo tips.)
Trying to squeeze too many photos on the storage card. You can do this by lowering resolution or increasing compression, but both will reduce the quality of larger prints you make later, such as 5×7 or greater. Memory cards are cheap. It's better to bring along extra storage and not compromise what may turn out to be lifetime memories.
Not bringing a spare battery. Even if you charged the battery the same morning, reviewing shots on the LCD and using flash can deplete it by late in the day. Exposure to cold can also reduce battery life. To be sure you don't run out of gas just when some of your best photo ops present themselves, charge a spare and keep it on hand.
Get more great photo tips in the full post on our Electronics blog.
If you're like me, back-to-school shopping may include buying a first cell phone for a kid who's becoming more independent. And you may, like me, be receiving entreaties from your fledgling phone owner to think smart. That is, to consider buying them a smart phone, or at least one of the many regular cell phones that come with a host of features aimed at younger users, like easy access to social networks and multimedia services. (See more back-to-school news and advice.)
You're forgiven if you cave under the pressure—after all, a two-week family vacation can allow your kid ample, wearying opportunities to plead their pressing need for, say, a phone with the ability to shoot video. (I speak from recent experience.) But I recommend you hold the line, and do what I'm doing for my technology-obsessed 10-year-old daughter: Get a cheap, simple phone with a prepaid plan and see how things go. Here's why.
Read the full Electronics blog post to learn more.
With claims such as "100% juice," "lower sugar," "no sugar added," and "with vegetables," buying a kids' juice box or pouch isn't child's play. We recently chose 10 popular drinks, checked their nutrition facts, and asked 35 children ages 6 to 17 for their preferences after blind taste-tests. (See our fruit juice drink Ratings, available to subscribers.)
What we found. All products aren't the same. The amount of actual juice ranged from less than 10 percent to 100 percent; calories from fewer than 50 to more than 100; and sugar content from about 10 grams to 25. About those "100% juice" claims: Although the tested products with that label don't have added sugars, all are higher in calories and sugar than those with lower juice percentages. (See One in five children have risk factors for heart disease.)
As for taste, Capri Sun Original Fruit Punch, with 10 percent juice, was rated highest: 79 percent of the kids said they'd drink it again. At 30 cents per pouch, it's also among the cheapest, and it has just 60 calories. The Ratings (available to subscribers) list all the tested options. Our children's panel was least enthused about Vruit Orange Veggie Blend, a "blend of 100% pure fruit and vegetable juices" with a carrot/veggie flavor.
Did you know? The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests limiting fruit juice to 4 to 6 ounces per day for kids 1 to 6 years old and 8 to 12 ounces for older children. That could help kids avoid calories and cavities. (See Extra phys ed equals fitter, leaner kids.)
What I thought would be a relaxing summer vacation at my mother’s turned out to be my worst trip ever. That’s because I had to navigate the never-before-traveled path of getting medical treatment for my very sick 19-month-old son, while far away from home.
The morning after we arrived at my mother’s house, my son woke up with a fever, threw up, and refused to drink just about everything. I knew I had to get him medical attention, but where? Family friends and neighbors referred us to their pediatricians, but they were either out of the office, too busy, or unable to handle a one-time visit with a new patient. Throughout the ordeal, I was in touch with my son’s pediatrician, especially since I knew he might get dehydrated.
One doctor’s office recommended an urgent-care clinic. These clinics are for patients who need treatment right away but don’t necessarily need to go to an emergency room. Urgent-care clinics take walk-ins, and don’t schedule appointments. Consumer Reports’ medical consultants say it may be best to choose an urgent-care clinic affiliated with a hospital, if you can find one, which is what I did.
I was prepared for a health emergency in one key way: I’d packed our health insurance cards. Everyone—adult and child alike—should have their health insurance information with them when they travel, in case of emergency. (In fact, you should have this with you at all times, even when you’re not far from home. You should also have key medical information with you—including a list of conditions if you have a chronic disease or any allergies, drugs you’re taking, and family contact information.)
My son was diagnosed with a viral infection. As directed by the health professionals at the clinic, I gave him infant acetaminophen to keep the fever down. But when he continued to refuse fluids the next day, I became very concerned. I called our pediatrician back home and at his direction, brought my son to the ER at the nearest hospital, which didn’t have a children’s unit. (While all acute-care hospital emergency rooms should be able to handle a pediatric emergency, you can always inquire whether pediatric services are available if you have a choice of hospitals. You can also find organizations of pediatric hospitals online: the National Association of Children’s Hospitals and Related Institutions (NACHRI) is one such source. (See their hospital directory search.)
At the hospital, he received intravenous saline to treat his dehydration. That finally started him on the road to recovery, and he was allowed to come home with me. But he still has nightmares about the hospital visit—I think he was traumatized by going to a strange place and having strange people do strange things to him, most of which were painful—and I’m still reeling as well. (See Helping Your Child With Medical Experiences: A Practical Parent Guide (this is a PDF file) from Children’s Hospital Boston.
Some tips for travel with children:
—Sandra Temko, CRTV producer
Unhealthy teen trends parents should be aware of:
Noise exposure. About 12.5 percent of American children between the age of 6 and 19 have measurable noise induced hearing loss in one or both ears. (See Turn down the iPod.)
Texting while driving. This practice is widespread and getting worse. According to a 2010 survey by AAA and Seventeen Magazine, 86 percent of drivers, age 16-19 admit to risky driving habits. Those who texted, sent, on average, 23 text messages while driving in the past month.
Tattoos. Although most states have laws prohibiting minors from getting them, they are poorly enforced. Outbreaks of community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) skin infections among tattoo recipients have been related to sloppy infection control practices.
Piercings. Besides traditional ear piercings which carry the standards risks of infection, allergic reactions to nickel, and scar formation, kids are piercing other parts of their bodies, including their nose, naval region, lips, eyebrows and tongues, as well as areas hidden from parents, such as the nipples and genitals. Bacterial infections are not uncommon as are risks of hepatitis, tuberculosis, HIV and tetanus. Deformity and scarring can be permanent.
ADHD prescription drug abuse. The same drugs being used to treat attention deficit disorder are being freely shared by some teens on college campuses and high schools to give them an edge at preparing for exams.
Tobacco escalation products. Like many teens, my son was convinced that, unlike cigarettes, smoking a hookah was not harmful. In fact, hookahs do use tobacco (referred to as Massel) which comes in a wide variety of flavors.
Tanning salon use. Even though exposure to tanning beds before the age of 30 increases a person's risk of developing melanoma by 75 percent, this real danger is dampened by television shows that depict it as trendy and fashionable.
Circle lenses/decorative contact lenses. Illegal to sell without a prescription, but easily bought online, doctors are concerned about risks of blinding infections and damage to the cornea.
Biting and cutting and sucking blood. Yes, as unbelievable as it sounds, there’s a vampire movement afoot thanks to the glamorous portrayal of teen vampires on the Twilight series and The Vampire Diaries and the popularity of HBO’s True Blood.
Tech use at night. The high-tech bedrooms of many teenagers are anything but dark and quiet. No wonder they're tired in school.
Learn more about these disturbing trends in 10 troublesome teen trends.
An estimated 24 million people in the United States have type 2 diabetes—that’s about 8 percent of the population, up from 2.5 percent in 1980. Anyone with this chronic condition who receives proper and consistent care can live a good quality life, and can work and function normally. But if your child has diabetes, you may be anxious about how consistently he takes care of his condition during the day, once he heads off to school. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s recently released guide, Helping your child manage diabetes at school, offers parents and kids tips to help them manage their diabetes during the school day and at extracurricular activities.
Since a person with diabetes must manage this chronic illness constantly, the help of school staff such as nurses, teachers, and coaches can prove essential. They may help your child take medications, check blood-sugar levels, choose healthy foods in the cafeteria, and be physically active. (See One in five children have risk factors for heart disease.)
The CDC suggests you:
About 1.5 to 2 million people in the U.S. have a form of the disease called type 1 diabetes. In this condition—usually diagnosed in childhood or the early teen years—the pancreas stops producing insulin altogether. People with type 1 diabetes must inject insulin every day.
Type 2 diabetes is one of the most serious medical conditions affecting our nation today. In this type, the body’s cells become resistant or insensitive to insulin, which is then produced in less-than-optimal amounts by the pancreas. It was once referred to as “adult onset” diabetes, but no longer. In recent years, the incidence of type 2 diabetes among children and adolescents has exploded. A good part of that surge is due to the dramatic increase in the number of young people who are physically inactive and overweight or obese over the last 20 years. (See 4 ways to keep your child at a healthy weight.)
Studies conclusively show that diabetes more than doubles the risk of developing and dying of heart disease and other problems. Indeed, the condition is as potent a predictor and risk factor for heart disease and heart attack as are cigarette smoking, high blood pressure, and uncontrolled high cholesterol.
As the CDC notes, parents and schools want all students to be safe and to learn in a supportive environment. By taking these steps, parents can get their children on the right track.
Recent news headlines about safer school supplies, new parents and sleep deprivation, and more.
Child health and wellnessA new report from the Royal Horticultural Society has found that when children work in school gardens they develop increased life skills, greater literacy and numeracy and are more responsive to the challenges of adult life.—Treehugger
A new study finds that girls are more likely today than in the past to start developing breasts by age 7 or 8. The issue is of concern for both medical and psychosocial reasons.—The New York Times (free registration required)
According to a study from the Urban Institute…49% of American babies born into poor families will be poor for at least half their childhoods. Those poor at birth are more likely to be poor between ages 25 and 30, drop out of high school, have a teen nonmarital birth, and have patchy employment records than those not poor at birth.—Center for Media Research
The Apps for Healthy Kids competition is part of First Lady Michelle Obama's Let's Move! campaign. The competition calls on software developers, game designers, students, and other innovators to develop fun and engaging interactive tools and games that help communicate healthy lifestyle choices.—Supermarket Guru
Back-to-schoolThe Center for Health, Environment & Justice (CHEJ) has released a free Back-to-School Guide to PVC-Free School Supplies. In addition to phthalates, PVC can also contain lead, cadmium and organotins, all of which can have adverse health effects and have been linked to asthma, obesity and learning disabilities.—inhabitots
Parent wellnessWomen who gain a lot of weight during pregnancy are more likely to have high-birth-weight babies, which may increase the children's risk of becoming obese later in life, a new study suggests.—USA Today
A recent sleep survey in the UK found that parents lose an average of six months’ sleep during the first 24 months of their child’s life. According to the Silentnight survey, about 10 percent of parents only managed to get 2.5 hours of continuous sleep each night.—inhabitots
The Good Men Project was launched in June and is one of a crop of new magazines…that cater to men with features about parenting, relationships, and mental health as opposed to articles about sex and sports common in some traditional men’s publications.—Boston Globe (via boston.com)
Child safetyA new generation of car seat laws has kids sitting in boosters for a long time, often through third grade and beyond. But booster seat laws are far more than annoying regulations—a new study published in the journal Pediatrics suggests that they're saving kids' lives.—iVillage Pregnancy & Parenting
If you ever find yourself in any perilous situation involving your car, knowing what to expect and being prepared can provide peace of mind, and maybe even save a life. Rule No. 1 is to keep your cool and help your passengers remain calm. Panic won't benefit anyone.
If your child (or pet) gets locked in the car, don't hesitate to pry open or break a window. Make sure it's the one farthest from the trapped passenger. Use whatever's handy, such as a jack tool from another car, a screwdriver, or some other sharp tool.
If you're not successful after just a few minutes, call 911.
See the survival strategies that we recommend for other harrowing driving predicaments, including: brake failure, car crash, car fire, overheating, and more.
Changing diapers, of course, is the least glamorous aspect of taking care of a baby. But it must be done many times a day, and the right diaper pail can make the job easier. That’s especially true if you have more than one baby at a time in diapers—twins or triplets, or children close in age.
The type of diaper pail you’ll want depends on whether you’re using cloth diapers or disposables. Cloth-diaper users may favor a “dry” pail, a lined plastic pail you put rinsed diapers in until wash time. “Wet” pails—a plastic pail for soaking diapers before laundering—were once the standard, but are not used much anymore. The typical disposable-diaper pail is also plastic, and it may be rigged with special liners or devices that dispel diaper odors, or for use with regular garbage bags.
The right diaper pail can make diaper duty less of a chore. Pails that use their own liners typically contain odors better than those that use garbage bags, but refills do cost more, though some products that take garbage bags may claim to control odors. If you use cloth diapers, dump solid waste into the toilet before depositing a soiled diaper into the pail. It’s a good idea to dump waste from disposables, too; that added step helps cut down on the odor. (See cloth vs. disposable diapers.)
Look for a secure lid; any diaper pail can be a danger to a young child. Plastic liners in a disposable or dry pail are a suffocation hazard; water in a soaking pail is a drowning peril. And a child who lifts a diaper pail lid and falls in may not be able to get out.
Capacity counts too, although we have found in previous testing that manufacturers may claim a pail holds more than it actually does. But as diaper size increases, any pail holds fewer diapers. And besides, whether you go with cloth or disposables, you will want to regularly empty the pail anyway to minimize odor. A pedal- or motion detector-opening mechanism makes disposal faster and easier. A taller pail means you won’t have to bend as far. When you’re changing diapers all day, every day, anything that helps you out is a plus.
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