Take it to heart MIRROR, MIRROR SWADDLING AND SIDS - BOOST YOUR CHILD'S CARDIOVASCULAR HEALTH SEE PAGE 7 - Loma Linda University Children's ...
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MIRROR, MIRROR
Encourage body positivity
SWADDLING
AND SIDS
Keep your baby safe
take it
to heart
BOOST YOUR CHILD’S
CARDIOVASCULAR HEALTH
SEE PAGE 7.
WINTER
2018
YOUR GUIDE TO KIDS’ HEALTH FROM LOMA LINDA UNIVERSITY CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL
KEEP AN EYE ON YOUR +
-- Depression and
mental health
TEEN’S HEALTH
Teenagers may think they’re invincible, but
+ Hearing and
vision checks
it’s still important for them to see a health
care provider for a well-child checkup. These
Dental check
visits can help catch health problems early,
and they also help encourage teens to take
control of their own health.
Acne and skin
care discussion
Here are some
important aspects
of teen checkups:
Vaccines, including human
papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine
Body mass index check
Nutrition and
+ exercise counseling
Body safety discussions
(safe driving, gun safety,
abuse awareness, etc.)
Looking for a primary care doctor for your teen? Visit medical-center.lomalindahealth.org/search/provider to find one.
lluch.org | 800-825-KIDS
3
What New Parents Should Know
About Swaddling and SIDS
WHAT ELSE YOU CAN DO
Y
ou may have heard the report that said The other crucial thing to consider is your
swaddling babies may be linked with baby’s age. The Pediatrics study found that the As a new parent, helping your child sleep well
sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). risk for SIDS among swaddled infants is a major priority. Of course, making sure
If you have a little one at home or on the way, increased as they got older. That’s probably your baby is safe is just as important. These
these headlines may make you feel worried, due to the fact that older babies are able to tips can help you and your little one catch
alarmed and confused. After all, experts often roll from their backs to their stomachs. some precious z’s while putting some of your
tout swaddling as a way to help your baby A good rule of thumb is to stop swaddling as worries to rest:
sleep more soundly. So what’s a new parent soon as your baby shows that he or she is • Make sure your baby’s crib meets all
to think? trying to roll over. Most babies are able to roll current safety standards and has a firm
from tummy to back by about 4 months of sleep surface.
WHAT THE STUDY SAYS age and in both directions by 6 months. • Keep all soft or loose items out of your
First, it’s important to better understand the baby’s crib, including blankets, bumpers,
study’s findings. Researchers found that toys, pillows, stuffed animals, sheets
swaddling was associated with an increased and more.
risk for SIDS, but the risk was highest among
infants sleeping on their stomachs and sides
and lowest among those sleeping on their
backs, according to the study in the journal
Pediatrics. This further supports the American
Academy of Pediatrics’ recommendation to
always place babies to sleep on their backs,
whether they’re swaddled or not. Placing
babies on their sides is too risky because they
can roll onto their tummies.
STAY SAFE
For more tips on keeping your
child safe, visit lluch.org/
about-us/safe-kids/
safety.
leaps & bounds | winter 2018
4
NEED SUPPORT?
For professional help
• Offer your baby a pacifier at naps with body image
and bedtime. issues, contact Loma
• Make your home a smoke-free Linda University
environment. Behavioral Medicine
• Don’t sleep with your baby in your . Center by calling
• Have your baby sleep in a crib or b 909-558-9366 or
near your bed. visiting llubmc.org.
• Prevent overheating — check that
room where your baby sleeps is a
comfortable temperature.
• If you have any questions about your child’s
safety, discuss them with your pediatrician.
Help Your Child Develop
a Healthy Body Image
Every parent wants to raise a child who feels
comfortable in his or her own skin. A key to achieving
this is fostering a healthy body image.
Simply put, body image is how you feel
about your body. A positive body image
means that you have a realistic
3 Foster a love for physical activity.
Help your child discover that being
active is about having fun. Support
perception of how your body looks and your child’s interests in any physical
you accept and appreciate your natural activity that he or she enjoys, even if
body shape. it’s different from what you’d choose.
Believe it or not, problems with Allow your child to try different
body image can begin as early as the activities until he or she finds those
preschool years. The good news is that feel like a fun and natural fit.
that you can do a lot to help your child
develop a positive body image from a
very young age.
4 Talk about it. Since you can’t
completely shield your child from
“perfect-looking” bodies in the media,
1 Be a role model. Consider the
message your child receives
if you’re always talking negatively
use these images as a conversation
starter. Let your child know that
these images are often retouched or
about your own features, constantly otherwise altered to appear that way
dieting or putting yourself through and they don’t represent the wide
grueling workouts to change your range of shapes and sizes that bodies
appearance. Talk about and treat your come in. If you hear your child talking
own body exactly how you’d like your negatively about his or her own body,
child to treat his or her own. discuss why your child feels that way
and share what you see that makes
2 Emphasize health. Rather than
focusing on weight, emphasize
health, physical fitness and good
your child special.
Ultimately, body image is about more
nutrition. Talk about these things in
than how your child feels about his or
terms of the benefits they provide for
her looks. Kids who have a good body
your child. For example, encourage
image feel comfortable and confident
your child to eat a tasty, nutritious meal
in their own skin. So taking these
so that he or she will have plenty of
positive steps can have a lasting
energy to play.
positive impact.
lluch.org | 800-825-KIDS
5
physician’s corner
Helping Hearts
H
eart transplants, valve replacements, grafting — a type of surgery that improves Dr. Martens is currently researching ways
coronary artery disease and congestive blood flow to the heart. “The physiology of it to reconstruct the heart with materials that
heart failure: These are just a few of all had me hooked,” he says. can grow with a patient. “Now when we
the things that cardiothoracic surgeons will However, while attending Brown perform surgery on a tiny baby, we are using
deal with during their careers. It is a career University for his undergraduate degree, materials that we will need to replace as they
that only 300 or fewer practicing pediatric Dr. Martens admits, “I had no clue what I get older and grow,” he explains. “By the time
cardiothoracic surgeons in the nation have, wanted to do.” He liked math and quantum a patient with a heart defect is 2 years old,
with only three to five job openings per year physics, so he majored in neuroscience, they’ve undergone multiple surgeries to
in the field. which, he says, wasn’t much fun for him. reflect their growth. And these can be
Needless to say, it’s very competitive Dr. Martens did a lot of searching and by invasive operations.”
when trying to get a job. Timothy Martens, the end of medical school he knew that he Dr. Martens’ goal is to be able to create
M.D., Ph.D., was invited to serve in one of wanted to become a cardiothoracic surgeon. biological tissues that can be used when
those positions at Loma Linda University After more than 20 years of schooling, that’s repairing the heart so that they grow with
Children’s Hospital in August 2016. exactly what he did. the patient. “If we’re able to solve some of
So why did he venture into one of the In addition to treating his tiny patients, these problems, then we can give kids a
most ambitious specialties in health care? Dr. Martens is heavily involved in research. better quality of life,” he says. “If we can save
Dr. Martens says it was during his third year But he says the clinical side of his profession a dying newborn and give him or her a full
of medical school at New York University ties directly to his work in the lab. life expectancy with a single operation,
that he observed a coronary artery bypass that’s rewarding.”
leaps & bounds | winter 2018
6
Heart
Health
Matters a
Every Age
Eating well and stayin h i ll i i l k i
healthy heart. And it’s never too early to begin.
I
n the past 25 years, the percentage of or berries on top of low-fat or fat-free Older kids can also walk the dog and
overweight children ages 2 to 5 has more yogurt. Other good snack choices include mow the lawn.
than doubled. It has more than tripled a cup of cherry or grape tomatoes, • Sign up your children for community
among kids ages 6 to 19. Being overweight a glass of low-salt vegetable juice or sports teams or lessons.
boosts a child’s risk of developing low-fat popcorn.
hypertension and type 2 diabetes, conditions • Put limits on sweetened drinks, even Also, set limits on the amount of time your
that contribute to heart disease. Nearly half natural fruit juices. That means no more kids spend in front of computer or TV
of kids ages 12 to 21 are also inactive, than 4 ounces a day for toddlers ages 1 to screens. The American Academy of
further increasing their heart disease risk. 3, 4 to 6 ounces a day for kids ages 4 to 6 Pediatrics says there is a link between the
Your children probably don’t care as and no more than 8 ounces a day for kids amount of time spent watching TV and
much about heart health as they do about ages 7 to 18. a child’s body mass index.
growing strong, looking good and improving • If your kids supersize at fast-food
at sports. So stress the benefits that they can restaurants, have them share meals.
relate to. To keep your kids’ hearts Encourage them to choose salad and
humming, try the following: milk instead of fries and soda.
HEALTHY RESOURCES
HEARTY EATING TIPS HEART-RACING ACTIVITIES
• Kids get lots of their daily calories from • Encourage kids to go for a bike ride, For more on health tips, visit
snacks, and many children eat too little toss a softball, play tag or jump rope. our online health library at
fruit. Offer a banana, a cup of grapes or • Let your children help with the yard healthlibrary.lomalindahealth.org.
unsweetened applesauce, or sliced apples work: raking, weeding and planting.
lluch.org | 800-825-KIDS
7
Loma Linda University Medical Center
11234 Anderson Street Nonprofit Org.
Loma Linda, CA 92354-2804 U.S. Postage
PAID
Loma Linda University
Leaps & Bounds is published by Loma Linda University Health Medical Center
to provide general health information. It is not intended to
provide personal medical advice, which should be obtained
directly from a physician. © 2017. All rights reserved.
Printed in the U.S.A.
Richard Hart, MD, DrPH
President, Loma Linda University Health
Rachelle Bussell
Senior Vice President
Scott Perryman
Administrator
Heather Valentine
Editor-in-Chief
Rebecca Grissom
Managing Editor
Printed on Recyclable Paper. Developed by StayWell. 10859M
hen JJ’s mom found out that her son
had a heart problem, had no legs and
was in need of many surgeries, she
realized that JJ needed a dedicated children’s hospital
to help him see tomorrow.
Through our Vision 2020 campaign, we are embarking on a journey
to give hope, provide cures and save the lives of our youngest patients
by building a new children’s hospital tower.
Give today to help us build hope for kids like JJ.
Visit us on the web at GiveVision2020.org
and make your pledge today.
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