Sensible Snacking

Do you think of snacking as an occasional treat? By eating smaller, more frequent portions of good-for-you snacks throughout the day, you can actually provide more opportunities to eat the important nutrients your body needs.

Snacking can also help with portion control. By eating small amounts of food during the day, you'll be able to better listen to your body's needs and wants. Smart, controlled snacking teaches us how satisfying a small portion can be, so that when meal time comes, you can better gauge how much your body actually needs instead of how much your eyes think you want. Smaller portions of smart snacks also help maintain energy levels because your metabolism and mood are on less of a roller coaster and more able to stay balanced.

Try to avoid snacks high in trans fat, high-fructose corn syrup and processed sugar. Don't forget to look for the positive things such as whole grains, fiber, protein, fruits, nuts, seeds, omega-3s and other natural ingredients, which are all nutritious attributes of a good-for-you snack. Most importantly, always read labels and look for foods that are minimally processed and free of highly refined sweeteners and artificial ingredients.

Snacking also provides the opportunity to be creative. Go ahead – explore, experiment and have fun! Change your snacking preferences to coincide with the seasons and what's fresh at the market. Indulge in mangoes in the spring, whole-grain pumpkin muffins in the fall, oranges in the winter and frozen fruit smoothies in the summer. There are endless possibilities for healthy snacks.

Talk to your doctor about the best ways to provide your family with sound nutrition day in and day out.

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Painful Playtime

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) issued warnings in 1977, 1981 and 1999, emphasizing the dangers of trampolines and recommending they not be used in the home or as part of physical education courses at schools. Despite these warnings, visits to emergency rooms skyrocketed between 1990 and 2005.

Studies have proven that education about trampoline risks has not helped to reduce the number of injuries. In fact, the number of injuries has increased exponentially each year, leading the AAP to characterize trampoline injuries among children as an "epidemic" and to recommend banning them from home use entirely. According to Gary Smith, chairman of the AAP Committee on Injury, Violence and Poison Prevention and former director of emergency medicine at Children's Hospital of Columbus, research suggests the following:

	The number of injuries increased by 98 percent during a six-year study.
	Younger children tended to have injuries to their arms, the majority of which were fractures or dislocations.
	Younger children also had a higher rate of facial injuries – most often lacerations.
	Older children commonly sustained injuries to their legs – bruises, sprains, strains and contusions.
	Approximately 3 percent of all injuries required hospitalization.
	Twelve percent of the injuries to young children and 7 percent of injuries to older children were to the head and neck.

It's important to recognize the potential serious injuries related to the use of the trampoline and prohibit your children from using them. If you continue to allow your child to play on a trampoline, beware of the possible minor injuries that may occur to their developing spine. This includes upper neck trauma, sacral (tailbone) injury (similar to repetitive-stress syndrome) and flexion-extension injury to the lumbar spine. Should your child complain of any spine or muscle (close to their spine) pains or aches, contact your chiropractor to perform a thorough exam.

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Don't Ignore the Warnings

According to researchers from Boston University's Slone Epidemiology Center, one in 10 children uses at least one cough medication during any given week, and younger children are the most frequent users. Just over 10 percent (10.1 percent) of children ages 2-5 were given antihistamines, 9.9 percent were given decongestants and 7 percent were given antitussives (cough suppressants). Even more startling, 7.6 percent of children under age 2 received antihistamines, 5.9% received decongestants and 9.4% received cough suppressants.

Earlier this year, the Food and Drug Administration issued a public health advisory recommending that parents and caregivers not use over-the-counter cough and cold products to treat children under age 2, and announced it was in the process of reviewing whether the warning should be extended to older children (ages 2-11). And in October, drug manufacturers announced they were extending the warning to include children ages 4 and younger, a move supported by the FDA. Apparently, some parents are prone to ignore the warnings.

As always, talk to your doctor before taking any medication or administering it to your child, and inquire about natural alternatives, particularly for managing cold symptoms.

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