Thursday, February 28, 2008

Soapbox topic: Vaccines (Rotavirus)

by Teresa

So far in this blog, my posts haven’t been TOO opinionated, but as you’ll learn if you keep reading, there are some topics that really get me going!  One of them is childhood vaccines.  My next few posts will be on this topic.

For today: Rotavirus vaccine.

A new vaccine for Rotavirus was recently approved by an FDA advisory panel.  Rotavirus is one of the most common causes of gastroenteritis, what many people commonly call “stomach flu.”  (Symptoms include fever, vomiting, abdominal pain, fever and diarrhea that often last for 3 to 8 days; for more information about the illness, click here). 

The new vaccine is called Rotarix (click here).  It could earn full FDA approval as early as next month.  There’s another one, Rotateq, from a different pharmaceutical company (click here).  That one was fully approved by the FDA a few years ago.

My kids, both of them, were participants in vaccine trials for Rotateq before it was approved.  I remember when I made the decision to enter my kids, as infants, in the vaccine trials.  Some people thought I was a little crazy to allow my children to have vaccines that weren’t on the market yet. 

Certainly, parents should always give thoughtful consideration to any decision about their children’s medical care, including vaccines.

In this case, the facts convinced me that it was worth getting the vaccine to protect my children.  Rotavirus is VERY common in young children, and very contagious; in fact, nearly EVERY American child has been infected by the age of 5.  Between 55,000 and 70,000 children in the U.S. are hospitalized with Rotavirus every year, most because of dehydration.  According to the CDC, 20 to 60 American children DIE from it every year!

The vaccine had few reported side effects.  There’s no mercury or thimerosal in the vaccine.

And my pediatrician recommended the vaccine to us.  Our kids have a truly excellent doctor, and I trust his advice.  Of course, I always do my own research, reading and asking questions, but I do value his opinion and I give a lot of weight to it when I make my decisions.  Tests showed that Rotateq was extremely successful—preventing 98% of severe cases of Rotavirus, according to the CDC.

The result, in this case?  My kids suffered no side effects at all (they were closely tracked by a nurse, because they were in the vaccine trial).  It was an oral vaccine, so they didn’t even have pain from a shot.  And to date, my kids have never had severe “stomach flu;” they certainly have never required hospitalization for any stomach illness.  I know some children who have stomach illnesses a few times a YEAR; mine have had them a few times in their entire LIVES, and they’re almost 4 and almost 6 years old.  They’ve had mild stomach illnesses that lasted about 24 hours, but they’ve never had the 3 to 8 days’ worth of sickness that’s typical of Rotavirus.  I feel very fortunate that we were able to get the vaccine.

That’s just our personal story, of course; other families may have different experiences.  But I always tell new moms they should check with their doctors about getting a Rotavirus vaccine for infants.  We all know how awful it can be to have “stomach flu.”  In my opinion, it’s worth having the conversation with your pediatrician, if there’s a chance of sparing your child those days of misery.

Monday, February 18, 2008

Hippopotamus Love

by Teresa

Take a look at our copy of “But Not the Hippopotamus” by Sandra Boynton.  You can tell by the picture how beloved this book has been.
This was, for a couple of years, one of the top-five favorite books in my household.  My husband picked it out for my son at the bookstore when the little one was just about a year old.  After hundreds of readings, I’m surprised it hasn’t fallen apart.
When I let my kids choose gifts to give to new babies, they often choose this book.
Many parents already know of Sandra Boynton.  She’s written and illustrated dozens of kids’ books; she’s also had a series of books containing song lyrics and CDs with recordings of big-time musicians singing her delightfully, deliberately silly songs.  My favorite of her songs is the one called “I Need a Nap,“ performed by Weird Al Yankovich and Kate Winslet on the CD “Dog Train.“
There is a really nice profile of Boynton in the New York Times this week, headlined “The Power of Whimsy.“  (You can click here to read it.) 
My children still love the silliness of “But Not the Hippopotamus,“ and its rhyming phrases such as “A MOOSE and a GOOSE together have JUICE,“ and “A HOG and a FROG do a dance in a BOG.“  Each phrase is followed by the words: “But NOT the hippopotamus,“ right up until the funny, surprise ending. 

Friday, February 01, 2008

Groundhog Day!

by Kelly

Anyone who knows me, knows about my February mania. I have one major obsession – I LOVE Groundhog Day! I LOVE it! It’s my New Year’s mixed with Christmas Eve and topped off with the Fourth of July. I love Groundhog Day! 
I love the history of the holiday and how it arrived in America from Europe.  I love the media frenzy it has become today, and the mystique surrounding the furriest weatherman in the world.
At 7:25 this Saturday morning, an American cultural icon will have his day. In the sleepy mountain-side town of Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, the spotlight will be on the famous fuzzy forecaster known as Punxsutawney Phil. Phil has the hardest job of any groundhog - predicting the weather for the rest of winter. Talk about pressure! At least he’s had practice. Punxsutawney Phil has been working on February 2 almost every year since 1887.
The first thing you need to know to prepare for Groundhog Day is what the “shadow” business is all about. According to the official website for all things Groundhog Day, “If he sees it, he regards it as an omen of six more weeks of bad weather and returns to his hole. If the day is cloudy and, hence, shadowless, he takes it as a sign of spring and stays above ground.  (You can click here  to see the site.)  Phil usually sees his shadow, by the way; he’s seen it 96 times since the first prediction in 1887. The folks there insist he’s 100% accurate – and they’re not wrong.  February 2 is six weeks from the astronomical start of spring in mid-March. So with the vast majority of forecasts tending to be for six weeks of prolonged winter – technically, he is right.
Despite the often dismal forecast of a prolonged winter, I like Punxsutawney Phil. He’s a colorful rodent with his paw on the pulse of American culture. For example, during Prohibition Phil threatened to impose 60 weeks of winter on the community if he wasn’t allowed a drink. Phil has met presidents and celebrities. He’s been on the Today show on NBC as far back as 1960. He’s been to the moon twice (okay, this one may be a stretch, but it’s on the website!). And who doesn’t love the movie, “Groundhog Day”?  They also insist that the groundhog making the forecast today is the same one who made that first forecast more than 100 years ago. Phil folklore states that he drinks the “Elixir of Life” to maintain his longevity and youthful vigor. (Get me some of THAT!)
Attendance at the Grand Prognostication each year is up to 30,000 thanks to the movie, and national broadcasts of the very minute Phil tells his handler his forecast. I would give anything to be among them. I have long dreamt of going to Punxsutawney and making the trek up to Gobbler’s Knob in the freezing cold, and screaming like a fan at a concert, at the appearance of a rodent.  Maybe next year.  This year, I’ll be here at NBC 10, forecasting the weather on Sunrise at 7am, and watching from my chair in the studio as we broadcast the event, live, as Phil tells the fate of winter 2008. I can’t wait!