Whole Foods Market Hosts Autism Awareness Day

Whole Foods Market in Winter Park will host Autism Awareness Day from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. September 20 and donate five percent of the store’s net sales to Autism Speaks–an organization dedicated to finding effective treatments and a cure for autism and creating a better future for those whose lives are affected by Autism Spectrum Disorders.

Throughout the day, various groups will be on hand offering information about different aspects of the disorder, including detection, interventions, support, recreational services and diet information. Lecture topics for parents include diagnosis and treatment, including special diets. Call 407-673-8788 for more details.

CDC Launches Campaign to Fight Drug-Resistant Germ

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has launched a national campaign to teach parents how to keep their children safe from skin infections caused by the potentially dangerous bacteria methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA).

MRSA is a type of staph bacteria resistant to certain antibiotics. It has been in the news because it can cause severe infections in health care settings, such as hospitals. But parents may not be aware that it can also cause skin infections in otherwise healthy people who haven’t recently been hospitalized.

Click here to read more about the campaign.

Healthy Family Fun Planned at Interfaith Council Community Event

The Interfaith Council on Community Health and Wholeness is launching its “Our Whole Community”  project in a community event from 3-6 p.m. September 14 at Winter Park Presbyterian Church, 400 S. Lakemont Ave, Winter Park.

The family event will feature tours of a community garden, tips on planting vegetables from Tom McCubbin and Ed Thralls, as well as cooking demonstrations and fitness presentations. There also will be a food court setting with healthy food choices. Soil testing is available.

For more information, contact Council Coordinator Joann White, 407-998-5659.

Researchers Look for New Asthma Links

Researchers investigating the reasons for children’s asthma epidemic have identified child abuse as one more potential cause.

The researchers, from Brigham and Women’s Hospital, who studied children in Puerto Rico because of the high incidence of asthma, found those who had gone through physical or sexual abuse were much more likely to suffer from asthma than those who had not been mistreated.

But the abused children represented only a small fraction of the total number with asthma.

Click here to read the complete New York Times story.

U.S. Chickenpox Prevention Program Working

The chickenpox vaccination program launched in 1995 has had a dramatic impact on the number of children infected, hospitalized and killed by the virus in the United States.

According to a review of a recent article, “Varicella Prevention in the United States: A Review of Successes and Challenges,” found in the August issue of “Pediatrics” magazine, cases of chickenpox (varicella) had dropped 90 percent by 2005.

The number of varicella-related hospitalizations declined 75 to 88 percent and deaths declined by more than 74 percent in people under age 50, with the greatest declines among children ages one to four (92 percent) and five to nine (89 percent).

Click here to read more on the American Academy of Pediatrics website.

Active Video Games Can Help Kids Get Fitter

New video games that get kids off the couch and moving help them burn about four times as many calories a minute as passive video games, according to a new study by the University of Hong Kong researchers.

“The children in this study had a lot of fun playing media games and burnt up calories, showing that making video game media active can certainly help in our efforts to get children active,” said Alison M. McManus, from the university’s Institute of Human Performance. “The challenge is for the industry to continue developing new and exciting games that integrate physical activity into the virtual game environment.”

Click here to read the complete HealthDay story.

Obesity Risk linked to History of Chronic Ear Infections

More than five million children cope with the agonizing ache of ear infection annually, but a new discovery suggests damage to taste nerves caused by the common childhood ailment might increase the risk of obesity later in life, say University of Florida College of Dentistry researchers.

Chronic ear infections appear to trigger a preference for high-calorie food, leading to increased consumption and excessive weight gain in adulthood, said Linda Bartoshuk, Ph.D., a UF expert on the sense of taste and genetic variations in taste perception.

Bartoshuk’s preliminary study findings suggested a link between the infections and obesity. Researchers from other academic institutions confirmed the discovery with data from three independent studies.

Click here to read more about the UF study.

Measles Cases On the Rise

More measles cases have been reported in the U.S. since Jan. 1, 2008 than during the same period in any year since 1996, according to a new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Between January 1 and July 31, 2008, 131 cases were reported to CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases (NCIRD). At least 15 patients, including four children younger than 15 months of age, were hospitalized. No deaths have been reported.

“Measles can be a severe, life-threatening illness,” said Dr. Anne Schuchat, director of NCIRD. “These cases and outbreaks serve as a reminder that measles can and still does occur in the United States.” Of the 131 patients, 112 were not vaccinated or had unknown vaccination status.

Click here to read more on the CDC website.

Parents Shape Their Kids’ Eating Habits

Providing fruits for snacks and serving vegetables at dinner can shape a preschooler’s eating patterns for his or her lifetime.

To combat the increasing problem of childhood obesity, researchers are studying how to get preschoolers to eat more fruits and vegetables. According to researchers at Washington University in St. Louis, one way is early home interventions–teaching parents how to create an environment where children reach for a banana instead of potato chips.

“When parents eat more fruits and vegetables, so do their children,” said Debra Haire-Joshu, Ph.D., a professor at the George Warren Brown School of Social Work. “When parents eat and give their children high fat snacks or soft drinks, children learn these eating patterns instead.”

Click here to read more on the Washington University in St. Louis website.

County Health Department Offers Back-to-School Immunizations

It’s not too late to get your child immunized for school.

The Orange County Health Department (OCHD) is offering immunizations on a first come, first served walk-in basis through August 30, 2008 at several sites. 

To find the site closest to you, call the OCHD at 407-836-2502. (Spanish, 407-836-2545.) Children must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian.