A recent national study of ER visits raises a red flag on the rates of cuts and bruises for infants and toddlers and what is causing them…pacifiers, bottles and sippy cups.

Previous research on injuries related to bottle, pacifier, and sippy cup use has largely focused on case reports of infant injuries or fatalities attributed to pacifiers or pacifier parts causing asphyxiation or to bottle warming causing burns.

This study, published online May 14 and appearing in the June issue of Pediatrics. is the first to use a nationally representative sample to investigate the range of injuries requiring emergency department visits associated with bottles, pacifiers, and sippy cups among children aged 0-3 years.

Using a nationwide survey, researchers estimated that more than 45,000 visits to the emergency room between 1991 and 2010 in children under 3 years old were because of injuries related to using bottles, pacifiers and sippy cups.

Most injuries involved children aged between 1 and 2 years who had a bottle and fell and cut their mouth.

“A lot of parents baby-proof their house but don’t ever think about the possibility of an injury related to these products,” said Sarah Keim, a researcher at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, and lead author of the study.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that parents transition their children from a bottle to a cup between 12 and 15 months of age to avoid problems such as tooth decay. The AAP also recommends weaning babies off pacifiers between 6 and 12 months.

For the study, Keim and her colleagues collected data from the U.S. National Electronic Injury Surveillance System, a network of about 100 hospitals nationwide that record injuries in their emergency departments related to consumer products.

Two-thirds of the injuries were in children between 1 and 2 years. “This is right around the time that kids start to walk and run and aren’t very good at it yet,” Keim said.

About 66 percent of the injuries were related to a bottle, and 86 percent involved a fall.

It is not clear why more injuries were associated with bottles than the other products, Keim said. “There could be something about the products themselves that are potentially more dangerous or that children are using them more.”

Injuries related to pacifiers made up about 20 percent of cases. They occurred most often in children under 1 year old and led to bruising and dental damage. Sippy-cup injuries, which were most common in children older than 2 years, were more likely to affect the head, neck and face.

Keim said it was reassuring to see that choking injuries made up a small portion of overall injuries.

Having children stay seated while drinking may help protect them, the authors said.

To learn more about child product safety, visit Keeping Babies Safe.

(SOURCES: Sarah Keim, Ph.D., principal investigator, Center for Biobehavioral Health, Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, Ohio; Mark Zonfrillo, M.D., pediatric emergency medicine physician, injury epidemiologist, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Center for Injury Research and Prevention, and assistant professor, pediatrics, Perelman School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia; May 14, 2012, Pediatrics

womenshealth.gov, a project of  the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office on Women’s Health, recently published the following tips written by Health Day News.

Tips on What Can Cause Muscle Cramps

The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons says although the exact causes of muscle cramps aren’t known, the following conditions are thought to increase your risk:

• Having tight muscles that haven’t been stretched.
• Having poorly conditioned muscles that become easily fatigued.
• Overusing your muscles.
• Exerting yourself in extreme heat.
• Being dehydrated.
• Having low levels of essential minerals and salt, including potassium.

Tips on Avoiding Hurting Yourself While Gardening

The American Council on Exercise suggests how to garden without hurting yourself:

• Use correct posture and form.
• Warm up before you garden with a 10-minute walk.
• Make sure all of your movements are smooth and steady.
• Keep your abdominal muscles taut.
• Lift with your legs (never your back).
• Don’t twist your back while digging.
• Breathe regularly. Exhale when you lift, and inhale as you lower a heavy load.

Did you ever read the salt content of fast foods? Scary! What is even scarier is the news that the same fast foods sold abroad have less salt in them.

According to a study that appeared in the April 16 issues of the  Canadian Medical Association’s journal, CMAJ there are significant differences in the amount of salt in fast foods sold in fast-food restaurants in the U.S., Canada and other countries.

Study researchers examined the salt content of more than 2,100 food items in seven product categories sold by Burger King, Domino’s Pizza, Kentucky Fried Chicken, McDonald’s, Pizza Hut and Subway in the United States, Canada, Australia, France, New Zealand and the United Kingdom.

Researchers found that McDonald’s fast food Chicken McNuggets in Canada contained 2.5 times more sodium than those in the United Kingdom. There were 600 milligrams of sodium (1.5 grams of salt) in a 3.5-ounce serving in Canada, but the same serving size in the United Kingdom contained 240 milligrams of sodium (0.6 grams of salt).

Norman Campbell, of the University of Calgary, and colleagues, said in a journal news release that”Canadian companies indicate they have been working to reduce sodium but the high sodium in these foods indicates voluntary efforts aren’t working.

These high levels indicate failure of the current government approach that leaves salt reduction solely in the hands of industry,” the researchers reported. “Salt-reduction programs need to guide industry and oversee it with targets and timelines for foods, monitoring and evaluation, and stronger regulatory measures if the structured voluntary efforts are not effective.”

The researchers concluded,”Decreasing salt in fast foods would appear to be technically feasible, and is likely to produce important gains in population health — the average salt levels of fast foods are high, and these foods are eaten often.”

SOURCE: Canadian Medical Association Journal, news release, April 11, 2012

The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics recently came out with a “Get Your Plate in Shape” Campaign for 2012 National Nutrition Month.

Here are their tips from the campaign to shape your plate:

• Think about what you are putting on your plate.
• Make half your plate fruits and vegetables.
• Choose “reduced sodium” or “no salt added” canned vegetables.
• Make at least half your grains whole grains.
• Switch to fat free or low fat dairy products.
• Eat a variety of proteins such as sea food, nuts, beans, lean meat, poultry and eggs
• Cut back on sodium, solid fats and sugary drinks.
• Enjoy your foods but eat less.
• Be conscious of calories.
• Use a smaller, plate bowl and glass.
• When eating out, choose lower calorie options.
• Write down what you eat and keep track of what you eat.

For more eating tips, go to www.eatright.org

In addition to watching what you put on your plate, the Academy offers the following exercise guidelines:

• Children and teens need to get 60 or more minutes a day of physical activities.
• Adults need two hours and thirty minutes a week of activity that requires moderate effort such as brisk walking.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) suggests the following to keep you and your family safe from Salmonella poisoning from contaminated eggs.

Eggs are one of nature’s most nutritious and economical foods.

A type of bacterium, Salmonella, can be on both the outside and inside of eggs that appear to be normal, and if the eggs are eaten raw or lightly cooked, the bacterium can cause illness.

Eggs, poultry, meat, milk, and other foods are safe when handled properly. Shell eggs are safest when stored in the refrigerator, individually and thoroughly cooked, and promptly consumed after cooking. The larger the number of Salmonella bacteria present in the egg, the more likely the egg is to cause illness. Keeping eggs adequately refrigerated prevents any Salmonella present in the eggs from growing to higher numbers, so eggs should be refrigerated until they are needed.

Cooking reduces the number of bacteria present in an egg; however, a lightly cooked egg with a runny egg white or yolk still poses a greater risk than a thoroughly cooked egg. Lightly cooked egg whites and yolks have both caused outbreaks of SE infections. Cooked eggs should be consumed promptly and not be held in the temperature range of 40 to 140°F for more than 2 hours.

Tips:

1. Like other foods, keep eggs refrigerated at 40° F (4° C) at all times. Buy eggs only from stores or other suppliers that keep them refrigerated.
2. Discard cracked or dirty eggs.
3. Wash hands and all food contact surface areas (counter tops, utensils, dishes, and cutting boards) with soap and water after contact with raw eggs. Then disinfect the food contact surfaces using a sanitizing agent, such as bleach, following label instructions.
4. Eggs should be thoroughly cooked until both the yolk and white are firm. Recipes containing eggs mixed with other foods should be cooked to an internal temperature of 160°F (71°C).
5. Eat eggs promptly after cooking. Do not keep eggs warm or at room temperature for more than 2 hours.
6. Refrigerate unused or leftover egg-containing foods promptly.
7. Avoid restaurant dishes made with raw or lightly cooked, unpasteurized eggs. Restaurants should use pasteurized eggs in any recipe (such as Hollandaise sauce or Caesar salad dressing) that would result in consumption of raw or lightly cooked eggs.
8. Consumption of raw or undercooked eggs should be avoided, especially by young children, elderly persons, and persons with weakened immune systems or debilitating illness.
9. Consumers can consider buying and using pasteurized shell eggs, which are available for purchase from certain stores and suppliers.

How Will I Know if I have a Salmonella Infection from Eggs or Any Other Contaminated food?

A person infected with Salmonella usually has a fever, abdominal cramps, and diarrhea beginning 12 to 72 hours after consuming a contaminated food or beverage. The illness usually lasts 4 to 7 days, and most persons recover without antibiotic treatment. However, the diarrhea can be severe, and the person may be ill enough to require hospitalization.