Get Informed -

Google It:

http://www.state.nj.us/health/fhs/shapingnj/partners.shtml

http://www.whale.to/v/sugar_q.html

http://www.facebook.com/SmartHabitsFans#!/SmartHabitsFans?v=wall

Get Cerebral:

http://www.techjackal.net/other/2010/04/22/sugar-is-not-so-sweet-for-your-health/

http://www.nature.com/oby/journal/v10/n6/full/oby200266a.html

http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE63J69U20100420

http://www.princeton.edu/pr/news/02/q2/0620-hoebel.htm

http://www.nydailynews.com/lifestyle/health/2008/12/12/2008-12-12_sugar_as_addictive_as_cocaine_heroin_stu.html

First, the MMR booster is not a booster at all.  The initial vaccine inoculates approximately 94 to 95% of the population receiving it. The booster is later administered across the board to simply increase the percentage up a few points to about 97 to 98%.  So out of 100 children who initially receive the MMR, about 95 already have enough antibodies and do not require the follow up shot.  Secondly, you are allowed to get what’s known as a titer test. This is a blood test to measure the amount of antibodies in the blood stream.  If they are high enough, your child is exonerated from the follow up MMR vaccine.  All day care facilities and schools must accept this and cannot prevent your child from attending if your child passes the required antibody levels on the titer.

Don’t Be Surprised If Doctors Are Resistant.

In our case we waited until we were in the doctor’s office to receive the booster when I notified the nurse who came in with the vaccine that we wanted a script for a titer.  She became quite flustered and insisted that the booster was required.  I calmly requested to meet with the doctor.  He complied without hesitation, but what I find so disturbing is even with the knowledge of my son’s condition, I still had to garner this information elsewhere.  Long story short, my son’s antibodies were high enough and he did not require the booster.  I can’t say that vaccines had any ill effect Little Em, but after all we have been going through we didn’t want to risk anything.

Because of Little Em’s autism we meet so many other parents in the same situation, with the same pit in their stomach when it comes time for booster shots, but to my surprise they don’t know of the titer. Why isn’t this common knowledge?  With all the concern over vaccines how come school authorities and doctors don’t advertize this choice? Sadly I think it’s part economics, and part that the public is used to lining up like lemmings when it comes to doctor’s orders (imagine how much less money the Pharma companies would make if 95% of the population didn’t get their booster shots because they didn’t need it.)

The titer test is available for the following vaccines:

• MMR (measles, mumps, rubella)
• Hepatitis B
• Diphtheria, Tetanus
• H. Influenza (HiB)
• Hepatitis A
• Chicken Pox, (Varicella – zoster)
• Influenza A and B
• Polio
• Pneumococcal vaccines

So if you’re up at night worried about an upcoming vaccine shot for your child, research your state laws and see if a titer test is available.  And spread the word.  With autism now affecting 1 in 100 children, (1 in 66 if it’s a boy) everyone now knows someone who affected by this condition.  Who knows, at the very least you may help save another parent from that awful pit in their stomach.

http://caldwells.thejerseytomatopress.com/detail/3308.html

Marci Wolff Ober, LMFT

Staying healthy while you are pregnant is not only beneficial to your baby, but to you too.  This holds true whether it’s your first child or your tenth.  What does staying healthy mean?  A combination of proper diet, exercise and sleep. 

Just because you are pregnant, doesn’t mean you need to double your caloric intake.  In fact, caloric increase only needs to occur during the 2^nd and 3^rd trimesters and by 300 calories.  Take in fluids regularly in order to maintain hydration, especially when pregnant during warmer months and during exercise.  Continue eating meals consisting of all food groups and keep sugars at a minimum.  Include in your diet fruits and vegetables, whole grains and protein.  Remember to eat foods rich in Calcium, Iron, Folic Acid and Vitamin C.  Be aware of foods that may harm your baby such as unpasteurized cheeses or raw fish and meats.   Make sure all meats are cooked and are not eaten raw to avoid exposure to harmful bacteria.  Additionally, minimize the intake of caffeine.  Once your baby is born, remember to continue eating a well balanced diet and increase fluids especially if breast feeding.  For more specific issues and concerns speak with your physician or consult with a nutritionist. 

 Staying active is very beneficial to you and your baby.  If you are not a gym person, don’t worry.  Before you begin any new exercise program while you are pregnant, you should always consult your physician.  Stop any exercise if you notice dizziness, faint, shortness of breath, vaginal bleeding or pain.  Avoid any exercise that may injure your abdomen or ones involving increased jumping and bouncing or contact sports.  A few exercises I recommend which will benefit you during your pregnancy and afterwards include cardio, stretching, core and stability exercises. Of course, if you are already strengthening, swimming, involved in yoga or other pregnancy safe exercises, by all means continue.  Walking outside or on a treadmill or using an elliptical machine are good ways of getting some aerobic (cardio) exercise. 

A good exercise which involves both back and abdominal muscles is opposite arm and leg raises.   This exercise is done on all fours.  While maintaining a neutral spine (not arched, not flexed) and keeping the abdominals tightened, raise one arm straight out in front to shoulder level, palm facing inward and the opposite leg to buttock level at the same time.  Repeat the exercise with the opposite arm and leg for 10 repetitions per arm/leg combination.  If this exercise seems too difficult, begin with arm or leg raises alone. 

Maintaining a strong pelvic floor is important during pregnancy and afterwards.  A healthy pelvic floor knows how to contract (as if stopping the urine flow) and how to relax.  Pelvic floor exercises, known as Kegels, are a good way to keep the pelvic muscles in shape.  Practice quick (1-2 second) contractions as well as longer held (5-10 seconds) contractions.  Start with 5 repetitions and work up to 10 repetitions.  Make sure to rest between contractions and make sure not to hold your breath as you are doing this (or any) exercise.  Do not perform repetitions of this exercise while urinating.  To keep the abdomen strong, you can perform abdominal contractions in any position (sitting, standing, all 4’s or on the back when it is still safe and comfortable).  As you exhale, bring your lower abdomen, belly button and below, towards the spine.  Imagine a string pulling your belly button towards your spine.  Make sure not to just “suck in.”  You should feel the muscles in the lower abdomen tightening, but do not over tighten.  Hold this contraction for 5-10 seconds and repeat up to 10 repetitions.  There should be no movement except the flattening of the abdominal muscles.  This exercise will focus on the Transverse Abdominus muscle, a muscle which wraps around from the front to the back and helps to flatten the stomach. 

A final important exercise which strengthens the legs and buttock is the squat.  This can be performed with or without the support of a wall or chair.  Stand with feet hip width apart (increase the width as the pregnancy progresses and balance is more of a challenge).  Keep your heels flat on the floor and toes slightly turned out as you bend your hips and knees lowering yourself downward.  Make sure you knees stay over the toes.  Perform 10-15 repetitions. 

Stretching is as important as strengthening.  Stretching can help ease some aches occurring during and after pregnancy.  A second type of squat, full squat, will help you stretch and strengthen your hips in preparation for birth.  Start in the same position as the above squat.  This time lower yourself down as far as you can go while keeping your feet flat on the floor.  Hold the position from 30 seconds up to a few minute.  Angry cat is a stretch performed while on all fours.  In this neutral spine position, place you hands under the shoulders and knees below the hips.  As you exhale, tighten the abdominals (similar to abdominal contractions described above) as your round the back.  Inhale and return to neutral position.  Repeat 5 times. 

Finally, I always add breathing, especially diaphragmatic breathing to the program.  Inhale air through the nose, and down low into the abdomen. Let the abdomen expand as you breathe in, and relax as you breathe out through your mouth. By practicing breathing techniques during pregnancy, you can be more prepared for breathing while birthing.     

Do not forget to rest and get good nights of sleep.  Stay active while pregnant as long as you are comfortable, but also make sure not to overdo it.  By balancing your diet, activity and sleep, you are bound to feel good during and after the pregnancy. 

Niva Herzig is a licensed physical therapist specializing in women’s health.  She is the owner of Core Dynamics Physical Therapy in Englewood, NJ.  She can be contacted by email: niva@coredynamicspt.com.  For more information regarding prenatal and postpartum physical therapy as well as pelvic floor dysfunction, please visit www.coredynamicspt.com. 

Most offices will accommodate your request for an interview with the doctor.
A good time to start looking for a Pediatrician is seven to eight months
into your pregnancy. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) offers referrals to certified practitioners at www.aap.org/referral.
Get a Car Seat Inspection
Keeping your baby safe is one of the most important jobs you will
have as a parent, which is why using the proper car seat and installing it correctly are essential. The type of car seat you should use depends on several factors including the baby’s size and the type of car you drive. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that all infants should ride rear-facing until they reach the maximum height or weight allowed by the manufacturer. To learn more about car safety seats, go to www.aap.org/family/carseatguide.htm.
Be sure to have your car seat installed and inspected a few weeks before your due date. To find an inspection location near you, visit www.seatcheck.org.

Take a CPR Class
Learning how to correctly administer CPR to an infant before your baby’s birth can be a valuable life-saving technique. Performing CPR on an infant is very different from an adult and requires different levels of pressure. Classes are offered at hospitals, community centers and local chapters of the American Red Cross and American Heart Association. To find a class in your area, visit www.redcross.org or www.americanheart.org.
Consider Cord Blood Banking
Cord blood banking is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to collect and store your baby’s umbilical cord blood. Cord blood is a rich, non-controversial source of stem cells that is being used to treat over 70 life-threatening diseases. Many families bank their baby’s cord blood for peace of mind that their family’s stem cells are readily available should they need them. Others save cord blood because of its emerging use in treating Type 1 Diabetes and Cerebral Palsy, which requires a child’s own cord blood. Stem cells from a related source are the preferred option for all treatment, and transplants using cord blood from a family member are twice as successful as transplants using cord blood from a non-relative (i.e., a public source).1
Start researching cord blood banking during your second trimester and arrange the collection in advance – the only time collection can occur is at the time of delivery. Learn more about cord blood banking at www.parentsguidecordblood.org.

Make a Breastfeeding Decision
As a mother, one of the best things that only you can do for your baby is to breastfeed. Breastfeeding is more than a lifestyle choice — it is an important health choice. Any amount of time that you can do it will help both you and your baby. Breast milk has disease-fighting cells called antibodies that help protect infants from germs, illness, and even SIDS. Research also indicates that women who breastfeed may have lower rates of certain breast and ovarian cancers. Breast-feeding resources are available at www.womenshealth.gov/breastfeeding and www.cdc.gov/breastfeeding.
Taking a breastfeeding class before your baby arrives is a wonderful way to be prepared. To find a class, check with your OBGYN or visit La Leche League’s website at www.llli.org.
1 Gluckman, et al. New England Journal of Medicine, 1997; 337:373.

Coming home at the end of the day and trying to get into your child’s face in the hope of a reaction is basically a formula for failure. It may not sound very fun, but being calculating and pragmatic is the best approach. The goal here is to get your child out of his world and for your arrival and presence to be relevant to him.

As with any other ABA program you may have to first physically prompt him, but the key is to get the child physically involved in the greeting process. 1. Call your spouse ahead of time so he or she can prepare the environment. Turn the TV off, get any food or drink out of the child’s hands. Start to talk about “Daddy coming home,” and physically get him facing the door. By doing this you are narrowing down distractions and setting up the environment. Dads (or Mom – whomever is coming home) should not simply walk through the door, but knock on the door, call his child’s name. If the child does not respond, mom should help the child walk to the door, physically prompt him to open the door if necessary. (Do not just pick up the child or open the door for them. The goal is to get them involved and participating). Dad should be bent down at his level and come in with a hug. 

As a major note, do not expect this to all go smoothly. To put it lightly pulling an autistic child out of his comfort zone to participate in normal affectionate behaviors can be a battle of wills. Expect melt downs, flopping and resistance, but this is unfortunately a natural process of acclimating autistic children to our world. One day may not better than the last, but chances are you will begin to see progress through weeks and months.  Also, like other ABA regimens, developing this behavioral habit of coming to the door at the sound of a parent’s voice, opening it and embracing will be infinitely easier to ingrain when they are younger. Autistic children are known for developing “habits” and creating these specific types of habits can have profound positive effects. Though they may not have the capacity to understand the intrinsic good feeling of an embrace, I have found it can be taught and may blossom back in ways never imagined.  Finally getting your child to independently run to the door at the sound of your voice will be priceless.  This is the stuff that keeps families together working for more.

You may find more information on developing proper emotional behaviors and affection in autistic children in the new book: Dads And Autism, How To Stay In The Game, by Emerson Donnell. It is available on Amazon or directly from www.dadsandautism.com

Make sure you take the time to educate yourself because birth is the only opportunity you have to collect these lifesaving cells.
You can click here www.brainshark.com/viacord/kerielkin to watch a cord blood presentation.

You have 3 choices for what to do with the umbilical cord cells…to
discard, to donate, or to bank it.  If you ever need the stem cells & you donated or discarded it, it will cost you $30,000 to get one (if you can even get one).

It’s sad with science progressing everyday that someone would choose not to do this for their family/baby/siblings.  Cord blood stem cells are currently being used to treat over 70+ different diseases (ie. cancers like Leukemia, blood disorders, genetic diseases and immune system deficiencies, including diabetes, heart disease and stroke).

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Factors to consider before going back.

Personally I remember my son, Emerson, bolting from my hands to run for a small creek behind our house. He loved it down there and I provided every opportunity to go. Problem was he got so excited he would simply run and leave me in the dust.  I had to perpetually chase him down and try to reign him in, but nothing seemed to work. I wanted so desperately to connect, but I had no idea how to go about it. 

Most any parent of an autistic child can tell a similar heartbreaking story of  how their child runs off, ignores their attempts of eye contact or any acknowledgement of their voice. So why not use this object of desire to connect, incite eye contact, develop speech and get a little joy all at once? Here’s how. 

Let’s take the incident of the little boy running for the spring loaded door. Imagine the therapist engaging with the boy’s desire instead of repeatedly trying to redirect him. By turning him toward the door, bending down and getting her face up into his, she asks if he wants to “go?” Depending on the child’s verbal ability this can be expanded on. If you are just inciting speech, this is a great opportunity to have their undivided attention to learn how to request for something.  Teaching a child a word like “go” involves action on their part and attempting to incite speech on something that is so desired and relevant to them will typically be much easier. The child will most likely be looking right through you towards the desired object, but guess what, now you’re becoming naturally integrated into their world.  If they can’t talk, perhaps you may get them to point or even partially speak. One other thing I did with Emerson was to verbally count down with my fingers in front of his face, “one, two three!” before bolting towards the creek.  It took some time, but after repeated exercises, his little fingers began to move as he was attempting to count.  Here’s a trick, once you say “go!” run backwards and watch the joy on their face as they bolt free towards the desired object. At three years old it was perhaps the first time I saw a wide smile and lucid glimpse from my son’s beautiful blue eyes.

For the therapist, this exercise can be repeatedly done as a game of sorts, each time bending down, counting down, getting the child to communicate in some way their desire to go toward the object. And each bolt for the door will be met with giggles and laughs instead of a firm grips and words to redirect them back.

Sometimes the best therapy involves the use of  things you never imagined like the spring loaded door. But at the end of the day, developing that happy connection can be arguably the most important therapy of all. Developing that connection cracks open those ever so small windows for communication and makes way for other more formal therapies.    

Contributed by Emerson B. Donnell III, Author of Dads And Autism, How To Stay In The Game.  For more tips and more in-depth discussions on how to connect with your autistic child, the book is available on Amazon and www.dadsandautism.com.