MarloElaine » Health

Green Cleaning with MarloElaine

Elaine — Mon, 03 May 2010 22:38:02 +0000

For a long time, house keeping materials in my home consisted mainly of my Dyson vacuum and baby wipes. Once I discovered that baby wipes could be used to clean baby food off of walls just as easily as a child’s skin, I began using them for everything. I have used baby wipes to clean dried yogurt off the kitchen table, mop up mud tracked onto my carpet, and even removed “washable” crayon marks from wood furniture. I cannot imagine how I was able to live the majority of my life without baby wipes.

In an effort to become more green and eco-friendly, I am trying to wean myself off of disposable baby wipes in favor of reusable sponges, washcloths, and towels. I am also avoiding antibacterial soaps containing triclosan and purchasing refillable products when available.

My favorite refill product so far is the White Tea & Vitamin E Dial Eco-Smart Refill. This refill is packaged in a soft pouch rather than a bulky plastic bottle.

I use this liquid hand soap to refill both my regular soap dispensers and my foaming soap dispensers. My article “How to: Refill Foaming Hand Soap Pumps” describes how to add one part liquid soap to four parts water to make a less expensive, non-antibacterial foaming hand soap refill.

When MyBlogSpark offered me the opportunity to sample several Seventh Generation products, I was thrilled. On their about page, Seventh Generation describes themselves as being “committed to becoming the world’s most trusted brand of authentic, safe, and environmentally-responsible products for a healthy home.” Seventh Generation uses natural CleanWell instead of triclosan to make their disinfecting products. Earlier this month, the FDA wrote “At this time, FDA does not have evidence that triclosan added to antibacterial soaps and body washes provides extra health benefits over soap and water. Consumers concerned about using hand and body soaps with triclosan should wash with regular soap and water.”

MyBlogSpark and Seventh Generation sent me several cleaning products and supplies to sample and review. I really believe in the Seventh Generation philosophy, so I eagerly anticipated the cleaning kit in the mail. As soon as they arrived, my husband and I used them to give our kitchen and bathroom a much needed deep cleaning. The Disinfecting Multi-Surface Cleaner, Bathroom Cleanser, and Disinfecting Wipes all cleaned my hard surfaces quickly and easily, but we could not get past the oddly familiar yet slightly unpleasant Lemongrass and Thyme scent.

The brown paper towels we received were unbleached and made from 100% recycled paper. Unfortunately, they are not as absorbent as the Bounty paper towels I am used to. I ended up using twice as many paper towels to dry hands, wipe up spills, or soak up oil from food.

All the Seventh Generation Disinfectants are only available in the Lemongrass and Thyme scent, but there is an unscented Free & Clear line that I am looking forward to trying. I plan to join the Seventh Generation Nation so I can print coupons before my next purchase.

If you would like to try the Seventh Generation Disinfecting products for free, please post a comment below. One lucky reader will win a Seventh Generation Cleaning Kit containing disinfecting products, paper towels, a carrying tote, and “The Conscious Kitchen” book. The winner will be announced on Monday, May 10th. The cleaning kits have been generously provided by Seventh Generation through MyBlogSpark.

Concerns about the Swine Flu Vaccine

Elaine — Thu, 10 Sep 2009 03:50:54 +0000

The swine flu vaccine has thimerosal / mercury in it, yet will be recommended for all pregnant women and children over 6 months old. I’m not sure yet if my family will get vaccinated. What are you planning to do?

I recently posted this on my facebook page along with a link to USA Today’s article “H1N1 and seasonal flu: Multiple doses, many questions“.

An overwhelming majority of my fb responders were NOT planning to vaccinate themselves or their families against the potentially deadly H1N1 virus. Some believe that they could survive the swine flu just like they would any other flu. Many feel that the vaccine is just too new and has too many unknowns. Several feel that the thimerosal component of the vaccine cannot be overlooked due to it’s association with autism.

A nurse practitioner friend posted that she has had some experience with the anti-viral drug Tamiflu believes it is very effective against the H1N1 virus. She believes that contracting and treating swine flu outweighs the risk of the vaccine itself because the previous round of the swine flu vaccine was associated with Guianne Barre Syndrome.

Guianne Barre Syndrome (GBS) is a paralyzing illness that at worse can cause death, and at best has a long, painful recovery with lingering paralysis or weakness. My friend Cricel’s husband Khalil was diagnosed with GBS last year. She documented Khalil’s struggles and his miraculous progress in order to share her family’s experiences with GBS. Cricel e-mailed me, “We are not sure what caused Khalil’s GBS, so we cannot really make a link between his case and a flu vaccine. But I did know that the old swine flu vaccine was linked to an increase in GBS incidence. Scary…”

USA Today reports:

“The government’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) … recommended that (the H1N1 vaccine) be given to pregnant women, people who live with or care for children younger than 6 months old, health care workers, people ages 6 months to 24 years and people 25 to 64 who have chronic illnesses or immune problems.”

When I asked my pediatrician’s office last month what their recommendations were regarding the swine flu pandemic vaccine, they said they were waiting for the American Academy of Pediatrics to make a statement before finalizing their medical group’s opinion. I plan to ask them again soon for their recommendation. My children usually get the seasonal flu vaccine, but I request the thimerosal-free vaccine that is normally reserved for smaller children. If the H1N1 vaccine does not come in a thimerosal-free version, we will most likely NOT get the swine flu pandemic vaccine.

The American Academy of Pediatrics says:

“The H1N1 virus is a hybrid, with genetic elements of swine influenza, avian influenza, and human influenza…Because this is a new strain, seasonal flu shots do not protect people, so good hygiene is important to help prevent the spread of germs. The influenza is spread by coughing, sneezing and unclean hands.” They continue, “If you suspect your child has influenza, call your pediatrician. Antiviral medication, if taken soon after infection, can shorten the duration of the illness. These medications are effective against swine flu.”

My husband and I will carefully weigh the pediatrician’s recommendation along with pros and cons of the H1N1 vaccine before making a final decision about vaccinating my preschool daughter, my kindergarten son, my husband, and myself against the expected swine flu pandemic.

What are you planning to do to protect yourself and your family?

Motrin Campaign Offends Babywearers

Elaine — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 19:18:26 +0000

The Motrin website is running a commercial or “Mom-Alogue” that makes babywearing seem like a painful, unpleasant thing done only for vanity. The first line of the commercial is, “Wearing your baby seems to be in fashion.” Here is another quote, “It TOTALLY makes me look like an official mom.”

I just loved wearing both of my kids in the BabyBjörn and Hip Hammock. It had nothing to do with being trendy and everything to do with comfort and convenience for my baby and myself. As long as I adjusted my babycarrier properly, I did not need any pain medication because of it.

The online babywearing community is outraged and vows never to buy Motrin brand ibuprofen again. Barb, a babywearer and former Motrin user, posted a transcript of the commercial on her blog. Jessica believes that Motrin is picking on fragile, new moms thus angering many moms.

I have not purchased any Motrin brand products recently, and I do not plan to in the future. There are many other brands and generic options available for both adults and children that work just as well, and are often a lot less expensive.

Update 11/17/08:
Motrin and it’s parent company McNeil Consumer Healthcare have heard the voices of the many outraged moms who have e-mailed, blogged, twittered, etc.

The Motrin.com site went down sometime on Sunday, November 16th. As of Monday evening, the following message replaced the controversial Mom-Alogue:

“With regard to the recent Motrin advertisement, we have heard you.

On behalf of McNeil Consumer Healthcare and all of us who work on the Motrin Brand, please accept our sincere apology.

We have heard your concerns about the ad that was featured on our website. We are parents ourselves and we take feedback from moms very seriously.

We are in the process of removing this ad from all media. It will, unfortunately, take a bit of time to remove it from our magazine advertising, as it is on newstands and in distribution.

Thank you for your feedback. It’s very important to us.”

Sincerely,

Kathy Widmer
Vice President of Marketing,
McNeil Consumer Healthcare

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Muffin Recipe

Elaine — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 17:14:52 +0000

I just baked a double batch of Pumpkin Muffins today. I experimented with chocolate chips after seeing a friend’s chocolate chip pumpkin bread recipe. They turned out really good! Here’s the revised recipe:

Chocolate Chip Pumpkin Muffins

Recipe Summary:
Difficulty: Easy
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 25 minutes for mini-muffins or 35 minutes for regular sized muffins
Yield: 6 dozen mini-muffins or 3 dozen muffins

Dry Ingredients:
4 cups all-purpose flour
4 teaspoons cinnamon
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt

Wet Ingredients:
2 cups sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 cup unsweetened applesauce
6 large eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla extract

6 cups fresh shredded pumpkin
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.
Prepare the baking pans by either buttering and flouring them, spraying the pans with nonstick cooking spray, or lining them with paper muffin liners or parchment paper.
Sift the dry ingredients together: flour, cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, and salt.
In a separate bowl, mix the wet ingredients: sugar, vegetable oil, applesauce, eggs, and vanilla.
Combine both mixtures and fold in the shredded pumpkin and chocolate chips.
Once the ingredients are all incorporated, scoop into prepared muffin tins.
Bake for 25 minutes for mini-muffins or 35 minutes for regular sized muffins. Since ovens vary, start checking the muffins when your kitchen starts to smell really good. When the muffins are done, a knife or toothpick inserted into the middle of a center muffin will come out clean.
Cool for 15 minutes and turn out onto a cooling rack.
Refrigerate leftovers. Reheat in broiler or toaster oven for best results.

Variations:
Substitute leftover Halloween candy for the the chocolate chips! Just cut up chocolate bars into bite sized pieces and fold in with the shredded pumpkin. Hershey bars and M&M’s are the obvious choices, but feel free to experiment with Snickers, Almond Joy, etc.!

Your Child’s Flu Vaccine May Contain Mercury

Elaine — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 03:29:33 +0000

I took Sammy to the doctor last Friday for his 5 year old check up. Among other things, he was due for a flu shot. Since I had Sophie with me too, they offered to get her flu shot done at the same time as well. I agreed so that I wouldn’t have to come into the office again.

In our pediatrician’s office, they have a regular flu vaccine and an infant flu vaccine for children under age 3. I normally request the infant flu shot for both of my children because it is thimerosal-free. Sophie is not yet 3, so she would receive the infant one anyways, but I have been making special requests that Sammy receive the infant version as well.

According to the CDC, “Since 2001, with the exception of some influenza (flu) vaccines, thimerosal is not used as a preservative in routinely recommended childhood vaccines.” The FDA states: “A preservative-free version of the inactivated influenza vaccine (contains trace amounts of thimerosal) is available in limited supply at this time for use in infants, children and pregnant women. ” The older children generally get the regular or adult flu vaccine, which contains thimerosal. Thimerosal is a mercury based preservative that may or may not be linked to autism. There are numerous articles and studies both supporting and disproving the link between thimerosal and autism.

I err on the side of caution and try to avoid as much mercury as possible. However, many parents may not realize that their child’s flu shot has mercury in it. Or if they are aware of it, they may not know that there is an alternative. Since flu season is approaching, I just wanted to post this so that parents and caregivers would be aware of it and ask their pediatricians to give their children a thimerosal-free flu vaccine. Some pediatric offices only have a certain amount of infant flu vaccines, so make your child’s appointment in mid to late September to increase the chances of getting the mercury-free version.

If the infant flu vaccine is not available to your child, ask your pediatrician about the nasal flu vaccine, which is also thimerosal-free. It is marketed under the name MedImmune’s FluMist. The CDC describes in detail the brands and manufacturers of thimerosal-free flu products, but also claims that “there is no convincing evidence of harm caused by the small amount of thimerosal in vaccines, except for minor effects like swelling and redness at the injection site due to sensitivity to thimerosal.”

How do you feel about childhood immunizations and the possible link to autism? Do you believe the flu vaccine is beneficial for children? What does your child’s pediatrician say about all of this? Please share your comments below.

Tiny Diners Beware

Elaine — Tue, 26 Jun 2007 05:29:08 +0000

Toddler intoxicated via sippy cup

Earlier this month, a toddler was inadvertently served a margarita in a sippy cup at a popular eatery in California. The toddler’s mother gave the server her son’s sippy cup to fill with apple juice at an Applebee’s restaurant. While the two year old did not finish his cocktail, he still consumed enough alcohol to make him drowsy, vomit, and require a visit to the ER. Thankfully, the young child appears to have fully recovered from this accidental intoxication.

It turns out that the apple juice and the margarita mix are stored next to each other in identical containers. The Applebee’s management is very apologetic and is taking steps to prevent this type of mistake from happening again. All associated medical expenses are being paid by the restaurant chain. The family has also been offered free meals, but does not plan to return to that restaurant again.

The Applebee’s franchise owners will pay the “Serving to Minors” fine ($5,000, I believe), but is not being sued by the family at this time. I have not read anything about the status of the Applebee’s manager who poured the ill-fated drink.

Prevention tips

This potentially tragic incident could happen at any place that serves alcohol. To keep your children safe, here are a few tips:

BYOM (bring your own milk): If possible, bring your children’s drinks with you. I always pack my son’s whole milk and my daughter’s whole milk/soy formula drink whenever we go out to eat. I do this not only for restaurants, but also when we go to play dates or visit family. I highly recommend this for any children with special diets or food allergies. This also helps me save money while ensuring my children drink enough milk every day.
Taste test: If you do order drinks for your children, taste them first before allowing your kids to drink them. This is especially important for toddlers who do not talk well yet. (This also applies for food-I always make sure my kids’ food is not too hot, too spicy, or otherwise not suitable for their sensitive mouths.)
Trust no one: Never give the server your child’s sippy cup. Pour all drinks into the cup yourself so you can detect any abnormal smells or colors (alcohol, sour milk, etc.) This is also the only way to ensure that the cup does not get contaminated (dropped on the floor or coughed or sneezed on).

What do you do when you take your kids out to eat? Do you bring their own drinks? Please feel free to share you comments below.

How to: Keep Your Bottled Water Cold

Elaine — Thu, 31 May 2007 06:29:23 +0000

Drinking water is one of the best things you can do for your body. Water is a natural appetite suppressant, has zero calories, prevents dehydration, and is great for the skin, kidneys, liver and digestive system. It is very important for everyone, especially pregnant and nursing women, to drink plenty of water.

I always try to bring a bottle of water with me wherever I go. I noticed that I often drank only half of the water in my bottle, stopping once the water was no longer cold. My solution is to keep several half full water bottles in my freezer. When I am ready for a drink, I just top off the frozen bottle with more water. The ice keeps the water nice and cold, then melts to make more! Ice cold, spill proof, & portable!

Sometimes I put the half ice/half water bottles in my cooler or lunch box instead of an ice pack. For long trips, I freeze an almost full bottle. Don’t freeze a full bottle… the plastic might crack when the ice expands as it freezes!

This also works great with sports drinks or juice in plastic bottles. Not so good with carbonated drinks. Haven’t tried it with milk… yet.

Hand Sanitizers: The Hidden Dangers

Elaine — Thu, 24 May 2007 23:00:20 +0000

If you have small children in your house, hopefully you carefully read and heed all warning labels. Any product labeled “Keep out of reach of children. If swallowed, get medical help or contact a Poison Control Center right away.” should be locked away and used with extreme caution. One dangerous product that often gets overlooked is the hand sanitizer.

Hand sanitizers are becoming increasingly popular in schools, daycare centers, doctors’ offices, and hospitals. When hand washing is not convenient, hand sanitizers have proven valuable in reducing the spread of contagious illnesses. Hand washing is still the best way to remove dirt and decrease the spread of germs. Unfortunately, hand sanitizers are often left out in easy reach as if they were innocent lotions instead of the powerful chemicals that they are.

The Purell and Germ-X brands of hand sanitizers each contain 62% ethyl alcohol. Hand sanitizer is equivalent to 124 proof alcohol. To give a reference point, light beer is generally 6 proof (3% alcohol) and white wine is typically 24 proof (12% alcohol). It has more alcohol than vodka (80 proof)!

If a toddler ingests one or two ounces, or just three squirts of the hand sanitizer, IT COULD BE FATAL. Swallowing a smaller amount can cause intoxication or alcohol poisoning. Even a small amount licked from a child’s hand can cause dizziness, disorientation, headache, stomachache, slurred speech, etc.

While the makers of Purell claim that their product is not toxic or unsafe when used as directed, young children cannot read those directions. The Purell FAQ states:

Is Purell safe for children?

Purell is safe for children when used according to the directions. Children should be supervised when using Purell. All Purell Instant Hand Sanitizers contain an additive that tastes bitter and makes Purell undesirable to drink. As with all drug products, consult your physician before using on babies or young children.

Snopes.com, an excellent online resource to verify e-mail forwards and urban myths, talks about the dangers of hand sanitizers. They also do an excellent job explaining why children ingest non-food items.

We do not normally use hand sanitizer gels or wipes. At home, we wash the kids’ hands with antibacterial hand soap and plenty of warm water. When we go out, we use regular baby wipes to clean all surfaces that come in contact with the kids’ skin (high chairs, shopping cart handles, etc.). We also try to wash their hands in the washroom before and after eating.

We do keep small bottles of Purell in both our car and our diaper bag. We only use it in emergencies, such as after touching animals or changing diapers when there is no sink nearby. The kids make a game out of rubbing and shaking their hands until the gel is completely dry. We always remind our kids to keep their hands out of their mouths if we see them licking their hands or sucking their fingers, but we are especially vigilant after they use any type of hand sanitizer.

Here are some tips to help keep your children safe from hand sanitizers:

Keep hand sanitizers out of reach of children (The packages are not childproof!)
Closely supervise children during use
Rub hands together until completely dry
Explain that the hand sanitizer is dangerous if used improperly
Remind children not to put their fingers or hands in their mouth, nose, or eyes after immediate use

Sophie’s Frightening Ordeal

Elaine — Sat, 12 May 2007 20:39:44 +0000

As many of you know, our son Sammy had a febrile seizure when he was two years old. Ever since that frightening ordeal, Marlo and I have been vigilant in monitoring both Sammy and Sophie’s temperatures and aggressively treating them whenever they have fevers.

Since Saturday of last week, both kids had been suffering from fevers, diarrhea, and vomiting. They also suffered from decreased appetite, less energy, and general crankiness. Five days later, just when I thought they were getting better, Sophie took a turn for the worse.

Wednesday afternoon just after 5 pm, I heard Sammy call out to me, “Mom! Sophie is throwing up!” I ran over to the kids, expecting to find Sophie standing up with her shirt and feet covered in slime. Instead, I saw her lying on the carpet with a pool of vomit next to her. Both of her arms and legs were shaking, kind of quivering.

I scooped her up and took her to the kitchen sink. She threw up some more, stopped breathing, and turned an awful shade of blue. I yelled to Sammy to bring me the phone, which luckily was somewhere he could reach. I dialed 911 and eventually requested an ambulance (that’s another story – Vonage customers beware!). Thankfully, before I finished the phone call, Sophie started breathing again on her own and her color returned to normal. She was very sleepy, but she was responsive.

I took Sophie outside to wait for the ambulance, which arrived within minutes. A fire engine and a police car accompanied the ambulance. The paramedics saw that Sophie had already recovered. I told them what happened and we agreed to take Sophie to the emergency room to try to find out what caused the seizure.

Since I was home alone with both kids, we had to bring Sammy with us to the hospital. Though he was very concerned about his sister, he thoroughly enjoyed the ambulance ride. The paramedics checked Sophie’s vital signs, including her temperature, and all were normal. Sophie did not have a fever!

Once we got to the hospital, the ER staff re-checked her vitals and tested her blood sugar, again all were normal. Next was the ordeal with the needles. Sophie did not like this part at all. She kept crying, screaming, twisting, kicking, and squirming. The doctors and nurses said that Sophie was the strongest, feistiest child they had ever seen. After 5 painful attempts, they finally collected blood samples, inserted an IV, and gave IV fluids. They also collected urine with a catheter. By then, Sophie was too tired to protest. She immediately fell asleep while we waited for all the results.

During this time, we were very lucky to have the paramedics, Marlo, Marlo’s uncle and brother, and our friends come to the hospital to distract Sammy so he didn’t have to witness his baby sister suffer. Our friends and family also retrieved our car from our house and took Sammy to dinner.

The ER staff was very sympathetic, knowledgeable, and helpful. They told us what to do if Sophie had another seizure (call the ER or pediatrician right away, call an ambulance if the seizure lasted more than 5 minutes or if she stopped breathing). They explained Sophie’s lab tests and results (blood and urine showed mild dehydration, but nothing alarming). We were instructed to collect a stool sample to test for shigella, a bacteria that can cause fever, diarrhea, vomiting, and seizures in children under two years old. We were also told to see our pediatrician the next day. We were discharged after four hours in the ER.

The only thing I had an issue with at the hospital was that they kept referring to Sophie’s seizure as a febrile seizure. Their diagnosis was “febrile seizure with history of gastroenteritis.” I explained that her last fever was 36 hours before she had her seizure, but they said that since she did have a fever in the last few days, it still counts. They also said that a recent fever combined with dehydration can lower a child’s seizure threshold. I was very frustrated, because Marlo and I were going out of our way to try to avoid another febrile seizure in the family.

The next day, we dropped off the stool for testing and went to our pediatrician’s office. Though our regular doctor was on vacation, her associate was very helpful. The pediatrician reinforced everything that the emergency room staff said, but also offered another possible explanation for Sophie’s illness and seizure: rotavirus. He told us that rotavirus is a very common stomach virus that we could have picked up from anywhere. He called the lab to make sure the stool was being tested for this as well.

The doctor then reassured me that we were doing everything right in preventing febrile seizures, treating the diarrhea, and minimizing dehydration. He disagreed with the ER staff and feels that Sophie had a “non-febrile seizure associated with intestinal infection.” He believed that whatever caused Sophie (and Sammy) to have fevers, vomiting, and diarrhea, also caused Sophie’s seizure. I asked him if dehydration alone could have caused the seizure, but he felt that was very unlikely, since Sophie’s case was very mild.

Two long days later (on a Saturday!), the pediatrician called us back with the results. Preliminary results were negative for the salmonella shigella, but positive for rotavirus. We need to call back on Monday for the final results, but it is very unlikely for Sophie to have both illnesses at the same time.

One week from when the kids started getting sick and three days from Sophie’s seizure, everyone seems to be back to normal. No more fevers, vomiting, or diarrhea. The kids have their appetite back and are eating like crazy. Most importantly, no more seizures! The pediatrician even cleared us for playgroup! He said that as long as Sophie did not have diarrhea anymore, she was not contagious.

We are relieved to have this all behind us. We learned a lot from this experience and hope that other parents can learn something as well. If you have anything to add or share, please post in the comments below.

How To: Make Your Own Healthy Baby Food

Elaine — Mon, 23 Apr 2007 17:56:39 +0000

When my son Sammy was an infant, I spent so much money on jarred baby foods. There was a time when he would eat one or two jars of commercial baby food at every meal. That was around 20-40 jars a week for about 6 months! I finally figured out a way to make inexpensive, healthy baby food for a fraction of the price! My daughter rarely ate store bought baby food.

I like to buy cans of vegetables with no salt added or unsweetened fruits in their own natural juices. I drain the liquid, but reserve it -the liquid contains a lot of vitamins and flavor! Then I simply puree the fruits or vegetables in my food processor, adding the reserved liquid until it is the right consistency. The finished product should be very smooth and thin for those just starting baby food, thicker and chunkier for more experienced eaters.

Frozen fruits and vegetables work well also, but you may need to add water, formula, or breast milk to get the desired consistency. Of course fresh fruits and vegetables are ideal. My children particularly enjoyed these fresh foods: baked sweet potatoes, avocados, bananas, cantaloupe, and strawberries. Some items need to be cooked before pureeing, but it is very easy to steam vegetables and bake sweet potatoes in the microwave.

Rotisserie chicken, silken tofu, and hard-boiled eggs are high protein items that can easily be made into baby food at home. Check with your pediatrician for suggestions on when to introduce potentially allergic foods such as egg whites, tofu (soy), strawberries, nuts, shellfish, etc. As your child gets older, you can make baby food out of whatever the rest of the family is eating. If necessary, separate the infant’s food before salting or seasoning it. Spaghetti with meat sauce and chicken rice soup are favorites in our house.

If you make several servings of baby food, you can freeze extra portions in ice cube trays, small covered plastic containers such as glad-ware, or even reusable plastic baby food tubs. If you have any extra glass baby food jars, you can use them to store your homemade food in the refrigerator.