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Eating fish More on mercury and the pregnancy years OC Family Magazine reported in the January issue about a University of Maryland study that shows mounting concern about mercury in fish. That fear has now prompted the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the EPA to issue an advisory for women who might become pregnant, those who are pregnant, nursing mothers, and young children. That group should avoid shark, swordfish, king mackerel and tilefish, all of which have high levels of mercury. Two servings a week, up to 12 ounces, are sufficient when consuming fish and shellfish low in mercury. Those would include shrimp, canned light tuna, salmon, pollock and catfish. Another commonly consumed fish – albacore – has more mercury than canned light tuna, so make the distinction. Also, the government suggests parents check local advisories about the safety of fish caught in area lakes, rivers and coastal areas. Mercury occurs naturally in the environment and can be released through industrial pollution. High levels of what is called methylmercury can be harmful to an unborn baby and young children. Women who might become pregnant need to know that fish high in methylmercury from fish can accumulate in an adult’s bloodstream over time.m For more information, visit the FDA’s website at: cfsan.fda.gov/~frf/sea-mehg.html or the EPA’s website at: epa.gov/ost/fish. For the university study, go to: realmercuryfacts.org. A suds story Another way to wash little hands We’ll take just about anybody’s advice on how to get the children to wash their hands, one of the most basic ways to keep them healthy. Now SquidSoap, a soap dispenser designed for children, marks the hands with an ink spot that can only be removed after 15-20 seconds of thorough washing. So, the next time you ask your child if he has washed his hands, and he says yes, you’ll be able to check. According to the Centers for Disease Control, of students studied at 305 American schools, those who washed their hands at least four times a day miss 30% less school. The new product, marketed for children ages 3-12, may prompt them to wash their hands, and to wash them properly. A 15- to 20-second scrubbing is always advised. Soon to be available at grocery stores and pharmacies. How it works: • When you push down on the SquidSoap pump, a marker puts a small ink mark on your hand. • The ink is designed to wash off but not until you’ve washed your hands thoroughly. • Normally it takes 15-20 seconds of thorough scrubbing to wash the ink mark off. This is the period that most professionals suggest you wash your hands. Head gear Guidelines for a proper fit As the popularity of bicycles, scooters, skateboards, skates and retractable roller shoes continues, so has the severity of brain injuries among children. The Brain Injury Association of American reports an estimated 37,000 hospitalizations and 435,000 emergency department visits each year among children ages 0-14. While California law requires all individuals 18 and younger to wear a properly fitted and fastened helmet during any wheel-based sport, kids often go against the safety measure. “Parents many times find their child resists a helmet because of the ‘uncool’ factor,” says Children’s Hospital of Orange County neurosurgeon William Loudon. “I recommend parents talk to their children about the cognitive, physical and emotional consequences of brain injuries – most of all, a helmet could save their lives.” The experts at CHOC recommend the following guidelines to ensure a proper fit. Measure the circumference of your child’s head in centimeters and compare it with the size listed on the box. Be sure the helmet fits your child’s head snugly. It should be level, with two fingers’ width of space between the eyebrow and helmet. Your child should be able to slip no more than one finger between the strap and chin. The straps should form a “V” around the ear. Never purchase an oversized helmet in the hopes your child will grow into it because it could fly off in a crash. Let your child select a helmet from an assortment of helmets in his or her size. This increases the chances of it being worn when you are not around. Fizzle Kick sodas from the overweight home Sugar-sweetened beverages, if banned from the home, will help overweight teens lose nearly 12 pounds in a year. The March issue of Pediatrics drew its conclusions from a controlled trial of 103 teens, ages 13-18. By replacing these high-calorie drinks with others, such as water, weight loss is evident. The participants, by the way, went into the trial with a habit of drinking at least one 12-ounce serving daily of sugar-sweetened soda, sports drink, high-calorie fruit drink or sweetened tea drink. Researchers noted that teens get nearly 50% of their beverages at home, so that is where parental control needs to play out. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends severely limiting sugar-sweetened beverages for teens and preteens.m – Source: www.medpagetoday.com family news bites CHILD ABUSE PREVENTION BENEFIT “Carnivale,” the theme of the annual Orange County Child Abuse Prevention Center’s benefit, will be unmasked May 20 at the Island Hotel Newport Beach. It is expected to draw more than 350 business and community leaders; the goal is to raise more than $175,000 to help support prevention programs and eliminate current waiting lists. Silent and live auctions, entertainment, gourmet dinner, dancing and even Angels’ owner Arte Moreno will be part of the special evening. Moreno will receive the Champion of Children award; the Making a Difference award will go to Siemens Building Technology. Tickets are $250 per person. Information: brightfutures4Kids.org CHAPMAN FILM STUDENT WINS $10,000 Rosemary Lambert, a third-year graduate student in Chapman University’s Dodge College of Film and Media Arts, was recently named the Grand Prize winner in the 2006 Coca-Cola Refreshing Filmmaker Competition. Her film, “The Reel Monkey,” which stars Coca-Cola-loving chimpanzees, was chosen from 10 finalists and more than 400 original entries in the competition. Lambert’s one-minute film will screen in more than 20,000 movie theaters nationwide beginning this fall. Only the nation’s top 12 film schools were invited to compete, placing Chapman’s relatively new Dodge College (just a decade old) in the company of long-established film schools from USC, UCLA, New York University and other prestigious institutions. TOSHIBA CLASSIC SCHOLARSHIPS AWARDED The Toshiba Classic Scholarship Fund recently presented a $1,000 grant and a Toshiba M55 notebook computer to 12 Orange County students. Recipients include students from Newport-Mesa, Irvine and Saddleback Valley Unified School Districts. To be considered for the scholarship, each student must rank in the upper 25% of their graduating class, receive recommendations from school representatives and demonstrate leadership and involvement in extracurricular activities and community service. Funded by proceeds from the Toshiba Classic, the scholarship fund – a joint effort between Toshiba America, Inc. and Hoag Hospital Foundation – has donated more than $137,000 in scholarships and 74 Toshiba laptops computers over seven years to some of the top high school seniors in the county. UNIVERSITY HIGH WINS MATH COMPETITION Friday, March 3 marked the third year in a row that Irvine’s University High School won first place in Orange Coast College’s annual Invitational High School Mathematics Meet. Fullerton’s Troy High School captured second place while Fountain Valley High took third. In the individual competition, Isaac Chao of University High School won the first-place title. Participants received various prizes donated by OCC, local businesses and publishers. OCC BREAKS GROUND ON LIBRARY Orange Coast College recently held a ground-breaking ceremony for its $33 million, 88,777-square-foot library set to replace the already closed Norman E. Watson Library. The project is expected to be complete in the fall of 2007. INKBLOT RECOGNIZED FOR EXCELLENCE The Orange County High School of Arts Creative Writing Conservatory magazine, Inkblot, recently earned the Highest Award ranking from the National Council of Teachers of English. The award honors superior-ranked journals and recognizes magazines that fulfill extraordinary standards of excellence. The school was one of two middle and high school literary magazines in California and one of 11 from throughout the United States, Canada and American schools abroad to earn the prestigious ranking. BEST TEEN CHEF Ryan Jackson of Oceanside, Anthony Ortega of Wildomar, and Jessica Villalobos of Buena Park were named finalists in the Art Institute of California–Orange County 2006 Best Teen Chef competition. All three students won scholarship prizes – $5,000, $3,000 and $2,000 respectively. The annual event spotlights and recognizes the nation’s most promising young chefs. CHILDREN’S STORE OPENS IN IRVINE Naartjie has opened at the Irvine Spectrum Center. The children’s store, know for its vivid, garment-dyed color palette and soft, comfortable fabrications, offers fashions for boys and girls, from newborn to size 9. The store also has accessories, including socks, shoes, hats and more. LOCAL PHOTOGRAPHER RECEIVES AWARD Tracie Spence of Tracie Spence Photography in San Clemente was recently named a runner-up in the 2006 Fujifilm Photography Awards. Spence received the award for her photograph, First Kiss, in the age 4-5 category. The awards program honors photographic excellence in children’s photography. Her website: www.traciespencephotography.com FOUNDATION HOLDS RAFFLE FOR A 2007 LEXUS The Capistrano Unified School District Foundation will offer raffle tickets for a new 2007 Lexus ES350, provided by Lexus of Mission Viejo, through May 22. Tickets are $150 each or two for $250, with a total of 1,000 available. Proceeds will support the foundation's teacher and principal grants programs. Call 949.366.0501 to purchase a ticket.m– Reported and compiled by OC Family Magazine staff |
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