Archive for the ‘Health, Safety, and Medical’ Category

Children’s Defense Fund asking for help to insure kids

Wednesday, November 4th, 2009

Having lived in France and seeing how a nationalized insurance plan works, I’m a big advocate of universal coverage for all Americans, rich, poor, illegal immigrant or whatever. You may not agree for whatever reason and I can respect that since it’s a complicated issue. But I would think one thing all Americans could agree on is the need for universal coverage of children who, through no fault of their own, might not have coverage. While the country has real financial woes today, I can’t imagine how, as wealthy as we are, we can actually let American kids die for lack of insurance. Emergency rooms are not the answer. They need real care for chronic and serious ongoing ailments, not just for emergencies.

The Children’s Defense Fund, a non-profit child advocacy organization that has worked relentlessly since 1973 to ensure a level playing field for children, has launched an urgent digital campaign to mobilize thousands of supporters nationwide in Champions for Children’s Health Stroller Brigades to tell Congress that health care reform must provide all children with the care they need no matter where they live.

I want to help spread awareness about the inequity in the proposed health reform legislation and show supporters how to communicate directly with their Members of Congress. If you want to get involved, visit their site here: http://www.childrensdefense.org/strollerbrigade/

An astonishing 8.1 million uninsured – and millions more underinsured – children could be left worse off after health care reform – a fact that has received little attention in the mainstream media.

We need to take action and to let our Senators and Representatives know that we demand that children not be left behind in health care reform now.

Thanks for considering joining this effort.

Have a beer, save a life from prostate cancer

Friday, October 16th, 2009

Happy to help on this awareness campaign. All it takes is to just to remember to ask for the PSA test to be added to your blood workup next time you’re in for a physical. It’s no big deal.


Pints for Prostates is a grassroots effort to reach men with a critical message about prostate cancer screening using the universal language of beer.

Started by prostate cancer survivor and drinks journalist Rick Lyke, the goal of the program is to communicate with men in a friendly and non-threatening way about the need for regular prostate health screenings and PSA testing.

Recent studies have shown that PSA screening does a great job of discovering prostate cancer but doesn’t translate into many saved lives. Some prostate cancer is so slow growing, it does not cause death, but screening can’t predict how fast a man’s cancer will grow.

Without that knowledge, PSA screening can also lead to needless treatment that diminishes quality of life. Some men choose surgery or radiation treatment, and that can cause impotence and incontinence, at least temporarily. Others opt for “watchful waiting.”

The news is confusing to middle-age men who have been urged to get the test annually to reduce their chances of becoming a casualty of the No. 1 cancer killer of men.

Despite the American Cancer Society guideline that men start getting routine PSA screening at 50, Lyke thinks men ought to start at 40.

“If I had waited till I was 50, I would have been in serious trouble, he said. “The goal for Pints for Prostates is to make men aware. You at least need to know what your PSA is. What you do with that information is up to you. You have to talk to your family about it, and you have to talk to your doctor about it.”

[From Pints for Prostates » About]


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New Homedics Restore Water Purifier and Sanitizer is a good tool if you live in an area with a potentially unsafe water supply

Friday, October 16th, 2009

We recently tried the Homedics Restore Water Purifier and Sanitizer. Based on the included documentation, it’s a good choice if you have concerns about the cleanliness of the water in your area. At the same time, we found there was no discernible taste difference between water purified by the Biomedics model versus our old fashioned Brita filter.200910161632.jpg

The Homedics “machine” is a new water filter on the market and provides both Brita-style filtering of water as well as ultraviolet light sanitization. The Homedics unit is proven to kill 99.9999% of bacteria, 99.99% of viruses and 99.95% of microbial cysts every time with a special UV bulb that will always deliver the required kill rate and will not f ade over time. At the same time, water purification and sanitization are extra steps that require some dedication and may seem more bother than they are worth, again if your water supply is very safe. Purification requires pouring water into the reservoir and letting it go through the filter two times before the 8 cup container is full. Then, you need to flip a switch to allow the sanitization feature that cleans the water to work, after which you push another button to turn on the electric light which is plugged into the wall. All this is a bit of effort if you have a family drinking multiple quarts of water each day.

UV sanitization does have many advantages over chemical sanitization, as reported by the National Drinking Water Clearinghouse.

• Has no known toxic or significant nontoxic byproducts

• Has no danger of overdosing;

• Removes some organic contaminants;

• Has no volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions or toxic air emissions;

• Has no onsite smell and no smell in the final water product;

• Requires very little contact time (seconds versus minutes for chemical disinfection);

• Does not require storage of hazardous material;

• Improves the taste of water because of some organic contaminants and nuisance microorganisms are destroyed.


We found the system pretty easy to use and self-explanatory, with the following performance issues and questions:

1. The lid fell off onto the counter as we tried to pour the last few drops of water into our glass. This appears to be a design flaw.

2. While the manufacturer has gone way out their way to install a fail-safe system into the machine so it won’t appear to sanitize if the bulb mechanism is not working, there is no way to verify if each human operator has sanitized the water. If you did live where clean water is a significant issue, this would be cause of major concern.

3. The filter type is different than the Brita system with less distribution, so you’ll have harder time replacing the filters every few months. (Brita is sold by Clorox so has very wide distribution.)


At about three times more for the sanitizer feature (vs Brita) and the added hassle to make it worth it, you should weigh the value in your area.


GreatDad.com Review Policy: The featured product for this review was provided to us, at no cost, by the manufacturer or representing PR agency for the sole purpose of product testing. We do not accept monetary compensation for reviewing or writing about products. We only review products that we have personally tested and used in our own homes, and all opinions expressed are our own.

Child too sick for school? Ask yourself these five questions before bringing a sick child to school.

Thursday, October 15th, 2009

The start of a new school year also brings the start of cold and flu season, exacerbated by slimy fingers touching everything in sight. If your child is sick, how do you know when it’s time to rearrange your schedule and keep him or her home from school. Every situation is different, but you can start by asking these five questions

1. Groggy and listless? If your usually happy camper doesn’t seem like himself and it’s hard to get smile, let alone a giggle, this is a good indicator that this isn’t a normal day.

2. Lack of appetite or thirst? If your child really wants to eat or drink nothing at all after a full night’s sleep, this isn’t normal and it’s his body’s way of keeping food out.

3. Diarrhea of vomiting? While you might soldier on with a case of diarrhea, it isn’t normal for little kids and is a sign of something more serious. Ditto, vomiting.

4. Any symptoms of a contagious disease like strep, flu, pink eye, chicken pox, or the like? No matter what your other responsibilities for the day, you do not want to be responsible for infecting the rest of the class.

5. Fever over 100.4? This is a good indicator something more serious is going on.

All of these signs suggest that at the very least your child would be more comfortable hanging out with you for the day rather than struggling through a day of school. You should also consider a call to the doctor if get more serious.

In terms of trusting the school to watch over your sick child for the day, a final gut check might be whether you’d want another kid as sick as yours looks spending time with your child all day at school.

The flip side to the dangerous plastics story

Thursday, September 17th, 2009

I’m a skeptic, but in the interest of equal time, here is the other side of the story. And, it’s one we’ve heard over and over from apologists: sample sizes used in research studies are so much more than human consumption that the results aren’t trustworthy. This is an argument that sounds logical, but would mostly discount most food and drug research over the past 50 years. Our recommendation here at GreatDad is still to keep plastic of all types away from food as much as you can. Yes, it is possible that there is no risk from plastics, but why risk it when there are now many other options that are also better for the environment. There is just no reason to continue using plastic with food.

[From Is plastic dangerous for children and in baby bottles? - 1/14/09 - San Francisco News - abc7news.com]

Easiest system to make sure baby seat is secure

Monday, September 14th, 2009

Even with the anchor system mandated in 2002, it’s not always easy to make sure your baby seat is as secure as it needs to be. Seats need to be tightened down which often doesn’t happen especially when seats are frequently moving from car to car.

Surelatch from Evenflo is an invention introduced last year and expanding to Evenflo infant seats.

This small feature makes it very hard to install the baby seat incorrectly.

Baby n Pet Gate

Sunday, September 13th, 2009

Innovation allows small pets to pass through. Baby n Pet Gate – $24.99

September 12 is National Seat Check Saturday

Thursday, September 10th, 2009

September 12 is National Seat Check Saturday, marking the beginning of a week dedicated to child safety. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has found that 3 out of 4 car seats are installed incorrectly, exposing children to unnecessary risk of injury or death in a crash.

LATCH (Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children) was developed to help make it easier to correctly install child safety seats. The LATCH systems uses anchors instead of the seat belt to secure the child safety seat in the car. When used correctly, seat belts and LATCH are equally safe to use to secure child safety seats. However, the LATCH system makes it easier to correctly install the child safety seat.

All child safety seats manufactured in the United States after September 2002 come with the attachment straps necessary to use the LATCH system. Inspection stations around the United States are standing by for parents to bring their cars in on Seat Check Saturday so that all car seat installations can be explained and demonstrated in person. Find the nearest station to you: http://www.nhtsa.dot.gov/cps/cpsfitting/index.cfm.

http://childcarsafety.adcouncil.org/

http://twitter.com/childseatsafety


Avoiding plastics for safety concerns – new plastic-like dishes made from Corn

Friday, August 21st, 2009

We recently tested the Dandelion Reusables. We’ve been tossing out all the plastic dishes in the house, for fear of any plastic leeching into the kids’ food. These non-breakable plates are made out of corn, so they are both petroleum free and made out of renewable resources.

There are times when plastic just makes sense, so it’s nice to know there are more options out there for glass, stainless steel, and now corn-based products.

About $25 get you 2 plates, 2 bowls and 4 spoons and forks.

Now if they could just make a set with lids, I could throw out the last of the Tupperware.

Dads list of essential medicine cabinet items

Wednesday, July 22nd, 2009

If you don’t have a mom to stock the cabinet, or if you’re the organized one, here is a list of stuff every medicine cabinet should have.

1. Fever reducer like Children’s Motrin or Tylenol (or generic acetaminophen or ibuprofen). Never give aspirin to kids without talking to a doctor.

Phamily Pharmacy

2. Anti-itch cream. Look for 1% hyrdrocortisone. Buy the generic version to save a few pennies.

3. Oral thermometer. They say to use a rectal thermometer for babies under 3, but in practice, this is just very hard, so ask your doctor if an oral or underarm will do for the tracking she needs.

4. Tweezers for splinters, ticks, and even bugs in the ears.

5. Vaseline for lips and chapped areas, especially baby’s behind.

6. Children’s Benadryl can be given to calm sudden allergies and rashes.

7. Hot water bottle and ice pack.

Trust your instincts if you think your child needs more help than you can give and call your doctor. If you do use the internet for advice, including looking on GreatDad.com or WebMD, know that no website can replace a doctor visit to determine how best to help your child.

Note: the FDA has recently recommended not give kids under 2 cough medicines. Other studies show that hot water, honey and lemon are more effective in reducing coughs, so consider just giving a fever reducer instead. If your child is wheezing or has chest pain, call the doctor immediately. If he or she is not getting air while leaning forward, go to the ER.