Brush Your Teeth!

October is National Dental Hygiene Month

Make brushing teeth fun.

 

A healthy mouth is an important ingredient for a happy and healthy childhood. Healthy teeth and gums are important for overall good health, and one of the things our body cannot regenerate.

The condition of our teeth and gums can affect a person’s speech, smile, smell, taste, chewing, swallowing, and ability to make facial expressions to show feelings and emotions.

Bacteria in our mouth can cause inflammation and gum disease. These germs have been linked to chronic diseases that can affect physical health, including the heart and immune system (which is in charge of preventing illness and healing).

Keeping your teeth healthy for a lifetime starts early!  

Make your breath and smile sparkle by flossing and brushing 2 times a day with fluoride toothpaste.

Around age 7 or 8, kids can start to brush their own teeth. Watch your kids to make sure they:

·         Brush all of their teeth

·         Brush for about 2 minutes each time

·         Spit out the toothpaste instead of swallowing it 

·         Let your child choose a toothbrush in a favorite color or character. Just make sure it’s the right size for your child’s mouth.

·         Make a checklist and have your child add a sticker after each brushing.

·         Sing or play a song to help your child brush for 2 minutes.

 Re-think your drink

·         Drink plenty of water! Water or milk helps rinse away food particles, bacteria and reduces acid production. Fluoridated water provides extra protection and milk is rich in calcium and vitamin D, which strengthen your bones and teeth.

·         Saliva is your mouth's best defense against tooth decay, containing proteins and minerals that naturally fight plaque. Sugar free chewing gum also helps boost saliva production.

·         Stay away from sugary and sticky foods, because they fuel bacteria that causes tooth decay and promotes cavities.

A good diet is critical for the health of the mouth and body, but it won’t make up for poor dental hygiene.

*Continue to see your dentist for checkups and cleanings, and make sure to brush and floss regularly.*

All You Need To Know About Ukus

Head lice, or ukus as they’re more commonly known in Hawaii, are an anxiety provoking issue for parents and the topic seems to come up year after year.  Let’s start the year off right and make sure we’re all in the know when it comes to ukus and how to deal with them.    

Q: What are ukus?

A: Ukus are tiny 2-3mm insects that live close to the scalp.  They feed on blood from the scalp and cannot live away from their food source for more than 24 hours.  They cannot jump or fly and they do not spread any diseases.  

Q: Who is at risk for ukus?

A: Anyone can get ukus regardless of hair length, cleanliness, or where they live or play.  They are most common among preschool and elementary aged children.  

Q: How are ukus spread?

A: Ukus cannot hop or fly.  They crawl.  Most cases of ukus are spread by direct head-to-head contact with an infested individual.  It’s possible, but much less likely, to transmit ukus through indirect objects like combs, brushes, hats, etc.  A healthy uku is not likely to leave a healthy head unless there’s a heavy infestation.  

Q: How are ukus diagnosed?

A: Finding a live uku is the gold standard for diagnosing ukus.  Nits can also be a sign of ukus.  Nits are the uku eggs that are glued to the hair shaft close to the scalp.  Look behind the ears and the nape of the neck to find them.  It’s easy to confuse nits with dandruff and other hair products but nits are more difficult to remove since they’re glued to the hair shaft.   

Q: How do I treat ukus?

A: The most effective treatment for ukus is over-the-counter permethrin 1% or Nix.  

• Apply to damp hair that is first shampooed and then towel dried.  
• Leave it on for 10 minutes and then rinse it off.  
• Once this is done, then manually comb out the nits before they hatch and start the whole process over again.  
• It is recommended to repeat this shampoo treatment in 7-10 days.  

Q: Where can I get uku shampoo?

A: Uku shampoo can be purchased over the counter at your local drugstore or grocery store.  You can also check with your child’s primary care provider to see if they can prescribe it.  Or, check with your Hawaii Keiki APRN Zoë Shih to see if there are community agencies that may be able to purchase it for you.

Q: What about natural remedies for ukus?

A: There is no clear scientific evidence to show that natural or home remedies for ukus are effective.  The most studied and most effective treatment is as stated above, permethrin 1% or Nix.

Q: Does the whole family need to be treated?

A: No, only those that show signs of ukus.  Make sure to check all close contacts once someone is diagnosed with ukus in the home however only those with an active infestation need to be treated.   

Q: Do I have to clean my whole house?

A: It’s important to treat household items or personal belongings that came into contact with the head of the person with ukus in 24 to 48 hours before treatment started.  Carpeting, rugs, furniture, car seats and other fabric covered items can be vacuumed.  Items such as clothing can be washed at temperatures greater than 130 degrees F to kill stray ukus or nits.  Items that cannot be washed can be bagged in plastic for 2 weeks.   

Q: Why does my child keep getting ukus?

A: Treatment failure is the number one reason for repeated occurrences of ukus.  Refer to the shampoo instructions listed above and don’t forget about household cleaning too.    

Q: How can we prevent getting ukus?

A: It can be helpful to tie or braid your child’s long hair, keep it short or even slick it back in order to make it harder for ukus to grab on.  You can also check your child’s hair at least once a week so that if your child does have ukus then you’ll catch it early and be able to treat it quickly.

Electronic Devices and Technology- Impact on Children

These days it’s becoming more and more normal to see children as young as a year old using either a smart phone or iPad to watch movies on Netflix or download games from the app store. This generation is tech-savvy and uses technology and various electronic devices (smart phones, iPads, mac books) for many different purposes, such as to update and check social media sites, or to research something on good ol’ Google. Unfortunately the use of technology in children commonly results in less physical activity, social interaction and interacting with their environment.  

Why Limit Exposure to Technology?

·       It can interfere with sleep! It has been shown that electronic stimulation causes children to have trouble falling and staying asleep

·       It may disturb family and person-to-person interaction! Using electronics doesn’t require interaction with others. Screen time results in less interaction face-to-face.

·       It may cause short attention span! According to studies; too much screen time causes problems with attention.

·        It may interfere with schoolwork! Lower grades are more common in children who watch a lot of TV.

·       It may lead to less physical activity! The more screen time children have, the less physical activity they usually have.

How to Limit the Use of Technology

• Set time limits to the amount of time spent on all forms of technology and electronic devices.
• Plan fun technology-free activities for the entire family to enjoy (going to the park, fishing, hiking, camping).
• Sign children up for after school activities such as robotics, sports, creative arts, sewing, dance, gymnastics, etc.           

Recess Snacking Ideas

Need some ideas on healthy snack options for your child at school? These snacks ideas are perfect for morning recess to keep your child energized and focused throughout the morning. 

1. Veggie and Favorite Dip
2. Hard Boiled Egg and Cherry Tomatoes
3. Yogurt and Fruit:  Pack a yogurt cup with a side of fruit, or use a little container and fill with yogurt and top with favorite fruit
4. Cheese and Fruit: Oranges, berries, grapes with sliced or string cheese are a perfect pair.
5. Cucumbers and cheese: fun to make little sandwiches or just eat side by side
6. Crispy Nuts or Seeds & Dried Fruit Trail Mix: pumpkin or sunflower seeds, almonds, cashews, dried apricots, mango, etc.
7. Crackers with Guacamole or Hummus: whole grain cracker with healthy topping!
8. Celery with Nut or seed butter: add raisins for “Ants on  a log”. Please avoid using Peanut butter due to student allergies 9. Olives and a Date: Olives are a great source of fat and dates are sweet and full of energy and minerals. 

 

Hand-Foot-Mouth

Hand-Foot-Mouth

Hand-foot-and-mouth disease — It is going around!!! Read about prevention.

A mild, contagious viral infection common in young children — is characterized by sores in the mouth and a rash on the hands and feet. Hand-foot-and-mouth disease is most commonly caused by a coxsackievirus.

There's no specific treatment for hand-foot-and-mouth disease. You can reduce your child's risk of infection from hand-foot-and-mouth disease by practicing good hygiene and teaching your child how to keep clean.

Symptoms

                               

 Hand-foot-and-mouth disease may cause all of the following signs and symptoms or just some of them. They include:

·         Fever

·         Sore throat

·         Feeling of being unwell (malaise)

·         Painful, red, blister-like lesions on the tongue, gums and inside of the cheeks

·         A red rash, without itching but sometimes with blistering, on the palms, soles and sometimes the buttocks

·         Irritability in infants and toddlers

·         Loss of appetite

The usual period from initial infection to the onset of signs and symptoms (incubation period) is three to six days. A fever is often the first sign of hand-foot-and-mouth disease, followed by a sore throat and sometimes a poor appetite and malaise.

One or two days after the fever begins, painful sores may develop in the mouth or throat. A rash on the hands and feet and possibly on the buttocks can follow within one or two days.

Causes

The most common cause of hand-foot-and-mouth disease is infection with the coxsackievirus A16.

Oral ingestion is the main source of coxsackievirus infection and hand-foot-and-mouth disease. The illness spreads by person-to-person contact with an infected person's:

·         Nasal secretions or throat discharge

·         Saliva

·         Fluid from blisters

·         Stool

·         Respiratory droplets sprayed into the air after a cough or sneeze

Treatments and drugs

·         There's no specific treatment for hand-foot-and-mouth disease. Signs and symptoms of hand-foot-and-mouth disease usually clear up in seven to 10 days.

·         A topical oral anesthetic may help relieve the pain of mouth sores. Over-the-counter pain medications other than aspirin, such as acetaminophen (Tylenol, others) or ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin IB, others) may help relieve general discomfort.

Prevention

Certain precautions can help to reduce the risk of infection with hand-foot-and-mouth disease:

·         Wash hands carefully. Be sure to wash your hands frequently and thoroughly, especially after using the toilet or changing a diaper and before preparing food and eating. When soap and water aren't available, use hand wipes or gels treated with germ-killing alcohol.

·         Disinfect common areas. Get in the habit of cleaning high-traffic areas and surfaces first with soap and water, then with a diluted solution of chlorine bleach and water. Child care centers should follow a strict schedule of cleaning and disinfecting all common areas, including shared items such as toys, as the virus can live on these objects for days. Clean your baby's pacifiers often.

·         Teach good hygiene. Show your children how to practice good hygiene and how to keep themselves clean. Explain to them why it's best not to put their fingers, hands or any other objects in their mouths.

·         Isolate contagious people. Because hand-foot-and-mouth disease is highly contagious, people with the illness should limit their exposure to others while they have active signs and symptoms. Keep children with hand-foot-and-mouth disease out of child care or school until fever is gone and mouth sores have healed. If you have the illness, stay home from work.

Mayo Clinic

Hawaii DOE Wellness Guidelines

Did You Know....

That Hawaii DOE has established Wellness Guidelines for our schools to ensure that health, safety and well-being of our students are prioritized?  Full implementation of the policy was expected to be acheived in 2011. Ask you school about what they are doing to implement the Wellness Guidelines. Ask to join their Wellness Committee to help work on various health related initiatives in school.

Hawaii State Department of EducationWellness Guidelines 

Wellness Committee
CD1: The school has a designated committee or council that will regularly address school health issues.
CD2: The committee annually completes the School Health Index and utilizes the results and other data sources to identify priority areas and to monitor improvements in those areas.
CD3: Identified priority areas submitted in the Safety and Wellness Survey (SAWS).
CD4: Actions to address priority areas are reflected in the school Academic and Financial Plan.
CD5: The Committee shall ensure that the school provide families with information about community physical activity resources and is encouraged to work closely with community organizations and programs that help schools implement these Wellness Guidelines.

Nutrition Guidelines
NS1: All reimbursable meals and snacks meet Federal nutrient standards as required by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Child Nutrition Program regulations.
NS2: All foods and beverages sold or served to students at school or school sponsored events (vending, concession stands, a la carte, fundraisers, student stores, and school parties) comply with the current USDA Dietary Guidelines.
NS3: Nutrition information for products offered in snack bars, a la carte, vending, etc. is readily available near the point of purchase.
NS4: Food and beverage providers promote positive nutritional messages on school property.
NS5: Meals feature fresh and minimally processed fruits and vegetables from local sources to the greatest extent possible.

Health and Nutrition Education
NH1: All required health education classes include a focus on knowledge and skills that support healthy eating and are aligned with the Hawaii Content and Performance Standards for Health Education.
NH2: The school promotes the importance of students starting the day with a healthy breakfast, including participation in the School Breakfast Program.
NH3: The school promotes the importance of students eating a nutritious lunch & healthy snacks, including participation in the National School Lunch Program and After School Snack Program (if applicable).
NH4: All required health education classes have instructional periods totaling a minimum of 45 minutes per week for grades K-3, 55 minutes per week for grades 4-5, 107 minutes for elementary grade 6, and 200 minutes per week for secondary grades 6-12.
NH5: Nutrition education is integrated into other areas of the curriculum such as math, science, language arts, and social studies. 1

Physical Education and Activity
PA1: All required physical education classes are aligned with the Hawaii Content and Performance Standards for Physical Education.
PA2: Secondary school’s Physical Education department provides support for participation in physical activity outside of physical education class.
PA3: All students have at least 20 minutes a day of supervised recess, during which students are encouraged to participate in moderate to vigorous physical activity.
PA4: All required physical education classes have instructional periods totaling a minimum of 45 minutes per week for grades K-3, 55 minutes per week for grades 4-5, 107 minutes per week for elementary grade 6, and 200 minutes per week for secondary grades 6-12.
PA5: The school ensures that state-certified physical education instructors teach all physical education classes and have a student/teacher ratio similar to other classes.*
PA6: The school provides information to families to help them incorporate physical activity into students’ lives.
PA7: The school discourages extended periods (i.e., periods of two or more hours) of inactivity.
PA8: When mandatory school-wide testing makes it necessary for students to be inactive for extended periods of time, schools will give students periodic breaks to stand and be moderately active unless the testing protocol specifies otherwise.*
PA9: The school does not use or withhold physical activity as punishment.

Professional Development
PD1: All applicable role groups including the School Food Service staff are given the opportunity to receive professional development in Hawaii's Wellness Guidelines, health, nutrition, and physical education, and healthy school meals

* Guideline is conditional and not mandatory at this time.

Asthma Attacks

Breathing is an action that we "normally" never have to think about, our body unconsciously does the job for us. As we breathe in through either our nose or mouth the air travels down our airways into our lungs where oxygen is exchanged for carbon dioxide. The carbon dioxide is exhaled and oxygen is picked up from the lungs and delivered to the body.

Asthma is a chronic lung disease that is characterized by inflammation of the airways, mucous production, and narrowing of the airways. This can cause wheezing, chest tightness, shortness of breath, and coughing. Coughing is usually worse at night and early morning. Approximately 1 to 2 out of every 10 kids have asthma. Things that cause asthma flare ups or attacks are called "triggers." Triggers vary from person to person but common triggers include: cigarette smoke, dust, mold, cold weather, being sick, stress, air pollutants, perfume, pollen, exercise, and pet dander.

The best way to avoid asthma attacks or flare ups is to avoid your child's known triggers. For example if you notice that when the vog from the Big Island passes through your child starts to wheeze and chest gets tight, that is an example of a trigger and you should have your child stay indoors to avoid that trigger. Not every kid's asthma is the same and what may work for one child may not work for another. There are multiple medicines utilized to manage asthma and to prevent flareups. Some kids only need to take medicine (rescue medicine such as albuterol puffer) when they feel their chest tightening or they start to wheeze. Other children may need to take daily medications (controller medications such as advair) to prevent asthma flareups from happening. If your child has asthma you should have an asthma plan created for your child by your health care provider. This plan allows you to identify triggers and symptoms of your child's asthma and what steps to take to alleviate them. The goal with asthma is always the same no matter the medication or action plan, to prevent flareups. 

Asthma at school is tough topic because a lot of kids only need to take their rescue medicines a few times a year. Many parents don't see the need to either let the school know their child has asthma or provide the school with the appropriate medications because it happens so seldom. We run into problems when children come to the health room complaining of chest tightness and wheezing but no rescue medications are stored on campus. Not many things are scarier not only to the child but to staff as well, than a child who is struggling to breathe. We try to identify all those who have asthma to create an action plan in the event that your child comes to the health room with these symptoms. By having an action plan in place, our staff is better prepared to keep your child safe in the event of an asthma attack. 

ACTIVITY

To simulate the narrowing of the airways that occurs during an asthma attack we will attempt to breathe normally using various apparatuses. You will need a snorkel, a regular straw, and a coffee stirrer. To begin make sure you are seated and have adult supervision. Next take a few nice deep breaths. Then grab the snorkel and only using the snorkel take deep breaths, trying to breathe normally. After 5 to 10 breaths through the snorkel, relax and catch your breath and when ready do the same with the straw and lastly the coffee stirrer. You should notice the difficulty increase as the diameter of the apparatuses get smaller. This is what asthmatics experience during an attack and if rescue medications aren't administered in a timely manner they could go into respiratory distress.

GAMES click on links for educational asthma games
Quest for the code

Lungtropolis

Buster Baxter Lung Defender