Health

Feeling crappy in a way you can't quite put your finger on? Here’s why. After a few days of clear skies last week (nothing to do with President Obama’s visit we’re sure), air pollution readings in Beijing were once again off the scale yesterday.

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Dr. Richard has a few ideas for the PTA to mull over at their next meeting. See what he has to say in his new blog:

There is overwhelming evidence that air pollution causes both long-term and short-term damage to children’s health. That includes health effects from children playing sports on heavily polluted days. There are two essential reads for all concerned parents and school staff, both from the American Academy of Pediatrics. The first is their 2004 policy statement, Ambient Air Pollution: Health Hazards to Children. The second is a review paper in 2008 called Air Pollution Threatens the Health of Children in China. Both are available as PDF, for free. Part of their conclusions are:

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The Ministry of Health has refuted a Greenpeace claim that a high proportion of fruits and vegetables sold in Beijing supermarkets (including Walmart and Carrefour) contain harmful pesticides, according to a report in today's Global Times.

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News this morning is that Beijing United Family Hospital has confirmed they now have the H1N1 (better known as Swine Flu) vaccine available free of charge. The hospital began offering shots over the weekend.

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There's much chatter about whether or not kids in Beijing's international schools should take the H1N1 vaccine. Here's what MyHealth Beijing blogger, Dr. Richard has to say about the vaccination:

The H1N1 virus is full into its second wave all over the world. There has been a large increase over the last 2-3 weeks, including in China. There are some disturbing signs that this H1N1 virus is more dangerous to pregnant women and children than previously thought. With pregnant women, the risk of death from H1N1 is six times higher than the population, and health authorities are stressing that pregnant women get the vaccine. And as for children, already in the US 86 children have died from H1N1, again already a higher total number than we would usually see during the entire seasonal flu season.

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Though not dire, both of my children were recently ill, signaling the start of the cold and flu season. My son had a sore throat, high fever and a cough, while my daughter thankfully only had a runny nose and suffered from a bad night’s sleep.

 
Below are a few steps that you can take to make your child more comfortable when they’re suffering with the cold or flu.
 

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It’s not yet winter but I’m already feeling the lack of moisture in the air. The winters in Beijing are extremely dry and my nose, my throat, my skin … it affects everything!
 
Staying hydrated is critical, but not just during the winter months. Our bodies are approximately 60 percent water. Even our bones are over 40 percent water. Lack of water can do a lot more than dry out your skin – it can cause dizziness, headaches, lack of concentration, dry mouth, weakness and fatigue. In extreme cases dehydration can cause an increased heart rate, low blood pressure, nausea, vomiting, and muscle cramps.

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USA Today ran a story this week confirming what a casual glance at any supermarket shelf would suggest – that the majority of breakfast cereals aimed at kids are packed with sugar and low in fiber.

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At the age of nine, I had bad experience with a high dose of antibiotics which left me unable to hold down even water. From that point on my parents decided to turn towards more natural medicine. Whenever we were sick my dad would make us do steam inhalations, give us herbal medicines, and we always had to take our vitamins.

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I have to say that I’m very excited about starting this blog. It’s a combination of two great passions in my life: motherhood and natural medicine.

When I was a child there were two things that I knew I wanted to do when I grew up. One was to be a mother, the other to be a doctor. I can't remember exactly when I developed my maternal instincts. Perhaps it was being the eldest of three sisters, or maybe it was born from my love of babies. The only thing I can be sure of is that as long as I can remember I wanted to be a mom.

On the other hand I can distinctly recall the exact moment I knew I wanted to be a doctor. I was 8-years-old, I was at the doctor’s office and I was very frightened. The doctor was so nice to me and she quickly put me at ease. My experience was immediately transformed from terrifying, to calm and comfortable. I knew at that moment that one day I wanted to help children who were sick, just like her.

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