• Reach out to your child's teacher to create an environment for learning.
• Encourage and foster strong childhood friendships, both new and old.
• Talk to your healthcare professional before the school year starts to make any necessary medication adjustments.
• Create a predictable schedule at home, as well as a distraction-free environment for getting homework done.
• Research behavior modification techniques that will help your child outside the classroom.
• Focus on healthy snacks and good nutrition.

Being overweight is tough for a kid. There are many options toward weight loss, but some are more (or less) appealing than others. For many, over the years, the weight-loss camp has been a dream. But, while "fat camp" is almost as American as apple pie, it's now going the way of many other American dreams--it's too darned expensive to attend. Like any other camp, weight-loss camp costs money to run and maintain. With more than nine million children who are considered obese in this country, such camp can seem like a knight in shining armor for families struggling to get their kids' weight under control. The weight-loss camps, while they can be affective, are far from free. Few to none accept insurance.

The government generally offers no more assistance than insurance companies. Instead the children rely on their essay writing skills and other means to win scholarships to attend. Yes, even weight loss camp is something only possible for the rich. Corporate sponsorship is one way to help get kids who can't afford the often more than $1,000-a-week pricetag what they need. Advocacy groups are being formed, such as the Childhood Obesity Treatment in Action. Some tax deductions are coming into play, and some insurance is starting to cover a portion of the cost--mostly in the cognitive behavior area.

But is it enough? Rarely. And financial cost is to say nothing of the emotional cost to the children, who are often left with either feeling exploited by their situation--their essays and their experiences become the property of the camp, who share that information freely with the media in hopes of growing the industry--and/or have to deal with life after camp, which can be even harder than before they found their salvation. While most children lose some portion of their body weight at the camps, few manage to keep it off after returning to the real world.

Pic by skampy.

According to new research, they just might. A recent study suggests that pregnant mothers who eat nuts may impact their child's health later on. Women who consume nuts or "nut-products" like the beloved peanutbutter may increase the risk of asthma in their children by as much as 50%.

Before we go any further, I would like to point out for the record that peanuts are NOT nuts, they're legumes. It's true. Anyway, the Dutch researchers in charge of the study are leary of advising pregnant women to forego peanuts as they provide protein and nutrients. Although seafood also causes similar allergic reactions in children, the researchers were only able to make a connection to peanuts.

Four thousand women were surveyed for what they ate while pregnant along with their children's eating habits over eight years. The research indicated that women who ate nut products daily were more likely to have children with asthma. The link persisted despite factoring for the children's diet. Although there is no conclusive evidence at this time, the researchers think the toxin from the peanuts could pass through the placenta and sensitize the unborn baby. Needless to say, more studies are needed before anyone throws out her peanut butter jar!

Photo by Dr Stephen Dann.

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The drug Heparin is in the headlines because once again, tiny babies were mistakenly given too much of the anticoagulant used to prevent intravenous blood clots and keep IV lines clear.

This time the overdose isn't being blamed on the company's bad labeling, however. The mistake in this case is co completely due to human error. Hospital pharmacists in a Texas hospital mixed up too strong a dose of Heparin which resulted in seventeen babies being given 100x's the recommended dosage for their size. Two premature siblings have died, but it is not yet known if their deaths were Heparin-related or due to other factors.

Just a couple months ago, actor Dennis Quaid testified before a House committee about the agony his family went through when his newborn twins were given a Heparin overdose. The experience spurred Quaid and his wife to start The Quaid Foundation in order to bring attention to the devastation human error can have in a hospital setting. The site contains a link for people to sign an online petition for the Health Care Quality Improvement Act, that would allow Physicians and nurses to whistle blow without being fired or given penalties for reporting potentially dangerous practices within their work environment.

While it's too late to help the babies in this latest incident, it seems pretty clear that the medical community needs more effective safeguards to protect patients, especially the tiniest ones.

The French seem like they're right up their with Americans in the Angelina Jolie pregnancy fervor. And rightly so--this is the most publicity France has received in a long time! Plus it helps us forget about that whole 'Freedom Fries' thing.

According to French reports, the Oscar-winning actress is set to give birth to her twins next Tuesday. If the source is to be trusted, Ange is mega-pregnant, tired of the hospital food and just wants those babies OUT OF THERE. I know how that feels--you recall the final stages of your pregnancy, yes? Happy to be with child, ready to experience the miracle of life...ready to get your body back!

Apparently Jolie is keen to give birth asap, but the medical staff feel it would be better to induce her on Tuesday. She wanted to go forward on Monday, but that's Bastille Day! Normally, in New York City anyway, inductions are all done on a Friday. Not sure why that is but it does give the new mom (and her family) the weekend to recover. I still think she's going to have a C-section like so many other Hollywood stars, that she's not reached the end of her last trimester--all in order to avoid losing her A-list body! Only time will tell--or, at least, Tuesday will.

Dr. Stephen Daniels, of the academy's nutrition committee, says the new advice is based on mounting evidence showing that damage leading to heart disease begins early in life, as well as research showing cholesterol-fighting drugs are safe for children.

"If we are more aggressive about this in childhood, I think we can have an impact on what happens later in life ... and avoid some of these heart attacks and strokes in adulthood," Daniels said.

The AAP has also reversed its original stance against giving children under the age of 2 reduced fat milk. Higher fat milk was recommended because saturated fats are essential for brain development. "But now we have the obesity epidemic and people are thinking maybe this isn't such a good idea," said Dr. Frank Greer of the University of Wisconsin, co-author of the guidelines report, which appears in the July edition of Pediatrics, the group's medical journal.

Young children are now getting the fat they need from sources other than milk and the updated recommendation is based on recent research showing no harm came from younger children drinking the reduced-fat milk.

Other things parents can do to fight obesity in their children:

• Do a physical activity as a family EVERY day, we're not talking a daily marathon, just a nightly walk , bike ride or even game of Frisbee.
• Turn off the electronics and send kids outside for some fresh air during the day.
• Limit high fat food consumption. If you find yourself in a drive-thru more than once a week on a regular basis, it's time to rethink your meal planning. If cooking time is limited at night, pull out the old crock-pot and prepare something the day before.
• Explore the world of fruits and vegetables. Try an old favorite and something new and exotic every night for a week.
• Limit consumption of juice, energy drinks and pop. Water is cheaper, more refreshing and is actually good for you!

Depending on who you talk to, Summer officially started yesterday evening. In short order, the street fairs and other summer festivals are set to make their debuts, if they haven't already. Amidst all the fun, thrills and excitement, the lights and sounds--and smells--of the fairs, there's another main reason people of all ages travel to such things: The food. It's deep-fried, a lot of it, it's greasy, and it sure is tasty. It also presents some precariousness for a parent of a child with a serious food allergy. After all, who knows what exactly is in that stuff? Most of the time, we'd rather enjoy it and not know.

Dr. Amal H. Assa'ad, a member of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology warns parents to inspect every molecule of food their children may come in contact with, and recommends children with severe allergies such as peanuts and tree nuts carry an Epi-pen with then at all times. I would add to that, from personal experience (I have one of these life-threatening allergies) that you SHOULD ALWAYS WEAR YOUR MEDICAL EMERGENCY ID BRACELET. As my CPR instructor noted, if my throat is closed up and I can't speak, and I'm not wearing my bracelet, no one is going to know I have a nut allergy and to give me the Epi-pen shot.

I hate to say this too, but parents should consider packing and bringing snacks they know are safe to any event, whether it be a potluck or a street fair. Sure, the food is tempting, but most of the people selling it didn't make it, don't know what's in it--oils, for example, are known to be terrible allergens but most servers don't know if what they're serving was made with peanut oil or soy oil--and don't understand how severe the consequences can be when the provide misinformation. Bringing your own food is sure to be healthier, too. Dr. Assa'ad also recommends that parents who suspect a child may have any sort of allergy get it checked out immediately. Honestly, as a kid, I never did. I just had the reaction and we thought, ok, we'll avoid that FOREVER. It's not a great way to navigate through the endless purveyors of things that smell delicious, but could be deadly.