Canadian Mom Gives Birth To 18th Child
I used to live in British Columbia, Canada. For seven years, from 1978 to 1985. I lived in Vancouver, which is perhaps one of the most beautiful cities in the world.
I still have family there, and I do miss it from time to time. Especially when the temperatures climbs over 90 degrees here.
But today, I read this story on the Associated Press wire and had to pass it along. Not just because it's about a community near Vancouver, but because of the subject matter.
Moms who read this blog, enjoy! And to the Ionces, congratulations on number 18!
Canadian woman gives birth to 18th child
ABBOTSFORD, British Columbia (AP) -- A Romanian immigrant has given birth to her 18th child in British Columbia, making her the province's most prolific mother in 20 years.
Proud dad Alexandru Ionce said Saturday that his 44-year-old wife, Livia, gave birth on July 22. Their daughter Abigail weighed in at 7 pounds, 12 ounces (3.5 kilograms).
"We never planned how many children to have. We just let God guide our lives, you know, because we strongly believe life comes from God and that's the reason we did not stop the life," Alexandru Ionce said.
The couple immigrated to Canada from Romania in 1990 and now live in Abbotsford. Their 17 other children range in age from 20 months to 23 years.
Ionce said he did not know if the couple would have more children. The family now has 10 girls and eight boys.
"We would have liked a boy to be even," he said. "We thank God all of them are healthy and happy."
(Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
Labels: birth, Canada
Ballwin Teen Plans Race For Alopecia
Imagine being 14 years old, in the middle of your freshman year in high school, and you notice a bald spot in your hair. You think your hat might be rubbing the wrong way, so you move it, but then another one pops up.
That's what happened to CJ Livesay two years ago. He'll be a senior in high school this fall, and he's been living with alopecia areata, the medical term for a patchy loss of hair.
"I just started wearing a hat from then on out, and pretty much 24/7 I've worn a hat," says CJ.
Four million men and women a year in this country suffer the embarrassment of this type of hair loss. Most of the cases happen within families known to have alopecia. No one in CJ's family has it. It affects men, women and children.
"The cause is unknown. We do know that the body's own immune cells start attacking the hair follicles for some unknown reason," says Dr. Helen Kim-James, a dermatologist with Chesterfield Valley Dermatology.
Steroid injections can help the hair re-grow. That's what worked for CJ. As he researched alopecia, he discovered the Tortoise and Hair Project that sponsors races to raise awareness for a national foundation
On Sunday August 3, he'll sponsor his version of the Tortoise and Hair 5-K race/walk to raise awareness. It's also his Eagle Scout project, and he needs 50 people to sign up for it to be successful.
I was very impressed with CJ's confidence and maturity when I met him for this story. He's going public with a diagnosis most adults wouldn't tell anyone about.
Here's a link to CJ's web site. You can register for the race here and help a young man who wants to be an Eagle Scout, but who already has the bravery of someone twice his age.
To register for the Tortoise and Hair race CJ's is organizing, visit the link on this web page, or call (314) 749-3909.
http://tortoiseandhair-stl.com/Labels: alopecia, hair loss, race
Humane Society Warning For Pet Owners
Temperatures have been much cooler today. After spending much of the day outside yesterday, it's a tremendous relief.
But the Humane Society of Missouri issued a warning for pet owners today, in spite of the cool-down.
And it's a reminder I'd like to pass on to you.
Anytime temperatures climb into the upper 80s and 90s, get your pets indoors as much as possible, or at least into the shade with plenty of water.
Pets should never be left unattended in a parked car, where the temperature can climb above 100 degrees in minutes.
My poodle, Ginger, and I try to take a run every morning. I get out before the temperatures climb. But any kind of exertion in high temperatures can be dangerous not only for you, but for pets.
I'll take this opportunity to share a photo of Ginger with you again. Enjoy summer safely!
Labels: heat, pets, warning
Staying Healthy In The Heat
It's a no-brainer, you say. We hear these tips every summer, others may say.
Yes, the heat St. Louis is famous for during this time of year has arrived, and with it, the tips we faithfully pass along every year to help you stay healthy.
It may sound repetitive to you. But if you're not careful, you could end up in the emergency room.
So, don't exercise or work outside during the hottest part of the day. Drink plenty of water, and read these tips from the St. Louis County health department that may help you stay healthy in the heat.
- Remember, the very young and the very old are most susceptible to heat-related illness.
- Stay in the coolest environment available.
- Spend time in air-conditioned place if no air conditioning is available in your home.
- Drink plenty of water, and preferably non-alcoholic and non-caffienated beverages.
- Eat light, easily digested food, and avoid heavy meals.
- Wear loose-fitting, lightweight, light colored clothing.
- Wear a hat when outdoors.
- If you feel unusually weak, dizzy or confused call your doctor or 9-1-1.
Labels: heat, illness
Local Children's Hospital To Offer Free HIV Screening
Teens and young adults make up the highest rates of sexually transmitted diseases in the country, including HIV.
That's one of the reasons St. Louis Children's Hospital is beginning a new policy by the end of the month.
Patients 15 and older admitted to the emergency room will be offered a free HIV screening test.
And it will also be confidential.
Their parent or guardian will be asked to step out of the room before the nurse asks the teen if they want the test.
"The goal isn't to keep the diagnosis a secret from the parent," Dr. Ericka Hayes, co-medical director of the pediatric HIV and pediatric infectious disease department at St. Louis Children's Hospital. "The goal is to get them tested and once we do have that diagnosis have the teen disclose to their parents or the person who is a support person to help them get through."
By instituting this policy, Children's Hospital becomes the third hospital in the country and the first pediatric hospital nationally to make the move.
But some family-based organizations call the policy outrageous.
"I think its a real violation of parents rights and parental responsibility for the health and care of their children," says Peter Sprigg, vice president for police at the Family Research Council based in Washington DC. "Certainly I think both parts of the policy are inappropriate; to offer the testing without the parents knowledge and to keep the results secret from the parents both of those are a violation of parental rights."
But one local young man who is HIV positive says many teens will only consent to the test if it is confidential.
"I just think that this is really great," says Arthur, 19, who learned he was HIV positive in his mid-teens. "Because there's some teens who know that they're being involved in risky sexual behavior that won't get tested knowing that they should just because their parents are present."
I'll have more on the policy and both the public health argument supporting it and the family value group that opposes it tonight on Cover Story on Newschannel Five at 10.
Here's a link to the Children's Hospital web site explaining the new policy
http://www.stlouischildrens.org/tabid/91/itemid/5067/Universal-HIV-Testing-to-Begin-in-SLCH-EU.aspx
Keeping Kids Active: A Call To Action
Have you ever watched a six, seven or eight year old play? Most don't stop moving. Many go from riding their bikes, to swimming, to playing on a swing set. I have personal experience: an active six year old.
Chances are if you watch a teenager, you'll see them text messaging on a cell phone, then tapping on a computer keyboard and then watching TV. I know I'm generalizing. Some teenagers I know play lacrosse and tennis, and my six year old watches his share of TV.
But one of the largest studies of its kind just came out showing that once kids hit the teen years, their physical activity slows down a lot.
The study was published in this week's Journal of the American Medical Association. It tracked 1,000 U.S. kids of various ages from 2000 to 2006.
It shows 90 percent of nine-year-olds get a couple of hours of exercise a day and only three percent of 15 year-olds do.
The lead author of the study, Dr. Philip Nader, a pediatrician at the University of California at San Diego calls the finding a crisis for kids.
I agree, but it should be a call to action for parents. Whether its organized sports or going out for regular family bike rides, physical activity should be a part of our day just like brushing our teeth.
I ran track, took ballet classes, and played soccer in my teens and early 20's. It wasn't always pretty. I certainly didn't win awards or get picked for select teams. And I know I would have been distracted by texting friends and playing on a computer had it been available when I was younger.
But it's important to keep active through all stages of life.
It sounds easy, and in reality, I know it's hard to achieve. But I'm a fan of doing things in moderation. You don't have to train for a marathon, but you can certainly jog or walk around the block a couple of times a week.
http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/300/3/295 Labels: children, exercise
Cutting Calories For Science
Could the fountain of youth be found in the number of calories you eat every day? Check out my Cover Story tonight at 10 p.m. and find out.
For the past 80 years, scientists have proven over and over again that small animals who get the fewest calories live the longest, healthiest lives.
Now, they're studying humans who restrict calories to see if they get the same physical effects.
The study is called "CALERIE," which stands for Comprehensive Assessment of Long-Term Effects of Reducing Intake of Energy..
Volunteers are put into one of two groups: a control group that tries to keep food and activity levels relatively stable for two years. And a group that restrict calories: basically cutting 25 percent of the calories they'd usually consume a day with the goal of losing 15 to 18 percent of body weight.
Interested? Be sure to check out my Cover Story.
And if you're interested in becoming a volunteer, call (314) 747-3182 or find out more on line at http://calerie.dcri.duke.edu
Labels: calorie
End Of An Era
From a pure business point-of-view, the merger of brewing giants Anheuser-Busch and In-Bev will mean the arrival of a global company with its North American headquarters in St. Louis. That's exciting news, with the promise of an exciting future.
But this morning, I can't help feeling a little sad about the loss of the A-B brand and the identity it had here. St. Louis may have never made a lot of "best-cities" lists, and we know we have some shortcomings. But A-B has always been a major source of community pride.
When you watched television commercials, the tag-line was always "Anheuser-Busch, St. Louis, Missouri." You had to feel proud.
When people talked about the brewery, it was with respect and almost reverence.
I hope that won't change. There's still a lot to respect and revere about a company that remained faithful to St. Louis for as long as A-B did.
But there's also that feeling of loss. This is the end of an era; the end of a simpler time when you could open a family brewery on Pestalozzi Street in St. Louis and grow it into one of the brewing giants of the world.
Local Gem Shining This Summer
We made a visit to the Missouri Botanical Garden over the weekend. If I had to sum the Garden up in one word, it would be stunning. From the rose garden to the children's garden, each and every corner was more beautiful than the next. On the left is a picture I took of an arch decorated Chihuly-style near the rose garden.
Niki In The Garden, the exhibition of pop art now on display in the Garden, adds an interesting bonus to the trip. Below is a picture I took of Niki's work titled Buddha.
The artist is Niki de Saint Phalle, a woman who was born near Paris and raised in New York. She also lived and traveled extensively in Europe. Her specialty is monumental sculpture art and that's what you'll see around the Garden.
Niki died in 2002, at the age of 72, in San Diego, California. Her life was as interesting as her art. Be sure to check it out and let me know what you think! Niki In The Garden is on display through October 31, 2008 at the Missouri Botanical Garden.
11 Best Foods You're Not Eating!
I hope you'll watch Newschannel Five at 5 p.m. on Friday, July 11. I'll show you the 11 best foods you're probably not eating!
I won't give them all away here. But I consider myself a pretty healthy eater, and there are a few on the list I've never tried.
The list comes from a book written by Dr. Jonny Bowden called The 150 Healthiest Foods On Earth. I took the list of the 11 foods to a local dietitian and had her evaluate them for me.
I'll give you a little "taste" of the story.
Pomegranate juice is one of the 11 foods. I've heard of it, and even seen it in the grocery store, but I generally stay away from juices because of the high sugar content.
Well, according to Jennifer Ebelhar, a registered dietitian at St. Louis University School of Medicine, you don't need much more than two or three ounces of the pomegranate juice to get a big benefit.
"You're really going to get the most bang for your buck if you choose the one that's 100 percent pomegranate juice," said Ebelhar. "It is expensive, so it's an expensive way to get those antioxidants. But they are very powerful."
So, I hope you'll tune in tomorrow to Newschannel Five at 5, or check out my column in Monday's Healthy and Fit section of the St. Louis Post Dispatch.
Why don't you try a few and let me know if you like them, or think they could become a staple of your diet.
Labels: food, superfood
Getting Students To School, Feeding Them, Among Challenges For New School Year
The high price of gas is has school districts and administrators across the country worried about how to pay for the fuel school buses will need to bring students to classes in the fall.
Now, add the rising cost of food to the concerns faced by school districts as students enjoy their summer break.
The national school lunch program has long put healthy meals on cafeteria tables for children during the school year.
But today, the president-elect of the School Nutrition Association told members of the House Education and Labor Committee, meeting in Washington, that the organization is struggling to make ends meet.
"We simply don't have the funds to continue on with this," said Katie Wilson.
Free and reduced-price lunches are provided for more than half of our country's 60 million public school children.
Because the government subsidizes those meals, schools have to follow guidelines for healthy eating by providing lots of fresh fruit, vegetables and whole grains.
The government reimburses schools $2.57 for each meal, but the costs can run well over $3 a meal.
It's a reminder that, as food prices increase, our schools will feel the pinch too. Not just in the cost of getting student to class, but in making sure they're fed while they're there.
The Eyes Have It
Two ophthalmic groups recently released some interesting data about eye injuries. More than half of them happen at home, and 40 percent during what we would consider everyday activities like cooking or yard work.
According to the "Eye Injury Snapshot" released by the American Academy of Ophthalmology (Academy) and the American Society of Ocular Trauma (ASOT) the injuries can stem from something as innocent as a pan of frying bacon or something you may know to be careful around, like lawn chemicals.
2.5 million Americans experience a significant eye injury every year, and the most common settings for suffering those injuries in the home include the garden, kitchen and garage.
As a result, the Academy and ASOT are recommending every household in America have at least one pair of approved, protective eyewear available. It's something I've never considered. But in light of these statistics, I'll give it some serious thought.
Apparently, 90 percent of all eye injuries can be prevented if this safety step is taken. And ophthalmologists say preventing an eye injury is much easier than treating one.
Labels: eyes
Cholesterol-Lowering Drugs For Children?
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A recommendation to screen and medicate young children for high cholesterol has parents talking, and is sure to spark discussion among physicians about yet another screening and the use of yet another prescription drug for kids.
In what's being called the strongest guidance ever given "on this issue," the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is recommending cholesterol screening for children as young as 2, but no later than age 10.
For the first time, the influential doctors group is also recommending some children as young as 8 be given cholesterol-fighting drugs to prevent future heart problems.
According to Dr. Stephen Daniels who sits on the academy's nutrition committee, the new advice is based on mounting evidence showing that damage
leading to heart disease, the nation's leading killer, begins early in life.
The AAP also cites recent research showing the drugs are generally safe in children.
I checked the physician prescribing information for Lipitor, one of the most commonly prescribed cholesterol lowering drugs in adults. The prescribing information clearly states that Lipitor hasn't been studied in patients younger than ten years of age.
Doses over 20 milligrams haven't been studies in children 10 to 17 years of age. The same is true of another cholesterol-lowering drug, Zocor.
I share the concerns of physicians who are worried about the health effects of the obesity epidemic in children. The current dietary habits of children could lead to the development of heart disease decades earlier that in the past.
But I'm also concerned when a prominent physicians group advocates the use of drugs that have been only tested extensively in adults for the youngest among us.
Blessed To Be A Mom In America
What does Independence Day mean to you? Take a few minutes to think about it this holiday weekend.
I was born in this country, but spent seven years living in a foreign country. While that was a great experience, I think it heightened the value I put on being an American. I got to see America through the eyes of people born in a country with a separate and distinct identity to the one I had been born into. And while the reviews on the U.S. weren't always positive from some people, I felt then, and still feel, great pride in being from the land of the free and home of the brave.
I had a patriotic conversation with my friend Laura Villa the other day who, like me, is a working mom. She talked about those who have fought to secure and preserve the freedoms many of us take for granted. We continued the conversation in an e-mail. She wrote:
"We have a lot to be thankful for in America. When things aren't so perfect here, we can be thankful that we have a democratic process to allow us to be heard, make changes and challenge the decisions with which we may disagree... I also think about all these moms all over the world that I know love their kids just as much as I love mine. However, I get to know mine are safe, well fed, educated and healthy. I therefore feel incredibly blessed to be a mom in America."
I agree with those words. While our country isn't perfect, I can truly say I too feel blessed to be an American.
Who Stands To Gain From High Gas Prices
I filled up the tank on the way home last night. Even with about a quarter of a tank left, and it still cost me $53 dollars. That's a picture of my pump above.
Local economists have recommended we get used to these high prices for the long-haul. We recently aired an interview with Dan Henrichs, a wealth planner with Merrill Lynch in Clayton.
He's advising anyone on a budget to simply build in high gas prices to their plan. Henrichs says the price of gas won't be falling anytime soon and anyone struggling to fill their tank needs to take a serious look at long term options. For many, that means cutting back on other expenses. But Henrichs also recommends carpooling and public transit.
Prices aren't going down as we head toward the Independence Day weekend. The national average for a gallon of regular unleaded gas hit a new high overnight at $4.08. Since the last Fourth of July weekend, the price of gas has risen over one dollar a gallon.
Truckers and others protested the high cost of gas in India and Britain today. I wonder if it's just a matter of time before we see protests here. Frankly, I'm surprised there haven't been any locally.
I also found an interesting story on the positive effects of high gas. I know, it sounds impossible. But I found a story on the Associated Press wire that quoted the outplacement consultancy Challenger, Gray & Christmas Inc. The company sees high gas prices as a gold mine for office supply stores, because of the prediction that more Americans will be telecommuting.
Companies that sell bikes and motorized scooters are looking forward to an increase in sales. Online retailers, alternative energy companies and makers of home entertainment systems all potentially stand to gain as people choose to stay home more.
Are you changing the way you live because of gas prices?
Labels: gas
Should You Wash Bananas?
As federal inspectors look for the tainted tomatoes that are being linked to an outbreak of Salmonella Saintpaul, I'm preparing a health story on how safely handle produce that will air July 4 on Newschannel Five at 5 p.m.
I asked Michelle Preston, a registered dietitian with Christian Hospital, for the best ways to wash and prepare uncooked fruits and vegetables with the goal of keeping you and your family healthy and safe from germs.
And yes, it's true, even your bananas should be washed under running water before eating. That's Preston in the picture, washing a banana as photojournalist Jeff Wilson shot video for my story.
Preston says you shouldn't soak produce, wash it days before you use it, and you don't even need those special produce sprays of cleaners to get foods ready to eat.
"You just need a lot of elbow grease," recommends Preston. She says rubbing produce while holding it under running water is usually the best way to remove any germs or bacteria.
She says certain fruits, like melons, can be scrubbed with a brush.
And don't forget to wash your hands before and after washing produce!
Check out the food safety web site www.fightbac.org and be sure to watch Newschannel Five at 5 p.m. Friday! Labels: produce, salmonella
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