Organic: Choosing What Counts for Kids

I'm one of those people you could call "sporadically organic." I want to avoid feeding my kids pesticides and chemical fertilizers, of course, but I'm also baffled as to what really matters -- and how much of a premium I should really pay for that "organic" label.

The health blog in the New York Times has a nice little piece on "Five Easy Ways to Go Organic" that helps anxious parents hone in on the places where organic counts. Their five picks? Milk, potatoes, peanut butter, ketchup (!) and apples.

I was most surprised by this tidbit about the unassuming potato: "[C]ommercially-farmed potatoes are some of the most pesticide-contaminated vegetables. A 2006 U.S.D.A. test found 81 percent of potatoes tested still contained pesticides after being washed and peeled, and the potato has one of the the highest pesticide contents of 43 fruits and vegetables tested, according to the Environmental Working Group." Mmmm, blight-killer with those fries?

How Couples Argue Has Big Health Consequences

Image from New York Times

The New York Times has a fascinating article on the implications of how married couples argue. Even if couples consider themselves happy, and even if they fight infrequently, it appears that their style of disagreeing has a big impact on their health. In a recent study, the way couples argue turned out to be a greater risk factor for heart problems than whether they smoked or had high cholesterol!

The study was not about abusive relationships, but about the nuances of handling conflict. The most interesting thing to me is that bottling up emotions during a disagreement ("self-silencing," as the researchers call it) exacts a HUGE toll on a woman's health, but men who bottle up their emotions seem to suffer no ill consequences. (Honestly -- no pot shots here -- doesn't that explain a lot about the way men and women relate?) Where men seem to falter health-wise is in confrontations about control -- even when the man is the one who is making the controlling comments.

A great read. It will definitely make you think about how you handle conflict in your own relationships, even beyond your marriage.

No More Thumb-Twiddling Saturdays

A friend just turned me on to a great site for planning activities with kids. goCityKids.com provides an exhaustive events calendar for dozens of cities, including everything from service projects and museum exhibits to puppet shows and library storytimes. Even better, you can look up activities by indoor/outdoor, type of experience and your child’s age. Definitely sign up for the free weekly events e-mail, which comes on Thursdays.

We’ve lived in our neighborhood for five years, and I’ve just turned up several promising new playgrounds not far from us. Finally, the feeling that you can discover something new to do with the kids!

FDA Considers Ban on Cold Meds for Children Under 6

FDA safety experts are encouraging the agency to ban over-the-counter cough and cold remedies for children under the age of 6. The preliminary recommendation, which outside experts will review later this month, says children under the age of 2 should not be using decongestants, and those under 6 should not use antihistamines.

Between 2004 and 2005, more than 1,500 children under the age of two suffered serious side effects from using common cold medicines, according to a recent report from the CDC. The FDA report cites at least 54 deaths in children after taking decongestants, and 69 after taking antihistamines from 1969 to 2006, and says adverse effects are likely under-reported.

Our pediatrician has long told us cold medicines aren’t effective in little ones, a position backed by the American Academy of Pediatrics. Though I’m generally not a pusher, when you have a toddler stuffed up like a taut new handbag at 3 a.m., it has always seemed kinder (for all involved) to give a teensy squirt of tasty cherry liquid than to induce shrieking by forcing saline up her nose and attacking her with a tiny blue turkey baster. Never did I think that these common medications could be dangerous for my kids.

I can’t shake this quote from USA Today, referring to the 800-plus popular cold medications marketed for infants and children: "The basic question is, why should a product be so relentlessly marketed when it's not safe or effective?" said Dr. Joshua Sharfstein, Baltimore's health commissioner. "It does not make sense, in the absence of information, to say 'consult a physician,' because they do not have superhuman powers. They cannot make a product safe or effective."

Equally chilling, it turns out that hyrdrocodone, the ingredient that gives the narcotic Vicodin its kick, is used in some unapproved prescription cough syrups for children. The FDA has given manufacturers until the end of October to stop selling them.

Check out complete stories in the New York Times and USAToday.