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S _Health Bruefs
The following information is taken from press releases
from Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas.
New drug helps Alzheimer’s patients
+ Aricept, a new drug approved
for Alzheimer’s disease, improves
the symptoms and daily function
ing of many patients.
. “In more than 900 mild to mod
erate Alzheimer’s patients stud
ied nationwide, 80 percent showed
improvement or didn’t get any
worse,” said Dr. Rachelle Doody,
clinical director of the Alzheimer’s
Disease Research Center at Baylor
Physical activity important for seniors
* Many grandparents are trad
ing in their rocking chairs for
walking shoes, and it’s paying off
by improving their health.
' “As people age, they can main
tain a better quality of li{.: if they
are active,” said Dr. Elizabeth
Protas of Baylor of Medicine’s
‘Huffington Center on Aging in
Houston. “Exercise has alsobeen
shown to help reduce the risk for
‘developing disease, including
heart disease and osteoporosis,
New mothers often return to smoking
. Pregnant women may be get
ting the message about the dan
gers of smoking, but many ofthem
‘return to the habit following preg
nancy.
* Onehurdle for pregnant women
who quit smokingisthe changein
attitude of those around them
‘once the baby is born, said Dr.
‘Marianna Sockrider, a pediatric
-pulmonologist at Baylor College
of Medicine in Houston.
“During pregnancy, people are
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t & | am a little worried about my baby's attachment to a particular blan
¢ 7 _ ket He takes it everywhere we go, will not go to sleep without it, and
: @ criesifitis suddenly taken away. Is this cause to be alarmed?
Almost everyone knows about the cartoon character, Linus, and his blan
ket. He drags it around wherever he goes, nibbling on its corner or curling
A & up with it when the going gets tough. Security objects such as blankets
are part of the emotional support system every child needs in his early
® years.
Every child does not choose a blanket, of course. He may prefer a soft
toy or even the satin trim on Mom's bathrobe or nightgown. Chances are
he'll make his choice between eight and twelve months of age, and he’'ll
keep it with him for years to come.
When he's tired, it will help him get to sleep. When he's separated from you,
it will comfort him. When he's in a strange place, it will help him feel at home.
These special comforts are called “transitional objects,” because they
help children make the emotional transition from dependence to indepen
dence. They work, in part, because they feel good: They're soft, cuddly
. and nice to touch. They're also effective because of their familiarity. The
chosen object has your child's scent on it and it reminds him of the com
fort and security of his own room. It makes him feel that everything is
going to be okay.
Despite myths to the contrary, transitional objects are not a sign of weak
ness or insecurity, and there's no reason to keep your child from using
| one. In fact, a transitional object can be so helpful that you may want to
| help him choose one and build it into his nighttime ritual.
{ To make things easier for yourself, try having two identical security ob
| jects. This will allow you to wash one while the other is being used, thus
, sparing your baby (and yourself) a potential emotional crisis and a very
bedraggled “lovey.”
Information provided by the American Academy of Pediatrics, from the book, Caring for
Your Baby and Young Child.
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College of Medicine in Houston.
Doctors measured Aricept’s ef
fectiveness by using standard
Alzheimer’s memory-evaluation
tests and by interviewing patients
and caregivers to assess changes
in daily functioning.
The drug contains an enzyme
that blocks the breakdown of ace
tylcholine, a neurotransmitter in
the brain.
as we age.” ,
While many people older than 60
are competing in road races, bowl
ing tournaments and tennis
matches, itisnot necessary to work
out that vigorously to benefit.
Walking around the neighbor
hood, gardening or playing a game
of horseshoes can all improve fit
ness levels. Doing an enjoyable
activity for 20 to 30 minutes three
times a week can make a healthy
difference.
sensitive about smoking,”
Sockridersaid. “They don’t smoke
around the pregnant woman or
offer her cigarettes. But once the
baby is born, the pressure to
smoke resumes.”
Sockrider suggests that new
mothers who want to quit smoking
permanently examine why they
smoke and look at different post
pregnancy coping mechanisms.
They can also seek the cooperation
of smokers around them.
Alcohol abuse is dangerous to elderly
Health problems among the eld
erly can be accelerated by alcohol
abuse.
Because their bodies do not have
the strength to bounce back from
alcohol abuse, the elderly are more
prone to kidney and liver failure,
along with memory problems and
personality changes, said Dr. Mark
Kunik, a geriatric psychiatrist at
Baylor College of Medicinein Hous
Timing is key to introducing solid foods
Timing is the key, for both the
parents and infants, when intro
ducing solid foods.
“Pick a time when there are few
distractions,” said Dr. Janice Stuff,
a nutritionist at the USDA’s
Children’s Nutrition Research
Center at Baylor College of Medi
cine in Houston. “Initially it’s
best to begin feeding them while
they are sitting on your lap. They
What to do about stuttering
Just when a young child’s speech seems
to be sailing along, it sometimes starts
getting stuck. Childhood stuttering can
be alarming to parents, who may worry
about possible physical or psychological
causes. Fortunately, stuttering is usually
a temporary (lasting no more than a few
months) way station along the normal
development path of speech, clearing up
on its own before a child’s seventh birth
day. The best thing caring adultscandois
help the stutterer relax by remaining
relaxed themselves. When stuttering oc
curs, listen quietly and calmly, maintain
ing eye contact and not giving any hint of
impatience or alarm. Telling the stutter
er to stop or calm down may simply in
crease the child’s anxiety, worsening the
ton.
In older people, it is important to
acknowledge alcohol abuse quickly,
Kunik said, because problems as
sociated with excessive drinking
are more difficult to overcome and
often lead to hospitalization.
Recovery canbeencouraged with
intervention by family members,
friends and health-care profession
als.
will feel more secure and more
willing to accept food.”
Theideal time to introduce solid
foods to infants is between the
ages four and six months because
thechildisdevelopmentally ready
at that time.
Introduce single-ingredient
foods first, beginning with one
half teaspoon to a teaspoon at a
time.
5 Synergic Health Centre
q Gerald D. Oliver, M.D.
Internal Medicine and Pediatric Medicine
problem. If stuttering is severe, accompa
nied by great physical tension and frustra
tion, an evaluation by a pediatrician and a
speech therapist may be in order. About
one-fourth of all children go through a
stuttering phase during early childhood.
If you're concerned about your child’s
stuttering, call SYNERGIC HEALTH
CENTRE at 648-3500. We provide care for
children, adolescents and adults in such
areas as nutritional and exercise counsel
ing, growth and development counseling,
allergies, hypertension and much more. A
pediatric and internal medicine specialist
is always on duty. Located at 1055-A Silver
Bluff Road, our office hours are by appoint
ment. Working together towards the best for
life...the growing well....the family spirit.
W88A....
Augusta's best mix of music
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Viral protein causes disease symptoms
Scientists have discovered a new
way that viruses cause disease.
Rotaviruses, which cause se
vere, life-threatening diarrheal
disease, make a protein that by
itself can cause disease symptoms.
The finding could lead to improved
ways to treat or prevent disease
caused by the viruses, which in
fect children worldwide and kill
as many as one million annually.
“The protein works as an en
terotoxin that leads to diarrhea,”
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AUGUSTA FOCUS JULY 3, 1997
said Dr. Mary Estes, a Baylor
College of Medicine molecular vi
rologist and co-author of the study.
“This is the first time an entero
toxin has been described for a
virus, although such toxins are
well-known to be made by bacte
ria that causes similar diarrheal
diseases.”
The new concept for how
rotaviruses cause disease could
explain how other viruses cause
diarrheal diseases.
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