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Pediatric

Tips for Protecting Your Child from Dog Bites

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Nearly half of all U.S. Children have been bitten by a dog, and boys 5 to 9 years old appear to be at greatest risk. In addition, all children are more likely than adults to receive dangerous bites to the head, face, and neck.

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Still, many bites are preventable if families follow basic safety tips and demonstrate responsible dog ownership. Parents can reduce the risk of your child suffering a potentially dangerous dog bite by following these guidelines:

* Choose a good breed for children. Some dogs are naturally more aggressive than others. Consider a good natured breed like a golden retriever, collie, old English sheepdog, or basset hound.

*Socialize your pet. Expose a puppy to a variety of situations and people, and continue that exposure as it grows older. But do not leave it unsupervised with your children. Many bites occur during playful roughhousing when a child does not realize that the animal is overexcited.

   #Train your dog. It should be willing to respond to commands consistently.
#Teach children never to disturb a dog that is sleeping, eating, or caring for puppies.
#Warn children never to approach a strange dog. Teach them to ask permission from a dog’s owner before petting it.
#Tell children not to run past dogs. Canines naturally like to chase things, and this gives them a reason to become excited and aggressive.
# Tell children never to stare a dog in the eye. The animal interprets it as a challenge and a sign of aggression.
# If a dog threatens your child, tell him or her to remain calm. Children should not turn and run. Tell them to avoid eye contact and stay still until the dog leaves. If they fall or a re knocked to the ground, tell them to curl into a ball with their hands over their heads and necks.

 Education, supervision can prevent dog bites:-   According to a study recently published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), an estimated 4.5 million people are bitten by dogs in the United States each year. Fortunately, only about 20% of these require medical attention. With more than 52 million dogs kept as pets in the United States, bites will continue to pose a serious health threat to children.

Most of the 52 million dogs in this country kept as pets will never bite or kill anyone. Yet parents should remember that domesticated dogs retain their wild instincts and pose a health threat to their children.

Canine injuries range from simple puncture wounds to severe lacerations. Children are most likely to be bit on the head, face, or neck, while adults generally suffer wounds to the hands and upper arms. Over half are permanently scarred. The highest incidents of dog bite wounds occur in children five to fourteen years of age. Boys suffer dog bites twice as frequently as girls. Many parents falsely assume that their youngsters will be bitten by a strange or wild animal. More than 80% of bites are inflicted by the family pet or an animal known to the child.

Contrary to myth, few dog attacks can be traced to teasing and tormenting. Other human behaviors and characteristics, however, do make dogs more likely to attack them. One is being very young. Infants make up most of the fatal attack victims. It is suspected that these attacks occur because dogs mistake tiny babies for prey, and any breed of dog can make this tragic mistake. Therefore, never, ever leave any dog alone with an infant.

When the circumstances surrounding a bite are known, most dog attacks are provoked. Therefore, children should be educated on behaviors that will lessen their risk for an injury. Here are some guidelines:

· Immediately report stray dogs or dogs displaying unusual behavior.

· Teach children not to approach an unfamiliar dog or run away from a dog that is chasing them. A dog’s natural instinct is to chase and catch someone who is running. Instruct the child to stand still with their hands at their sides. The dog will most likely stop, sniff the youngster, and leave them alone when they realize that the child is not a threat.

· Instruct children not to approach an injured dog (or any other animal). Instead, tell an adult about the animal.

· Do not pet or approach a dog while he or she is eating, sleeping, or guarding something. Pets naturally guard their food, their new puppies, and their toys. Dogs also protect their owners, and the property that belongs to their owners–such as an owner’s home, yard, or car. Toddlers frequently are bitten because they get right in the dog’s face, moving quickly and making high-pitched, unpredictable noises.

· Do not pet a dog without letting it see and sniff you first. Before petting someone elses dog, ask the owner for permission.

·Keep fingers away from a dog’s mouth. ·

·Teach children when it is okay to play with a dog and when to leave the dog alone.

·Most important, parents need to realize that young children need constant supervision when they’re with dogs.

· St. Petersburg veterinarian Dr. Steve Bryan believes early intervention is the best way to avoid bites from the family dog. “All puppies should receive obedience training with the family, “stated Dr. Bryan. “At the first sign of aggressive behavior the owners must act and seek help from the veterinarian, since the first bite is often devastating and leaves no recourse for the pet.”

· Dr. Bryan also commented that the likelihood of a bite inflicted by the family pet can be reduced by choosing more docile breeds. Which bites most? Research usually points to German shepherds, pit bulls, chows, Dobermans, rottweilers, Siberian huskies, malamutes, wolf-hybrids, Akitas, Labradors, cocker spaniels and golden retrievers. Remember, there is a danger in believing that the family is safe because parents have not picked a breed from the “dangerous” list. Remember, any dog can bite.

· If a dog bites once, it is apt to bite again. If parents get a warning, they better act on it. Time for that dog to stay with an uncle on the farm.

The intent of this article is not to scare parents into not owning a dog. Remember, the vast majority of dog – child interactions are wonderful. When parents choose their dog wisely, show them lots of love and take proper precautions, the family pooch will be a welcome addition to the household.

 These dog bite prevention tips are provided courtesy of the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Categories
News on Health & Science

Lung cancer runs in the family

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LONDON: While smoking is far and away the biggest risk factor for lung cancer, having a close relative who has been diagnosed with the disease nearly doubles your risk of developing the deadly disease…..CLICK & SEE

A new study in Chest found that people with a first-degree relative   that means mother, father or sibling’s  ”who had lung cancer had a 95% higher risk of developing the disease.

“Our long-term follow-up of a largescale, population-based cohort identified a significant increase in the risk of lung cancer associated with a family history of lung cancer in a first-degree relative in a Japanese population,”the study authors wrote.

Jay Brooks, chairman of hematology and oncology at the Ochsner Clinic Health System said this study confirms what’s already known about family history and the risk of lung cancer, and that “it’s an important thing for physicians to realise”.

“As a clinician, when I have someone with lung cancer, I ask the family members, ‘Who smokes cigarettes?’ Then I explain that they have a two- to three-fold higher risk of lung cancer because of their family history, and this is just another reason to quit smoking because they have a genetic susceptibility to the carcinogens in tobacco,”explained Brooks.

The US Centres for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that more than 180,000 new cases of lung cancer are diagnosed each year in the United States, and nearly 170,000 Americans die from the disease annually.

It’s the second leading cause of death for men and the third leading cause of death for women, according to the CDC. Cigarette smoking is the most common cause of the disease, according to the National Institutes of Health, though not everyone who gets lung cancer is a smoker or former smoker.

The study followed more than 102,000 middle-aged and older Japanese adults for as long as 13 years; there were more women (53,421) than men (48,834).

During the study period, 791 cases of lung cancer were diagnosed. The researchers found that having a first-degree relative with lung cancer nearly doubled the odds of developing lung cancer.

The association was even stronger for women. Women who had a first-degree relative with lung cancer almost had triple the risk of lung cancer, while men with a first-degree relative with lung cancer had about a 70% higher risk.

Additionally, people who had never smoked had a higher risk of developing lung cancer themselves if they had a first-degree relative with the disease than did smokers with close family members with lung cancer. Family history was also more strongly associated with a particular type of lung cancer — squamous cell carcinoma..

Brooks and Ann G. Schwartz, who wrote an accompanying editorial in the same issue of the journal, both said it wasn’t clear why family history would confer a greater risk for women than for men.

Schwartz said one possibility is that women are more familiar with their family histories and may just be reporting family history more accurately.

Brooks also pointed out that this finding might only apply to Japanese women and not other populations.

(As published in The Times Of India)

Categories
Healthy Tips

Walking is a very good exercise

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Walking is a very good exercise…. this advice should be given to those who are above 30 years old or who may have some heart problem or other physical problems or are totally unable to do other exercises .But some times I find young people specially, young girls taking brisk walk in the park instead of playing in the field. They might think that they are doing lot of exercises by walking a long distances.According to me, walking is definitely good, it is refreshing,soothing and pleasant but it is not at all a full exercise for young people.They should rather play in the field, or swim or do other form of exercise which will really burn the required calories to be burnt by exercises.

But it is the best form of exercise for the people who doesnot get proper time or interest for doing any other exercise to keep the body fit.

BENEFITS OF WALKING:  

5 surprising benefits of walking:
The next time you have a check-up, don’t be surprised if your doctor hands you a prescription to walk. Yes, this simple activity that you’ve been doing since you were about a year old is now being touted as “the closest thing we have to a wonder drug,” in the words of Dr. Thomas Frieden, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Of course, you probably know that any physical activity, including walking, is a boon to your overall health. But walking in particular comes with a host of benefits. Here’s a list of five that may surprise you.

1. It counteracts the effects of weight-promoting genes. Harvard researchers looked at 32 obesity-promoting genes in over 12,000 people to determine how much these genes actually contribute to body weight. They then discovered that, among the study participants who walked briskly for about an hour a day, the effects of those genes were cut in half.

2. It helps tame a sweet tooth. A pair of studies from the University of Exeter found that a 15-minute walk can curb cravings for chocolate and even reduce the amount of chocolate you eat in stressful situations. And the latest research confirms that walking can reduce cravings and intake of a variety of sugary snacks.

3. It reduces the risk of developing breast cancer. Researchers already know that any kind of physical activity blunts the risk of breast cancer. But an American Cancer Society study that zeroed in on walking found that women who walked seven or more hours a week had a 14% lower risk of breast cancer than those who walked three hours or fewer per week. And walking provided this protection even for the women with breast cancer risk factors, such as being overweight or using supplemental hormones.

4. It eases joint pain. Several studies have found that walking reduces arthritis-related pain, and that walking five to six miles a week can even prevent arthritis from forming in the first place. Walking protects the joints — especially the knees and hips, which are most susceptible to osteoarthritis — by lubricating them and strengthening the muscles that support them.

5. It boosts immune function. Walking can help protect you during cold and flu season. A study of over 1,000 men and women found that those who walked at least 20 minutes a day, at least 5 days a week, had 43% fewer sick days than those who exercised once a week or less. And if they did get sick, it was for a shorter duration, and their symptoms were milder.

To learn more about the numerous benefits of walking, as well as easy ways to incorporate a walk into your daily routine, buy Walking for Health, a Special Health Report from Harvard Medical School

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You carry your own body weight when you walk. This is sometimes called    weight bearingâ exercise. Some of the benefits include:

  • Increased cardiovascular and pulmonary (heart and lung) fitness
  • Reduced risk of heart disease and stroke
  • Improved management of conditions such as hypertension (high blood pressure), high cholesterol, joint and muscular pain or stiffness, and diabetes
  • Stronger bones and improved balance
  • Increased muscle strength and endurance
  • Reduced body fat.

WALK 30 MINUTES A DAY

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To get the health benefits, try to walk for at least 30 minutes as briskly as you can most days of the week. ˜Brisk  means that you can still talk but not sing, and you may be puffing slightly. Moderate activities such as walking pose little health risk but, if you have a medical condition, check with your doctor before starting any new exercise program of physical activity.

BUILD PHYSICAL ACTIVITY IN YOUR LIFE ALSO

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If it’s too difficult to walk for 30 minutes at one time, do regular small bouts (10 minutes) three times per day. If you want to lose weight, you will need to do physical activity for longer than 30 minutes each day. You can achieve this by starting with smaller bouts of activity throughout the day, as suggested above, and eventually building up to sessions of more than 30 minutes.

Physical activity built into a daily lifestyle plan is also one of the most effective ways to assist with weight loss and keep weight off once it’s lost. Here are some ways to build walking into your daily routine:

  • Try taking the stairs instead of the lift (for at least part of the way).
  • Get off public transport one stop earlier and walk to work or home.
  • Do housework like vacuuming ,gardening and mowing the lawn(with hand mower)
  • Walk (don’t drive) to the local shops.
  • Walk the dog .
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