Digital interruption, problem behaviours

Parents should put phone down and connect with their kids

In the 1990 movie “Problem Child,” Ben Healy (John Ritter) and his wife Flo (Amy Yasbeck) don’t know that Junior (Michael Oliver), the cute seven-year-old they adopted, had previously been returned to the orphanage dozens of times because of behavioural problems. Then, one day Junior drives the family car into the family sporting-goods store. Is there an underlying cause for Junior’s problem behaviour? Yup — he was repeatedly placed with families who ignored his needs and treated him badly.

We thought of that dark comedy because of a new study that examined a link between parents who ignore their kids out of preference for a hand-held device and their child’s problematic behaviour. Researchers examined survey data on 170 two-parent U.S. families with kids, average age three. It revealed 48 per cent of moms and dads said meal- or playtimes with their children were interrupted by digital devices three or more times daily; 24 per cent, twice a day. Only 11 per cent reported no techno-interruptions during family time.

The data also revealed how often their kids whined, sulked, showed signs of hyperactivity, were irritable or became easily frustrated. Putting the two together, the researchers concluded, “Technological interruptions, even at low levels, are associated with child problem behaviours.”

So if you find yourself saying, “Hey, I’m on the phone” or don’t hear what your child is saying because you’re so focused on texting, you might consider the fact that YOU are the cause of your child’s attention-demanding behaviours. So, please put the phone down.

Building an infant’s healthy gut biome: breastfeeding and other alternatives

An episode of “Law and Order” called “Mother’s Milk” was a cautionary tale about what happens when a breastfeeding consultant goes completely over the top and insists that a young mother only breastfeed her newborn. When the child won’t take to the breast, the result is tragic.

Sometimes a new mom cannot breastfeed successfully. We want to remind her that she can raise a healthy, happy child on formula; just work with your pediatrician to determine baby’s best options.

That said, research shows that breastfeeding is a powerful way for an infant to get nutrients essential for developing strong bones and healthy organs. And new data reported in JAMA Pediatrics reveals that breastfeeding is also a great way to make sure your infant develops a healthy gut biome. In the 12-month study of 104 moms and infants, researchers determined that during their first month of life, infants received about 28 per cent of their gut bacteria from breast milk and around 10 per cent from mom’s skin. That’s their start of a healthy immune system — and sets the stage for a lifetime of healthy regulation of metabolism, glucose and digestion.

Tip: For moms using formula, allow your infant to have frequent mouth contact with your skin. Investigate the option of donor breast milk (never unregulated over the internet!), and ask your doc about using use formulas fortified with prebiotics and probiotics, especially Lactobacillus GG and Bifidobacteria (you might want to alternate days). Plus, use a formula containing at least 32 mg per bottle of DHA omega-3.

Sleep and vitamin D: The one-two punch for pain

Once referred to as “The Greatest Strike Partnership in Football,” the duo of soccer strikers Andy Cole and Dwight Yorke scored 53 goals for Manchester United in its 1998-99 season. The two were said to have a scary telepathy on the field.

Just as this duo was formidable on the pitch, there’s an emerging twosome in medicine that’s being shown to make a great team against chronic pain: sleep and vitamin D. A new review published in the Journal of Endocrinology has pulled together the evidence and found two important points.

First, both lack of sleep and vitamin D deficiency have independently been linked to worsening of chronic pain, such as that associated with fibromyalgia. And second, sufficient vitamin D may reduce inflammation and may be associated not only with less pain, but longer and better quality sleep, making the duo of D plus ZZZs even more powerful.

So if you suffer from fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, osteoarthritis or another condition that causes you chronic pain, make sure you’re snoozing seven to nine hours a night. And while we only have data that associates vitamin D to improved sleep quality and reduced pain, most docs think the combo is worth trying. So aim to get the recommended 600 IU of vitamin D-3 a day: Some great sources include salmon and fortified foods like soymilk. However, most of you will need a D-3 supplement. Your goal is to reach a blood level of 35-80 ng/ml; ask your doc for a blood test.

Amateur hour for performance enhancers

One of the most remarkable things about the great golfer Bobby Jones was that he never played golf as a professional. He was a lawyer by trade and won all of his 13 major championships as an amateur.

Now, nobody today is expected to walk out from behind an office desk and qualify for the U.S. Open golf championship — which theoretically can be done — or get an expensive new bicycle and take on the Tour de France. But a lot of weekend warriors and college kids in intramural sports are trying to look like they could do just that, with disastrous results.

Medical researchers recently held a press conference to sound the alarm about amateur athletes’ use of performance-enhancing drugs, such as dietary supplements, anabolic steroids (men ages 15-34 are the most frequent abusers) and weight-loss products (often abused by women in their late 30s).

PEDs directly alter the myocardium, blood vessels and metabolism of your cardiovascular system. You’re risking exercise-induced abnormal heart rhythm, as well as cardiovascular, psychiatric, metabolic, endocrine, neurologic, infectious, hepatic, renal and musculoskeletal disorders.

The Taylor Hooton Foundation (named after Taylor Hooton, who died in 2003 after anabolic steroid use), urges YOU to “Think beyond sports.” We agree. If you want to get stronger, faster and healthier, your formula should be 7-9 servings of fresh produce daily and plenty of sleep, in addition to 60 to 90 minutes of aerobic activity most days and two to three days of strength building a week.

The rule of three keeps kids healthy

The “Rule of Three” in writing says you communicate most strongly when giving information in clumps of three: The phrase “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” is a great example. “Life, liberty, equality and the pursuit of happiness?” All worthy, but the three is easier to remember.

The Rule of Three also applies to your child’s wellbeing. Sticking to guidelines on 1) TV time, 2) physical activity and 3) sleep are what it takes to help your child pursue a life that’s healthy, happy and free of the problems associated with obesity.

A new study by researchers at Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, reveals that children who spend less than two hours a day watching TV, get a minimum of 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity at least five days a week and get sufficient sleep (9-11 hours nightly for five- to 13-year-olds, 8-10 hours for kids 14-18), slash their odds for obesity by 86 per cent! Kids who meet two of those three guidelines reduce obesity risk by 40 per cent. Unfortunately, around nine per cent of two- to five-yearolds in the U.S. are obese, as are 17 per cent of kids two to 19!

So Mom and Dad, listen up: If you want to help your child thrive and avoid life-altering diseases such as premature heart woes and diabetes, it’s time for your kids to adopt the Rule of Three. And while you’re at it, grab onto it yourself! Your younger RealAge will give you the energy to chase after them.