Magdalena, Colombia (CNN) –

To the unaccustomed eye, a man toting 120 books while riding a stubborn donkey would seem nothing short of a circus spectacle. But for hundreds of children in the rural villages of Colombia, Luis Soriano is far from a clown. He is a man with a mission to save rural children from illiteracy.

“There was a time when many people thought that I was going crazy,” said Soriano, a native of La Gloria, Colombia. “They’d yell, ‘Carnival season is over.’ … Now I’ve overcome that.”

Soriano, 38, is a primary school teacher who spends his free time operating a “biblioburro,” a mobile library on donkeys that offers reading education for hundreds of children living in what he describes as “abandoned regions” in the Colombian state of Magdalena.

“In [rural] regions, a child must walk or ride a donkey for up to 40 minutes to reach the closest schools,” Soriano said. “The children have very few opportunities to go to secondary school. …There are [few] teachers that would like to teach in the countryside.”

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NEW YORK (WABC) — Doctors have been watching the average weight of children go up dramatically over the years.

Now, for the first time, a new study outlines three household routines that can reduce the risk of obesity in kids.

Experts now say one out of every eight kids under the age of 5 is overweight or obese.

Parents often feel frustrated as they battle their children over food, but now this study gives parents some concrete advice on some home habits than can help keep their children from eating unhealthily.

Read more of Dr. Jay Adlersberg’s findings.

This article was recently published on the Forbes.com website by Joan Indiana Rigdon.

Photo Credit: JONATHAN TORGOVNIK/REPORTAGE FOR CNN

Between the Web and Twitter and text, I’ve donated money; tracked the progress of the USNS Comfort hospital ship across the Atlantic; read on-the-ground pleas from doctors with not enough IVs. At one point a journalist friend sent news of a particular clinic 70 miles north of Port-au-Prince with seven doctors and not enough patients. Along with others, I echoed its coordinates into Twitter and felt briefly useful…

Talking To The Kids About Haiti

By setting good examples early and establishing habits of healthful eating and physical fitness, parents can give children the gift of health to carry them through adulthood.

With more than 108 million adults, or 61 percent of the adult U.S. population, either obese or overweight, according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, it’s no wonder children are headed toward unhealthy, sedentary lifestyles.

Obese children can have serious health problems that they carry into adulthood, according to the Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. The social and emotional fallout of being overweight also can cause low self-esteem, behavior and learning problems, and depression.

But for young kids, it shouldn’t be about diet and exercise: It should be about being healthy and having fun.

“The No. 1 role model is the parent. The kid does what the parent does,” said Stacy Beeson, a registered and licensed dietitian who is St. Luke’s Boise ( Idaho) Medical Center outpatient dietitian and corporate wellness specialist. “Parents need to control the home environment.”

“It’s sad to see meals and exercise squeezed out of our lives,” Beeson added. “Research behind the family meal has shown kids get more nutrient-dense foods.” Family meals also reduce the chance kids will take up drugs or alcohol, he said.

Beeson offers these tips for parents:

Chew on this

• Set a schedule for meals to discourage all-day grazing. Always have fresh fruits and vegetables readily available as a snack.
• Eat at the table, as a family. Use the time to share news and tell stories.
• Don’t eat in front of a television or computer. This leads to fast, mindless eating.
• If you’re trying to undo unhealthy habits, either your own or your child’s, start slow. Introduce a healthy, and possibly unfamiliar, food along with something familiar. And never focus on a child’s weight.

Get moving

• Experts agree on the biggest deterrent to physical activity: screen time. Limit the number of hours your child watches TV or plays on the computer. If you want an active child, set a positive example by being active yourself. Find fun activities the family can do together. Exercise should never be a punishment or chore.
• Can’t afford a gym or class? Emphasize activity, not exercise, especially among younger children. Free-play activities, such as playing hide-and-seek, tag or jump-rope, also burn calories and improve fitness.
• Celebrate a birthday, holiday or other special day with a physical activity — a trip to the zoo, arboretum or botanical garden — instead of a calorie-laden meal.
• Rally the families in your neighborhood for a game of touch football or tag at the local park. If it’s too cold outside, crank up the stereo and dance around the living room with your kids.

Post Source:
P.A.C.E. Trek – Paul Staso Promotes Active Kids!
Article Source:
Chicago Tribune / Brenda Guiterrez

We know that literacy — the ability to read, write and communicate clearly — will define a child’s future success in school and in life. We also know that literacy development, the process that brings children to reading, begins in the first years of life at home. Long before children enter school, early experiences with books build a strong foundation for learning.

Only 39% of parents nationally read to their children on a regular basis. In our own community, it is estimated that an alarming 20 – 25% of children enter a classroom for the first time having had few or no experiences with books at home.

By working together, we can change these facts. We strive to incorporate family reading awareness, encouragement and books into networks and services that already touch the lives of families.

Family Reading Partnership Website

Creative Years requires that all children who have a fever, diarrhea, vomiting, severe cough or any combination of the symptoms just listed remain home for at least 24 hours after the symptoms are gone. This means that all children must be medicine free for 24 hours and maintain a normal temperature before returning to school.

As the winter months continue we reserve the right to become more restrictive with our policy as we receive additional information from the NH Health Department as to the progress of the various types of flu in our area. Should we begin to see a rise in the number of flu cases in our Center we may also require that siblings remain home in addition to the ill child, as we know that the flu tends to be shared among family members. We feel that such a strict policy will help to greatly reduce the flu cases that could potentially wind up in the building.

We continue to receive information from the NH Department of Health that suggests this season is going to be particularly difficult with the amount of flu cases that will arise. It is highly recommended that vaccinations of both the H1N1 and regular seasonal flu shot be given to help protect the children.

For more information please visit the following websites. We will continue to update you as we receive more information.

NH Department of Health and Human Services

Centers for Disease Control and Protection

Virus versus Bacteria: Is an antibiotic necessary?

Additionally, any antibiotics or other medications that require administration during school hours must be accompanied by a doctor’s note. Inhalers and Nebulizer treatments that must be administered during school hours will need an updated doctor’s note every two weeks.

No medication will be given unless it is brought to school in a prescription bottle clearly labeled with your child’s name. A medication administration form must be filled out upon bringing in such medicines to school. Should you have any questions do not hesitate to speak with us.

Vicks Dayquil Cold & Flu Liquicaps Recalled by Procter & Gamble Due To Failure to Meet Child-Resistant Closure Requirement

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, in cooperation with the firm named below, today announced a voluntary recall of the following consumer product. Consumers should stop using recalled products immediately unless otherwise instructed.

Name of Product: Vicks Dayquil Cold & Flu 24-Count Bonus Pack Liquicaps

Units: About 700,000 packages

Manufacturer: The Procter & Gamble Co., of Cincinnati, Ohio

Hazard: The cold and flu medicine contains acetaminophen and is not in child-resistant packaging and lacks the statement, “This Package for Households Without Young Children,” as required by the Poison Prevention Packaging Act. This medicine could cause serious health problems or death to a child if several of the capsules are swallowed.

Incidents/Injuries: None reported.

Description: The recall involves Vicks Dayquil Cold & Flu 24-Count Bonus Pack Liquicaps. The medicine comes in orange packaging with the green Vicks symbol and has the following UPC#: 3 23900 01087 1. No other Vick’s product is included in this recall.

Sold at: Drug stores, grocery stores and other retailers nationwide between September 2008 and December 2009 for about $5.

Manufactured in: Canada

Remedy: Consumers should keep this product out of the reach of children. Consumers who purchased the product with the expectation that it would be in child-resistant packaging can contact Procter & Gamble for a full refund or a replacement coupon. Adult consumers can continue to use the product as directed.

Consumer Contact: For additional information, contact Procter & Gamble at (800) 251-3374 between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. ET Monday through Friday or log on to their Web site at www.vicks.com

The teachers and children enjoy having an alternate place to go when the weather does not cooperate for outdoor play. “Creative Years did a nice job of creating a place that accommodates all ages. We love that our infant has the opportunity to use the gym!” stated one parent. With a schedule that allows every classroom gym time throughout the day all ages from infants through our before and after school program are able to use this great space.

In addition to daytime use the gym will now serve as a larger venue for holding the Kindergarten graduation as well as a few other events throughout the year!

Eastern equine encephalitis (EEE) is an uncommon but serious disease caused by EEE virus. EEE is an arbovirus (short for arthropod-borne, meaning spread by insects). The virus can be transmitted to horses, other animals, and, in rare cases, people.

How do people get eastern equine encephalitis?

The EEE virus grows in birds that live in freshwater swamps. The virus has a complex life cycle involving birds and a specific type of mosquito, called Culiseta melanura. This particular mosquito does not bite people. Sometimes though, the virus can escape from its marsh habitat by means of other mosquitoes that feed on both birds and mammals. These mosquitoes can then transmit the virus to animals and people.

What are the symptoms of EEE?

Infection can cause a range of illnesses. Most people have no symptoms; others get only a mild flu-like illness with fever, headache, and sore throat. For people with infection of the central nervous system, a sudden high fever (103o to 106o), severe headache, and stiff neck can be followed quickly by seizures and coma. About one third of these patients die from the disease. Of those that survive, many suffer permanent brain damage and require lifetime institutional care.

How soon after exposure do symptoms appear?

Symptoms of EEE usually appear 4 to 10 days after the bite of an infected mosquito.

How is eastern equine encephalitis diagnosed?

Diagnosis is based on tests of blood or spinal fluid.

Who is at risk for eastern equine encephalitis?

Anyone can get EEE, but some people are at increased risk, such as people living in or visiting areas where the disease is common, people who work outside or participate in outdoor recreational activities in areas where the disease is common, and children and those over age 55 are more susceptible to the disease. The risk of getting EEE is highest from late July through September.

What is the treatment for eastern equine encephalitis?

There is no specific treatment for eastern equine encephalitis. Antibiotics are not effective against viruses, and no effective anti-viral drugs have yet been discovered. Care of patients centers around treatment of symptoms and complications.

How common is eastern equine encephalitis?

EEE is a rare disease. Fewer than 5 cases are reported in the United States in most years. There is concern, however, that EEE is reemerging. In NH, EEE has been found in horses, mosquitoes and several species of birds. Since 2005, ten human cases were reported in NH resulting in two deaths.

How can eastern equine encephalitis be prevented?

A vaccine is available for horses, but not for humans. Prevention of the disease centers around controlling mosquitoes and on individual action to avoid mosquito bites. To avoid being bitten by the mosquitoes that transmit EEE:

• If possible, stay inside between dusk and dark, when mosquitoes are most active.
• When outside between dusk and dark, wear long pants and long-sleeved shirts.
• Use an insect repellent with DEET or Picaridin according to manufacturer’s directions when outside. Oil of lemon eucalyptus and IR3535 have been found to provide protection similar to repellents with low concentrations of DEET.
• Put screens on windows and make sure they do not have holes.
• Eliminate standing water and other mosquito breeding locations from your property. Do not alter natural water bodies. The management of ponds and wetlands is regulated by the Department of Environmental Services and any alterations require a permit before work may begin.

For more information about eastern equine encephalitis, call the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services’ Communicable Disease Control Section at 603-271-4496 or 800-852-3345 x4496 or visit our website at www.dhhs.nh.gov or the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website at www.cdc.gov .

How to Keep Your Toddler from Biting

from wikiHow – The How to Manual That You Can Edit

Steps

1. Give your toddler another way to express frustration. If they’re not talking too much yet, they may be able to use sign language to communicate instead – even if they have no hearing problems at all. Other ways to express frustration include things like hitting a pillow, or teaching them one new special word to say when they’re angry.
2. A teething toddler may bite to relieve the pain and communicate irritation at the same time. Provide your toddler with something safe to chew on. Cold drinks and topical anaesthetics help with teething pain, too.
3. When toddlers want to interact physically with people (such as during wrestling games), they may bite. Give them other safe options for physical play. Avoid play that encourages biting from a child until you have the behavior more under control, especially if it involves biting other children with whom they wrestle.
4. Remind your child that teeth are not for biting people, and moreover, that teeth are for other things – chewing food, smiling, etc. A long-winded explanation is not necessary either, and will not help to stop the behavior. Instead, use a short, firm (not “angry”) statement such as, “No biting.” This not only teaches the child what you mean, but gets their attention (and teeth) off whomever they are biting.
5. Be persistent. Toddlers can not change any behavior after one reminder or one day. Consistent, repeated reminders about appropriate behavior will eventually become a change in that behavior.
6. Check with a pediatrician to make sure there isn’t a medical problem. Many times, hearing loss goes undiagnosed until a child is a toddler, and the frustration of being expected to be able to hear is huge.
7. Maintain as regular a schedule as possible. Children appreciate having set routines for breakfast, bedtime, nap time, and playtime. If your child knows what to expect from most of the day, they’ll be more able to deal with new circumstances.

Tips

• Think of what it’s like to be so much smaller than everyone else, to be told what to do all the time when you’re excited about discovering the world, and not understanding a lot of what older kids and grown-ups are doing. Now think of how that feels when you don’t have any words to use to tell people how you feel, and if you do have the words, they may not understand you anyway. Now add being tired all the time on top of that. You might start biting people, too!
• Though you may not understand what your toddler is saying to you when they talk, or when they bite, they understand a lot more of what you’re saying than you think. Talk to them all the time, and give them lots of love and hugs.

Warnings

• Do not, under any circumstances, bite your toddler back. That only reinforces the behavior and shows that you’re willing to cause them pain.

Related wikiHows

• How to Teach Manners to a Toddler

Article provided by wikiHow, a wiki how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Keep Your Toddler from Biting. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.