Think twice before allowing your kids to swim in water where there are many infants. The more infants in the water, the greater is the risk that the water is polluted with intestinal disease-causing microorganisms. Here is what you should know: 1. Recreational water is an underappreciated source of intestinal diseases. Such water includes swimming […]
Air travel/children/hot beverages/aisle seats/injuries
October 3, 2010 by
Skip your hot tea and coffee when flying with young children – and hope that passengers in adjacent seats do the same. Every year hundreds of passengers, many of them children, are burned by such beverages spilling on them. The combination of hot drinks, crowding, turbulence, and children is a formula for an accident waiting […]
Picnics/Food safety/Kids
July 12, 2010 by
Picnics/Food safety/Kids According to the dictionary, a “picnic” is a relaxed, pleasurable event, often family-oriented, at which meals are eaten outdoors, preferably in idyllic surroundings. The meaning of the phrase “It’s no picnic” is a non-pleasurable event. (Perhaps, referring to becoming ill from eating spoiled food at a picnic?) According to the Centers for Disease […]
Children/Well Water/Illnesses
June 15, 2009 by
Make sure that your kids drink safe water when attending camp, traveling, hiking, camping and picnicking, says the American Academy of Pediatrics. Such summer activities often expose kids (and you) to facilities where well water is used. Here is what you should know: 1. Many rural wells are private (as opposed to municipal) […]
Teenagers/Spring Break/Mexico/Health/Safety
March 1, 2009 by
1. Monitor the U.S. State Department advisories on violence. These are the most authoritative reports on the subject. Popular resorts that cater to foreigners appear to be safer than cities near the U.S. border. For the latest information, see: http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/pa/pa_3028.html 2. Update your vaccinations. Hepatitis A vaccine, for example, was recently added to […]
Toothbrushes/children/travel/diarrhea
October 25, 2008 by
Children old enough to brush their own teeth may be exposing themselves to diarrheal illnesses via their toothbrushes, especially when traveling in areas where such illnesses are common. Here is the theory: Children often place their toothbrushes on sink counter surfaces when finishing brushing, or in the middle of brushing if something more interesting catches […]
Obtaining Safe Water and Other Beverages When You Travel
May 1, 2008 by
When you travel, drinking lots of water helps you stay fit – as long as the water is fit to drink. Being well hydrated helps counteract some of the vagaries of travel: fatigue and jet lag, altitude, and hot and cold environments, to mention a few. Minimal dehydration occurs even before you feel thirsty, subtly […]
Enjoying Tempting Food in Exotic Countries and Not Regretting It Later!
April 26, 2008 by
1. Wash your hands frequently and before you eat. While this is hardly breaking news, compliance remains poor. Proper hand hygiene (it’s no longer called hand washing) interrupts transmission of most diarrhea-causing micro-organisms. Such organisms abound in areas of poor sanitation. You acquire organisms via your hands, by touching doorknobs and money, and by shaking […]
