Cruise ships/Children/Intestinal diseases/Norovirus Should the frequent outbreaks of intestinal illnesses aboard cruise ships deter you from taking your family on a vacation at sea? Our thoughts at the end of the article. (This is the second of a three-part series. Our previous posting: Children/Cruise ships/Health and safety. Our next posting: Intestinal diseases/Children/Treatment and preventing spread.) […]
Keeping Kids Healthy When Swimming
July 21, 2008 by
Swimming: The source of many illnesses Most kids’ favorite summer activity is swimming, no matter if it’s splashing in a small backyard pool, or on the beach of a five-star resort. But the reality is that no fun activity is totally safe and healthy. For information on water safety, see TenTips: Waterfront. For avoiding illnesses […]
Families at Altitude: How Not to Feel Low When You Are Up High
June 11, 2008 by
Visiting Mexico City: 7,550 feet. Viewing the Grand Canyon: 8,000 feet. Skiing in Colorado: 8,000 feet (with some slopes going higher.) Driving up Pike’s Peak: 14,000 feet. At these elevations most children run circles around their huffing and puffing parents. But some children will show symptoms of acute mountain sickness (AMS), and a rare child […]
Staying Healthy At Sea
May 9, 2008 by
A vacation at sea offers families the best of all worlds: seeing foreign countries without the hassle of constant packing; supervised age-appropriate activities, lots of other children and, should you need it, “in-house” medical facilities. Here’s what you have to know: 1. Bring your children’s medications: A leading reason for passengers visiting ships’ infirmaries is […]
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 […]
Healthy Air Travel for Infants
April 24, 2008 by
There is nothing novel about infants traveling by air. They have been doing so since time immemorial, long before adults. Legend has it that they were “delivered” by storks, and were never the worse for their trips. Of course, stork flights skimmed rooftops, eliminating concerns of high altitude and accompanying ear issues, dehydration, and excessive […]
Treating Travelers’ Diarrhea in Children
April 24, 2008 by
Savvy parents can manage most cases of intestinal diseases that occur away from home and recognize the rare case needing immediate medical attention. Here’s how to be a savvy parent: 1. Do not treat intestinal illnesses with only clear or sugary liquids. Vomiting and diarrhea eliminates vital nutrients from the body, mainly sodium and chloride […]
Motion Sickness
April 23, 2008 by
If you’ve never been seasick it’s only because you haven’t encountered the right storm, say veteran sailors. Worse than being seasick yourself is dealing with children who are, say parents. 1. Call it motion sickness, not seasickness. The ancient Geeks named it. The word “nausea” is the Greek word for “sea.” But motion sickness also […]
