Could Viagra Become a New Treatment for Children of Mothers with Preeclampsia?

by Erica LoopApril 18, 2019

Researchers at the University of Mississippi Medical Center may have found a new way to protect the heart health of children born to mothers with preeclampsia. And the mainly male-used medication in the experimental therapy may surprise you!

A preeclampsia diagnosis is one potential pregnancy problem that no mama-to-be ever wants to hear. As if the excessive swelling isn’t painful enough, add in the skyrocketing blood pressure (and of course, protein-filled pee) and pregnancy can go from sweet to scary. Given the possibility of serious complications, for both mother and baby, there’s no shortage of research into this pregnancy-induced issue.

photo: 3907349 via Pixabay

Even though science is looking for causes, cures and any other treatment that could work, there are still plenty of what if’s. Along with the potential for immediate complications, children born to mothers with this condition are often at more risk for developing high blood pressure and suffering a stroke later in life.

Doctoral student and lead author of the study, Hannah Turbeville, said, “The ultimate goal of our work is to improve the long-term health of women and children affected by preeclampsia.” Turbeville also added, “There are limited guidelines for addressing the health risks to these groups, and we hope not only to bring attention to these risks but also to propel research forward that will inform preventative interventions.”

So what did Turbeville’s research find? Using rat models (not human subjects), Turbeville and her team lowered blood pressure in the offspring by acting on the nitric oxide pathway. If you’re wondering what this means, how the researchers did it and what the rat modeling has to do with humans, here goes: The theory is that by reducing blood pressure in rat offspring, the same could be true for human offspring of mothers with preeclampsia. To do this, the researchers used the drug sildenafil citrate. If that sounds vaguely familiar, that’s because you’ve probably heard about the medication before by its brand name—Viagra.

Yes, the research proposes that the ED drug Viagra (it also has other uses already) may help to reduce potential cardiovascular risks in children born to women diagnosed with preeclampsia. But don’t expect to see this treatment immediately. As of now it’s still in the rat-modeled trials.

—Erica Loop

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Think Flu Season Is Over? Think Again, Warns the CDC

by Shahrzad WarkentinApril 5, 2019

If you thought you escaped flu season unscathed, you might want to hold off on the celebration for a bit. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is warning the country that flu season isn’t over yet.

Luckily flu season has been pretty mild so far this year, but the CDC wants to remind everyone that the season isn’t quite over yet. The agency put out a health alert warning that influenza viruses are still circulating and that H3N2, an influenza strain known to cause more severe illnesses, is now gaining steam and making up a greater proportion of flu cases than it did early in the season when the milder H1N1 and influenza B were most prominent.

photo: sweetlouise via Pixabay

While the end of the season, which is just around the corner—flu season traditionally ends in May—the bad news is the flu shots protect better against those milder strains than they do against this H3N2 strain.

Until flu season officially comes to a close, the CDC recommends that people continue to be vigilant about their health, like washing hands regularly, staying home when they are sick and getting treated with antiviral medication at the first sign of illness. If you can still find one, it’s also never too late to get that flu shot.

—Shahrzad Warkentin

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Your Toddler Just Had a Tonsillectomy & Refuses to Drink Anything. Now What?

By Ashley Walker

Tinybeans Voices Contributor

March 27, 2019

Photo: FlavioGaudencio via Pixabay

If you’ve had a toddler go through a tonsillectomy, then you know it’s not easy. Nothing hurts a parent like seeing their child in pain, even if that pain can’t be avoided. We feel so bad for our child, but if we’re being honest, it’s hard on us too! The most difficult thing for me by FAR was getting my three-year-old to drink anything during her recovery. Liquids are so important after a tonsillectomy, more so than anything else!

My daughter cried every time she had to drink, saying it hurt her and she couldn’t do it. I was adamantly against taking her back to the hospital for an iv and fluids, so I pushed liquids like crazy. I felt bad for her of course, but I was NOT putting her through more pain. I knew that having a needle poked in her arm for the iv would be much worse than the pain she felt from drinking, so getting her to drink became my main focus.

The pity I felt for her helped me be extremely patient for the first week and then I started to get more and more frustrated. I had to learn some ways to get her to drink-and fast! Things I had done the first few days after surgery, like bribing her with ice cream or popsicles just weren’t working anymore. There was a lot of trial and error involved, but the following tricks seemed to work every time she needed to drink.

1. Make a game out of it.

There are lots of ways to do this: sometimes we would actually play a game and she would have to drink a sip after every move she took. Memory seemed to work particularly well. Other times I would get out my water bottle and we would race to see who could finish first. We would even play where I taught her a word in a different language for every sip—it takes all kinds, right? The important thing is to figure out what works for your child and make a game out of it.

2. Give your child incentives to drink.

If your child is anything like mine, popsicles and ice cream might not work too well after the first week. Then again, every kid is different, so maybe it will! I had to get creative with my incentives, doing anything from a small toy at the dollar store to making a cool craft afterwards. I didn’t like offering toys so much, so I tried to find random stuff I had lying around the house that she hadn’t seen before. Stuff like my old bracelets or necklaces worked well as she’s very girly.

3. Give her the drink while she’s distracted.

This worked probably the best, because she wasn’t focusing so much on the pain in her throat. I would give it to her while she was watching a show, intently coloring or doing a puzzle. There were times she would drink it down with minimal to no crying, taking a big weight off my shoulders. Watch for her to be involved in something else—and pounce!

4. Offer the drink right after her medicine.

If it’s close to time for medication, no trick in the world is going to get her to drink. She’s in pain and won’t even consider it! Giving the drink 20 minutes after her dose makes it much easier. As long as she has medication in her system it should be okay, but the last half hour to an hour before her next dose is due is a big no-no.

If you’re frustrated with your toddler refusing to drink, try these tips. A toddler recovering from a tonsillectomy is extremely hard on the parent too and sometimes we just need help. You don’t need the guilt that will come with losing your temper and yelling at your child to just drink the dang water! Trust me, I know.

Try these tips when you feel the frustration starting to take over—you’ll be glad you did.

Ashley Walker

Tinybeans Voices Contributor

Ashley is a freelance writer and blogger. She lives in Colorado, is a mother to two beautiful girls and is addicted to Japanese ramen. She enjoys traveling and writing up case studies in her free time.

Parents Often Forget about These Spots When Storing Medicine Away from Kids

by Shahrzad WarkentinMarch 18, 2019

Medication can be a life-saving tool, but when it’s taken incorrectly it can also be extremely dangerous. New research reveals why reviewing medicine safety for kids is an important precaution all parents should take.

A new research report, Medicine Safety: A Key Part of Child-Proofing Your Home, reveals that while most parents understand that storing medicine safely is important they might not be as aware as they think when it comes to all the places where medicine is kept in their homes.

Image: Courtesy of Safe Kids Worldwide

The report, published by Safe Kids Worldwide, noted that while educational initiatives have helped to decrease the risk of kids ending up in the emergency room from poisoning, the rates remain very high, with 142 kids under age 6 seen daily in the ER after getting into medicine.

So why are so many kids still getting their hands on medicine? The report suggests that while many parents do make an effort to store away medications, many that are used daily are still kept in more easy-to-access locations, such as purses and nightstands. The report also suggests that while parents are quick to baby-proof based on their child’s age, they often underestimate their progress developmentally.

photo: Keiko Zoll for Red Tricycle

In order to prevent more accidental poisonings, Safe Kids Worldwide suggests the following tips:

Keep medicine and vitamins out of children’s reach and sight, even medicine you take every day.
Add medicine safety to your initial child-proofing checklist.
Save the Poison Control Help number in your phone and post it visibly at home: 1-800-222-1222.
Share medicine safety information with family and friends.

For more medicine safety tips, check out SafeKids.org.

—Shahrzad Warkentin

Featured photo: Nosheep via Pixabay

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Moms of Kids with Autism: You CAN Do This—& I Should Know, because I Did, Too

By Lindsay Witwer

Tinybeans Voices Contributor

March 15, 2019

Photo: Lindsay via Our Wonder Collective

There have been times in my life when I didn’t know if I would see another day. Seriously. There were days when having an autistic child would nearly kill me. I never knew it could get better. There were times when I wanted to run away and never be a mother again.

I get it. Mothering an autistic child—a “wonder” as we call our sweet son—was horrible. I’m not here to sugarcoat it. Whether I was going through a bout of depression, whether it was simply the stage of our family life we were in, or whether it was a combination of the two possibilities, nothing felt easy and everything felt as though it were becoming progressively harder each and every day.

For years. Years.

Then 10 happened. 10 was a wonderful year. Our sweet boy suddenly started becoming funny—or funnier I guess I should say. Not just funny, but hilarious. He learned joke-telling and the art of having good timing.

At the same time he learned to stop freaking out about everything and we one day found ourselves on the other side of things. We no longer found a need to give him medication. We were having meaningful conversations with him and we were able to go for long bouts with him not needing special treatment or aides. It was amazing.

10 years. 10 long years and I had forgotten what it was like to have a child who didn’t need my every waking moment. Who could have fun and have a willy nilly schedule. Suddenly everything was okay. I was no longer on pins and needles waiting for an outburst or a flair up or a meltdown. It was okay if I forgot his juice. We could get through lunch if I used the wrong kind of jam.

Since Cal just turned 11 and an entire year of our new carefree life has gone by, I am starting to exhale. I’m no longer waiting for the other shoe to drop or for things to quickly fall apart like they always do. I’m enjoying my family and our life and our love again.

This has been a long time coming. I want to tell you all this message. This is a message of hope in the journey and a message of redemption from the mess of life.

To the Moms of Kids with Autism:

Please, hang in there. Did you hear me? To those of you who are out there, like me—hang in there. It will get better. I promise.

I write this because I wish I had known this. As a mother sitting on the floor of the bathroom sobbing, I saw no end in sight. I presumed this ebb and flow of bad days and horrible days was to be the making of all of my days.

No one told me that we would have stretches of weeks that we would go without problems. That our only care would become our children fighting and bickering like typical adolescent siblings. I never thought we would come to a day when he would care what his hair cut was much less want to help pick out his clothes based on the current trend and not on whether or not his pants could have an elastic waist.

No one understands quite like a parent of an autistic child just how nerve wracking the parenting game can be. Everything is up in the air all of the time. Everything is chaotic and yet somehow must be made orderly in an effort for the chaos to not overtake every day.

But those days have come. And oh, how blissful. I feel like we are prize-fighters. We have fought tooth and nail to get to where we are today. I endured days that included eight hour stretches of blood curdling screaming, so I can have a little boy who assembles kiwi crates and tells me the differences between Yoda and Obi Wan.

Cal fought tooth and nail to teach himself how to talk, to somehow get his brain to communicate with his mouth to speak the thoughts into words that he had formed in his mind. He endured this so he can tell funny jokes to his family over the dinner table. We still have our hard days, our difficult weeks, our weary moments, don’t get me wrong. But we have won.

We have gone back into our corners as champions. But there are some of you who are just coming into the ring to start your fight. Your battle. Your everyday. Please know this: yes, it will be hard. There will be days you will want to quit, to run away and not face this anymore. There will be days you are tired and battle weary. But you cannot quit. You cannot be done. And it will get better.

I have sat down to write this letter to you so many times. Moms, please know you are in this to win this. This is not a meaningless battle. The days are long but the years truly are short. And maybe it will be years from where you are, but things will get better. I am here for you. The other moms who have been through this are here for you.

Hang in there. It gets better.

This post originally appeared on Our Wonder Collective.

Lindsay Witwer

Tinybeans Voices Contributor

I am the momma and writer of Our Wonder Collective. I record the wonder our family is finding through exploring, traveling, special needs and learning. We are restoring our two historic homes, love all things vintage and will never remember where I put the car keys.

FDA Expands Recall of Infant Ibuprofen Sold at CVS, Walgreens & More Stores

by Erica LoopFebruary 1, 2019

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration recently expanded its infant ibuprofen recall. Tris Pharma issued a voluntary recall of its Infants’ Ibuprofen Concentrated Oral Suspension, USP (NSAID) 50 mg per 1.25 mL initially in December 2018. Representatives from Tris Pharma referred to its statement online about the recall when reached for comment.

The recall expansion, announced Jan. 30, 2019, includes three additional lots of Ibuprofen Oral Suspension Drops, USP, 50 mg per 1.25 mL. The infant ibuprofen, sold by CVS, Family Dollar and Walmart, may contain up to 700 percent higher concentrations of ibuprofen than the recommended dose, posing a serious health risk. Potential adverse effects from taking this over-the-counter medication could include vomiting, nausea, diarrhea, abdominal pain, headache or ringing in the ears.

Recalled Infants’ Ibuprofen Description

The current recall includes three lots of Infants’ Ibuprofen Concentrated Oral Suspension, USP (NSAID) 50 mg per 1.25 mL, packaged in 0.5 oz. bottles. Again, the affected products were sold at CVS, Family Dollar and Walmart stores. Visit the FDA’s website for a full list of the initially and currently recalled products, lot numbers and expiration dates here.

The brand names that the ibuprofen was sold under include Equate (at Walmart stores), CVS Health (at CVS) and Family Wellness (at Dollar General). You can also see the label and packaging scans below.

Photos: PRNewsfoto/Tris Pharma, Inc.

Why the Ibuprofen Was Recalled

The ibuprofen oral suspension may contain concentrations of the medication that are dangerous to infants. Along with GI symptoms, such as vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain and gastrointestinal bleeding, the potentially dangerous concentration of ibuprofen may also cause headaches and ringing in the ears.

It’s also possible that infants who are more susceptible to the higher potency may experience permanent NSAID-associated renal injury. Currently, no illnesses or injuries have been reported.

How To Tell If Your Ibuprofen Is Part of the Recall

Review the lot number, expiration date, description and seller name at the FDA”s website here.

What Parents Can Do

If you have the affected product, don’t use it. Return it to the place of purchase or dispose of it responsibly. Never leave medication in an open trash can. This poses a safety to risk to your child, wildlife/pets and other people. Direct questions or concerns to Tris Customer Service at 732-940-0358, Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. through 5 p.m. Pacific.

Parents who have concerns about their children’s health should contact their pediatrician or other qualified healthcare provider immediately.

—Erica Loop

Featured photo: Colin Maynard via Unsplash

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This One-Touch Birth Control Patch Could Be a Game-Changer for Women

by Shahrzad WarkentinJanuary 28, 2019

Birth control can be a great tool for preventing an unplanned pregnancy, but when you’ve already got mom brain it can be hard to make sure you take it correctly every day. That’s what makes a new kind of birth control such a game-changer, as this micro-needle birth control patch means all you’d have to do is give yourself a little tap once a month.

According to a new study published in the scientific journal Nature Biomedical Engineering, researchers at Georgia Institute of Technology have developed a patch that uses dissolvable micro-needles to inject levonorgestrel, a common hormonal medication that prevents pregnancy.

photo: Christopher Moore/Georgia Tech via EurekAlert

All users need to do is apply the patch to their skin and the tiny micro-needles break off, implant themselves under the surface of the skin (where they dissolve) and slowly release the drug over time. Despite the tiny needles, the entire process is painless. The price tag is also pain-free—with the researchers reporting that each patch should only cost about one dollar.

Don’t call your OB/GYN just yet, however. So far the drug has only been tested successfully on rats, but the researchers are hopeful that it will have similar results in humans.

Mark Prausnitz, a regents’ professor at Georgia Tech’s School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering and author of the research paper, said in a statement to EurekAlert, “Because we are using a well-established contraceptive hormone, we are optimistic that the patch will be an effective contraceptive. We also expect that possible skin irritation at the site of patch application will be minimal, but these expectations need to be verified in clinical trials.”

—Shahrzad Warkentin

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CVS Adds Video Visits to 7 More States, So You Can See a Doc from Your Phone

by Shahrzad WarkentinOctober 17, 2018

At one time or another, every parent will experience one of those never-ending nights caring for a sick child. While caring for sick kids is never easy, you no longer have to agonize over a high fever or weird rash in the middle of the night—or those times when you just can’t get out of the house—all thanks to new virtual doctor’s appointments at CVS.

CVS MinuteClinic has introduced a new virtual care feature. Patients can now treat minor illnesses and injuries and receive wellness care without leaving the house. MinuteClinic Video Visits offer telehealth care—or care via video chat—24 hours a day, seven days a week via your mobile device.

Photo: Courtesy of CVS Health

A video visit can be used to treat anyone two years and older for a minor illness, minor injury, or a skin condition. After a short questionnaire including health history, you will be paired with a board-certified health care provider licensed in your state. The health-care provider will then assess your condition and decide on the best treatment. If that includes prescription medication, it will be sent to your preferred pharmacy. The provider will also determine if you need to be seen in-person for further treatment.

The current cost of a MinuteClinic Video visit is $59, which can be paid via credit or debit card, but CVS expects insurance coverage to be added to the service soon.

As of now the service is available in Arizona, California, Delaware, Florida, Idaho, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, Utah, Vermont, Virginia and Washington D.C. With the introduction of Delaware, Kentucky, Louisiana, Nebraska, Rhode Island, Utah and Vermont, there are now 16 states where you can access teleheath care via video.

According to Chief Medical Officer, CVS MinuteClinic and Associate Chief Medical Officer, CVS Health, Marc-David Munk, MD, MPH, MHCM, “At CVS Health, we’re committed to delivering high-quality care when and where our patients need it and at prices they can afford. This new MinuteClinic service offers even more patients access to an innovative, on-demand health care option right from their cell phone.” CVS MinuteClinic Video Visits will roll out nationwide by the end of the year.

—Shahrzad Warkentin & Erica Loop

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My 9-Year-Old Has ADHD & I Never Knew It Would Be This Hard

By Samantha Harvey

Tinybeans Voices Contributor

June 24, 2018

I always knew there was something different, something special about Tyler. Even as a baby he didn’t cry and he didn’t seem to need that constant physical contact other babies need. We just wrote it off to him being an easy baby. Boy, were we wrong.

My name is Samantha and I am the mother of a child with ADHD. Tyler is my middle child; he is now nine years old. We have been living with his ADHD for his entire life, we have known about his ADHD for about three years now. Some days I feel like I have no idea what I am doing as a parent.

Here are a few things that no one bothered to tell me but I have come to learn:

Children with ADHD love differently.

I often compare my son Tyler to my other two children. There are many differences. One of those differences can be heartbreaking at times. The way he loves. It isn’t the usual hugs, kisses, and cuddles most young children want from their mom. I’m lucky to get an “I love you, too” from him and I never expect him to say it first. Most times he doesn’t even want to be touched. But there are those rare moments where he asks me to lay in bed with him, or I get one of his beautiful smiles or even a hug that he initiates; it melts my heart every time.

One word: meltdowns.

Meltdowns are a normal part of our day, yes I said day, not weeks, not months but EVERY SINGLE DAY there is at least one meltdown, usually from him but often times from me as well.

You see, no one bothered to tell me that if I didn’t give him the right cup with his warm milk, not only would he be upset but he would have a full-fledged meltdown, kicking and screaming included. Or that when I give him jeans to wear instead of sweats, it would take him an extra thirty minutes to get ready because that’s how long it took of crying and begging until I would finally give in and get his sweatpants.

Our meltdowns have consisted of crying, kicking, biting and throwing. We deal with words of self-hate, insults, hyperventilation, and guilt. We deal with all this and more, every single day.

**Medication is not a one-stop shop.**

We tried really hard not to put Tyler on medication. When his behavior and lack of concentration in school started affecting his grades we finally decide to give it a try. And although medication has definitely helped him, it’s been a never-ending journey for the right one.

One medication works on his inattention and behavior, but he doesn’t gain any weight in a whole year. Another has him refusing to eat and complaining of headaches. His current meds seem to have no negative side effects but he is having a terrible time controlling his behavior and emotions. We are currently still trying to figure out what will work for him.

Sometimes, I feel like a failure.

No one ever told me that five days out of the week I would feel like a complete failure. No one said I’d sit alone and cry, wondering if I’m doing more damage to him than good.

I am not a perfect parent and I mess up daily. Sometimes I scream and yell and get frustrated. Sometimes I call out instructions from a different room instead of going to him and telling him face to face to be sure he understands, and then I get angry when he doesn’t listen.

I always say that when it comes to Tyler’s behavior, we, his parents are half the problem. He needs a strict schedule. He needs certain foods. There is a specific way we need to speak to him… there is an entire list of things we can do to help him be as successful as possible and some days we just don’t do it. Not because we don’t want to or we aren’t trying, but some days things don’t go as planned and we end up losing that day. We end up failing.

But I wouldn’t change any of this.

There are a lot of bad days and sleepless nights. But there are also a lot of great days, days when Tyler shines in his personality and his knowledge. You see, no one ever told me my child would be brilliant. No one told me that he would have an amazing thirst for knowledge and that thirst would have him watching YouTube videos on everything from all “About ants” to “How toilet paper is made”. I didn’t know he’d be so good at math that he’d make me feel like a very proud idiot. I didn’t know I could love someone so much.

Having a child with ADHD will never be easy. It’s the hardest thing I’ve ever experienced as a person and as a parent. As a family, we will never stop learning and growing. There are certain things you can’t know in advance, you have to take it day by day. You have to choose to see the good.

Samantha Harvey

Tinybeans Voices Contributor

Hi all, my name is Samantha. I have three awesome, crazy children and am new to the freelance game. My goal is to be able to stay home with my kids doing what I love—writing!

10 Essential Apps That Take the Guess Work Out of Illness

by Kipp Jarecke-ChengApril 26, 2017

With the ever-increasing complexities of the healthcare system, the adage that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure rings truer today than ever before. Caring for sick kids can be complicated, but a new batch of family-focused and user-friendly apps aims to help parents and caregivers provide appropriate health care with confidence. Flip through our slideshow of some of the most useful apps to help care for little patients.

Baby and Child First Aid

When it comes to tackling family health and wellness, proper preparation and education are often more than half the battle. The British Red Cross has developed a clever app, Baby and Child First Aid, that’s chockfull of useful video tutorials and easy-to-follow advice that cover what to do when various ailments or medical crises arise. The app also lets parents record their child’s medication needs, and includes a list of tips and a handy checklist. While the emergency numbers in the app are for UK users, the information and advice are useful to anyone, anywhere in the world.

Available for iOS and Android, Free.

What are your favorite apps to help manage your family’s health and wellness? Tell us in the comments below!

— Kipp Jarecke-Cheng

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**Medication is not a one-stop shop.**