The Fashionable Bambino Interview with Dr. Gregg Alexander about Summer Colds
July 13, 2010

TFB: How can parents recognize and treat a summer cold versus allergies?

Dr. Alexander: The symptoms of summer colds and allergies can be quite similar. With both, for instance, you’ll often have a runny nose. One thing that makes them different is that kids are usually more miserable with a summer cold: there is often fever, aches and pains, and a cough that is usually more severe.

With allergies you typically see a child with a runny nose, sneezing, and itchy, watery eyes. There may also be an associated cough. If there’s any question about whether your child has a cold or allergies than it’s a good time to visit your pediatrician who can confirm the diagnosis.

Image: Yaron Jeroen van Oostrom / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

As far as treating a summer cold, you want to treat it as you would any cold. Provide supportive care, giving your child lots of fluids and ensure he or she rests. Help them with the aches and pains and the fever sometimes associated with a summer cold. Children’s Advil® has done a nice job helping parents understand how to relieve summer colds by providing information on their website, www.ChildrensAdvilSolutions.com.

If your child has symptoms that are different from those of a normal cold it’s important to have your child evaluated by a doctor.

TFB: What are considered the most effective ways to treat a fever?

Dr. Alexander: There are a couple of different ways to treat a fever. First, you should keep your child cool. It’s very important not to over dress him or her or to use too many blankets at night. The old rumor that you can sweat out a fever isn’t true.

If your child is extremely miserable with a fever and you want to provide some relief you have a couple of choices. One is children’s acetaminophen and one is children’s ibuprofen.

I personally think that Children’s Advil®, which contains the active ingredient ibuprofen, is often more effective from both the relief point of view and also from the convenience point of view. It has a faster time to relief and it lasts longer — 6 to 8 hours.

Often time with colds, children seem to be most miserable at night, making it difficult for them to sleep. So being able to give them some relief during the night that lasts longer – 6 to 8 hours versus four hours – gets you a much bigger “bang for your buck” as far as valuable rest time for kids.

TFB: What can parents give a child with a summer cold who can’t sleep at night?

Dr. Alexander: As a pediatrician what I often recommend to the parents of a child who has a cold and is congested, is to provide supportive care. This would include raising the child’s head at night with some extra pillows, running a cool-mist humidifier in the bedroom, and making sure the child is very well hydrated.

If the child has a fever or aches and pains associated with the cold, I recommend Children’s Advil® to help them get some rest which helps the healing process.

If the symptoms are absolutely making the child miserable, there are some other over-the-counter products for children over 2 years of age that a parent might want to consider such as Children’s Dimetapp® or Children’s Robitussin®. If you have questions it’s best to talk to your doctor about what he or she would recommend.

Image: Arvind Balaraman / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

You can find advice on the web, but you have to be careful about the quality of that information. Children’s Advil® has created a reliable resource and made it easy for parents to learn more about summer colds and how to treat them at www.ChildrensAdvilSolutions.com.

TFB: What are the different types of pediatric pain medications currently available and not affected by the recent recall?

Dr. Alexander: Children’s Advil® is not part of the recent recall and is currently available nationwide.

The best option to find out exactly which products were recalled is to visit the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s website, http://www.fda.gov/.

TFB: What is the difference between pediatric acetaminophen and pediatric ibuprofen? Is one really better or more effective than the other?

Dr. Alexander: Pediatric acetaminophen and pediatric ibuprofen are both products that can treat fever and pain. Pediatric ibuprofen is a little bit more effective as far as I’m concerned because it has a faster onset of action and it also lasts longer. Ibuprofen lasts 6 to 8 hours and acetaminophen last approximately 4 hours.

There are some safety concerns with acetaminophen as well. It is one of the most overdosed drugs and it has very serious consequences when it comes to kidney and liver issues if there is an overdose.

If you have questions it’s always best to talk to your doctor about what he or she would recommend.

Dr. Alexander is an Ohio-based pediatrician and father of two children. He serves as medical director of the Madison County/London (Ohio) City Health Department and directs of the “Pediatric Office of the Future” exhibit for the American Academy of Pediatrics. He is a member of the Professional Advisory Council for ModernMedicine.com and regularly contributes to HIStalkPractice.com, a healthcare IT blog. Dr. Alexander is with Madison Pediatrics in London, OH. The practice Web site is http://madisonpediatric.com.

Bambino Mio is a new company, to me at least. They are another cloth diaper company with some environmentally friendly practices. Bambino Mio is based out of the UK, but sells through Target and Amazon here in the USA. Their USA website was not working for me today when I tried it but its address is www.usa-bambino-mio.com

About Bambino Mio

The Bambino Mio brand is founded on the principles of quality, convenience, comfort and style. With our continuous product development we are committed to providing you with the best cotton nappies and associated products available.

Bambino Mio offers a complete nappy system suitable for babies from newborn to potty training. Our nappies are 100% cotton which means they are naturally soft, breathable and absorbent, maintaining a healthy temperature.

Bambino Mio New Swimsuit Nappies

They have introduced their new swimsuit nappies this year, which help eliminate that saggy diaper look that you see so many toddlers in during the hot summer months. They come in two styles and a few different colors.

Pant Swimsuit is about $17.00 at Amazon:

Full Swimsuit is about $30.00, but neither Amazon nor Target carries it. This shop does though:

Bambino Mio also carry training pants and an assortment of other diaper accessories.

Ok, there’s still a couple days left before the fourth of July and lots of summer left, so these two new outdoor family games sounded fun and Sportcraft’s gotta discount deal for you! Take a look….

Sportcraft’s new Soft Tip Sky Darts and Foldable Ladderball are the perfect way to entertain family and friends at backyard BBQ’S , beach vacations, and outdoor excursions! Inexpensive, portable and made for children of all ages these new games will provide hours of summer fun!

Sportcraft would like to offer our readers 20% the retail price of these new games!

Below is more information on Sportcraft’s new Soft Tip Sky Darts and Foldable Ladderball along with two coupon codes. When you visit www.sportcraft.com to purchase the products, you can enter the corresponding coupon code in the “promotions” tab at checkout for instant savings on these great new games!

SPORTCRAFTS NEW SOFT TIP SKY DARTS

Coupon Code: 20MYBLG-S

Product Description:

-Four large weighted darts with soft rounded tips and two scoring rings.

-Weighted tips are designed to ensure that the dart remains upright after every toss, for easy and accurate scoring.

- Soft Tip Sky Darts come in a convenient mesh carry and storage bag.

-Indoor/Outdoor Safe

Retail Price: $19.99.

SPORTCRAFT’S NEW FOLDABLE LADDERBALL

Coupon Code: 20MYBLG-L

Product Description:

-Only “fold-n-go” game of-its-kind on the market.

-Comes with two ladders (each 45″ X 22″ X 36″) and six weighted soft sponge bolos (three red, three blue)

-Includes improved side rail scoring and bases with built in bolo storage

-Indoor/Outdoor Safe

Price:$39.99

The coupon codes are able to be redeemed through the holiday shopping season, as they do not expire until December 31, 2010!

Enjoy and have fun this summer!

Over the past few years, we tend to keep most holidays, birthdays and special events fairly simple. Father’s Day is no exception. Unless my husband really needs something in particular and has held off buying it for himself, we tend to honor him with homemade gifts – usually in the form of food. That old saying, “The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach” is very much true with my dear husband. He loves his favorite dishes and desserts and is quite content to enjoy Father’s Day with the family and a fully tummy! Every man will be different though and in case you are shopping on a budget this year, check our Disney FamilyFun Magazine’s homemade gift ideas:

Dad’s the man, so treat him with extra-special Father’s Day cards, Father’s Day foods, and Father’s Day gifts fit for a king:

A Grate Gift for Dad. This clever trio is a tasty way to honor the King of the Grill on Father’s Day. And who doesn’t love dessert (they’re cupcakes!)?

Formal Greetings. Even if the dad in your house isn’t a shirt-and-tie kind of guy, he’s sure to love this stylish Father’s Day card.

Crafty Computer Frame. We’ve all seen decorative mouse pads, but what about the computer itself? This monitor frame, made from craft foam and dotted with photos of your family, will turn Dad’s home or office computer into a much more colorful — and endearing — place.

DisneyFamily Fun Magazine has some nifty ideas for homemade gift ideas for Dad on Father’s Day. Besides the above , they have Daddy Duct Dollars, Dad’s Throne, Luggage Tags for Dads who travel a lot, and plenty more that may just inspire your kids own creativity.

For more Father’s Day fun and fare, visit www.familyfun.go.com/fathers-day/ or check out the latest issue of Disney FamilyFun – on newsstands now.

This is a fairly traditional gift idea, but also a stylish one considering the looks of these ties at The Tie Bar. My husband has always liked the skinny ties, but it is a product that hasn’t been around in years – at least when we were looking, perhaps they came back while we were taking a break from our search! You should have seen the ties my husband had on his tie rack! We finally got rid of them because he wasn’t wearing them and they were just an ornament on the inside of our closet door. Take a look for yourself to see if you can see your man in one of these “skinnies” from The Tie Bar:

New Knitted Silk Ties

The largest online retailer of neckties, The Tie Bar is offering an unheard of deal with ten fabulous new 100% silk knitted skinny ties in a range of colors and patterns for just $15 each. The new knitted silk skinny ties debuted with the Summer 2010 collection and add a preppy twist to any summer wardrobe. The new ties come in black, sky blue, blue, green, red, baby pink, navy/pink stripe, black/red stripe, blue/gold stripe and royal/white stripe.

The Tie Bar is an online retailer of 100% hand woven silk ties for just $15. These same ties retail in department stores for $50-80. Check the new knitted silk ties along with the rest of the 2010 Summer Collection here, http://www.thetiebar.com/categoryPages/All_Ties.asp?view=all&

Ties – Knitted Silk – Blue/Gold Stripe

Ties – Knitted Silk – Sky

Silk and Wool Ties

They also have silk and wool ties as well. They are also just $15.00. Many of the selections come in regular length as well as extra length for taller men. And for some reason I couldn’t get the rest of the photos uploaded?! So I have just provided links.

Tightmetrix – Hunter Skinny

College Stripe Wool – Navy Lavendar Skinny

In addition to the ties above, they also offer a choice of patterns too – Paisley, Dots/Geometric, Solid, Plaid and Conversational – how about one with ants on it for this summer or a rooster or perhaps a hippo? Now those will make some interesting conversation starters at the office won’t they?

About TheTieBar.com

Former lawyers and co-owners Greg and Gina Shugar launched TheTieBar.com in 2004 after being fed up with paying a fortune for neckties. They created TheTieBar.com to offer an affordable, stylish option for men looking to add to their wardrobe without the budget. The website offers hundreds of styles of 100% silk ties in a variety of colors and patterns for only $15 each. In addition to selling its ties, TheTieBar.com also sells original design cufflinks, pocket squares and dress shirts, making it a one-stop-shop for business professionals and gift buyers. To learn more about TheTieBar.com please visit www.TheTieBar.com.

Have you considered having a Green Father’s Day Weekend? I am continually learning about all of these environmentally friendly days and events. SolarDay 2010 is is Saturday, June 19th and falls on the same weekend as Father’s Day, which is Sunday, June 20th. So if you are interested in making your 2010 Father’s Day “greener”, consider the nationwide SolarDay events for Dad and the whole family. www.SolarDay.com

SolarDay 2010 – Saturday, June 19 – is a national day of recognition for solar energy, energy independence and protection of the planet.

It’s the day before Father’s Day and a great opportunity for Dad and the family to learn more about solar energy and reduce the family electricity bill for years to come. Don’t we all desire to cut down the cost of our bills? SolarDay 2010 events are being held in some U.S. cities. So if yours isn’t hosting an event, perhaps you’d like to get one organized!

Higher Family Electricity Bills and Reducing Our Need for Fossil Fuels

The cost of electricity continues to rise every year.

Addison Huegel, Executive Director of SolarDay recently stated “As if the cost of electricity was not a good enough reason to adopt solar energy using the available rebates, there is the disastrous oil spill in the Gulf that reminds us yet again about our reliance on fossil fuels and the fragility of our ecosystem.

“More and more people are adopting greener lifestyles for both ethical and economic reasons. Solar is a major component to green lifestyles. Let’s not forget that 50% of the electric energy produced in the U.S. is from burning coal. In China, 83% of the electricity is generated by burning coal.

Federal and State Solar Rebates

“Government support of solar on the state and Federal level has made solar affordable. People with solar installations for their homes and businesses can significantly reduce their monthly energy bills. And, there are many incentive and rebate programs that can reduce the cost of a solar installation by nearly half. Plus, new programs allow you to pay off your solar installation through your
property taxes and other methods. Some solar companies will install a solar installation at no cost – and simply charge you for the electricity you consume – at a guaranteed rate with no surprises.”

Nationwide SolarDay Events for the Public

The public is invited to attend the many events being held on Saturday, June 19 -SolarDay 2010. More information is available at: www.SolarDay.com

This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Dove Ice Cream. All opinions are 100% mine.

Lately, we have been experiencing many hot days here in the Chicago area, complete with humidity. I don’t know about you, but I love ice cream. Ice cream is very refreshing on hot summer days. So bear with this expectant mama as I share another pregnancy craving just at the sight of it – DOVE® Ice Cream. DOVE is having a contest and you only have until June 7th to enter, so if this interests you, don’t delay!

Contest Details

DOVE® Ice Cream Miniatures has launched the“My Mini Moment” contest. DOVE® Ice Cream is asking women to share their favorite mini moment of escape and one lucky winner could win one of 3 sensational mini-grand prizes: a mini-getaway to Napa Valley, Spa services for a year or a mini-home makeover. Women need to submit a photo and short essay at DoveIceCream.com/myminimoment by June 7, 2010!

Don’t those prizes sound great?

About DOVE Ice Cream Miniatures

At only 70 calories each, DOVE® Ice Cream Miniatures feature full indulgent ice cream wrapped in real Dove chocolate making them the perfect treat. Try the new decadent Café Collection which features Java Chip and Cappuccino Flavors. Coffee isn’t on my list of favorites, but they sure do make the photos look yummy!

DOVE Consumers

Not to promote selfishness, but “Me-time” is important to the Dove consumers, so DOVE® Ice Cream Miniatures conducted a survey of over 400 mothers and an astonishing 70 percent of these ultimate multi-taskers are taking time for themselves each day. The “My Mini Moment” contest celebrates these cherished moments.

Everyone has their own idea of what their favorite mini-escape would be. That’s why DOVE® Ice Cream Miniatures has given you three luxuriously indulgent choices.

Be sure to read the contest rules thoroughly and let us know if you are one of the fortunate winners!

Here is some information that we thought was important for the upcoming summer season. Our children’s safety is almost always at the forefront of our minds, so please consider the International task force new guidelines for open water safety. Compliments of Seattle Children’s Hospital:

Drowning is a major cause of injury death for all ages. According to the World Health Organization’s most recent World
Report on Child Injury Prevention, approximately 28 percent of all unintentional injury deaths among children are due to drowning. In the U.S., drowning is the second-leading cause of injury death for children, according to a report from the Centers for Disease Control. In Washington state, over 70 percent of drowning deaths among children occur in open water settings, such as lakes, ponds, rivers and ocean and males in the 15-24 year age group are at the highest risk of drowning. Non-fatal drownings are nearly five times higher in number, and can cause long-term disabilities including brain damage, memory problems, learning disabilities or permanent loss of basic functioning.

In response to these reports, an international task force on open water drowning prevention – 18 drowning prevention experts from 12 countries – established guidelines for families and individuals recreating at any open water site.

“Water safety must be addressed with all families. Open water is a high risk area for drowning and we must remain vigilant in providing
education and creating awareness of this ongoing issue,” says Linda Quan, MD, task force co-chair and emergency medicine physician at Seattle Children’s Hospital. “Areas of the country with rivers, beaches or lakes are especially vulnerable, but children can drown in just a few inches of water so everyone needs this information.”

The guidelines emphasize swimming and water safety survival skills for everyone and provide strategies for those who are responsible for children or other persons while recreating in open water.

“Families and individuals immigrate or travel internationally. We wanted to create a list of guidelines useful for both groups to use whenever they are around open water,” says Kevin Moran, PhD, task force co-chair and faculty member at the University of Auckland. The task force recommends keeping yourself and others safe by following these guidelines:

Keep Yourself Safe

* Learn swimming and water safety survival skills.
* Always swim with others.
* Obey all safety signs and warning flags.
* Never go in the water after drinking alcohol.
* Know how and when to use a life jacket.
* Swim in areas with lifeguards.
* Know the water and weather conditions before getting in the water.
* Always enter shallow and unknown water feet first.

Keep Others Safe

* Help and encourage others, especially children, to learn swimming and water safety survival skills.
* Swim in areas with lifeguards.
* Set water safety rules.
* Always provide close and constant attention to children you are supervising in or near water.
* Know how and when to use life jackets, especially with children and weak swimmers.
* Learn first aid and CPR.
* Learn safe ways of rescuing others without putting yourself in danger.
* Obey all safety signs and warning flags.

With planning and care, everyone can enjoy their time around water. For more information on water safety and drowning prevention, please visit: www.seattlechildrens.org/dp/

www.usa.safekids.org/

www.cdc.gov/HomeandRecreationalSafety/Water-Safety/waterinjuries-factsheet.htm

http://www.ilsf.org/index.php?q=about/drowning.htm

http://www.who.int/entity/violence_injury_prevention/child/injury/world_report/report/en/index.html

About Seattle Children’s

Seattle Children’s delivers superior patient care, advances new discoveries and treatments through pediatric research, and serves as the pediatric and adolescent academic medical referral center for the largest landmass of any children’s hospital in the country (Washington, Alaska, Montana and Idaho). Consistently ranked as one of the best children’s hospitals in the country by U.S. News & World Report, Seattle Children’s is comprised of Seattle Children’s Hospital, Seattle Children’s Research Institute and Seattle Children’s Hospital Foundation. Children’s is internationally recognized for advancing discoveries in cancer, genetics, immunology, pathology, infectious disease, injury prevention and bioethics. Children’s also serves as the primary clinical, research and teaching site for the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Washington School of Medicine. For more information visit http://www.seattlechildrens.org

I am learning many new things as I blog and read about new products. Did you know that May is Skin Cancer Awareness Month? Most of us are aware of the importance of protecting our skin and our children’s fair skin as well. In light of that, we thought that it would be good to share with you UV Skinz. UV Skinz is a sun protective outdoorwear company that is hoping to shed light on Skin Cancer Awareness Month through an annual Baby Skinz giveaway. They are giving away a FREE BABY SWIM SHIRT with every purchase. This is the third year in a row that UV Skinz has generously donated swimwear for their cause.

Founder of UV Skinz, Rhonda Sparks, lost her 32 year-old husband to melanoma leaving her with three sons to raise on her own. The heart and mission of her company is to build awareness and prevention of skin cancer, especially babies. That is why each shipment will contain a free UV Baby Skinz along with a flyer asking customers to pass along the Baby Skinz to a needy organization or even a needy neighbor. Sparks says, “Not only does this program get people thinking about encouraging skin health in children at early ages, but by passing along the Baby Skinz swimshirts to those in need, people are also getting out into their communities helping other great causes.” Sparks estimates that the company was able to give away approximately 1,850 swim shirts for the May 2008 Skin Cancer Awareness promotion and about doubled that in last year’s 2009 giveaway. The company’s intention this year is to reach the 3,000 Baby Skinz giveaway goal.

Statistics show that we aren’t doing enough to curb the phenomenal growth rate of skin cancer occurrence in this country. Only one, severe sunburn in childhood can more than double the chances of skin cancer developing in adulthood. The Skin Cancer Foundation provides a host of alarming skin cancer facts on its website taken from the works of pediatric oncologists, the American Cancer Society and American Academy of Dermatology (Please see the Resource links below). Among these facts is that melanoma incidence among those under 20 years of age rose 2.9 percent between 1973 and 2001. Melanoma accounts for about 3 percent of all pediatric cancers with 90 percent of pediatric
melanoma cases found in 10-19 year old girls. With every sunburn comes a decrease in the skin’s natural ability to protect itself and an exponentially higher likelihood that skin disease, eye damage or weakening of the immune system will occur later in life.

For more information, please visit www.UVSkinz.com to help support their mission to “Get Kids Covered!”

Resources:

http://www.uvskinz.com/pdf/PR_100423_MayBaby.pdf – the last two paragraphs shared above were taken directly from this pdf.

http://www.skincancer.org/

http://www.skincancer.org/your-health-even-treatable-skin-cancer-is-no-sunny-experience.html

http://www.skincancer.org/Sun-Protection-for-Babies-and-Toddlers.html

http://www.skincancer.org/For-Parents/

I thought these were a neat alternative to the normal Valentine’s Day cards we usually give out. They are an environmentally friendly Valentine’s Day card, plus they are plantable! These cards do not use up any of our forests as they are made from recycled cotton and contain seeds so that they may be planted, in lieu of throwing them away or putting them in your recycling bin. I think they’d make great little gifts for children and gardeners alike.

Designed especially for Valentine’s Day, the Plantable Valentine’s Day mini card provides your loved ones with a blooming memento and just as your love grows so will wildflowers. What a beautiful way to say I love you! Consider ordering a mailing envelope with your Plantable Valentines Day Mini Card. Envelopes measure 4 1/4 x 5 1/4 inches and take regular postage. $1.25/card, plus $0.28 for an envelope.

Read about how to plant the paper on Botanical Paperworks website.

Card Size: 4 1/4 x 3 5/8 inches.

$4.99 for a package of 10 cards Ten eco-friendly Valentine’s Day cards are packaged with 10 plantable wildflower seed embedded hearts that grow wildflowers when the heart is planted. Every aspect of this plantable card set is eco-friendly, from the 100% post-consumer waste cardstock, to the compostable corn plastic and the wildflower seed embedded hearts that recycle themselves into flowers.

Read more about how to plant the hearts on Botanical Paperworks website.

Measures 5 1/2 x 4 1/4 inches, includes 10 cards.

Visit Botanical Paperworks for more information.