FDA says no cold meds for kids under 2- but there are alternatives

Today, the government issued a Public Health Advisory warning parents that over-the-counter (OTC) cough and cold products should not be used to treat infants and children under 2 because of serious and potentially life-threatening side effects, including convulsions, rapid heart rates, decreased levels of consciousness, and death.

So what to do when your baby or toddler has a cold? There are a number of safe alternative treatments in Own Your Health: Your Sick Child, by John D. Mark, M.D., of Stanford University Medical School. These include herbal remedies, saltwater nose rinse, herbal steam inhalation, and anti-inflammatory foods—such as hot blueberry soup.

Ask the Pediatrician on Nov. 11

John D. Mark, MD, author of Own Your Health—Your Sick Child: fever, allergies, ear infections, colds and more, will be a guest on the Childhood Matters Radio Show on SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2007, from 9-10AM Pacific time. This is a call-in show and callers will be able to obtain copies of his book. The show will focus on keeping families healthy by combining conventional and alternative medicine (known as “integrative medicine”). This is your opportunity to ask questions of one of the first pediatricians in the country to receive certification in integrative medicine.

Dr. Mark is a Clinical Associate Professor of Pediatrics in the Pediatric Pulmonary Medicine division at Stanford University Medical Center. After completing his residency in pediatrics, Dr. Mark completed two fellowships; the first in pediatric pulmonology at University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry and the second in Pediatric Integrative Medicine at the University of Arizona program directed by Dr. Andrew Weil. Dr. Mark’s clinical and research interests focus on integrating alternative therapies and conventional therapies in the treatment of children with respiratory problems. In 2002, he was awarded a grant from the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM) for his project on guided imagery in children with asthma.

Childhood Matters is the San Francisco Bay Area’s weekly call-in radio show for parents and others who care for children. They broadcast on 98.1 KISS-FM in the Bay Area and 105.1 KOCN-FM in Monterey & Santa Cruz Counties every Sunday from 9:00 to 10:00 AM. You can listen online and learn more about the show at http://www.childhoodmatters.org.

Got Milk? For Some Children, the Answer Should Be “No!”

“For some children, the possible adverse health effects of cow’s milk outweigh the benefits, despite what the dairy industry would have us believe,” asserts Stanford University pediatrician John D. Mark, MD.

In his new book, Your Sick Child, part of the Own Your Health series about combining alternative and conventional medicine, Dr. Mark refers to research showing that cow’s milk and dairy products, due to their saturated fat content, can increase inflammation in the airways and other parts of the body. “This inflammation may exacerbate asthma, ear infections, upper respiratory infections and colds,” explains Dr. Mark, an expert on the lung diseases of children. “I regularly try an elimination diet of cow’s milk, cheese and butter from my patients’ diets, and often there is a dramatic improvements in their respiratory problems.”

What about calcium and strong bones? “There are other and often more nutritional ways to get calcium, vitamins and protein, including green leafy vegetables, nuts, calcium-fortified juices, cereals, beans, sesame seeds, almonds, figs, seaweeds, and fortified soymilks,” says Dr. Mark. “We are the only species that drinks milk from another species, and the only species to drink milk at all after infancy. Many children – and adults as well – have trouble digesting cow’s milk. Many children are simply not biologically meant to drink it.”