Posts Tagged ‘education’

Calling All Dads: This One’s for YOU!

Tuesday, August 10th, 2010

Written by: Dan Welch, Colorado Department of Human Services

Summer vacations are coming to an end. Now is the time for fathers specifically to jump-start their involvement in their child’s education. Dads can play an important role in improving a child’s academic performance, helping them connect with friends and ensuring their safety at school. As August rolls on, dads are working to make the transition from summer to school as seamless as possible for their children.

Education is crucial to a child becoming successful later in life. Research continues to show that when fathers are actively involved in a child’s life that child is more likely to do well in school and less likely to repeat a grade or drop out. By simply asking a few of the right questions, fathers can learn more about their child’s life at school and also build a stronger, more connected relationship.

There are a variety of ways fathers can help prepare their children for school and taking an active role in their academic success:

Set a routine. Have your family return to their school schedule two weeks before the school year begins. Go to bed and get up at the same time every day.This will help the entire family adjust and not feel sleep deprived once the first day of school arrives.

Schedule check-ups and immunizations. Are your child’s shots current?  Most schools will not allow children to attend if they do not meet current immunization requirements. Check with your child’s pediatrician or with the Colorado Children’s Immunization Coalition at www.childrensimmunization.org to see what vaccines your child needs to start the school year.

Get organized. Help your child start off on the right foot by making sure their supplies and activities are well organized. Check off the school supply lists well before the first day. Work with your child to create a calendar outlining their in school and after school activities.

Become involved. Once school starts, make a point to look at your child’s homework each night. Engage your child in conversations about what they are studying, what interests them the most at school or any concerns they may have about their teachers or classmates. Volunteer to be a chaperone on the next school field trip or function. Join the PTA or Watch D.O.G.S. (Dads Of Great Students) groups in Colorado. Watch D.O.G.S., supported by the National Center for Fathering, provides positive male role models for students and schools by organizing fathers and father-figures to volunteer one day each year in a variety of school activities. Find out more at www.fathers.com

Meet the teacher. Most schools have open house nights set aside for students and parents to meet teachers and see their child’s school. If an open house day is not available, plan on attending parent teacher conferences later this fall.

Remember when you where starting a school year. Think about your fears and worries and try to put yourself in your child’s situation.  Remember how your father, or father figure, helped you, or how you would have liked them to help you.  Thinking in this way will help you assist your child in this stressful time of their life.

Dan Welch works with The Responsible Fatherhood Initiative and is a Broomfield father.

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Summer Safety in Colorado

Monday, July 19th, 2010

Extra care for kids before fun in the sun

Summer in Colorado, what a treat for those sun worshippers among us! Finally, time to enjoy the long toasty days filled with picture perfect blue skies cherished by the locals. And what could be more fun than spending the day outside hiking, camping, or watching children play while sipping icy mint lemonade? Since summer has blessed us in full force, remember that children need some extra care during the fun in the sun campaign.

With high temperatures and outdoor activities, children can quickly become dehydrated, sun burned, and even develop heat exhaustion. Living in Colorado places children at an increased risk for some of these health challenges both due to sun exposure and high altitude. One very important reason to protect children from long sun exposures is that skin cancer represents the most common type of cancer and accounts for about half of all cancers in the US. About 3% of skin cancers are melanomas. The American Cancer Society estimates that there will be 62,480 new cases of melanoma in 2008 and about 8, 420 people will die this year of melanoma. Sunburns during childhood and adolescence significantly increase the risk of developing melanoma. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention about 65%-95% of melanomas are caused by exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light or sunlight. Protecting children, adolescents, and adults from UV radiation can reduce the incidence of skin cancers including melanoma. Practicing smart summer sun tips and understanding risk factors benefits the entire family.

What are some of the common risk factors for skin cancer?  There are several important risks families should know:

  • Fair complexion;
  • Family history of skin cancer;
  • Personal history of skin cancer;
  • Exposure to sun through work or play;
  • Sunburns early in life;
  • Skin that burns, freckles, reddens easily, or turns painful with sun exposure;
  • Green or blue eyes;
  • Blond or red hair;
  • Certain types of moles; and
  • Large number of moles.

What can be done to protect children?  For families to protect against skin cancer from occurring later in life, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Cancer Society recommend the following:

  • Avoid direct sunlight for babies younger than 6 months, trees, umbrellas, or a stroller canopy can provide shade;
  • When possible, wear cool, comfortable clothing that covers the body, like lightweight cotton pants, long-sleeved shirts, and hats;
  • Tight weave clothes made provide better protection than loose weave, (tight weave clothes allow less light to shine through);
  • Protect the face with a brimmed hat or cap with a brim that faces forward;
  • UV rays are the most powerful between 10:00 am and 4:00 pm, so limit exposure during this time;
  • Children require child-sized sunglasses with at least 99% UV protection;
  • Apply sunscreen with a SPF of 15 or higher; and
  • Parents are the best teachers by practicing sun protection yourself and teaching all family members to protect their skin and eyes.

Some tips for applying sunscreen include:

  • Cover all exposed areas, especially the face, nose, ears, feet, and hands and even the backs of the knees and tops of feet by rubbing in ample sunscreen;
  • Remember that sunscreen needs time for skin absorption so apply it 30 minutes prior to outdoor activities;
  • The sun’s UV rays penetrate even on cloudy days, so remember to use sunscreen;
  • Powerful UV rays can reflect from water, sand, snow, and concrete, so Colorado is a year round sunscreen state; and
  • Once is never enough, reapply sunscreen every 2 hours and remember sunscreen wears off with swimming, sweating, or from soaking into the skin.

So keep the entire family burn free this summer with proper protection from the sun and don’t forget to
keep drinking water to hydrate the body and the skin. See you at the pool!

(c) 2010 Chris Marchioni, MD

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Update on Food Allergies

Monday, May 17th, 2010

Despite our advanced technology, we still struggle with the diagnosis of food allergies.  A recent government study published in the May issue of JAMA and  led by Dr. Mark Riedl from the University of California concludes that 8% of children and 5% of adults have true food allergies.  Many others suffer from food intolerances and the inconsistency of testing methods adds to confusion and accurate diagnosis.Learn more at:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/12/health/research/12allergies.html

http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/content/abstract/303/18/1848

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A Precious Gift

Monday, May 3rd, 2010

There is no gift more precious for a child than the gift of good health. A new epidemic threatens the health of children, Type 2 diabetes. Over the last decade, a 33% increase of this disease has occurred. In 1992, type 2 diabetes in children was rare, by 1994 type 2 diabetes accounted for 16% of new cases of diabetes in children in urban areas, and by 1999 it accounted for 8-45% of new cases depending on geographic area. More than $100 billion dollars are spent annually on diabetes. Imagine the impact these dollars could have if we prevent type 2 diabetes in this generation of children.

Type 2 diabetes occurs when the body becomes resistant to insulin or the pancreas does not produce enough insulin. This causes sugar or glucose to build up in the bloodstream and damage organs. Normally, eating signals the pancreas to release insulin into the blood. The insulin allows glucose to enter cells, therefore, decreasing the level of glucose in the child’s bloodstream. Glucose is a main energy source for muscles and other tissues. The food a child eats is broken down into glucose and enters the bloodstream through the digestive process. The pancreas releases insulin that allows glucose to enter and be used by cells. When the blood glucose drops, this signals the pancreas to decrease the production of insulin.

Although it is unclear why some children develop Type 2 diabetes while others are spared, risk factors include: (1) weight, (2) inactivity, (3) family history, (4) race, and (5) gender.

Being overweight and lack of physical activity are significant risk factors for Type 2 diabetes. Increased fatty tissue leads to insulin resistance. This is one of many ways that the obesity epidemic is rapidly aging our children. Exercise not only helps with weight control, it also helps burn up glucose as energy and decreases insulin resistance. The good news is if the child looses the extra weight, blood glucose levels can return to normal!

The child’s risk of developing type 2 diabetes increases if a parent or sibling has the same disease, however, it is not clear if this is due to genetics, lifestyle practices, or a combination of both. Current studies show African American, Hispanic, Native American, and Asian-American children have a higher incidence of type 2 diabetes with a higher incidence in girls than boys. Why be worried about type 2 diabetes in children? Long term complications from this disease include heart attacks, heart disease, strokes, narrowing of arteries, high blood pressure, nerve problems, liver damage, kidney disease, eye damage, circulation problems, infections, and premature death.

Keep in mind children can be spared of this disease and premature death by making healthy lifestyle choices. You can empower children with these prevention strategies.

  1. Help your child make healthy food choices that include lots of fresh fruits, fresh vegetables, and whole grains. Read food labels and avoid foods with added sugars, corn syrup, and other sweeteners. Look for foods without trans fats, hydrogenated fats, or partially hydrogenated fats. Teach your child to shop healthy by buying most of your foods in the produce and fresh food sections of grocery stores. Replace sodas, sports, and energy drinks with water and low fat milk. Learn to cook and eat meals together.
  2. Model daily exercise with your child. Family walks to the park, biking, swimming, hiking, or just playing outside are all great ways to exercise and build family connections.
  3. Children need at least 60 minutes of daily exercise and it helps if they get outdoors. If you are concerned about your child’s weight, talk to your child’s doctor and discuss your child’s eating, sleeping, and exercise habits.

Next time you hear there is no time to eat healthy, exercise, cook, or even sleep ask yourself this simple question: What is more precious than the health of my child? It is time that we break the cycle and step up to the plate, a healthy plate, because our kids are worth it.

(c) 2010, Chris Marchioni, MD

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Olympian Brings Health Message to Kids

Tuesday, March 9th, 2010

“I want you to be able to do anything that you can dream,” an unfamiliar voice boomed over the intercom at Emerald Elementary School.  “To be successful in school and in life you need to take care of yourself by eating healthy, staying active, and getting enough rest.  Don’t worry if you have no idea of who I am.  You can ask your parents, maybe they will recognize my name,” laughed 1972 Olympic Gold Medalist Frank Shorter.

Olympic Gold Medalist Frank Shorter paid a surprise visit to congratulate winners of the T-shirt design contest for the Broomfield Rotary Frank Shorter Race4Kids’ Health.  During lunch, Frank joined students and was impressed with the fresh fruits and vegetables, milk, and healthy appetites children shared after playing outside.  Sarah Acker, BVSD Nutrition Services District Manager, understands how important it is for students to have healthy nutrition for both health and learning.  Dr. Marchioni, executive director of Healthy Learning Paths, commended Acker for the quality of the nutrition program at Emerald Elementary.

Frank Shorter with winners: Gavin DiFulvio, Garrett Garnhart, Laura Cardona, Sophia Maclean (not pictured Caleb Cook)

Frank Shorter with winners: Gavin DiFulvio, Garrett Garnhart, Laura Cardona, Sophia Maclean (not pictured Caleb Cook)

“Children must be well, so they can learn well,” explains Marchioni, “healthy nutrition and daily physical activity are key components to brain development for all children.”  This theme is what stimulated students’ creative juices as they prepared artwork for the T-shirt design contest.  Student contest winners included 4th graders from Emerald, Gavin DiFulvio and Garrett Garnhart, two home schooled students, Sophia Maclean and Caleb Cook, and one student from The Studio School, Laura Cardona.  Sophia Maclean’s first place design will appear on the back of race T-shirts and she will receive a $100 gift certificate on race day.

This race is not to be missed, so mark your calendars to participate in the first annual 5K Broomfield Rotary Frank Shorter Race4 Kids’ Health on Sunday, April 11th, at the Broomfield County Commons Park, 13200 Sheridan Blvd.  In addition to the USATF certified 5K course timed by Finish Line Timing as a Bolder Boulder qualifier, there is a fun family 1K walk/run, and for the first time in Broomfield a 50 foot diaper dash for kids two and under!  There are medals for a variety of age categories and plenty of fun and prizes for kids.  After the awards ceremony, Frank Shorter will host a runners’ clinic to help you improve your time for the Bolder Boulder.  “This race occurs at a perfect time,” comments Shorter, “as runners will have six weeks to make adjustments to improve upon their personal best.”

The race benefits Healthy Learning Paths, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit partnership of medical and educational professionals who recognize and teach the critical connections between wellness and learning for children’s success.  Proceeds allow Healthy Learning Paths to expand the Be Well, Learn Well© school wellness and other community programs.  “We need everyone to step or in this case, run up to the plate for kids’ health,” says Marchioni, “individuals or teams of 5 can register, but whether you run, walk, or crawl, the challenge here is to come out as a community and have some good clean fun!”

For race registration, medal categories, or to volunteer visit www.healthylearningpaths.org, www.Active.com or call 303.464.7191.

© 2010 Chris Marchioni, MD

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Healthy Lessons at Broomfield School Aim to Change Lives

Friday, November 13th, 2009

When Dr. Chris Marchioni started practicing medicine, she naively thought she would not just be in the business of curing diseases, but preventing them. She learned, however, she only saw kids when they got sick or needed a physical.

In her 20 years of practice, she said she started “seeing a real shift in terms of the challenges children are going through … and saw a wider gap in terms of what parents understood about health care.”

A big part of the problem was insurance typically didn`t pay for prevention.

“It is not until someone`s diabetes is out of control that some insurance companies will pay for nutritional counseling,” she said.

A little education early on could prevent diabetes altogether at a fraction of the cost of a lifetime of insulin and medical care, but doctors tend to do what they`re paid to do, she said.

Sabrina Atencio, front, helps make a tray of celery, cream cheese and tomato snacks with Alex Najera, left, and Mike Gross and teacher Miki Novaria during Emerald Elementary School 2nd grader's Healthy Learning Paths program by Dr. Chris Marchioni, October 20, 3009 Staff photo/David R. Jennings

Sabrina Atencio, front, helps make a tray of celery, cream cheese and tomato snacks with Alex Najera, left, and Mike Gross and teacher Miki Novaria during Emerald Elementary School 2nd grader's Healthy Learning Paths program by Dr. Chris Marchioni, October 20, 3009 Staff photo/David R. Jennings

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Marchioni points to a recommendation by the American Academy of Pediatrics last year to prescribe cholesterol-lowering drugs to children as young as 8, when the problem could much more easily be addressed through diet.

So in 2005, she started Healthy Learning Paths to get medical professionals into schools once a month to teach about nutrition, exercise, sleep, stress and other aspects of healthy living.

“While they`re in Washington trying to figure out what to do with health care reform, we`re already doing something about it,” she said.

She started her pilot project at Emerald Elementary School because it was local and she could reach children in their formative years.

She started with zero funding, and as a Title I school, which typically has at least 40 percent of the student population qualifying for the free or reduced-price lunch program, it was easier to apply for grants. Plus, principal Larry Leatherman was completely on board with the idea.

“She connected with the preschool, and then it expanded and first grade got involved, then second grade got involved,” Leatherman said.

Now the entire school, with the exception of kindergarten, is participating.

“When they eat healthy foods, no matter what, kids are going to learn more,” Leatherman said.

In her program, Marchioni has students make healthy snacks, such as hummus or cut-up apples and bananas.

“So many times, parents say kids won`t eat fruits and vegetables,” Marchioni said. “Let me tell you, when we walk out of there, they`ve cleaned their plates.”

What`s even better, she said, is the information filters home to parents. (Marchioni does seminars for parents, as well.)

She also has kids dissect chicken wings when they were learning about bones and joints in their science classes. Except she doesn`t just teach them definitions, but rather how to keep joints healthy.

With seed money from the Broomfield Rotary Club, she was able to get a grant from the Colorado Health Foundation and Jared Polis Foundation to help pay the fees for professionals to visit the schools. She also has been hired to teach classes at Coyote Ridge Elementary, and got some money to do a program at Sanchez Elementary in Lafayette.

By the end of the year she hopes to have a blueprint to bring the program into more schools. So, she and other doctors will get to see more and more children before they get sick, so they can avoid some of those health-related problems they might develop when habits are much harder to fix.

By Dylan Otto Krider, Enterprise Staff Writer
11/11/09 Broomfield Enterprise

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Posted in Nutrition, School Readiness | 44 Comments »

Smiles and a Complex Problem

Tuesday, August 11th, 2009

Once again, dentists from all over the country donated their services to kids whose parents could not afford to take care of their dental needs. In my office alone, we provided over $6,500 worth of care on Feb. 6, 2009, so you can imagine the value of the care provided by thousands of dentists across the entire country.

This seems a lot better than any stimulus package. The problem is that these kids need lots of care. Why do these kids have more cavities than the general population?
At first, I thought it was directly related to the parent’s lack of funds. The answer is not so simple. Just because these parents can’t afford dental care for their kids does not explain the high numbers of cavities found.

You would think that with limited funds parents would have an interest in providing a healthy diet to their kids so they would not need much dental care. In talking to all the parents that day I found a significant lack of knowledge regarding a healthy diet. A healthy diet does not cost more; it just requires some basic understanding about nutrition.

Many of the parents claimed that their kids eat a healthy breakfast. They said they ate Froot Loops, Frosted Flakes, and Pop-Tarts. These cereals will make the child feel full but they have a very high sugar content. The sugar high lasts a few hours and then the kids are ready for a nap. High-sugar breakfasts can affect learning in school.

Many of the kids drink lots of pop. The acid in the pop and sugar combine to dissolve the enamel. Water is free and pop costs money, and yet pop is the drink of choice. Tap water is the healthiest thing a kid can drink.

Is it the educational level of the parents? Is it cultural? It’s hard to say. One thing for certain, is that in lower socioeconomic families there is a lack of understanding about nutrition. This alone is the cause for billions of dollars of dental care that is completely avoidable in a population that cannot afford the care.

How do we get these parents to buy an apple instead of a bottle of pop? How do we convince them to avoid fast food and sugary breakfast cereals?

Everyone must take responsibility to make sure these parents know what is healthy for their children’s teeth. They love their children like anybody else and want what’s best for them but simply do not have the nutritional knowledge. People with healthy teeth live longer and enjoy a better quality of life. Everyone, from the schools to the pediatricians must do a better job of educating the parents and the children about nutrition.

Wouldn’t it be great if every parent bringing their child to kindergarten could meet with the school nurse and get nutritional counseling? Instead of our tax dollars going to fund bonuses and corporate jets, wouldn’t it be better spent on programs to educate folks about nutrition? It would cost very little and would save billions.

© 2009 Mitch Friedman, DDS
Healthy Learning Paths Advisory Member

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Posted in Dental, Health Alert, Nutrition, School Readiness | 28 Comments »