American Academy of Pediatrics New Vitamin D Recommendation for Infants
The AAP Committee on Breastfeeding Nutrition announced this month a new recommendation for ALL breastfed infants to receive daily Vitamin D supplementation of 200 IU to prevent Rickets, a disease that effects the shape and strength of bones. Because formula and milk are fortified with Vitamin D, infants and children who drink at least 16 ounces per day do NOT need extra vitamin D. It is recommended that, starting at 2 months and continuing through adolescence, all solely breastfed infants and children who don't drink milk take this supplement. It is also stated that there is currently no proper plain Vitamin D supplement, so a multivitamin with Vitamin D should be used.

Dr. Sears comments: This is a very controversial policy. While I do greatly appreciate the work that the AAP Committee on Breastfeeding Nutrition does, I'm not sure that I will follow this recommendation yet until further research is done. Their decision is based on several factors:

1. Breast milk only contains 25 IU per liter (about 32 ounces). Infant formulas have over 10 times this amount.
2. Some research has shown that children need about 200 IU Vit D per day to prevent Rickets.
3. Sunlight helps our body make Vit D, but the strict sun avoidance common in our American culture today decreases our own natural production of Vit D.

   BUT, there are several issues that need to be resolved before I will consider following this recommendation:

4. Even though breast milk has less Vit D, it has long been believed that its Vit D is absorbed far better than that of cow's milk or formula.
5. What would therefore need to be researched BEFORE anyone could say that breast milk has inadequate Vit D is to compare blood levels of Vit D in breast verses formula-fed infants, AND to compare the incidence of Ricket's Disease in the two groups. This has not yet been done.
6. Would allowing brief sunlight exposure daily (without sunscreen) help? And if so, how much exposure is necessary and safe?
7. Therefore, how can we say that breast milk has inadequate Vit D, when it is the gold standard against which all formulas attempt to measure up to AND no one has actually done the proper research?

While taking a multivitamin certainly doesn't hurt, is it worth the trouble? And how does labeling breast milk as "inadequate" affect a new mother's decision to breastfeed? These are important questions that need to be answered.

AAP Declares Children Should Not Receive Smallpox Vaccine Unless There is an Outbreak
Experts from the American Academy of Pediatrics told Congress that given the potential side effects and other problems with the vaccine, at this time children should NOT get the shot UNLESS there is an actual outbreak.

Dr. Sears comments: I agree with this wholeheartedly. Click here to read more.

Teenage Boy's Heart Repaired by Transplanted Stem Cells
After suffering heart damage from a nail gun accident and a subsequent heart attack, a 16-year-old boy had stem cells filtered from his own blood and infused through a catheter into the damaged heart tissue. The goal is for these immature cells to differentiate into healthy heart tissue to repair the damaged heart. Similar trials in adults have been undertaken in recent months. The boy already shows some improvement in his heart function, and doctors hope to avoid heart transplant surgery if this procedure works.

Dr. Sears comments: I am excited about the possibilities of Stem Cell Research. It shows promising applications for curing a variety of chronic diseases. And who knows what we'll find 10 years from now. The reason this is a pressing issue now is making the decision whether or not to bank your newborn's cord blood stem cells at the time of birth. Even though this procedure is quite costly, given the variety of medical uses it may be worth it. Click here to read more about cord blood stem cell banking.

American Heart Association Speaks Out on Heart Disease Prevention for Kids
The AHA released new guidelines this month to help parents prevent obesity and heart disease in their kids. These guidelines stress eating healthy, low-fat, low-sugar diets and encouraging active play and exercise. They also stress a family-oriented approach. This information isn't just for kids.

Dr. Sears comments: I can't stress this issue enough. I have devoted almost all of my research and writing in the last few years to healthy eating and lifestyle. Childhood obesity has risen dramatically in the past decade. And obese kids grow up to have diabetes, heart disease, and other chronic diseases that shorten their lifespan. That's why I have developed my L.E.A.N program (Lifestyle, Exercise, Attitude, Nutrition) to help kids and their parents choose a healthier lifestyle for life-long health. The bottom line is to eat right, play outside, stay involved in sports, limit the TV and Video games, be excited about your body and health, and stay educated about nutrition. This means the WHOLE FAMILY, because "like father (or mother), like son (or daughter)" is never more true than when it comes to eating and living healthy.

Juice and Probiotics Can Prevent Bladder Infections
It has been long known that cranberry juice can help prevent bladder infections. New research in Finland has shown that women who regularly drink juices, especially berry juices (due to high antioxidant levels in berries), AND consume dairy products with live active bacterial cultures have less bladder infections.

Dr. Sears comments: For children and adults with recurrent bladder infections, I recommend taking a daily probiotic supplement (commonly referred to as acidophilus). Available in capsules, liquid, or powder. Look for the ingredients lactobacillus and bifidobacteria. Another easy way to get your child to eat probiotics is to give them yogurt or milk with the Live Active Cultures seal every day. As for drinking juice, I don't usually encourage this too much because of the sugar in juice. But one great way for older kids and adults to get lots of berries every day is the new Juice Plus Vineyard Blend - a naturally berry supplement that is a great immune system booster. Click here for more on Juice Plus.

SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) Update
This new respiratory viral infection has been all over the news. Here is a brief statement on its current status. This is a virus that originated in Asia (especially Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan and China) and has spread to Canada, the United States, Germany, Switzerland, Britain, France, Ireland and Italy through airline travel. Symptoms include fever, dry cough, chills just like any other cold or flu, but the main difference is that it can progress to chest pains and difficulty breathing which is life-threatening. The problem is that you don't know you have it until it progresses to this more severe stage. There have been about 1800 confirmed cases so far, with 64 deaths. We've had 70 cases in the U.S. with no deaths as of the end of March. There is no known treatment yet. It is spread just like any other cold.

WANT TO RECEIVE THESE NEWS ALERTS BY EMAIL? CLICK HERE TO SIGN UP FOR OUR EMAIL ALERTS IF YOU HAVEN'T ALREADY.