Splash: Soothing Bath

Revive and soothe your baby’s skin with a bath that includes this therapeutic bath powder.

Soothe: Body Cream

This baby body cream is pH balanced and perfect for daily care of sensitive baby skin.

Calm: Moisturizing Cream

Formulated to treat eczema, dry, sensitive and irritated skin types.

Fresh: Shampoo and Body Wash

This pH balanced shampoo and body wash is gentle on your baby’s skin.

Cool: Soothing Cream

This cream is VedaBABY’s most intensive cream for dry skin associated with allergies.

Baby Butt: Diaper Balm

This hypoallergenic all natural butt balm provides quick and effective care for an irritated diaper area.

Baby Butt Plus: Diaper Rash Cream

Promotes healing, relieves chafing and protects the skin from unwanted wetness.

Clean: Face Cleanser

A synergistic blend of Green clay and Vitamin C that helps protect the skin against free radicals.

Glide: Shave Gel

The non-sticky gel glides on easily for a protected shave and washes off fresh and clean.

Splash: After Shave

Organic citrus fruits refresh and purify after shaving, while Lavender calms and softens the freshly shaved skin.

Chill: Face Moisturizer

A balm of Organic Coconut and Jojoba that leaves the skin feeling pure, refreshed and re-hydrated.

Relax: Body Cream

Indulge your body in a rich moisturizing glow.

Smoothe: Body Polish

Gently exfoliates for a peaceful recharge of your skin.

Nurture: Nursing Cream

Free of chemicals and Lanolin, this nipple cream is safe for baby.

Purify: Detoxifying Body Cream

Reinvigorates to restore the elasticity of your skin.

Caress: Moisturizing Cream

This cream will soothe and calm while nourishing your skin.

Breathe: Decongestant

A natural decongestant made from essential oils of Camphor, Pine, Eucalyptus,
Sage, Peppermint, Rosemary, and Wintergreen.

Heal: Infection Protection

This oil is anti-septic, anti-viral, anti-bacterial, and anti-fungal. Can be applied directly to the skin to clean and clear minor skin infections.

Erase: Scar Solution

This proprietary recipe is superconcetrated elixir to heal, fade and diminish scars. VedaRx’s premium product.

Console: Ear Defense

This popular oil is made from fresh hand picked Mullein flowers. It is one of the most popular oils used to help fend off ear infections and pain without the use of antibiotics.

Cradle Clear: Scalp Relief

The ultimate effective relief of cradle cap. Warm the oil slightly, and gently rub a small amount into the scalp: leave on overnight and gently brush away the residue in the morning.

Relieve: Pain Reducer

Use for sprains, bruises and other injuries to prevent, relieve and reduce swelling, bruises and pain. Absorbs well, and soothing to the skin.

ADHD can manifest as inattention and/or hyperactive-impulsive behavior. Although some children who have ADHD tend more toward one category than the other, most children have some combination of inattention and hyperactive-impulsive behavior. Signs and symptoms of ADHD become more obvious when the child is engaged in activities that require focused mental effort.

According to the Mayo Clinic the important Signs and symptoms of inattention include:

• Often fails to pay close attention to details or makes careless mistakes in schoolwork or other activities
• Often has trouble sustaining attention during tasks or play
• Seems not to listen even when spoken to directly
• Has difficulty following through on instructions and often fails to finish schoolwork, chores or other tasks
• Often has problems organizing tasks or activities
• Avoids or dislikes tasks that require sustained mental effort, such as schoolwork or homework
• Frequently loses needed items, such as books, pencils, toys or tools
• Can be easily distracted
• Often forgetful

Signs and symptoms of hyperactive and impulsive behavior may include:
• Fidgets or squirms frequently
• Often leaves his or her seat in the classroom or in other situations when remaining seated is expected
• Often runs or climbs excessively when it’s not appropriate or, if an adolescent, might constantly feel restless
• Frequently has difficulty playing quietly
• Always seems on the go
• Talks excessively
• Blurts out the answers before questions have been completely asked
• Frequently has difficulty waiting for his or her turn
• Often interrupts or intrudes on others’ conversations or games

CAUSES:
As a parent, we tend to blame ourselves for everything that disturbs our child. But according to the latest research, the vulnerability to ADHD is more likely to be inherited than due to parenting skills.
In fact, brain scans have revealed that there appears to be less activity in the areas of the brain that control activity and attention. Furthermore, ADHD tends to run in families since about 25% of children with ADHD have at least one relative with the disorder.
Toxic exposures have also been linked to ADHD. Pregnant women who smoke are apparently at increased risk of having children with ADHD. Exposure to lead, which is found mainly in paint and pipes in older buildings, has been linked to disruptive and even violent behavior and to a short attention span. Many environmental toxins including PCBs have also been linked to an increase risk of ADHD .Other risk factors include prematurity, hyperthyroidism, and behavioral disorders.
Unfortunately, children with ADHD are at risk for academic failure and low self-esteem. They are also more prone to accidents and injuries than other children, and, as they get older, are at an increased risk of alcohol and drug abuse, anxiety and/or depression and delinquent or oppositional behavior. Learning disabilities are also common in children with ADHD. Surprisingly, gifted learners also get ADHD more often than do other children.
Some parenting tips that can help alleviate the symptoms:

• Be affectionate and patient: Compliment your child on a daily basis and focus on the positive things they have accomplished in their day to help boost their self esteem as well as their confidence.try to be patient even when they are frustratingly hyperactive and inattentive- remember that they are struggling too.
• Be appreciative: Try to have realistic expectations and accept and appreciate your child by spending quality time doing something every day that you both can enjoy together.
• Be organized and structured: Use a big calendar to mark the week’s schedule so your child can visualize the plans for the week and start to feel more in control. Put stickers on days that mark a change in the usual routine. Make sure there is a quiet place to do homework without distraction.Try to keep your child on a routine, especially after school until bedtime. It is important for your child to get enough sleep because exhaustion makes ADHD symptoms worse..

EVALUATION:
The most important pieces of information to bring with you to the evaluations are:

• symptoms that you notice both at home or at school.
• any major stresses or recent life changes.
• Your child’s typical diet
• Your child’s typical schedule including sleep schedule
• all medications, as well as any vitamins or supplements, that your child is taking.
• Any other health conditions
• When did you first notice your child’s behavior issues or other symptoms?
• Are your child’s symptoms continuous, or intermittent?
• What seems to make your child’s symptoms worse or better

Unfortunately, there is not an absolute test to diagnose ADHD, but, according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM published by the American Psychiatric Association, a child must have six or more signs and symptoms from one of the two categories below (or, six or more signs and symptoms from each of the two categories).

Inattention
1. Often fails to give close attention to details or makes careless mistakes in schoolwork other activities
2. Often has difficulty sustaining attention in tasks or play activities
3. Often does not seem to listen when spoken to directly
4. Often does not follow through on instructions and fails to finish schoolwork or chores (not due to oppositional behavior or failure to understand instructions)
5. Often has difficulty organizing tasks and activities
6. Often avoids, dislikes, or is reluctant to engage in tasks that require sustained mental effort(such as schoolwork or homework)
7. Often loses things necessary for tasks or activities (for example, toys, school assignments, pencils, books)
8. Is often easily distracted
9. Is often forgetful in daily activities

Hyperactivity and impulsivity
1. Often fidgets with hands or feet or squirms in seat
2. Often leaves seat in classroom or in other situations in which remaining seated is expected
3. Often runs about or climbs excessively in situations in which it is inappropriate
4. Often has difficulty playing or engaging in leisure activities quietly
5. Is often “on the go” or often acts as if “driven by a motor”
6. Often talks excessively
7. Often blurts out answers before questions have been completed
8. Often has difficulty awaiting turn
9. Often interrupts or intrudes on others (for example, butts into conversations or games)
10. In addition to having at least six symptoms from one of the two categories, a child with ADHD:
11. Has inattentive or hyperactive-impulsive signs and symptoms that caused impairment and were present before age 7
12. Has behaviors that aren’t normal for children the same age who don’t have ADHD
13. Has symptoms for at least six months
14. Has symptoms that impair school, home life or relationships in more than one setting (such as at home and at school)

MEDICATION: Currently, stimulant drugs (psychostimulants) and the nonstimulant medication atomoxetine (Strattera) are the most commonly prescribed medications for treating ADHD.

Stimulant medications for ADHD include:

• Methylphenidate (Ritalin, Concerta, Daytrana)
• Dextroamphetamine-amphetamine (Adderall)
• Dextroamphetamine (Dexedrine)

Although it seems counter-intuitive for a stimulant medication to help a hyperactive child, stimulants balance levels of the brain’s neurotransmitters. Unfortunately they also can cause a profound decrease in appetite and subsequent weight loss that can affect your child’s overall growth.

Nonstimulant medication?Atomoxetine (Strattera) is often a useful alternative to stimulant medications if they do not work or if they cause severe side effects atomoxetine may also reduce anxiety. However, Atomoxetine has been linked to rare side effects that include liver problems. In addition, some children and adolescents taking atomoxetine seem to have an increased risk of suicidal thinking.

In order to have your child properly evaluated, the first step is to consult with your pediatrician who can then refer you to the appropriate specialist, such as psychologist, psychiatrist or pediatric neurologist. Although it is never easy to think your child may be suffering from a disorder, the sooner it is addressed, evaluated and treated, the sooner you and your child will feel better.

Haiti continues to be a tragic place to attempt to help. I traveled there this relief effort with Project Medishare and assumed that things would have improved since my first trip in late January just after the quake, but to my sad surprise it seemed that things have only continued to be so very hard for the Haitian population and their caregivers.

“I am on the first night shift for all of pediatrics and its filthy and really unpleasant facilities but the children are dying of typhoid, malaria, TB, etc. The sleeping conditions are terrible- yet the families are thus far so amazingly cheerful and smiling..It is 100 degrees by 8 am and it has been so very busy- ambulances were screaming their way in here-a boy hit by a car, another one whose skull was smashed in by a rock, three year olds that weigh 15 pounds, a child who burned his hand off…and the hospital is filled with army cots where mothers lie with their babies with no food, no showers, just little sacks of their few belongings, and they lie there all day taking care of their sick kids cheek to jowl…no movies no stickers let alone toys. The kids break would break your hearts wanting to play, giggling, wandering around trying hard to survive with so very little and so very little hope”.

Moblepediatrics.org is working hard to raise funds for food and medical supplies-trying to get them all well enough to go back to their schools and a hope of a childhood- …Please please don’t forget to give what you can to the many wonderful projects in Haiti and elsewhere. Mobilepediatric.org is partnering with many organizations across the globe to support, honor and cherish children.

• Family Education: Healthy Snacks for Kids
• Kids Nutrition Simplified: The Food Guide Pyramid: A Recipe For Good Health & Nutrition
• Moms Team: Ten Nutrition Tips For Active Kids
• AgInfo.net: Greg Martin Child Nutrition A Big Deal
• Kids: Learn about nutrition
• United States Department of Agriculture: My Pyramid
• ivillage: Junk Food that Kids and Moms Will Love!
• The Times of India: Be a physically active parent
• Child Development Institute: Good Nutrition For Kids & Teens
• BAM: Cool Treats

Sun damage is caused by exposure to ultraviolet (UV) light. UV light is divided into three wavelength bands — ultraviolet A (UVA), ultraviolet B (UVB) and ultraviolet C (UVC). Only UVA and UVB rays reach the earth. Exposure to UV light accelerates the skins’s production of melanin to protect the skin’s deeper layers and creates the darker color of a “tan.” A suntan is actually your body’s way of blocking the UV rays to prevent deeper skin damage. The amount of melanin produced by any particular person in response to sun exposure varies based on their genetics so that some people are more susceptible to sunburn than others. Sun damage leads to wrinkling, freckling, hyper-pigmentation and skin cancer. Each year, more than 2 million people in the U.S. develop non-melanoma skin cancers, a more than 300 percent increase in skin cancer incidence since 1994, when rates were last estimated. Most of those cases are sun-related, according to the American Cancer Society.

Protection: What does SPF really mean?

Most dermatologists agree that SPF is very misleading because the numbers don’t translate logically. For example, an SPF of 30 is not twice as good as an SPF of 15- SPF of 15 blocks about 90 percent of UVB rays, and an SPF of 30 blocks about 95%. Most experts would agree that anything higher than an SPF of 30 doesn’t add much to the level of protection. So, the danger is that putting on a higher SPF may cause people to stay out in the sun longer. And SPF is not a measure of protection from UVA rays.
Unfortunately, the standards set for sunscreens still are far from perfect. For example, unlike European countries, the U.S. has no guidelines for UVA protection ( which can happen even through glass and all through the year) so consumers here have no way of judging what to do. Apparently, the FDA claims its sunscreen recommendations will be released in October 2010. But the Environmental Working Group, a non-profit organization that rates the safety and effectiveness of 1,700 sunscreen brands each year, claims that three out of five sunscreen formulas do not provide the protection promised on the label. And they report that “waterproof” and ‘sweat proof” and “all day” are simply not true.

How to protect your family: Sunscreen ingredients

1. Physical blockers:
Titanium dioxide and zinc oxide work by deflecting sunlight off skin. In high enough concentrations, (7 percent and up) they provide effective protection against both UVA and UVB rays. However, they usually leave a white film on skin, so many manufacturers use chemically engineered nanoparticles to make them invisible and there is no data to show the effect of these nanoparticles on your child’s health. Friends of the Earth, one group that has cited health and environmental concerns about nanoparticles, publishes a list of nano-free sunscreens

2. Chemical blockers:
Chemical blockers work by absorbing sunlight and vary in how much UVA and UVB protection they provide. Oxybenzone is the most common chemical blocker, but blocks only part of the UVA spectrum. Parsol 1789 is a good UVB blocker, and provides the most comprehensive UVA coverage. According to most dermatologists, Anthelios with mexoryl, a proprietary formula from LaRoche-Posay is considered to be the best sunscreen of all.

Remember these tips to prevent sun damage:

• 1. Apply sunscreen 30 minutes BEFORE going outside and reapply at least every two hours. Don’t forget that UV rays can penetrate through the clouds, so sunscreen is important even on hazy days.
• 2. Try to avoid the direct sun as much as possible between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.
• 3. Consider Sun-Protective clothing- there are many companies that make hats, tops pants and shorts for both children and adults.
• 4. Wear sunglasses with a manufacturer’s label that says the sunglasses block 99 percent or 100 percent of all UV light. Many children’s sunglasses are not UV protective so check the label carefully, and be sure they fit close to the face or have wraparound frames to block sunlight from all angles.

A must-have resource for the parent of any child who just doesn’t feel well…

It’s a frustrating treadmill: you take your child to the doctor for treatment of yet another ear infection, respiratory issue, tummy ache, or rash…. meanwhile the symptoms (and the treatments) can affect growth, susceptibility to infection, school performance, and energy levels. Yet within weeks, your child feels unwell again.

The Food Cure for Kids shows how minor changes to your child’s nutrition can have a real and lasting impact. Instead of prescribing elaborate dietary restrictions, pediatrician Natalie Geary and nutritionist Oz Garcia explain in straightforward terms how nutritional imbalances, food allergies, and dietary intolerance can dramatically affect a child’s health. With this book in hand, parents will be able to relate symptoms to diet, and take the right steps to
improve a child’s health.

Natalie Geary, MD, who has a private pediatric practice in New York City, regularly gives seminars and workshops on wellness and integrative health. She is the author of a popular blog, modernmums.com. Oz Garcia, PhD, an internationally renowned nutritional counselor and life extension specialist, is the author of Redesigning 50, Look and Feel Fabulous Forever, and The Balance. Both authors live in New York City.

When you go up to a food counter and see nutrition information listed there, does it influence what you order? How about what you order for your kids? A study published Monday found that parents who ordered for their children from a fast-food menu with calorie counts chose foods with fewer calories—20 percent fewer calories than parents who were not aware of the nutritional value.
Researchers at Children’s Research Institute in Seattle enlisted 99 parents who were split into two groups—a control group and an intervention group. They were then asked to select meals for themselves and their child from a McDonald’s menu. Both groups were given a menu with the same food options. The intervention group’s menu included nutrition information and the study found that this group ordered an average of 102 fewer calories than the parents in the control group.

If you’re a parent, you know that meals prepared at home are the best bet when it comes to healthy eating. But all parents know that fast food can be a quick and convenient choice at times—and who needs even more parental guilt? So the next time you’re at a fast-food restaurant, look for the nutrition information before you order. It will likely be posted on a chart on the wall or on the menu. If you can’t find it, ask the server or a manager to help. And talk to your kids about what you see there, comparing a grilled chicken sandwich to a double cheeseburger, for instance. Given that obesity has now surpassed smoking as the leading threat to our health, these conversations can lead your children to better eating habits and help them to make their own healthy decisions in the future.
—Ginger Skinner

This Article was posted in http://blogs.consumerreports.org/health/2010/01/nutrition-labels-influence-how-parents-order-healthier-fast-food-options-obesity-epidemic-.html, January 27, 2010 by Ginger Skinner