Articles

CHILDREN’S HEALTH

32% of Kids Take Dietary Supplements

SOURCE: Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, 2007; 161: 978-985

Garden of Healing®

October 2007

About a third of U.S. infants, children, and adolescents are taking vitamin and mineral dietary supplements, according to a study published last week.

Most adults in the United States take dietary supplements. Statistics show 57 percent of women and 47 percent of men take at least one dietary supplement.

A new report now shows 31.8% percent of American children age 18 years and younger take some type of dietary supplement, most often multivitamins and multiminerals. Professional groups emphasize diet as the best source of nutrients for children, but physicians may recommend supplements for certain children at risk of deficiency.

Researchers at the National Institutes of Health analyzed data from 10,136 children from 1999 to 2002.  The study was conducted using home interviews and a mobile examination center.  Findings include:

• Nearly 32 percent of children used dietary supplements in the previous 30 days including 11.9 percent of those younger than one year, 38.4 percent of children one to three years old, 40.6 percent of children ages four to eight years old, 28.9 percent of nine to 13-year-olds, and 25.7 percent of those ages 14 to 18 years.
• More non-Hispanic white and Mexican American children used supplements than non-Hispanic blacks.
• The use of supplements was associated with higher family income, a smoke-free environment, lower body mass index in children, and less daily television, video game or computer time.
• Underweight children or those at risk for being underweight were the most likely to take supplements.

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The authors conclude, “Dietary supplements provide a consistent daily source of nutrients for nearly one-third of U.S. children, yet individual and national-level estimates of nutrient intake rarely account for them. To truly assess the nutrient status and estimate the potential health risks of U.S. children, we must include nutrient intakes from dietary supplements as well as from food.”

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© 2007 Garden of Healing®.  All rights reserved.

NATURAL MEDICINE

Natural Remedies for Head Lice

Richard Harkness, Pharm, CDM, Natural Medicines Specialist

QUESTION:

Are there any herbal treatments for head lice?

ANSWER:

It’s that nit-picking back-to-school time again. Head lice make nests in the hair of what seems like a zillion kids each year.

The tiny, wingless insects, usually about the size of a sesame seed, feed on human blood.

They lay nits (eggs) that glue themselves to hair shafts close to the scalp.

Head lice may be spread by head-to-head contact with lice-infested individuals or transferred on clothes, combs, brushes or other items.

Herbal agents that have been used for head lice include pyrethrins, quassia, coconut oil, ylang ylang oil and anise.

Among these, pyrethrins have the best evidence for effectiveness and are included in several commonly used OTC head lice products (e.g., A-200, Pronto, Rid) along with other ingredients.

A topical spray containing a combination of anise, coconut oil, and ylang ylang oil (Hair Clean 123 Completely) and a tincture of Quassia applied to the scalp also appear to work.

Here are important lice facts:

• Head lice can crawl quickly but don’t jump or fly.
• They are more a nuisance than a health problem.
• Don’t blame Benji or Garfield. Pets are not a source of head lice.
• Getting head lice is not associated with poor hygiene, so no stigma need apply.

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Concerns have been raised that some forms of head lice have mutated into “super lice” and may be resistant to some of the active ingredients in over-the-counter head lice remedies.

However, Richard J. Pollack, PhD, public entomologist at the Harvard School of Public Health, believes that most lice infestations will respond to over-the-counter treatments containing permethrin (e.g., Nix) or pyrethrins (e.g., Rid).

Pollack points out that treatment failures can be traced to mistaken identification, faulty treatment procedures, or perhaps actual lice resistance.

The first step in treatment is to make sure someone has head lice to begin with, so that it’s not a case of “mistaken identity” such as dandruff flakes or hair spray droplets. Look for live lice scurrying about.

A common problem may be that the lice are killed, but their hatchable eggs are not. Eggs hatch within a few days and new lice emerge. If these eggs are not killed or removed, reinfestation can occur.

It’s unnecessary to be concerned about eggs that cannot hatch - those that are either empty (already hatched) or dead.

For more information, visit the Harvard School of Public Health Web site (www.hsph.harvard.edu/headlice.html). Near the bottom of that Web page are links to flowcharts with step-by-step instructions for managing presumed head lice infestations at home and at school. Included are close-up photos to help identify lice and their nits.

The National Pediculosis Association (www.headlice.org/) also provides useful information. The LiceMeister Comb, designed to remove nits and lice, is available from this organization.

Finally, note that itching may persist after successful treatment and should not be assumed to indicate treatment failure.

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© 2007 Richard Harkness. All rights reserved.

Richard Harkness is a consultant pharmacist, natural medicines specialist, and author of eight published books. Write him at 1224 King Henry Drive, Ocean Springs, MS 39564.

Richard Harkness, Pharm, CDM, Natural Medicines Specialist

Email Richard Harkness at: rharkn@aol.com

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FOOD AS MEDICINE

Story from BBC NEWS: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/6525237.stm