THE TRUTH ABOUT ASTHMA

Asthma is a respiratory condition marked by spasms in the bronchi of the lungs, causing difficulty in breathing. It usually results from an allergic reaction or other forms of hypersensitivity. Symptoms of Asthma include wheezing (a hissing sound while breathing), tightness of the chest, hard to breathe, and coughing. People with asthma can relate with these symptoms most of the time, during the night and the early morning. An Asthma attack is when these symptoms are worse than usual. An asthma attack allows enough air to get into your lungs, but it does not let the carbon dioxide leave the lungs fast enough. During a prolonged Asthma attack, Carbon Dioxide is harmful, dangerous  and can build up in the lungs, decreasing the oxygen getting into your bloodstream.  It can be deadly.

Asthma affects 300 million people in the world and more than 22 million in the United States. Although people of all ages suffer from the asthma, it usually starts at a young age, currently affecting 6 million children in the US. So what causes it? Here are a few factors that trigger Asthma:

• For children at risk – Children with asthma may have started if they were born with low birth weight and/or exposed to cigarette smoke. Most children first present symptoms around 5 years of age, generally beginning with  wheezing and  respiratory infections.
• Allergies – Common sources of allergens include dog/cat hair, dust mites, cockroaches and fungi. Some people who have allergic rhinitis may also develop asthma.
• Cigarette Smoking – Smoking has been connected to a higher risk of asthma as well as a higher risk of death due to asthma, wheezing, and respiratory infections.
• Environmental Factors – Weather changes have been known to stimulate Asthma. Cold air can lead to airway congestion and humidity causes breathing difficulties as well.
• Stress - Part of this may be explained by increases in asthma-related behaviors such as smoking that are encouraged by stress. However, recent research has suggested that the immune system is modified by stress as well.

This is not a complete list however, we recommend that you pay your doctor a visit to find out what causes your asthma attacks and how you can manage it.   

Asthma cannot be cured but with good treatment and management, there is no reason why a person that has asthma cannot live a normal and active life. If you would like to learn more about Asthma and would want a breath of fresh air, click on this link.

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Health, Safety, and Nutrition for the Young Child

Health, Safety and Nutrition for The Young Child 8^th Edition written by Lynn R Marotz, covers the contemporary health, safety, and nutrition needs of infant through school-age children in one comprehensive volume, with extensive coverage of topics critical to the early identification of children’s health conditions and the promotion of children’s well-being. Health, Safety and Nutrition for The Young Child 8^th Edition was published last 2011 (First edition was released 1989) and has a total number of 576 pages. This book has a lot of good information on how to encourage healthy lifestyles for young children and would really help especially if you’re a parent, teacher or anyone that has to do something with children. With a special section on child abuse and maltreatment, Health, Safety and Nutrition for The Young Child focuses on their safety, with its clear and simple language, is easy to understand. For reference, this book by Marotz also includes important guidelines and easy-to-access checklists. 

Here are the topics discussed in the book:

UNIT 1. HEALTH, SAFETY, AND NUTRITION. AN INTRODUCTION. 1. Interrelationship of Health, Safety, and Nutrition.

UNIT 2. HEALTH OF THE YOUNG CHILD. MAXIMIZING THE CHILD'S POTENTIAL. 2. Health Appraisals. 3. Health Assessment Tools. 4. Medical Conditions Affecting Children's Health. 5. The Infectious Process and Effective Control. 6. Communicable and Acute Illness. Identification and Management.

UNIT 3. SAFETY FOR THE YOUNG CHILD. 7. Creating Quality Environments. 8. Safety Management. 9. Management of Acute Illness and Injuries. 10. Child Abuse and Neglect. 11. Planning for Children's Health and Safety Education.

UNIT 4. BASIC CONCEPTS OF FOODS AND NUTRIENTS. 12. Nutritional Guidelines. 13. Nutrients that Provide Energy (Carbohydrates, Fats, and Proteins. 14. Nutrients that Promote Growth of Body Tissues (Proteins, Minerals, and Water). 15. Nutrients that Regulate Body Functions (Vitamins, Minerals, Proteins, and Water).

UNIT 5. NUTRITION AND THE YOUNG CHILD. 16. Infant Feeding. 17. Feeding the Toddler and Preschool Child. 18. Planning and Serving Nutritious and Economical Meals. 19. Food Safety. 20. Nutrition Education Concepts and Activities.

About the Author

Lynn R. Marotz (Ph.D., M.Ed., B.S.N.) served as the health and safety coordinator and associate director of the Edna A. Hill Child Development Center (University of Kansas) for 35 years. She has worked closely with students in the Early Childhood teacher education program and taught undergraduate and graduate courses in the Department of Applied Behavioral Science, including issues in parenting, health/safety/nutrition for the young child, administration, and foundations of early childhood education. She provides frequent in-service training in first aid, safety, child abuse, and identification of children's health problems for early childhood students and community educators. In addition to authoring invited chapters in many publications and law books, she is the co-author of DEVELOPMENTAL PROFILES: PRE-BIRTH THROUGH ADOLESCENCE, MOTIVATIONAL LEADERSHIP IN EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION, and BY THE AGES (all from Cengage Learning). Her research activities focus on childhood obesity and children's health, safety, and nutrition. She has presented extensively at international, national, and state conferences and held appointments on national, state, and local committees and initiatives that advocate on the behalf of children and families. 

If you're interested to know more about Health, Safety, and Nutrition for the Young Child, click on this link.

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