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IKEA Canada has initiated a recall for repair action on its Sniglar crib for infants. There have been no reported cases of injury.

The four bolts provided to secure the mattress support are not long enough. This can cause the mattress support to detach and collapse, creating a risk of entrapment and suffocation to a child in the crib.

About 6,000 cribs have been sold in Canada. Customers can contact IKEA for a free repair kit for recalled cribs or return the crib for a full refund.

The federal government said Tuesday it will place new restrictions on the use of six phthalates in children’s toys and some child-care products.

Phthalates are chemicals used to make polyvinyl chloride — a type of plastic — flexible. They are also used to hold colour and scents in certain products. Sometimes referred to as plasticizers, phthalates can be found in a wide range of consumer products, including perfumes, nail polish, vinyl floors, detergents, lubricants, food packaging, soap, paint, shampoo, toys, air fresheners and plastic bags.

There is no immediate health risk from the chemicals, Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq told a news conference in Ottawa.

“But we are concerned about the long-term effects they could have on children when the soft vinyl is sucked or chewed — like a bib or a rubber duck for instance,” Aglukkaq said. “Research shows that exposure to even low levels of certain phthalates can affect a child’s development and behaviour.”

The regulations will help ensure that children’s toys and child-care articles imported, sold or advertised in Canada do not present a risk of phthalate exposure to young children, Aglukkaq added.

The new rules are an expansion of restrictions in Canada and follow similar moves in the United States. The European Union adopted more severe restrictions in 1999.

In force in June

Some medical research has suggested phthalates may have feminizing properties in humans, while other research has said phthalates might be linked with abdominal obesity and insulin resistance in men.

The new restrictions will limit the allowable concentrations of DEHP, DBP and BBP to no more than 1,000 milligrams per kilogram in the soft vinyl of all children’s toys and child-care products. They will also restrict the permitted concentrations of DINP, DIDP and DNOP to no more than 1,000 mg/kg in the same products where children under four years old might put the soft vinyl in their mouths.

The new restrictions come into force on June 10.

In 1998, Health Canada asked industry to voluntarily stop marketing soft vinyl “buccal” products — those meant to be put in the mouths of young children, such as pacifiers, teethers, rattles and baby bottle nipples — in Canada if they contained the phthalates DINP and DEHP.

However, the government subsequently found soft vinyl toys and child-care articles on the market that contained phthalates but were not covered by the voluntary ban.

Rick Smith, the executive director of Environmental Defence Canada, applauded the Canadian government’s latest move to bring the country’s measures in line with the U.S. and European Union.

New Democrat Glenn Thibeault, the party’s consumer protection critic, called on Ottawa to devote enough resources to protect children through proper monitoring and enforcement of the latest prohibition.

The federal government said it will use about 30 more inspectors to check for harmful chemicals including phthalates.

Since 2009, any children’s product sold or distributed in California has not been able to contain more than one-tenth of one per cent of phthalates. The European Union has outlawed the use of DEHP, DBP and BBP in children’s products. DINP, DNOP and DIDP are also banned in toys that children under the age of three might put in their mouths.

After the ban takes effect, manufacturers who don’t comply could face fines as high as $5 million.

There is an old saying that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. This of course refers to our health and well being since by making healthier lifestyle choices, we can improve our quality of life and greatly reduce our chances of becoming sick.

In our busy lifestyles, we find ourselves increasingly sedentary and spending more and more time in front of computers or on our smart phones/media devices etc.

However, all this lack of interacting with the real world has been linked to diabetes, heart disease, depression and a host of other illnesses of both body and mind. The best way of preventing this has been shown to involve simply getting out and visiting green spaces such as parks, gardens, and other natural environments.

By interacting more with our world we are essentially improving the health of our selves both physically and mentally, which in turn helps fight off illness and depression. It is well known that people who are constantly stressed out are more likely to catch ailments whether it is physical or even mental since our minds and bodies are both intimately involved in our health and too much stress can weaken the immune system.

As a result, doing things such as visiting the park, socializing with others, spending time with family and friends, and exercise will all have beneficial effects on our health. As an added bonus, many of these activities are free and so will have minimal effect on ones finances, making it much more accessible.

With health care such an important issue, prevention is starting to look all the more tantalizing since, after all, people would rather avoid becoming sick or depressed instead of having to find treatment once it happens. Spending some time with the natural world has been making its way back into people’s minds because of its ability to improve people’s outlook on life, and improve the emotional state of the ill, which in turn can help the healing process.

Research carried out by researcher Dr. Roger Ulrich had found that surgery patients who’s beds had a view of nature, such as trees, rivers, mountains etc had a faster rate of healing compared to those who could only see buildings and walls. In fact, more and more doctors are beginning to prescribe simply getting out and around nature, as a growing number of research studies are discovering the positive effects of spending time with the natural world and taking in some natural light.

All of these discoveries are also influencing the design of hospitals all over the world. A field referred to as evidence based design in health care architecture, involves taking these new findings and implementing them in the build and layout of hospitals and clinics; such as more natural light, reducing noise, and increased view of nature and gardens, all for the purpose helping the healing process. In addition, providing comfortable and positive spaces for family and friends of patients will also help heal as it fosters interaction and support for one another by alleviating stress for patients, family/friends, and hospital staff as well.

Further Reading:

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/30/health/30brody.html?_r=1&ref=health

http://www.webmd.com/depression/guide/exercise-depression

http://www.asianhhm.com/healthcare_management/hospitals_heal.htm

ctvedmonton.ca

Parents are being advised to keep a close eye out for some toxic kids’ jewelry after the federal health minister admits a harmful chemical has been found in certain imported children’s jewelry.

There are concerns that jewelry made with high levels of cadmium — a metallic element used in paint, batteries, and now in some forms of jewelry — could lead to some health risks.

Health Minister Leona Aglukkaq says simply wearing the jewelry won’t make children sick, but there are concerns if a child were to suck, chew or swallow a piece.

“Then there could be serious affects to their health,” she said.

Health Canada’s studies reveal nearly one-third of costume jewelry on the Canadian market contained cadmium.

And while the minister says she is concerned, current laws don’t allow her to issue a recall on products, only a request to voluntarily stop producing, making and selling the jewelry.

But that’s not enough for this concerned mother who is upset Health Canada isn’t providing a detailed description of the potentially toxic products.

“They should definitely have a list of exactly what so that we could make the decision our self as a parent to allow our child to wear something like that or not,” said Nora St. Jean.

With files from Susan Amerongen

By ANAHAD O’CONNOR

Published: October 4, 2010 (New York Times)

THE FACTS The prospect of ingesting pesticides and other contaminants can make supermarket produce seem less than appetizing. Buying organic lowers the risk, but is no guarantee against food-borne pathogens

Scientists have found some effective household measures that can eliminate germs and pesticides. The simplest? Rinsing with tap water, which works as well as a mild soap solution or fruit and vegetable washes.

In studies at the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station in 2000, for example, scientists compared pesticide removal methods on 196 samples of lettuce, strawberries and tomatoes. Some were rinsed under tap water for a minute; others were treated with either a 1 percent solution of Palmolive or a fruit and vegetable wash. Tap water “significantly reduced” residues of 9 of 12 pesticides, and it worked as well as soap and wash products, the studies found.

Water temperature was not the key; friction was. “The mechanical action of rubbing the produce under tap water is likely responsible for removing pesticide residues,” scientists wrote.

For micro-organisms, try rinsing produce with a mild solution of vinegar, about 10 percent. In a 2003 study at the University of Florida, researchers tested disinfectants on strawberries contaminated with E. coli and other germs. They found the vinegar mixture reduced bacteria by 90 percent and viruses by about 95 percent.

THE BOTTOM LINE To remove pesticides and germs, rinse produce with a vinegar solution, then wash with tap water for at least 30 seconds.

ANAHAD O’CONNOR scitimes@nytimes.com

It was originally assumed that the brain goes through its development only when we are young and then becomes fixed in our older years, meaning that any damage or decline to the brain could not be treated and that we’re stuck with what we got. However, scientists have discovered that the brain is in fact highly flexible and can rewire itself and even grow new cells to compensate for injuries or general decline, regardless of ones age.

This amazing feat is called “Neuroplasticity” by scientists and has been shown to help those who have suffered brain damage from afflictions such as stroke by getting the brain to use its natural ability to reassign lost functions to healthier parts of the brain. Basically, it means that we can restore some of our lost mental functions, such as memory and focus, even in old age. In fact, experiments have shown that even our thoughts can influence the way our brains develop and function, along with the fact that learning new things benefits us by strengthening the connections between existing neurons and can even activate our genes to grow new brain cells.

A company called “Posit Science” has been using video game like software programs that help children as well as adults who are suffering from learning disorders, difficulty with memories and various other conditions, improve their cognitive capacities. There is also a school particularly for children, called “Arrowsmith School” that has developed a program that helps students improve their learning abilities.  In all, this new understanding of the brain provides hope for those who have been affected by brain damage or are simply looking to improve their ability to focus and learn.

Further Reading: “The Brain That Changes Itself“ Norman Doidge.

http://www.cbc.ca/technology/story/2010/09/14/f-videogames-brain-fitness.html

Posit Science Website: http://www.positscience.com/

Arrowsmith School Website: http://www.arrowsmithschool.org/

Q. Why do they tell you to drink extra fluids when you are sick? Does it really do any good?

A. Drinking extra water or other fluids can help a sick person, but not by flushing the germs from the bloodstream, as many people have been led to believe.

Fluids are recommended to keep a person hydrated when sick, said Dr. Shari Midoneck, an internist at the Iris Cantor Women’s Health Center of NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center.

Someone with a fever or diarrhea or someone who is vomiting is losing fluids that need to be replaced, she said. A patient who does not drink enough fluids to replace the losses can become hypotensive, meaning that the blood pressure is abnormally low, and the person can, in severe cases, pass out.

“But the fluids do not flush out bacteria or viruses in your blood,” she said. “Only antibiotics or time can do that.”

That does not mean that the cleansing power of fluids is not important, Dr. Midoneck said, particularly in specific kinds of infection.

“In the case of urinary tract infections,” she said, “drinking a lot of fluids will keep things moving through the urinary tract and could potentially prevent infection by flushing away bacteria that could have adhered to the wall of the bladder.”

C. CLAIBORNE RAY

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/21/science/21qna.html?_r=1&ref=health