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Health briefs

By From staff and Times wire
Published March 22, 2005

GOVERNMENT STATISTICS show that nine out of 10 child seats are not correctly installed in cars. A new seat, the TattleTale Smart Child Seat, will alert you if it is improperly installed in the car, if your child is sitting improperly and if your child's buckle is undone. If something is wrong, this smart seat has five messages that are activated. The seats are convertible from infant to toddler seats for children from 5 to 40 pounds and have a five-point harness. They retail for $169 to $229. For more information, visit www.smartchildseat.com or call toll-free 1-888-372-0622.

SIXTEEN BAY AREA Lifestyle Family Fitness centers will host a blood drive March 28 at various times and locations. For a list of locations log on to www.lff.com or call toll-free 1-800-543-3783.

TAKING EXTRA CALCIUM can contribute to the formation of kidney stones in some people, according to researchers at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas. People with calcium oxalate or calcium phosphate kidney stones should not take extra calcium on their own, as suggested by previous guidelines, researchers said. Patients should check with their doctors to determine the dietary guidelines that work best for them. Earlier studies downplayed the significance of calcium and even encouraged some patients to increase their intake. But the new studies show that urinary calcium - the amount in a person's urine - is an important contributing factor in forming calcium oxalate or calcium phosphate kidney stones.

EAR INFECTIONS ARE common in kids and can do serious damage if not treated promptly. If left untreated, an ear infection may spread to the inner ear, damaging the eardrum, ear bones and inner-ear structure, and it can cause permanent hearing loss. It's important to be able to detect an ear infection and consult a doctor for treatment:

Infection warning signs: An ear infection often begins with a respiratory infection, such as a cold. An infection occurs when fluid builds up behind the eardrum and is unable to drain through the swollen eustachian tube.

Babies may rub or tug at their ears when they have ear infections. Older children may complain about ear pain, a feeling of fullness or pressure in the ear, or hearing loss. Other symptoms include fever, irritability, sleeplessness, loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting, and a stuffy or runny nose. A child or infant with an ear infection may also have discharge in the ear. If the ear is draining, take your child to a doctor as soon as possible. A draining ear can signal a ruptured eardrum.

Ear infection treatment: Over-the-counter medicines such as antihistamine and decongestants can help relieve the pain and discomfort. (Never give a child aspirin.) Also, never put eardrops or ointment of any kind into the ear canal unless instructed to do so by a doctor; eardrops should never be used if there is drainage coming from the ear. A physician may also prescribe antibiotics as a preventive treatment for recurring ear infections in children.

[Last modified March 21, 2005, 13:24:02]