Are you feeding your child Cheerios? You Won't Want to Miss This Information

June 2011-So I haven't made a post here on this blog for quite some time, I guess mostly because I just let it slip away and sort of forgot about it! However, the first six months of 2011 were quite a journey from a medical stand point with my daughter! For those of you who personally know me and keep in touch with me from time to time are pretty aware of what we have been going through with little miss sweet cheeks! It all started in Mid January with random vomiting episodes. Since she had a head injury in January (my gut was telling me it wasn't related, just coincidental to the timing of the head injury), we made an appointment to see her Pediatrician to ensure it wasn't related to the injury! After an MRI, it was ruled out that it was NOT part of the head injury. Since I had made mention before the MRI was scheduled that I really felt it was something she was eating, I brought it up again to her Pediatrician. He recommended we go through a blood test for a food panel, which also was negative on everything they tested her for. This test is scored zero to five (0-5) with a 5 being a severe allergic reaction, thankfully she was a Zero on everything! However, this still left us without knowing what had caused the random episodes. We had cut out many things in which we felt could have been a factor in the vomiting and I was keeping a food journal (again, for those of you who know me well, know that I am a data driven person, so needed this food journal to try and find the link) since we had cut out these foods such as nuts and anything processed in a facility with nuts, this also included most cold cereals which I would keep in snack containers and bring with us when running errands. Instead what I was carrying around while running errands were frozen grapes and other things that I knew were good for her, but could also survive our warm days in AZ! We also quit giving her anything cold to drink on an empty stomach so with these changes made the vomiting stop. So when the blood work (which took us two weeks to get the results) came back showing negative, I really was a little surprised for the mere fact that we had cut things out and it had stopped! However, her Pediatrician recommended a skin test with the Allergy Dr. to ensure that they weren't missing anything, so we did just that and of course a NEGATIVE result. The next step was to be referred to a GI Dr. which I really wasn't on board with because I was able to make it stop with cutting out certain foods so figured I would slowly re-introduce them to see if anything made the vomiting come back at random! I also let her Pediatrician know that I really still feel it is absolutely something she is eating, so if we can figure that out and just avoid it then it will cease and I don't have to put her through all this testing. However, over the last three weeks we had a few more episodes of the random vomiting and since I hadn't stopped writing in the food journal, the common factor was Cheerios!!!! Yes, the most common toddler snack, you see it advertised everywhere and the majority of moms with little ones will most likely have a container of them in their diaper bag/purse etc. Please understand it is actually in MANY cereals, however, I have singled Cheerios out since it is a common toddler snack item. I then did a look at the ingredients and one in particular stood out that I didn't really like TRISODIUMPHOSPHATE, so I did a little research (I know you are all so surprised, considering research is practically a hobby for me) and low and behold this is EXACTLY what has been making her randomly vomit! Trisodium Phosphate is a HEAVY DUTY CLEANING agent! Yes, you read that right. It is used to clean toilets, in dishwasher soap etc.! It is also in many dairy products, which would explain why she can't handle most dairy! So I wanted to share with all of you what else I found out in my research so I am posting it below with where I found it! We need to spread the word quickly within the parenting community to BOYCOTT cheerios and anything else that has this ingredient! Interesting enough, one thing I found disturbing is this comment on one of the websites hosting information regarding Trisodium Phosphate: “While trisodium phosphate is not toxic per se, it is severely irritating to gastric mucosa." So it is a no wonder she was vomiting as a result of eating this. Also found on the website Medline, it lists other symptoms it can cause which she has also suffered from!

For me as a parent and also as someone who loves to research it has always been important to me that I utilize the Pediatrician more of a partner in my child's health, not as someone who should have all the answers just because they have a PHD! It is my responsibility as a parent to ensure that my child/ren's needs are met and enlist others (such as a Pediatrician, herbalist or other person)as I feel necessary to assist me in this journey of parenthood, afterall, they say it takes a village, right? My children are relying me (and their father, not someone else such as their pediatrician.) to ensure they have all they need to be cared for, loved and able to grow up healthy, happy and have an ability to know how to make choices and learn from mistakes, I am so glad that I invested my time to keep the food journal and continue to research to get to the bottom of what has been going on with my little sweet cheeks!

If you would also like to read about other ingredients in your foods please go to this website: http://www.mbm.net.au/health/296-385.htm

The definition is as follows:

potassium phosphate–noun Chemistry .

any of the three orthophosphates of potassium (potassiummonophosphate (K ₂ HPO ₄ ),

potassium diphosphate (KH ₂ PO ₄), and tripotassium phosphate (K ₃ PO ₄ ) ).

They are found in MANY other foods including Dairy which she has had issues with since birth, I had to cut out dairy when I was breastfeeding!

While trisodium phosphate is not toxic per se, it is severely irritating to gastric mucosa…again I find this statement interesting, it stating it isn’t toxic, yet clearly if there is such thing as Trisodium phosphate Poisoning, then it certainly shouldn’t be in our food.

Per the definition be cautious of these other ingredients as well!

Information on Trisodium Phosphate (TSP):

From Medline (http://www.nlm.nih.gov), here is what I found

Trisodium phosphate poisoning

Trisodium phosphate is a strong chemical.(yet it is in our food) Poisoning occurs if you accidentally swallow, breathe in, or spill large amounts of this substance on your skin.

This is for information only and not for use in the treatment or management of an actual poison exposure. If you have an exposure, you should call your local emergency number (such as 911) or theNational Poison Control Center at 1-800-222-1222.

Poisonous Ingredient

Trisodium phosphate

Where Found

• Some automatic dishwashing soaps
• Some toilet bowl cleaners
• Many industrial solvents and cleaners (hundreds to thousands of construction agents, flooring strippers, brick cleaners, cements, and many others)

Note: This list may not be all-inclusive.

Symptoms

• Airways and lungs
• Breathing difficulty (from inhalation)
• Coughing
• Throat swelling (which may also cause breathing difficulty)
• Eyes, ears, nose, and throat
• Severe pain in the throat
• Severe pain or burning in the nose, eyes, ears, lips, or tongue
• Vision loss
• Heart and blood
• Low blood pressure -- develops rapidly
• Collapse
• Severe change in blood acid level
• Skin
• Burns
• Hives
• Holes in the skin or underlying tissue
• Skin irritation
• Stomach and intestines
• Blood in the stool
• Burns of the esophagus (food pipe) and stomach
• Diarrhea
• Severe abdominal pain
• Vomiting (possibly bloody)

Home Care

Do NOT make a person throw up.

If the chemical is on the skin or in the eyes, flush with lots of water for at least 15 minutes.

If the chemical was swallowed, immediately give the person water or milk. Do NOT give water or milk if the patient is vomiting or has a decreased level of alertness.

If the person breathed in the poison, immediately move him or her to fresh air.

Before Calling Emergency

Determine the following information:

• The patient's age, weight, and condition
• The name of the product (ingredients and strengths, if known)
• The time it was swallowed
• The amount swallowed

Poison Control

The National Poison Control Center (1-800-222-1222) can be called from anywhere in the United States. This national hotline number will let you talk to experts in poisoning. They will give you further instructions.

This is a free and confidential service. All local poison control centers in the United States use this national number. You should call if you have any questions about poisoning or poison prevention. It does NOT need to be an emergency. You can call for any reason, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Take the container with you to the hospital, if possible.

Here is what I found on Wikipedia

Uses

Cleaning

The major use for trisodium phosphate is in cleaning agents. The pH of a 1% solution is 12, and the solution is sufficiently alkaline to saponify grease and oils. In combination with surfactants, TSP is an excellent agent for cleaning everything from laundry to concrete driveways. This versatility and low manufacturing price, made TSP the preferred basis for a plethora of cleaning products sold in the mid-20th century. TSP is still sold, and used, as a cleaning agent, but during the late 1960s in the United States, government regulators in seventeen states determined that overuse led to a series of ecological problems.

By the end of the 20th century, many products that formerly contained TSP are now manufactured with TSP Substitutes, which consist mainly of sodium carbonate along with various admixtures of nonionic surfactants and a limited percentage of sodium phosphates.

TSP is commonly used after cleaning with mineral spirits in order to remove hydrocarbon residues. TSP may be used with household chlorine bleach in the same solution without hazardous reactions. This mixture is particularly good for removing mildew.

Although it is still the active ingredient in some toilet bowl cleaning tablets, TSP is generally not good for cleaning bathrooms, because it can corrode metal and can damage grout. I find this last paragraph quite disturbing for the mere fact, that we found it to harsh for our pumps in our households, yet we use it as an additive in food as a “binding” agent or “flavor”.

Flux

In the United States, trisodium phosphate is an approved flux for use in hard soldering joints in medical grade copper plumbing. The flux is applied as a concentrated water solution and dissolves copper oxides at the temperature used in copper brazing. Residues are fully water soluble and can be rinsed out of plumbing before it is put in service.

TSP is used as an ingredient in fluxes designed to deoxygenate nonferrous metals for casting.

TSP can be used in ceramic production to lower the flow point of glazes.

Painting enhancement

TSP is still in common use for the cleaning, degreasing and deglossing of walls prior to painting. TSP breaks the gloss of oil based paints and opens the pores of latex based paint providing a surface better suited for the adhesion of the subsequent layer of paint. (“Yet again, we are using in foods?”)

Trisodium phosphate (TSP, E339) is a cleaning agent, food additive, stain remover and degreaser. It is a white, granular or crystalline solid, highly soluble in water producing an alkaline solution. The item of commerce is often partially hydrated and may range from anhydrous trisodium phosphate, Na₃PO₄, to the dodecahydrate,Na₃PO₄·12H₂O. Most often found in white powder form, it can also be called trisodium orthophosphate or just plain sodium phosphate. Trisodium phosphate was at one time extensively used in formulations for a wide variety of consumer grade soaps and detergents, but supposed ecological problems have largely ended that practice, at least in the western world. (Really, but we are going to put it in our food?) Though substitutes are not as effective, the raw chemical can be bought in bulk for addition to underpowered detergents.

Does Your Baby/Child Have Healthy Sleep Habits? Are they sleeping through the Night?

If your baby/child isn't sleeping through the night, I recommend reading the book "Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy child." I was given the book with my first one who is now 5 1/2 yrs. old. I didn't start reading it until he was about 5 mos. old and started using the techniques immediately. He was sleeping through the night by about 5 1/2 months. This time around I refreshed myself with the book during the last trimester of pregnancy in hopes that I could get this baby to start sleeping through the night much sooner! Lexi was born September 2009, she was calm and easy going from the minute she was born. Thankfully, neither of my babies had colic, feel so blessed on that one! Within her first weeks of birth she was giving me 4.5-6 hours of sleep for her first stretch at night. By the time she was 8 weeks she was consistantly giving me 7 hours for her first stretch of sleep at night. Around 10 weeks we started to struggle with her naps during the day, she was fighting them and I couldnt' figure out why. Therefore, I got out my book "Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child" and refreshed the nap section and sure enough, I was waiting too long to put her down for her nap and therefore, she was overtired. Changed what we were doing to ensure that she was not having more than two (2) hours of wakefulness at a time. This does NOT mean wait until two hours after she just woke up to put her down, but to have her down in her before that two hour mark so that she could put herself to sleep. Alas, it worked and she was no longer fighting her naps and was going to bed at the recommended time of 6 PM. By 12 weeks/3mos., she is now sleeping through the night, 6 PM-6 AM and it is wonderful! The basics of this book are as follows:

*Babies Can't handle more than two (2) hours of wakefulness

*Bedtime needs to be around 6-6:30 PM

*Sleep Begets Sleep

No time is too late to start, if your little one is no longer a newborn, but still not sleeping through the night, get this book and within a few nights you will have them on track....the older they are the more of a challenge those first few nights will most likely be, but stick with it and I am confident that you will be happy with the end result!

Are you familiar with the Benefits of Infant Massage?

Haven't posted in awhile, so figured I would post this time about something I feel very passionate about...Infant Massage! Below is just a few benefits of infant massage between parent/caregiver and the baby. I am posting my website for you to check out more benefits of this wonderful opportunity. Please log onto www.nurtured-touch.com to learn more and/or book a class.

*Increase weight gain (great for premature babies)-related to increase in secretion of growth hormone

*Strengthens Immune system by increase in production of white blood cells

*Increases relaxation-enhances neuro development by speeding myelination of brain and nervous system, therefore improving brain-body communication enhancing neural cell firing

*Increase in body and sensory awareness resulting in increased exploration and muscle tone.

Diapers-Better for Baby, baby for our Planet! Plus a convenient way of shopping for these Diapers

This time around, I had done quite a bit of research on a diaper that would be better for our environment, better for my baby girl and yet still the convenience of a disposable. I purchased both the Seventh Generation as well as the Nature Care Baby and I am really liking both. At first glance I didn't think I was going to like the Seventh Generation solely based on the look of it. However, much to my surprise I am loving it and wow it does a great job of holding everything in. Lexi is now 6 weeks old and she hasn't leaked out of the diaper even one time. The Nature Care Baby are great as well, however, she did leak out of it one time, but I don't fault the diaper as I think she would have leaked out no matter which diaper she had on. :-) As far as the baby wiapes, I am liking the Nature Care Baby Wipes the best, didn't really care for the seventh generation ones as they seem a little on the dry side. Also, have been buying these diapers on Diapers.com, it is free shipping and overall less expensive then purchasing them at a local store. Not to mention the Nature Care baby diapers aren't available in any store. At one time they were available at Target, but not anymore. Diapers.com is really on top of their shipping as well, everytime that I have ordered the diapers have come the next day, even though they state that it will take two days, it never has taken the two days (and even if it did, that is still quick).

Are you a breastfeeding Mom?

I wanted to share with anyone who is currently breastfeeding, has friends that are, are currently expecting and plan to breastfeed or maybe need a great breastfeeding gift for someone...this fabulous product that I have come across. It is called the Milkies Milk Saver. I discovered it by accident during my most recent pregnancy with Lexi. Lexi is now 5 1/2 weeks old and I have used it quite a bit and absolutely love it. You use it on the opposite side that the baby is nursing from and it catches the milk during the let down phase. Therefore, it keeps it from going to waste into a nursing pad and viola you get to start building your milk supply and haven't even used a pump, not to mention the time you are saving since you are already feeding baby. I will still begin pumping in the next week or so to help build my supply up even more as I will be returning to work part time the beginning of December. However, if you are a stay at home mom, I feel this is such a great product that you could quite possibly save yourself the expense of a breast pump. The first two days that I used the Milkie I was able to store about 24 oz. of milk, wow that is quite a bit of milk that would have just gone to waste. Now I will admit that I have a really strong milk supply and of course the results from one person to the next are going to vary. However, according to the milkie milk saver website, most women release 2-4 oz. during the let down phase. I have had times that it has been close to 4 oz., but on average, for me it is about 3 oz. each time I use it. I have become a little lazy with it, so I haven't been using it at every feeding, but still have built up a pretty good stock in the freezer without any pumping. :-) I actually just leave it on the other breast until she is done feeding as I continue to drip even after the let down phase and this way some of the hind (the more fatty milk) is going in there too. Check out the milkie milk saver online at http://www.mymilkies.com/. I have also included a photo here.