Wednesday, June 8, 2011


Let's get healthy! in a SUPER SIMPLIFIED, 

"BOTTOM-LINE-" MANNER!


Let's Classify by Age (Speaking of the USA only):

A.Pre birth
B.Birth
C. Age 1-25 
  • Special Social Issues Covered in Detail for the Adolescent and Young adult (some overlap with the 25-50 age group);
 D. Age 26-49
E. Age 50-75 and beyond!


Let's subclassify by LIFE CATEGORIES THAT  COMPRISE "HEALTH" (Speaking of the USA only):

I.Physical
II.Social
III.Mental

Let's GO!

 A.Pre birth
I.Physical
1. Pregnancy
(ref  authority is Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists  ) Best age to have child is 20-35; optimal is 30; After age 35 there are risks of

2.Down's /other birth related issues

Down Syndrome. At age 35, the risk of Down Syndrome is roughly 0.8%, according to the Southern California Center for Reproductive Medicine. By the age of 40 the risk of a child being born with some sort of genetic abnormality is as high as 3%. Women over the age of 45 are urged to be more careful with their pregnancies as the risk of having a child with a genetic abnormality skyrockets to 1/8.

What if am pregnant with a possible baby with a birth defect? Here is what happens..by an authority

Other.
Aside from Down's the miscarriage rate is around 1 in 8 for all age groups

3.  Before conceiving; Prenatal vitamins and prenatal care are KEY;

What can I do before pregnancy to increase my chances of having a healthy baby?

  • See your health care provider for a preconception care checkup (
  • Eat a healthy diet.
  • Take 400 micrograms (0.4 mg) of folic acid daily for at least 1 month before pregnancy and during pregnancy to help reduce the risk of having a baby with a neural tube defect.
  • Exercise regularly.
  • Lose weight if you are overweight or obese.
  • Stop smoking, drinking alcohol, and taking illegal drugs.(risk is 1 in 8 of a birth defect if you drink or smoke at all!)
  • Avoid contact with substances in your home or workplace that could be harmful during pregnancy.
 Here is the authority on the rest of that ACOG.

4. What about the "Zika Virus?"
Here is the authority in case you need more details

a. When did you get infected?
Answer: You must get infected within 90 days of being diagnosed as pregnant.

b. If "yes," to the above, then your chance of having a baby with a small brain is
3% 

c.If you were NOT pregnant, and acquired Zika BEFORE getting pregnant, you are in the clear
i.e., within 3 weeks, you'll get immunity, and will be protected for your future pregnancy against Zika!

II.Social

1. What percentage of women age 15-50 do not currently have kids?
Answer: 50%; here is the authority

III.Mental

1. What is the percentage of couples that are happier with kids, vs without?

Answer: It is equal. That means that those with children, are just as happy as those without children.

2. But is there any difference per se between those couples with vs those without kids?
Answer: 
(Ref the authority is The Princeton-Stony Brook study) - However, parents tend to experience more "highs and lows," than non-parents.

____________________________________________________________________________
B.Birth

Let's subclassify by LIFE CATEGORIES THAT COMPRISE "HEALTH" (Speaking of the USA only):

I.Physical
II.Social
III.Mental

I. Physical
1. Newborn-Premature babies
This is the main category of serious illness. 1/8 babies will be premature.
But it is very serious, usually only if it is  earlier than a 32 week-pregnancy.
Here is the authority
How does one prevent this?- see above AI3 
(RE; see 'What can I do before pregnancy to increase my chances of having a healthy baby?..')
2. Newborn-normal dated pregancy (7/8 risk)
What are some conditions in a normal term baby?

  • Birth Defects (see above- 3% rate)
  • Birth Injuries (3%)
  • Jaundice (7/8 get it, but usually if born before the 37th week; and if it does occur, it is only serious in 3%)
  • Hypoglycemia (low sugar in the newborn)  (3%)
  • Transient Tachypnea of the Newborn (temporary breathing issues) (3% rate)
  • Thrush -whitish curdy tongue coating-easily treatable with an antibiotic

Here is an authority, if one of these should occur

3.What is my normal newborn baby's first physical exam like?
Answer.

  • ·         Birth Weight
  • ·         Cord Blood Banking
  • ·         Eye Treatment
  • ·         Hearing Screening
  • ·         Newborn Checkups
  • ·         Newborn Exam
  • ·         Newborn Screening
  • ·         Vitamin K Injectiom
 Here is the authority
 
4. Immunizations by age (includes young adults)

-Birth to 15 Months
  • Hepatitis B1 (HepB)        
  • Rotavirus2 (RV)
  • RV1 (2-dose series); RV5 (3-dose series)                                                                               
  • Diphtheria, tetanus, & acellular pertussis3 (DTaP: <7 yrs)                                             
  • Haemophilus influenzae type b4 (Hib)                                                 ,
  • Pneumococcal conjugate5 (PCV13)                                        
  • Inactivated poliovirus6 (IPV:<18 yrs)                                     
  • Influenza7 (IIV; LAIV)                          
  • Measles, mumps, rubella8 (MMR)                                                                         
  • Varicella9 (VAR)                                                                                                              
  • Hepatitis A10 (HepA)                                                                                      
  • Meningococcal11
  • Tetanus, diphtheria, & acellular pertussis12 (Tdap: ≥7 yrs)                                                                                                                        
  • Human papillomavirus13 (2vHPV:females only; 4vHPV, 9vHPV:males and females)                                                                                                                            
  • Meningococcal B11                                                                                                                         
  • Pneumococcal polysaccharide5 (PPSV23)
Here is the authority

    • What about the actual risks?
  • Dtap/IPV/Hib: redness and swelling at injection site-mild: 1/8 develop it
  • MMR; fever in 1/8; 3% get temporary swollen glands; 1/100,000 will get a serious low blood clotting factor count, that is still treatable; BUT NO AUTISM has been found to be associated (REF see authority2 below)
  • Varicella (chicken pox) fever in 1/8; rash in 1/8; 1/100,000 will get a post-vaccine shingles symdrome

-Children age 4 months through 6 years

  • Hepatitis B1       
  • Rotavirus2                               
  • Diphtheria, tetanus, & acellular pertussis3            
  • Haemophilus influenzae type b4  
  •  Inactivated Poliovirus
  • Measles, mumps, rubella8                                                           
  • Varicella9                                                             
  • Hepatitis A10                                                     
  • Meningococcal11

 -Children and adolescents age 7 through 18 years

  • Meningococcal11            
  • Tetanus, diphtheria; tetanus, diphtheria, and acellular pertussis12
  • Human papillomavirus13             
  • Hepatitis A10                     
  • Hepatitis B1       
  • Inactivated Poliovirus6
  • Measles, mumps, rubella9                                           
  • Varicella10         
authority
authority2 

5. What are my baby's well child visits assessing? (includes overlap with II.Social III.Mental)
Answer:
Here is the overall schedule for well-child's visits to the pediatrician (aside from those unexpected that are due to illness)

  • 2 to 5 days old
  • 1 month old
  • 2 months old
  • 4 months old
  • 6 months old
  • 9 months old
  • 12 months old
  • 15 months old
  • 18 months old
  • 2 years old (24 months)
  • 2 ½ years old (30 months)
  • 3 years old
  • 4 years old
  • 5 years old
  • 6 years old
  • 7 years old
  • 8 years old
  • 9 years old
  • 10 years old
  • 11 years old
  • 12 years old
  • 13 years old
  • 14 years old
  • 15 years old
  • 16 years old
  • 17 years old
  • 18 years old
  • 19 years old
  • 20 years old
  • 21 years old
Physical, Mental and Social development milestones along with usually temporary illnesses that are treatable; Here is an example of a typical 2-year old's well child visit questionnaire


-Previsit Questionnaire

  • 2 Year Visit
·         What would you like to talk about today?
·         Do you have any concerns, questions, or problems that you would like to discuss today?
·         We are interested in answering your questions. Please check off the boxes for the topics you would like to discuss the most today.
o   Your Talking Child q How your child talks q Reading together
o   How Your Child Behaves
o   q Praising your child q Helping your child express feelings q Knowing how to give your child limited choices
o   q Playing with others q Helping your child follow directions q Your child’s weight
o   Toilet Training q Signs your child is ready to potty train q Helping your child potty train
·         Your Child and TV q How much TV is too much TV q Learning activities other than TV q How to be physically active as a family
·         Safety q Car safety seats q Bike helmets q Being safe outside q Gun safety
·         Questions About Your Child
o   Have any of your child’s relatives developed new medical problems since your last visit? If yes, please describe: q Yes q No q Unsure
o   Hearing Do you have concerns about how your child hears? q Yes q No q Unsure
o   Do you have concerns about how your child speaks? q Yes q No q Unsure
o   Do you have concerns about how your child sees? q Yes q No q Unsure
o   Does your child hold objects close when trying to focus? q Yes q No q Unsure
·         Vision Do your child’s eyes appear unusual or seem to cross, drift, or be lazy? q Yes q No q Unsure
o   Do your child’s eyelids droop or does one eyelid tend to close? q Yes q No q Unsure
o   Have your child’s eyes ever been injured? q Yes q No q Unsure
·         Does your child have a sibling or playmate who has or had lead poisoning? q Yes q No q Unsure
o   Lead Does your child live in or regularly visit a house or child care facility built before 1978 that is being
o   or has recently been (within the past 6 months) renovated or remodeled? q Yes q No q Unsure
o   Does your child live in or regularly visit a house or child care facility built before 1950? q Yes q No q Unsure
·         Was your child born in a country at high risk for tuberculosis (countries other than the United States,
o   Canada, Australia, New Zealand, or Western Europe)?
o   q Yes q No q Unsure
·         Tuberculosis Has your child traveled (had contact with resident populations) for longer than 1 week to a country
o   at high risk for tuberculosis?
o   q Yes q No q Unsure
o   Has a family member or contact had tuberculosis or a positive tuberculin skin test? q Yes q No q Unsure
·         Is your child infected with HIV? q Yes q No q Unsure
·         Dyslipidemia
o   Does your child have parents or grandparents who have had a stroke or heart problem before age 55? q Yes q No q Unsure
o   Does your child have a parent with elevated blood cholesterol (240 mg/dL or higher) or who is taking
o   cholesterol medication? q Yes q No q Unsure
·         Anemia
o   Do you ever struggle to put food on the table? q Yes q No q Unsure
o   Does your child’s diet include iron-rich foods such as meat, eggs, iron-fortified cereals, or beans? q No q Yes q Unsure
·         Oral Health Does your child have a dentist? q No q Yes q Unsure
o   Does your child’s primary water source contain fluoride? q No q Yes q Unsure
o   Does your child have any special health care needs? q No q Yes, describe:
·         Have there been any major changes in your family lately? q Move q Job change q Separation q Divorce q Death in the family q Any other changes?
·         Does your child live with anyone who uses tobacco or spend time in any place where people smoke? q No q Yes
·         For us to provide you and your child with the best possible health care, we would like to know how things are going.
·         Please answer all of the questions. Thank you.
·

·         Your Growing and Developing Child
o   Do you have specific concerns about your child’s development, learning, or behavior? q No q Yes, describe:
·         Check off each of the tasks that your child is able to do.
o   q Stacks 5 or 6 small blocks q Throws a ball overhand q When talking, puts 2 words together, like “my book”
o   q Kicks a ball q Names 1 picture such as a cat, dog, or ball q Turns book pages 1 at a time
o   q Walks up and down stairs 1 step at a time q Jumps up q Plays pretend
o   alone while holding wall or railing q Copies things that you do q Plays alongside other children
o   q Can point to at least 2 pictures that you q Follows 2-step command
o   name when reading a book


There are also milestone (physical ) growth charts measured at each visit that assess using this authority for details

  •     Birth to 24 Months: Boys Weight-for-length and Head circumference-for-age percentiles
  •     Birth to 24 months: Boys Length-for-age percentiles and Weight-for-age percentiles
  •     Birth to 24 Months: Girls Weight-for-length and Head circumference-for-age percentiles
  •     Birth to 24 months: Girls Length-for-age percentiles and Weight-for-age percentiles

Here is the overall authority

6. Special note on child health insurance under Obamacare -
In all 50 states, there is a provision for free care for children, with details varying by state.
Here is the authority 
-------------------------------------

C. Age 1-25
Let's subclassify by LIFE CATEGORIES THAT COMPRISE "HEALTH" (Speaking of the USA only):

I.Physical
II.Social
III.Mental
Generally speaking, 
These are classified as preschool, grade school, and adolescence, and young adult
There is one excellent authority for healthy behaviors' guidelines that covers the following major categories

Preschool (an example of a well child visit was covered above)
  Here is the authority
 

Grade School

  • Fitness
  • Nutrition
  • Puberty
  • School
Here is the authority
 
Adolescence and young adult (some degree of overlap as the child now is an adult and will see a family doctor or internist and not a pediatrician)

Adolescence

  • ·         Dating & Sex
  • ·         Fitness
  • ·         Nutrition
  • ·         Driving Safety
  • ·         School
  • ·         Substance Abuse

 Young adult


·         A young adult who goes away to a college or a job far from home has to build a social support system from the ground up. At the same time, he may have to acclimate himself to a drastically different environment.
·         Featured Articles

·         Healthy Children Radio: Transitions for New Graduates
·         ​Whether one is off to college, entering the workforce, or starting another big adventure, a teen or young adult may need extra emotional support

  • ·         A Pressure-Free SAT?
  • ·         College Entrance Exams
  • ·         Common Health Problems at College
  • ·         Drinking Responsibly at College
  • ·         Filling Out a College Application
  • ·         Financial Planning for College
  • ·         Fostering Healthy High Achievers
  • ·         Freshman Year
  • ·         Healthy Children Radio: Campus Safety    AUDIO
  • ·         Healthy Children Radio: Transitions for New Graduates    AUDIO
  • ·         Healthy Tips for the College Freshman
  • ·         Helping Your Teen Find the Right College
  • ·         High Achievers and Perfectionists
  • ·         Letting Go for College
  • ·         Mental Health Tips for Teens Graduating from High School
  • etc

 Here is the authority
 

Special Social Issues Covered in Detail for the Adolescent and Young adult (some overlap with the 25-50 age group); usually covered systematically, for each category below,  as:
  •  a. What this is category exactly, and most fundamentally, especially in terms of the overall "Big Picture-" significance for the individual?
    • Key data (similar to the above health 'Super-Simplified Bottom-Line'-based data-based analytical approach))
    • Any special circumstances  that qualify my case differently?
    • Who are the authorities (similar to the above)
    • Where may I obtain more guidance
  •  b. When should this "project" (of sorts) commence, and when should it be concluded by?; 
  • c. What (who?) are the resources needed for success in terms of people, programs, finances, networks, etc 
  • d.Where are the logistical issues to be completed in terms of geography?;
  •  e.Why (our how) is the final decision to be made? e.g.,  based upon a cost-benefit analysis of various options, or also taking into account other personal factors?
  • f. How is this project to be implemented in 'real-time?...' 
  • g. How (what) are the objectives to be fulfilled-operationally in terms of preliminary strategic planning? 
  • h. How (What) are the goals or outcomes to be attained that represent success?
  •  i. What are the back-up plan scenarios?
1. Career choice as a teenager 
Grade point average in high school 
Extra-curricular Activities in high school
College applications
Career choice 
"Hot" professions for the next
    • 5 years
    • 10 years
    • 20 years 
 Special financing scenarios...
A prospective entrepreneur?
    • Silicon Valley
    • Texas
    • New York
    • Abroad
2. Board examinations
As a teenager applying to colleges (the "authorities" in the field are linked for you to access)
As a college student pursuing a graduate degree or profession
-As a professional pursuing a license (some are directly out of college)

 The "international graduate" route e.g., 

3.Preparing for a first job or internship
4.Making 'sense of it all..'
5. Getting married
6. Starting a small business 
Obtaining starter financing from merchant cash or cash advance firms


6.Starting a family
In general
Retaining recreational pursuits
Achieving generativity and fulfillment
Childcare
Children
7. Starting to invest
8.Settling down into a career
Mid-career change in profession
 9. Achieving an overall 'good life'
Social consciousness
Philanthropy
Social network
Volunteer agencies 



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