FOR RELEASE THE WEEK OF APRIL 22, 2001:
Is it okay to fill my baby's bottle with fruit drink?
Unfortunately, no. Any sugary drinks, no matter how many other nutrients they might contain, threaten the health of your baby's teeth. Each time your infant drinks a liquid that contains sugar, acids attack her tooth enamel for at least 20 minutes. If she falls asleep with the bottle -- something else you should try to avoid -- the liquids will pool around her teeth for long periods of time.
Diane Demarest, coordinator of the University of Idaho's Parents as Teachers demonstration project, says even though they'll eventually give way to permanent teeth, baby teeth are precious to your child's health.
Children need strong, healthy teeth to chew their food easily, to learn to speak clearly and to look good to themselves and their friends, she says. Baby teeth also hold space in the jaw for permanent teeth. If a baby tooth is not healthy and has to come out too early, the permanent teeth beside it may drift into the empty space and come in crooked.
It's not even a good idea to dip a pacifier into sweet liquid, Demarest says. Instead, give your baby a clean pacifier--preferably one recommended by your dentist or pediatrician for extra sucking. And do start your child's dental visits before her second birthday.
For more information on the Parents as Teachers project, call Demarest at (208) 343-1542 in Boise or write her at dianed@uidaho.edu.
I would like to know if there is any product or equipment that can stop the sound of dog barking. I have a neighbor who leaves his dog in the front yard. The dog barks all of the time and the sound is really disturbing. In addition, I would like to know which products I can use to repel cats. Thank for you any answers that you can give me.
We don't know whether any particular product or equipment will stop your neighbor's dog from barking or repel unwelcome visits from neighborhood cats. But we do know that products are available in the marketplace that claim to do that.
Check the shelves of your local pet-supply store or click on such Internet Web sites as www.rcsteele.com, www.DrsFosterSmith.com, www.petco.com or www.petsmart.com. Look for cat repellents made for outdoor use and compare the numerous training devices intended to discourage dog barking. These training collars vibrate, emit electric static, make irritating sounds or release citronella spray in front of a dog's nose when it barks.
The best solution to the barking problem would involve compassion for the dog and behavioral training for both the dog and, even more importantly, its owner. As a last resort, the owner could have the dog surgically debarked. At the UI Caine Veterinary Teaching Center, Dr. Bruce Anderson says the result is incessant soft croaks rather than sleep-jarring, ear-splitting vocalization.
I used to have an easy time talking to my son, but now that he's a teenager he doesn't have much to say. How can I keep up a strong relationship if he won't talk to me?
During their teenage years, it becomes important to many kids to preserve their privacy from their parents. They would rather not share their thoughts--or they have such a hard time doing so that they abandon their efforts. But Harriet Shaklee, University of Idaho extension family development specialist, says teens tell social-science researchers that they still rely very strongly on their parents for guidance.
Be there for your children, even if they're quiet, says Shaklee. Share an activity or a meal or just hang around in the same space. By being in the same place at the same time, you're providing an opportunity for communication to happen.
Parents sometimes forget that much of the chatter they so enjoyed with their younger children occurred in the car or during family errands. Now that those children are older and traveling more independently, spontaneous talk-times don't arise as frequently. Consequently, wise parents build hang-around time into their schedules.
If your son takes the opportunity to open up a little, follow through with specific questions. According to Shaklee, teenagers often react poorly to general, open-ended questions from parents. Rather than asking how did your day go, ask how did your test go, she suggests.
Last week, I had lunch at my daughter's school and I noticed that there were very few fried foods and many low-fat items on the menu. Did I simply arrive on an especially good day, or have the schools made a concerted attempt to serve healthier lunches?
School lunch meals have become much healthier--and they've done it on a nationwide basis, says Martha Raidl, University of Idaho extension nutrition specialist.
A 1998-99 survey confirmed that school meals are becoming leaner and more nutritious, Raidl says. Four out of five schools now offer low-fat lunches, compared with fewer than a third 10 years ago. Selections of fresh fruit now include strawberries, melons and kiwis.
In addition, schools have lowered the overall fat content of their meals from 38 percent to 34 percent. The amounts of saturated fat, cholesterol and sodium have also decreased, and turkey and chicken are being mixed with beef to lower the fat content.
And schools haven't just changed what they serve, Raidl says. They've changed the way they prepare it.
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