New Pacifier: Low Degree of Accuracy?
Pacifier Plus, a $4 temperature-sensitive pacifier, is marketed as a tool for detecting fever in young children: a green dot inside the nipple is designed to turn black when the temperature rises above 100 degrees F.
But the device often doesn’t work, says a Connecticut physician writing in a recent issue of the American Journal of Disease of Children.
In a study involving 81 children, only 10% with fevers were correctly identified, “and even children with high fevers were incorrectly identified most of the time,” according to Dr. Leonard Banco, associate professor of pediatrics at the University of Connecticut School of Medicine and director of pediatric ambulatory services at Hartford Hospital. Banco compared children’s temperatures recorded by the Pacifier Plus and by rectal thermometer readings.
The study was news to Tom Gilbert, chairman of the board of TRP Energy Sensors, the Ocean, N.J.-based manufacturer of the Pacifier Plus. Gilbert said: “It’s a high-quality product and very useful in situations where a parent has a difficult time getting a thermometer into a baby (rectally).” He added: “We’re going to do some tests of our own. We’ll try to duplicate his (Banco’s) test and see what we come up with.”
Corn, Sunflower Oils
Corn oil worked better than sunflower oil in lowering blood cholesterol in a study reported recently in the journal Annals of Nutrition & Metabolism.
Researchers compared the cholesterol-lowering effects of three diets: one that used corn oil as the main source of fat, another based on sunflower oil and a normal diet. Evaluated were 15 healthy men, ages 30 to 40. Both the corn and sunflower oil diets lowered total cholesterol and LDL (low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol, the so-called “bad” cholesterol, but corn oil lowered both more.
It’s premature to give up sunflower oil based on the study, said Ruth Johnson, an assistant clinical professor of medicine and a heart disease researcher at the USC School of Medicine, who recommended evaluating total fat consumption.
“You need to cut total fat,” she said, “and you need to be careful to rearrange the fat components to a more optimal level.”
Her advice: Restrict intake of saturated fats (such as those found in high-fat meats, high-fat dairy products and commercial baked goods), cut back on monounsaturated fats (such as those found in olive oil) and replace some saturated fats with polyunsaturated fats (such as corn, sunflower or safflower oils).
Resting From the Crutch
A wheelchair may be a better bet than crutches for some patients with lower-limb injuries or fractures, says a USC researcher.
“Crutch walking is very energy demanding because you have to pick up your entire body weight,” said Dr. Robert Waters, a clinical professor of orthopedics at the USC School of Medicine.
In his study of 25 crutch users, Waters found that after five minutes of crutch walking, the average heart rate increased to 153 beats per minute. That’s higher than the target heart rate of 140-150 beats per minute cardiologists recommend for the typical sedentary adult older than 40 beginning an exercise program.
Waters recommends patients with heart trouble learn to monitor their own pulse when using crutches. “If you have to go long distances, rest every minute or two,” he added.
Biking: Hard Hat Area
Kids should be trained to wear bike helmets as soon as they begin riding, much the same way they should be trained to wear auto seat belts, says a Seattle physician and spokesman for the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Bike helmets are used by fewer than 2% of children and adolescents who ride bicycles, according to Dr. Frederick Rivara, associate professor of pediatrics at the University of Washington and director of the Harborview Injury Prevention and Research Center.
He believes their use would greatly reduce injuries and deaths from bicycle accidents, he added, citing a recent Australian study that found riders who wear helmets are four times less likely to have head injuries than unhelmeted riders.
In selecting a helmet, look for one that meets or exceeds the standards of either the American National Standards Institute or Snell Memorial Foundation, Rivara advised. “The helmet should fit snugly on the head and have a chin strap that keeps it on snugly,” he added. “Some have removable foam padding that lets you adjust them. And parents should expect to pay $20 to $40, minimum.”
How do you convince young riders to wear the helmets? “Parents should wear one,” Rivara said.
For a free copy of “Consumer’s Guide to Bicycle Helmets,” including a rating of helmets, send a stamped, self-addressed envelope to Washington Area Bicyclists Assn., Third Floor, 1015 31st St., N.W., Washington D.C. 20007.
