BODY WATCH : Save Time <i> and</i> Help a Child
We found a nifty way to reduce some tension from the holiday hullabaloo and at the same time help out some kids.
Here’s how it works:
* The Venice Family Clinic will handle your entire Christmas card list. Cards are $5 apiece with a three-day turnaround. Otherwise, the cards, some made by children, go for $2 with a greeting inside and $1.50 for the blank ones. Inside the greeting can be personalized or it can say, “In the spirit of the season when we think of those in need, a contribution has been made in your name to the Venice Family Clinic by . . .” The Family Clinic folks will address the envelope, stuff, stamp and mail it. Poof! Your Christmas list is done.
* If you have a hard-to-buy-for Scrooge type on your list, you can sponsor a child for $25 during the holiday and the clinic will send the acknowledgment as a Christmas gift to anyone you choose. Funds treat more than 1,000 children to a holiday movie, popcorn, a visit from Santa and presents, and your donation takes care of one child’s complete immunization plus certain health-care needs for a year.
For information, call the Venice Family Clinic at (310) 392-8630, Ext. 345.
* Cards also have been drawn by HIV-positive children in the Caring Strokes Program at the Comprehensive Maternal Child HIV Management and Research Center, at County-USC Medical Center. The blank cards are $1 apiece and there’s a small fee (depending on the number of cards purchased) for your personal imprint. Call (213) 931-5703 or (213) 342-3732 to order.
Stop Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
Carbon monoxide causes nearly 680 deaths per year. Symptoms may be hard to recognize because they mimic flu and other common diseases, says Robert J. Geller, pediatric toxicologist at Egleston Children’s Hospital at Emory University. Headaches, drowsiness, nausea, dizzy spells and confusion may indicate low-level poisoning. Geller offers advice to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning:
* Have gas heating and hot water systems checked yearly. Never use a gas heating system that shows signs of problems, such as a yellow, unsteady, or smoky flame.
* Don’t use ranges, ovens or charcoal grills as sources of heat.
* Give gas heaters a source of fresh air, such as a slightly opened window.
* Provide ventilation indoors when using a wood stove or fireplace.
* Maintain car exhaust system and never run gas-powered machinery or cars in garages or other enclosed buildings.
Briefly . . .
Loyola Marymount University and Saint John’s Hospital in Santa Monica have established a Bioethics Institute to educate health care professionals on ethical, legal, political and social issues in medicine . . . The American School Health Assn. recommends adolescents and young adults vaccinate against hepatitis B as 75% of those affected are between 15 and 39.
* This health roundup, appears in Life & Style on Tuesdays.