Nanny Joe

Q: When is it the best time to talk on sex to my child?I have a 8 year old daughter.Is it too late?

A:

The time to introduce the subject of sex is when a child wants to know what their “peepee” is. By talking to your children in a developmentally appropriate way, you remove the taint of taboo.

Experts recommend that you consider buying a children’s book on sexuality to guide you through the tougher topics, and when possible broach a sex-related subject in terms of a TV show or movie you and your child have seen, or a book he or she has read.

The goal is to inform and protect your children while making them feel good — not ashamed — of their bodies.

Q: What are the risks of childhood obesity?

A:

The complications of obesity are astounding:

1.Type 2 diabetes, previously found almost entirely in adulthood and thought to be unusual in children, now accounts for up to 44% of newly diagnosed cases of diabetes in childhood, paralleling the increase in the prevalence of obesity.

2.High blood pressure and elevated cholesterol, especially elevated “bad” LDL and triglycerides, are much more common in obese children.

3.The occurrence of sleep apnea (obstruction of the airway in sleep resulting in a serious drop in blood oxygen levels) is much greater in obese children. This condition can be associated with:

Nighttime bedwetting, difficulty rising in the morning, poor school performance, and many other disorders. And the fatigue that this sleep disorder brings about can make it more difficult for the child to be physically active, making the obesity even worse.

4.Several bone and joint disorders in childhood are related to obesity, the most serious being a slippage of the growth plate in the hip bone called “slipped capital femoral epiphysis.”

6.There are numerous studies underway now that suggest many other disorders may be related to obesity, including liver and kidney diseases, and even a possible increased risk of cancer!

6.The most serious damage done in obesity is to the child’s self-esteem and self-confidence! Our society places an extreme prejudice against the obese person, especially the obese child. Our self-image is developed during our formative early years of childhood; if that image is one of obesity, it is extremely difficult to lose that image in later years, increasing the likelihood that an obese child will become an obese adult.

Q :

We have a twenty-eight month old son who has been small all his life. He was born at 7 lb., 9 oz. and began falling off the growth chart at approximately 3 months. He breast fed for the first year with solids introduced at 4 months. He currently weighs 21 lb., 4 oz..

He has a small appetite and frequently skips meals. He is offered regular meals and snacks. We are at a loss as to how to encourage his eating and weight gain. He is active, alert and is developing normally. Any advice you can give us to increase his weight?Would be a great help. Thanks.

A:

Your son was about average weight when he was born. Since now he weighs less than the 5th percentile for a twenty-eight month old, he can’t afford to skip meals or snacks. I would suggest offering small meals more frequently, every few hours. Serve more of his favorite foods even if the variety of foods he eats is limited until his appetite improves. In fact, add butter or gravy to his food to increase calories. He needs to eat more calorie dense foods, not low fat foods. If he drinks milk, give him whole rather than low fat milk. Ice cream rather than frozen yogurt.