The East Bay Regional Park District and program partners were recognized at the annual California Parks & Recreation Society conference, held in Long Beach, California, March 8 – 11, 2016.
Dr. Nooshin Razani from UCSF Benioff Children’s Hospital Oakland and Dr. Curtis Chan from San Francisco Department of Public Health were recognized as Champions of the Community for their work creating a Park Prescription (Park Rx) program in the Bay Area. The doctors were nominated by the Park District for their commitment to integrating nature into the health care system. Drs. Razani and Chan were involved in the creation of the Healthy Parks Healthy People Bay Area coalition, and created the Parks Rx program for health providers. The East Bay Regional Park District has partnered with UCSF Benioff Oakland and the Regional Parks Foundation to provide a Park Rx program serving over 500 patients to date. Participants in the program, known as SHINE (Stay Healthy in Nature Every Day), are provided with free transportation to a Regional Park, including a healthful lunch and outdoor activities. Dr. Razani’s team is now conducting a study to evaluate the health benefits of these outings.
“Drs. Razani and Chan are leading the charge to connect health and the outdoors in our region. We are proud to be their partners in the ground-breaking SHINE program in the Regional Parks,” said EBRPD Community Relations Manager Mona Koh.
The East Bay Regional Park District is a system of beautiful public parks and trails in Alameda and Contra Costa counties east of San Francisco Bay, established in 1934. The system comprises 120,000 acres in 65 parks including over 1,250 miles of trails for hiking, biking, horseback riding and nature learning.
ebparks.org

What are some games your child’s friend likes to play? Do they have any illnesses you should know of?

These are some typical need-to-knows when you meet your child’s new friend for the first time. Not only do you need to get to know them, but you need to be sure you are taking good care of them, too.

With your child’s new friend, named autism, you should act as if you are introducing a new
member of the family. Be sure everyone in your household interacts similarly in order to
welcome them in and have everyone get well adjusted with this new member. The new friend is shy, and sometimes reacts differently than other children. He has particular habits and repeats the same behaviours constantly. “For someone on the highfunctioning
end of the autism spectrum, the result may be relatively mild challenges.

For someone with more severe symptoms, however, repetitive behaviors and lack of spoken language interfere with everyday life”, says Pete Pallarés, Founder at Center for Social Dynamics, an organization in charge of helping families with autistic children. Having an autistic child is a challenge without a doubt, but it’s also an opportunity to explore ways to learn from a different perspective how people with difficulties can still interact and live in this world being respected, having success and enjoying life.

One of the things families have to know is what’s good and what isn’t good for a child with
autism. If you find your child handflapping, rocking, jumping and twirling, arranging and
rearranging objects, and repeating sounds, words or phrases, these could be signs to see your doctor. “The earlier you see your doctor, the more help your child can get. Most families think these behaviours are a part of their personality, but the best way to find out is to ask a doctor’s advice”, explains Pallarés. If you know how your child’s friend, autism reacts, you can better handle your newfound relationship and try to enjoy every moment.
The three of you will be a team forever.

Pete Pallarés
CEO at Center for Social Dynamics.

Question:

Our beautiful baby girl is 2-weeks old and we just had our first visit with her pediatrician. She spent lots of time with us and answered all of our questions but I was embarrassed to ask about my biggest worry, which is starting shots. I am scared of shots myself and I hate the idea that she will have to have so much pain. I don’t know what to do. I know the immunizations are important, but I don’t want my baby to suffer. What can I do?

Answer:

First, congratulate yourself about being aware of your feelings and thinking ahead so that you can help your baby get through her immunizations with the least possible stress. Many parents have the same worries that you are expressing and don’t know that they have the ability to help their babies and toddlers avoid the fear of “shots” that is so common in older children and adults.

The good news is that parents, by offering comfort and soothing before and during the immunization process, really can make a difference. Even more good news is that there is excellent medical research supporting the importance of these methods. Even better, using these methods now is the way to prevent your baby from developing the fears that you have expressed.

Here’s how to help your baby:

Plan ahead for your visits by practicing at home how you will help your baby. Babies get the most comfort from parents when they are held in a position of comfort. For younger babies, that will be cradled in your arms. Wrap her in a blanket folded so that you can unwrap her leg or arm for the injection. As babies get older an upright position sitting in your lap facing towards or away from you may be better. If your baby is a wiggler, practice how you can use a blanket to wrap her and help her stay still in your lap rather than placing her on a table. You know already how to comfort your baby, but since you may feel anxious at the visit, practice now how you will take slow, deep and rhythmic breaths while you are
holding her.

A number of studies have shown that breastfeeding your baby beginning a few minutes before an immunization significantly reduces observable pain and stress. There is no evidence that nursing during immunization will cause a baby to choke. Sucking on a pacifier that has been dipped in glucose water (1 teaspoon of sugar mixed in 2 teaspoons of water) can be equally effective. Let your baby continue to suck while injections are being given and for a few minutes after. Let your healthcare provider know that you would like to do this so that you can be seated comfortably ahead of time.

Older babies are soothed by watching the movement of a rattle or seeing and listening to a musical toy, so take a few with you to help her feel relaxed before and distracted during the immunization. Practice at home how you will wrap your baby with one arm to hold her while holding a toy with the other (or enlist someone else to help — this is a great job for an older sibling!)  And of course, many parents find that smartphone screens and music will focus a baby’s attention for a few minutes.

As important as the way you hold and comfort your baby is the way you take care of yourself. You know, of course, that you will help your baby the most by staying focused on her needs and letting go of your own fears. Your state of calm is the single best way to shape your baby’s experience during any stressful experience. Before you go into the pediatric office, take some time to practice deep breathing and visualize yourself cuddling and holding your baby when she needs you. You will be going through this experience on every well-baby visit, so taking measures to manage your own feelings well is key.

Most pediatric office will be supportive of your desire to minimize your baby’s discomfort. The suggestions here may already be standard practice. However, you may have to politely explain your approach and occasionally you might be told that there is not time or space to offer your baby this type of comfort. You may have to advocate for your baby and explain that the extra time needed to prepare and soothe a baby now will be more than made up for in the months and years to come when your child is cooperative with other immunizations and procedures. In fact, most public health officials agree that a serious barrier to adult immunizations is the fear of “getting shots” that dates back to early childhood.

Even if your baby cries during the immunizations, remember that her experience of being cared for by her parent while she is unhappy is one of the ways she learns about love.

MEG ZWEIBACK, R.N., M.P.H., PEDIATRIC NURSE PRACTITIONER

How do you react if your child’s teacher/doctor tells you that your child is a genius? But
what if the teacher tells you that they have autism?

Though both may be true, some parents feel devastated when they receive this news.
However, changing your approach to the situation can strongly affect the way your
child copes and grows with autism and how you as a parent can proactively react to
harbor a happy childhood.

Without a doubt, your autistic child will be different from the other children. But, think
of it this way; what are you looking for in a romantic partner? What about from an
employee? Uniqueness. After all, this is what life is about: to be unique and happy, and
on that front parents can help their children tremendously if they encourage them to live
with, rather than try to battle with, this new friend: autism.

First, in order to accept the situation, you need to understand what the meanings of
Autism and ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder) are. Pete Pallarés, psychologist and CEO
at Center for Social Dynamics is passionate about spreading the appropriate information
about these disorders and helping parents deal with them effectively.

“These terms belong to a group of disorders which appear to have their roots in very
early brain development”, says Pete.

From Pete’s experience having worked 15 years with autistic children, early
intervention is the most effective way to deal with autism. “All the time we receive
children with autism who could have easily come during infancy to start therapy, but
parents don’t realize the importance of early intervention, so they start much later. Had
we been able to help them even a few years prior, the results would have come much
faster.”

Between the ages of the 2 and 3 years, the most obvious signs and symptoms of autism
tend to emerge. “These disorders can be characterized, in varying degrees, by
difficulties in social interaction, verbal and nonverbal communication, and repetitive
behaviors”, explained Pete Pallarés.

All these symptoms can be signs for parents to notice if their child has autism and to see
a doctor as soon as they observe this behaviour. A proactive reaction will be the
difference in your child’s future and you, the parent’s attitude will be the distinction
between bad news or good news when a family learns about this new friend in your
child’s life.

Pete Pallarés, CEO and Founder at Center for Social Dynamics.

[from kidswithfoodallergies.org]

10 School Planning Tips When Your Child Has Food Allergies Most children with food allergies are happy and attend school safely every day. That safety and happiness is the result of planning and persistence. A key to success is to work cooperatively with the school to form a partnership that will support your child along the way.

Start by asking lots of questions before your child begins school or begins attending a new school.

1. Communicate with the school.

• Start early—if possible, in the spring before the next school year.
• Find out if your school or school district has a school nurse.
• Write to the principal and school nurse. Tell them about your child’s food allergies and specific needs.
• Request a meeting with key people to start the planning process.
• Ask if the school/school district has any food allergy management policies in place.
• Inquire about staff training.
• Get copies of the forms you will need to have filled out before school starts. This includes:

✓ Medication Authorization forms. These forms state if your child can self-carry and/or self-administer medications at school. These forms are required even if the medication will be stored and administered by school staff.
✓ Special Dietary Meals Accommodation form. You will need this form if your child will be eating meals provided by school.
✓ Emergency Action Plan (EAP) form. This form tells caregivers what to do in case of an allergic emergency.

• Work with the school to create a comprehensive Food Allergy Management and Prevention Plan. This is typically either an Individualized Health Plan (IHP) or a 504 Plan.

Visit http://www.kidswithfoodallergies.org/page/food-allergy-school-planning-tips-for-parents.aspx to see more tips.

What are the top hospitals in the Bay Area?

U.S. News and World Report sifted through data for nearly 5,000 hospitals and results from surveys of more than 140,000 physicians to rank the best centers in 16 adult specialties from cancer to urology.

Death rates, patient safety and hospital reputation were a few of factors considered. Only 137 hospitals were nationally ranked in a specialty.

U.S. News counted 430 California hospitals, with 18 making its national rankings. Thirty-eight other hospitals met “national high-performing standards.”

Here are the top 6 in the Bay Area ranked in the top 15 state-wide:

1. Stanford Health Care—Stanford Hospital, Stanford

Bed Count: 476

Type: General medical and surgical

Doctors: 2,050

Nationally ranked in 13 specialties



3. UCSF Medical Center, San Francisco

Bed Count: 650

Type: General medical and surgical

Doctors: 3,186

Nationally ranked hospital in 14 specialties



8. John Muir Medical Center, Walnut Creek

Bed Count: 367

Type: General medical and surgical

Doctors: 1,296

Nationally ranked hospital in 3 specialties



12. Kaiser Permanente San Francisco Medical Center, San Francisco

Bed Count: 215

Type: General medical and surgical

Doctors: 39

Nationally ranked hospital in 1 specialty


14. John Muir Medical Center, Concord

Bed Count: 182

Type: General medical and surgical

Doctors: 538

Nationally ranked hospital in 1 specialty

15. California Pacific Medical Center, San Francisco

Bed Count: 785

Type: General medical and surgical

Doctors: 1,279

Nationally ranked hospital in 1 specialty

More information, including full rankings, can be found by clicking here.

By Kaiser Permanente

Healthy eating is a snap when you plan ahead and fill your fridge and pantry with these nutritional powerhouses.

1. Avocados

A great source of cholesterol-lowering monounsaturated fat, avocados are also high in potassium — a half-cup of pureed avocado has 583 mg.

2. Blueberries

The phytochemicals in blueberries, which give them their intense color, may reduce your risk of heart disease and certain cancers, research suggests. Blueberries are also loaded with antioxidants, vitamin C, and potassium.

3. Broccoli

Full of vitamins, fiber, and calcium, broccoli is also a great source of compounds that may offer extra protection against cancer and other chronic diseases.

For more foods, visit http://partnersinhealth.kaiserpermanente.org/july-2015/national/10-superfoods-that-pack-a-nutritional-punch-nat-july2015