West Newsmagazine 6-14-17

30 I HEALTH I
June 14, 2017
WEST NEWSMAGAZINE
@WESTNEWSMAG
WESTNEWSMAGAZINE.COM
Summer is the deadliest time of year for teenage drivers, according to AAA statistics.
health
capsules
Summertime safety
behind the wheel
For drivers in the St. Louis area and
nationwide, particularly new teen drivers
between the ages of 16 and 17, the summer
travel season – often called the “100 deadliest
days,” when teens are out of school – is
the most hazardous time of year. Statistics
from the American Automobile Association
[AAA] Foundation for Traffic Safety
show that teen drivers are three times more
likely than adults to be involved in a deadly
crash, and that risk climbs by 15 percent for
them during the summer. Over the past five
years, more than 1,600 people have been
killed in crashes involving inexperienced
teen drivers during the summer months.
According to AAA, the three factors
that most commonly contribute to deadly
crashes for teen drivers are:
• Distraction: Distracted driving plays a
role in nearly six out of 10 teen crashes,
four times as many as official estimates
based on police reports. The top distractions
for teens are interacting with a smartphone
and talking to other passengers in
the vehicle.
• Not buckling up: In 2015, the latest data
available, 60 percent of teen drivers killed
in a crash were not wearing a safety belt.
Teens who buckle up significantly reduce
their risk of dying or being seriously
injured in a crash.
• Speeding: Excessive speed is a factor in
nearly 30 percent of fatal crashes involving
teen drivers. A recent AAA survey of driving
instructors found that speeding is one
of the top three mistakes teens make when
learning to drive.
To help reverse this alarming trend, AAA
urges parents to get more involved and talk
to their teens about the dangers of risky
behavior behind the wheel. One of the
most important things parents can do is to
teach by example, eliminating their own
cell phone use and other distractions while
on the road. Having a driving agreement
with their kids about family driving rules,
and talking to kids regularly about the risks
of speeding, are other important steps.
Fruit juice no longer
recommended for children
The American Academy of Pediatrics
[AAP] recently issued an updated policy
statement about fruit juice, saying that it
offers no nutritional benefits over whole
fruit and has no essential role in the healthy,
balanced diets of infants and children. The
statement, published in Pediatrics, is the
first change in AAP recommendations on
fruit juice since 2001.
While 100 percent fresh or reconstituted
fruit juice can be healthy when consumed
as part of a well-balanced diet for children
over 1 year of age, it offers no nutritional
benefit to babies younger than 1 and should
not be included in their diets, according to
Dr. Melvin B. Heyman of the AAP’s Committee
on Nutrition.
“Parents may perceive fruit juice as
healthy, but it is not a good substitute for
fresh fruit and just packs in more sugar
and calories. Small amounts in moderation
are fine for older kids, but are absolutely
unnecessary for children under 1,”
Heyman said.
For children over 1 year old, the AAP
policy statement recommends that daily
intake of juice should be limited to:
• 4 ounces for toddlers ages 1-3;
• 4-6 ounces for children ages 4-6;
• 8 ounces [1 cup] of the recommended
2-2½ cups of fruit per day for children
ages 7-18.
Engaging kids when reading
activates the brain
Reading to preschoolers has many benefits,
but simply speaking the words aloud
to them may not be enough to improve their
cognitive development. However, keeping
them actively engaged and participating
while reading to them may give their brains
a significant cognitive boost, according to
new research.
The study, led by researchers at Cincinnati
Children’s Hospital Medical Center,
involved taking functional MRI brain scans
of 4-year-olds during a mother-child reading
observation and a story listening task.
Children who were more highly engaged
showed significantly greater brain activation
in right-sided cerebellar areas of their
brains, which are thought to support cognitive
skill acquisition, language development
and executive functioning. Their results
show the value of “dialogic reading,” where
the child is encouraged to actively participate,
the researchers concluded.
“The takeaway for parents in this study is
that they should engage more when reading
with their child, ask questions, have them
turn the page and interact with each other,”
said Dr. John Hutton, lead author of the
study, which was published in the journal
PLoS ONE. “In turn, this could fuel brain
activation, or ‘turbocharge’ the development
of literacy skills, particularly comprehension,
in preschool-aged children.”
On the calendar
Chesterfield Parks, Recreation & Arts
sponsors two fitness events for kids in June:
• A Kids TRY-athlon for children ages
3-6 is on Saturday, June 17 beginning at 9
a.m. at Chesterfield Valley Athletic Complex,
17925 N. Outer 40 Road in Chesterfield.
Kids must furnish their own bike
or tricycle [with helmet]. The swimming
portion will include an inflatable slide with
splash pool, followed by the running and
biking portions completed at each child’s
own pace.
• A Youth Triathlon for children ages
5-12 is on Saturday, June 24 beginning
at 8:30 a.m. at Chesterfield Central Park,
16365 Lydia Hill Drive in Chesterfield.
Events include a 25-yard swim, 1-mile
bike ride and ½ mile run for ages 5-8 and a
75-yard swim, 2-mile bike ride and 1-mile
run for ages 9-12. The top three male and
female overall competitors in each age
group will receive an award, and participation
medals also will be presented.
Fees for both events vary from $10 to
$20 per child based on event choice and
Chesterfield residency. Discounts also are
available to those who sign up for a free
Get Active membership. To register for the
Kids TRY-athlon, visit www.chesterfield.
mo.us/try-atholon.html; to register for the
Youth Triathlon, visit www.chesterfield.
mo.us/youth-triatholon.html.
RSVP 1-888- 717-2462
If knee pain and chronic stiffness is affecting your daily
living and keeping you from doing the things you enjoy,
you owe it to yourself to learn more about non-surgical and
surgical options for treatment. Attend a free seminar:
Tuesday, June 20 at 6:00 p.m.
Wednesday, July 12 at 6:00 p.m.
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