Parent Alert: Tide Pods may look like candy to children

By Philip Copitch, Ph.D.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that a popular new form of laundry detergent may be mistaken by children as candy:

Since 2010, laundry detergent pods have become a growing component of the U.S. laundry detergent market, and have been available in other countries. Based on data from other countries, exposures to laundry detergent pods more often occur among children, and exposure to laundry detergent from pods appears to be associated with adverse health effects more often than does non-pod laundry detergent exposure.

Tide Pods laundry detergent

 The bright packaging may be confusing to children:

The CDC advises:

To children, laundry detergent pods might look like candy. As with other household cleaners, these products should be kept out of reach and out of sight of children. Laundry detergent pod exposures might be associated with increased frequency and severity of adverse health effects when compared with non-pod exposures.

Parents and caregivers should be particularly aware that young children might be drawn to laundry detergent pods because of their candy-like appearance, and that exposure to laundry detergent from pods has been associated with more severe adverse health effects. Parents need to ensure they can prevent children from gaining access to household cleaning products, particularly laundry detergent pods. Clinicians and caregivers are encouraged to report laundry detergent exposures and cases of associated illness to their local poison center by calling 1-800-222-1222.

Health Hazards Associated with Laundry Detergent Pods — United States, May–June 2012

On a positive note

Procter & Gamble Co., the maker of Tide announced it will make Tide Pods more difficult to open.

A double latch will be put on the lid of Tide Pod tubs and should be in markets in the next couple of weeks, P&G spokesman Paul Fox said.

How to use a condom.

By Philip Copitch, Ph.D.

Last week I ran a post called Moms want school to teach Sex Education accurately. It got a lot of attention and many questions. Thanks! (I only got 2 flaming hate emails... less than usual.)

One question was, "How do you teach someone how to use a condom? " Great question, and I appreciate those of you who asked it.

Let's face it, it is uncomfortable to talk about sex. Our society is hung up with sex and it is often a contentious political subject. But information is important. Only with accurate information can we all make informed decisions.

If you care for someone, but are uncomfortable about having a discussion this explicit in nature, let this blog help.

Print out the following information and make it available. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention answers this question in a matter of fact manner:

How do you use a condom

To achieve maximum protection by using condoms, they must be used consistently and correctly.

The failure of condoms to protect against STD/HIV transmission usually results from inconsistent or incorrect use, rather than product failure.

Inconsistent or nonuse can lead to STD acquisition because transmission can occur with a single sex act with an infected partner.

Incorrect use diminishes the protective effect of condoms by leading to condom breakage, slippage, or leakage. Incorrect use more commonly entails a failure to use condoms throughout the entire sex act, from start (of sexual contact) to finish (after ejaculation).

How to Use a Condom Consistently and Correctly:

• Use a new condom for every act of vaginal, anal, and oral sex throughout the entire sex act (from start to finish).
• Before any genital contact, put the condom on the tip of the erect penis with the rolled side out. 
• If the condom does not have a reservoir tip, pinch the tip enough to leave a half-inch space for semen to collect. Holding the tip, unroll the condom all the way to the base of the erect penis.
• After ejaculation and before the penis gets soft, grip the rim of the condom and carefully withdraw. Then gently pull the condom off the penis, making sure that semen doesn't spill out.
• Wrap the condom in a tissue and throw it in the trash where others won't handle it.
• If you feel the condom break at any point during sexual activity, stop immediately, withdraw, remove the broken condom, and put on a new condom.
• Ensure that adequate lubrication is used during vaginal and anal sex, which might require water-based lubricants.  Oil-based lubricants (e.g., petroleum jelly, shortening, mineral oil, massage oils, body lotions, and cooking oil) should not be used because they can weaken latex, causing breakage.

Get this complete fact sheet for free: CDC - Condom Effectiveness - Condom Fact Sheet In Brief

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Want more information about condoms

 Condom - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A condom (US /ˈkɒndəm/ or UK /ˈkɒndɒm/) is a barrier device most commonly used during sexual intercourse to reduce the probability of pregnancy and spreading sexually transmitted diseases (STDs—such as gonorrhea, syphilis, and HIV). It is put on a man's erect penis and physically blocks ejaculated semen from entering the body of a sexual partner. Because condoms are waterproof, elastic, and durable, they are also used in a variety of secondary applications. These include collection of semen for use in infertility treatment as well as non-sexual uses such as creating waterproof microphones and protecting rifle barrels from clogging.

In the modern age, condoms are most often made from latex, but some are made from other materials such as polyurethane, polyisoprene, or lamb intestine. A female condom is also available, most often made of nitrile.

As a method of birth control, male condoms have the advantage of being inexpensive, easy to use, having few side effects, and of offering protection against sexually transmitted diseases. With proper knowledge and application technique—and use at every act of intercourse—women whose partners use male condoms experience a 2% per-year pregnancy rate with perfect use and a 15% per-year pregnancy rate with typical use.[1]

Condoms have been used for at least 400 years. Since the 19th century, they have been one of the most popular methods of contraception in the world. While widely accepted in modern times, condoms have generated some controversy, primarily over what role they should play in sex education classes. They are considered unacceptable in almost all situations by certain religions, notably the Catholic church.

The section on the history of the condom is fascinating, informative, and a little funny.

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Moms want school to teach Sex Education accurately

By Philip Copitch, Ph.D.

Health educator Mica Ghimenti and registered nurse Aubree Smith have filed a civil lawsuit against Clovis Unified School District in Fresno, California. The two mom’s are concerned that the district is not teaching sex education in accordance with the California law enacted in 2003.

Smith told NBC News, "Our kids need complete, accurate information to help them protect themselves against STDs and unintended pregnancy.”

According to the ACLU of Northern California, legal counsel for the two moms, the California Comprehensive Sexual Health and HIV/AIDS Prevention Act (SB 71) requires that sex education in public schools be based in public health science and teach teens about building healthy relationships, the benefits of delaying sexual activity, and accurate information about condoms and contraception.

Phyllida Burlingame, reproductive justice policy director at the ACLU of Northern California told NBC News, The civil lawsuit is the first of its kind in California since the passage of a 2003 law requiring that sexual health education in public schools be comprehensive and medically accurate.

Clovis Unified School District spokeswoman, Kelly Avants, released the following statement:

"It appears from an initial review that the concern raised in this lawsuit stems from a question of differing interpretations of the depth and breadth of a school district's obligation to cover detailed sexual content in its family life-sex education materials.

"The District notes that some of the information contained in the suit does not accurately describe existing procedures and practices in Clovis Unified related to parent notification. 

“We will continue our review of the suit in order to better understand the concerns raised by the plaintiffs, but Clovis Unified has fully complied with both the California Education Code and the State’s content standards.”

Sex Education in California Public Schools, report

Researchers at the University of California San Francisco, released a report, Uneven Progress: Sex Education in California Public Schools in November of 2011. In this report they stated, “The passage of SB71 was a key landmark on the road towards ensuring the health of California youth, but there is much work still to be done.”

Also noted, “One out of five districts (19%) reported that in their instruction, birth control methods were mentioned, but most of the time was spent on the benefits of abstinence. Furthermore, 16% of districts reported that they teach that “condoms are not an effective means of preventing pregnancies and STDs/HIV”, an inaccurate statement.”

You can obtain a free PDF of this report at: https://www.aclunc.org/docs/reproductive_rights/uneven_progress_full_report.pdf

Accurate, science based information

A major goal of this blog is to bring accurate, science based information to my readers. On the subject of condoms and public health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states:

Consistent and correct use of the male latex condom reduces the risk of sexually transmitted disease (STD) and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) transmission. However, condom use cannot provide absolute protection against any STD. The most reliable ways to avoid transmission of STDs are to abstain from sexual activity, or to be in a long-term mutually monogamous relationship with an uninfected partner.  However, many infected persons may be unaware of their infection because STDs often are asymptomatic and unrecognized.

You can get this Condom Fact Sheet In Brief, for free, from the CDC: CDC - Condom Effectiveness - Condom Fact Sheet In Brief

Why send a thank you note?

By Philip Copitch, Ph.D.

Josh asked a good question, "Why send a thank you note?"

Josh is off to UC Davis in the fall and was looking for an inexpensive bike to take with him. His mom asked around, and a friend had a bike he was happy to pass on to Josh for school. It turned out to be an amazing bike that Josh has fallen in love with.

Being Dad I asked Josh, "Did you send a thank you note?"

"I thanked him profusely, he knows how much I appreciate the gift," Josh explained.

"So, did you send a thank you note?" I repeated.

"I really did thank him, why send a thank you note?"

A really good question

I thought about Josh's question. Was I wanting him to send a thank you note because my mom taught me to send them? It does seem to be the polite thing to do... but that is not the reason I think Josh should send the note.

Action

I think we should send notes of thanks because, it is very easy to verbalize thank you. Someone holds the door for me, I have no problem saying thank you. In fact, it would feel impolite if I didn't say thank you.

By sending a note, I am making an action out of my feelings. It shows my sincerity and my appreciation. I thought so much of someone's niceness towards me that I wanted them to feel my thanks and respect for them.

How do you write a thank you card?

On a piece of nice paper or note card I write a thank you note in 5 sections.

1. Opening
2. Talk about what they did for me
3. Tell them what I feel and /or what I am doing with their gift
4. Closing
5. P.S.

Opening:

Something fitting the relationship I have with the receiver.

Hi Bob,

Dear Robert,

Dear Mr. Thompson,

Talk about what they did for me

In this section talk about the gift giver:

Thank you so much for giving me the...

I really appreciate the time you gave me...

It was very kind of you to...

Tell them what I feel and /or what I am doing with their gift

I love the green and white sweater you gave me. I plan on wearing it to work on Monday. 

I really needed a new hard drive, I will put it to good use backing up my college papers. 

If you are given money, please avoid using the word 'money', it sounds cold or even a little greedy.

Bad example: Thanks the the cash. I really need money so I appreciate you giving me the dough.

Good example: 

• I appreciate your generosity. Your kind gift will help me get to school on safe tires. 
• Your gift will help me pay for books at school this semester.
• Your kindness will help me...

Closing

The closing should reflect your relationship with the gift giver.

Love,
With respect,
Again thank you,
Be well,
Respectfully,

Avoid 'sincerely' unless you are thanking a bank. It sounds cold and robotic.

P.S. (post scriptum, meaning "written after")

Repeat how you feel about the gift at the level of the relationship you have with the reader. Readers often read the P.S. first. Thus, they tend to read it twice.

Just want you to know how happy the ________________ made me feel.
I appreciate how much you care for me.
It was kind of you to see me.

In closing:

Don't over think the thank you note. Just tell the truth. It is OK to be a little vulnerable, the gift giver was kind to you and did something considerate for you. Be kind in return. A little humility and vulnerability is good for the soul.

Lead is Very Dangerous

By Philip Copitch, Ph.D.

Lead is a heavy metal that plays havoc with the human nervous system. Over time lead can build up in the body. For children under age 6, lead is devastating to mental and physical health. Most small children get lead poisoning from chewing on things covered with lead paint. (i.e. toys, plates or windowsills in older homes [paint chips].)

Lead contaminated plate

Many years ago, I worked with a family whose child started having lots of problems in school. The 3rd grader went from top marks to failing grades over a 6 month period. It turned out that the family had taken a trip to Mexico over the Christmas holiday. The boy got a cup and bowl from a bazaar. He loved his cup and bowl and used it at almost every meal. You have probably guessed it, the cup and bowl were not made safely and contained a high level of lead. After treatment, all was well... but, it does go to show that lead is very dangerous.

Learn more about the symptoms of lead poisoning from the Mayo Clinic.

This week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention changed the regulations concerning lead in the body. The CDC will no longer state a particular level is safe in children.  It now states that no level of lead in the blood stream is safe. The goal is to focus on eliminating exposure to lead.

Read the CDC report, a free PDF download.

The lead contaminated plate pictured above was part of a study conducted by Thomas Jefferson University Hospital's physician Gerald O'Malley, DO, a toxicologist and the director of clinical research and emergency medicine. More information on how to check items like toys or plates.

Plates that are sold as "decorative" are not regulated by the Food and Drug Administration. That means that these may have lead in them, and outside the state of California they are not required to let you know. If you handle a decorative plate, even just to dust it, it is advisable that you wash your hands before eating or touching your face.

Who is better with numbers, college students or guppies?

By Philip Copitch, Ph.D.

He we have an adorable Blue Grass Guppy. Atractive and not lacking is some math skills.

Many animals seem to understand small and large numbers. Dogs and chimps seem to understand what is 1, 2 or 3. Many animals seem to understand the concept of many: 1 versus 50. So scientists wanted to know how far back in the evolution of vertebrates (animals with a back bone) did this number ability start. Is estimating large numbers new, and therefore required a big brain? Or older, needing only a smaller brain.

Researchers from the University of Padova, Italy and the University College of London, United Kingdom devised an ingenious way to find out. As it turns out, guppies seem to like being in larger groups with others of their own type. So when a single guppy is put in the middle between two groups of guppies, say 3 guppies and 30 guppies,  the single guppy quickly swims and joins the larger group. To test their estimating skills the scientists had multiple trials with different ratios of group sizes. Did the guppies count? In other words, could they tell the difference between 20 or 23 in a group? Or did they estimate small group verses bigger group. "That group is way larger than the other group so I'm joining the larger group... you know it is safer in numbers."

The researches also tested college students.  How do big brained college students do compared to little brained guppies?

Both guppies and students counted when the group was under 4 and estimated when the groups were larger.

Researchers came to the following conclusions concerning when math skills first developed:

...the building blocks of uniquely human mathematical abilities may be evolutionarily ancient, dating back to before the divergence of bony fish and tetrapod lineages.

The question posed on the TV program was "Are you smarter that a 5th grader?" But maybe it should be "are you smarter than a guppy?"

Read this study: http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0031923