A Quarterly Newsletter - Issue 6 December 2017
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Healthy and Safe Winter Habits
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- Layers of clothing including water resistant gear - snow or rain may still spring up.
- Shoes and Boots - your students' feet need protection too. Running inside for PE classes requires tennis shoes that fit. Outside, the weather may require snow boots. Flip-flops and sandals don't protect your toes and may cause injuries while running and jumping.
- Gloves and Mittens - always keep on hand as temperatures can change quickly.
- Germs and Illness like the Winter! - help us maintain a healthy school environment with frequent hand washing and keeping your students home with signs and symptoms of illness.
- Bus stops, parking lots and stairs get wet and icy - encourage your students to slow down and use appropriate handrails.
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"The Best
Gift of All is Good Health"
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Your School Nurse Consultants
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With the holiday season approaching quickly, your family can share in the joy by following some healthy suggestions.
- Ask For and Accept Help - Encourage kids to be involved in planning and preparing for celebrations. Let them make decorations. Share cleaning, shopping and food preparation activities among family members. Suggest guests bring a dish for all to share.
- Plan Contrasting Activities - Active and quiet; indoor and outdoor; individual and group
- Don’t Use Food as a Reward - Food should complement the fun, not become the main attraction. Social gatherings strengthen bonds between people and food doesn’t have to take center stage.
- Plan activities such as attending cultural events, parades, volunteering as a family - Participating in healthy walks and outdoor activities encourages family time while promoting good health.
- When visiting family and friends over the holidays, consider non-edible gifts – Items such as small plants, hand soaps/lotions or candles are a nice alternative to food gifts.
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Type 1 Diabetes Awareness
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Type 1 Diabetes (T1D)
Today, close to 200,000 youth are living with Type 1 Diabetes and 40,000 people are diagnosed each year in the United States (JDRF, 2017). Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) is usually diagnosed in children, teens, and young adults, but it can develop at any age (CDC, 2017).
Type 1 Diabetes is an autoimmune disease that occurs when a person’s immune system destroys beta cells in the pancreas that produce insulin, the hormone that controls blood sugar levels. This process can go on for months or years before any symptoms appear. Currently, no one knows how to prevent Type 1 Diabetes and presently there is no known cure. Diabetes requires 24/7 management balancing eating, exercising, insulin administration and blood sugar monitoring.
The most common symptoms of Type 1 Diabetes are:
- Extreme Thirst
- Frequent Urination
- Sudden weight loss
- Increased Appetite
- Drowsiness and lethargy
Call your doctor immediately if one or more of these symptoms occurs in you, your child, or a loved one.
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Have you considered becoming CPR certified? Do you know how to handle basic first aid situations? It is important as parents and caregivers of children to feel prepared in emergent situations. It is certainly uncomfortable to consider handling an emergency with your child or another child, but there are ways you can prepare in this unfortunate event. There are several options for becoming certified in CPR and First Aid.
The American Red Cross also offers several different options for CPR classes on their website. They offer classes designed for babysitters that include both safety and childcare basics. The link below offers a quick review on Child and Baby First Aid. However, a class is the best way to feel confident and ready in the event of an emergency.
The American Heart Association offers Family and Friends CPR. “This course teaches the lifesaving skills of adult Hands-Only CPR, adult CPR with breaths, adult and child AED use, infant CPR, and mild and severe airway block for adults, children and infants.” This course is designed for those individuals who want to learn CPR, but do not need a CPR course to meet a job requirement. This is a great course for parents, grandparents and babysitters or even siblings who might be watching younger siblings. The attached link will provide you with locations where you can receive this training.
Classes are also available at local hospitals that can teach CPR and First Aid. You can contact the education departments at the local hospitals to see what classes are offered.
The Children’s Hospital South Campus, Highlands Ranch
720-478-1234
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What is Vaping?
E-cigarettes are battery-operated devices that can look like a real cigarette or pen. Some with refillable tanks look a bit different. There are hundreds of brands, sometimes marketed as a way to get your nicotine fix without the danger of cigarettes.
E-cigarettes all work similarly:
- They have containers filled with liquid that's usually made of nicotine, flavorings, and other chemicals.
- A heating device turns the liquid into vapor that you inhale when you take a drag.
Using an E-cigarette is called "vaping." Vaping is the act of inhaling and exhaling the aerosol, often referred to as vapor, which is produced by an E-cigarette or similar device. The term is used because E-cigarettes do not produce tobacco smoke, but rather an aerosol, often mistaken for water vapor, that actually consists of fine particles. Many of these particles contain varying amounts of toxic chemicals, which have been linked to cancer, as well as respiratory and heart disease.
Is Vaping Dangerous?
Most vaping devices contain the chemical nicotine, which is addictive. Nicotine can harm the developing brains of kids and could affect memory and attention. Nicotine can also cause damage to unborn babies. Some brands contain chemicals including formaldehyde, often used in building materials, and another ingredient used in antifreeze that can cause cancer. Flavors in E-cigarettes also raise red flags. Some use a buttery-tasting chemical called diacetyl, which is often added to foods like popcorn. When inhaled, it can be dangerous. This chemical is known to cause “popcorn lung”. The health risks and benefits of using these relatively new devices are still being evaluated. However, there is a growing body of evidence indicating that the chemicals in these products may be dangerous. Health advocates are recommending caution in using them and calling for additional research into their potential risks versus benefits.
Read More:
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Prevent Pertussis (Whooping Cough)
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"There are many confirmed cases of pertussis (whooping cough) already this season. There has been a slight increase of cases in Colorado from 2010-2017. Those who have not been vaccinated are 8 times more likely to get the disease." (Nicole Comstock, CDPHE, presentation at CASN Conference 11/4/2017). Pertussis can affect people of all ages, but can be very serious for babies less than a year old. Immunization is the most effectice way to prevent pertussis.
Pertussis is known for uncontrollable, violent coughing which often makes it hard to breathe. After a coughing fit, someone with pertussis often needs to take deep breaths, resulting in a “whooping” sound. It has been called the "100 day cough" due to its very long duration of severe coughing.
For more information on Pertussis and vaccinations:
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Broccoli-and-Bacon Muffin-Tin Frittatas
Active Time: 10 Mins
Total Time: 35 Mins
Serves 12 (serving size: 2 mini frittatas)
This easy make-ahead breakfast will have you set for the week. You get two mini frittatas per serving for only 168 calories; pair with a piece of fruit for a satisfying breakfast. Store cooked frittatas in the fridge for up to four days.
Ingredients:
Cooking spray
2 cups small broccoli florets, cooked until crisp-tender
3 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled
8 large eggs
1/4 cup 2% reduced-fat milk
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 ounces sharp cheddar cheese, shredded (about 1/2 packed cup)
How to Make It:
Step 1:
Preheat oven to 350°F.
Step 2:
Coat a 12-cup muffin pan with cooking spray. Divide broccoli and bacon evenly among muffin cups.
Step 3
: Crack eggs into a large bowl. Add milk, salt, and pepper; stir with a whisk until well combined. Divide egg mixture evenly among muffin cups. Sprinkle cheese evenly on top. Bake at 350°F for 18 minutes or until just set. Cool on a wire rack for 2 to 3 minutes. Carefully run an offset spatula or butter knife around edges to loosen frittatas.
Nutritional Information
Calories 168, Fat 12g, Sat.fat 5g, Unsat.fat 6g, Protein 13g, Carbohydrate 3g, Fiber 1g, Sugars 1g, Sodium 395mg, Calcium 13% DV, Potassium 6% DV.
Your School Nurse Consultants say "bon appétit"!
Recipe adapted from
Cooking Light September 2017
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The DCSD School Nurse Consultants have been working hard to place stock epinephrine in all DCSD schools. School nurses are in a unique position to coordinate care, partner with parents, educate all school staff and create safe and healthy environments for students with unidentified, first time anaphylaxis. These Epipens do not replace the individual epinephrine auto injectors kept in elementary health rooms with a completed medication form or self carried by students at the secondary levels. Stock epinephrine will not be sent on field trips.
"In order to address severe allergic reactions and in accordance with State recommendations, stock epinephrine will be stored in DCSD schools in order to address and treat first time severe allergic reactions...."
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