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Ratoncito Perez seeks to educate Hispanic kids on oral health

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With toothbrush in hand, Ratoncito Perez seeks to educate Hispanic kids on oral health as part of Hispanic Heritage Month

In celebration of Hispanic Heritage Month, Delta Dental Insurance Company has joined forces with the tooth fairy’s Spanish-speaking counterpart, el Ratoncito Perez, to remind Hispanic children and their parents about the importance of good dental hygiene.

Ratoncito Perez seeks to educate Hispanic children on oral health

Ratoncito Perez seeks to educate Hispanic children on oral health

According to the American Association of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD), tooth decay is the most common childhood disease, affecting nearly 60 percent of children. Of the 4 million children born each year, nearly half are estimated to get their first cavity by the time they reach second grade. What’s more, according to the May 2000 Surgeon General’s report, Oral Health in America, more than 51 million school hours are lost each year due to tooth decay and other dental problems. For minorities and children from low-income families, these statistics are increasingly worse.

“Oral health problems persist among children, in spite of the fact that tooth decay is largely preventable,” said Solomon Romano, Hispanic marketing manager for Delta Dental. “We have teamed up with Ratoncito Perez and put in place several initiatives – a Spanish-language website, bilingual brochures and Spanish-speaking dentists – to educate parents and children that through regular dental cleanings and checkups, the use of sealants, and appropriate diet and oral health care, a healthy smile is achievable and maintained.”

As part of this dental health awareness effort, Delta Dental and Ratoncito Perez share the following simple tips that parents and children can practice to prevent dental problems:

  • Visit your dentist every six months for dental cleanings and check-ups.
  • Floss your teeth at least once a day. The floss should go between the gum and each tooth to clean food particles trapped under there.
  • Brush your teeth after every meal and before going to bed. Each brushing session should last at least two minutes and should include fluoride-based toothpaste.
  • After snacking, drink a glass of water to help wash away the sugar and neutralize the acid. Alternatively, chewing sugar-free gum to stimulate saliva flow has the same effect.
  • Limit consumption of sugary drinks such as juice and soda. When you or your children do drink them, use a straw, which limits the sugary beverage’s contact with teeth.

For more information on children’s preventive dental care, please visit Delta Dental’s website: http://www.mysmilekids.com/espanol/index.html

So many times I wished I'd listened to my gut

So many times I wished I’d listened to my gut

Source: Delta Dental

Kids of Spanish-speaking Hispanic moms watch less TV

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When it comes to a kid’s television-viewing habits, the mom’s language can matter.

When it comes to a kid's television-viewing habits, the mom's language can matter.

When it comes to a kid’s television-viewing habits, the mom’s language can matter.

Researchers at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine surveyed 1,347 women who had children ages 35 months to 4 years to assess just how much time the kids spent in front on the tube. They knew that young children of white mothers and young children of Hispanic mothers watched similar amounts of TV (we’ll go out on a limb here and say “too much”), but they seemed to think there might be some variables to be explored within those numbers and perhaps, down the road, interventions to be found.

They were right on the former. The latter remains to be seen. The researchers found that kids of English-speaking Hispanic moms and kids of Spanish-speaking Hispanic moms watched about the same amount of TV during their first year (yes, yes, infants watching any TV…). But by the second and third years, children of the English-speaking moms watched more, a lot more.

The abstract was published online Monday in the February issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.

Maybe TV simply is less important to Spanish-speaking Hispanic moms, the researchers speculated, or maybe there are fewer Spanish-language shows for toddlers.

Regardless, they conclude: “These findings highlight the need to further understand sociocultural factors that influence television viewing habits in young Hispanic children. Interventionists should consider such factors when designing interventions targeting television viewing in young Hispanic children. Additionally, these findings emphasize the need for researchers to appreciate the heterogeneity of the Hispanic population when describing health behaviors and outcomes in this population.”

And if you’re wondering why this is relevant, the researchers point out in the study’s introduction: “Excessive television viewing in early childhood is associated with a multitude of negative health outcomes, including obesity, attention problems, and sleep troubles. … Additionally, Hispanic children face disparities in many health outcomes,18 some of which may be associated with early television habits.”

Source: Tami Dennis, Los Angeles Times – Orlando Sentinel

A Latino company with a heart – a mother’s heart

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Precious Baby Doll Company is a company with a mission to create a loving home for wonderful baby dolls through “adoption.” The Precious Doll Company was a dream of a woman who experienced first-hand the pain of relinquishing a baby for adoption and the joy of becoming a mother to an adopted daughter. It was her vision to establish a company that would realize the story behind every adoption and breathe life into each by creating stories that celebrated the joy of finally bringing the baby home.

It was summer, and a young Mary Beth Wells, gave birth to a beautiful daughter, whom she silently and privately named Kimberly Caryn. It was her struggle to relinquish this baby to parents who could provide a home with love and stability. It remains the most painful decision of her life, to love this child enough to place her with a family who would raise her to be their own.

Years later, Mary Beth found her birth daughter and began to have a relationship with her. Part one of the healing had occurred. Her prayers were answered when she became the mother to Sophia whom she adopted from Guatemala. Sophia became the love of her life. At last, she had two daughters- the circle of adoption to adoption was complete.

It was time to realize another dream- to give birth again, this time to a company that could bring precious dolls into loving homes. She knew, in her heart, that the Precious Baby Doll Company could help tell the stories of babies adopted all over the world, babies that now lived in America with their new families.

The dolls and their stories help any child learn the gift of adoption. Each doll comes with a book that tells the story about their country of birth and the love that brought them to a new world. The books that accompany these dolls tell the story of the journey that brought them home- these are stories of love with arms outstretched in two directions, one giving and one receiving. The stories tell how the children were wanted for such a long time and the supreme happiness in finally bringing these babies home to forever live with their new family.

The Precious Baby Doll Company is dedicated to providing the highest quality standards in clothing, design and story. The dolls are made to be permanent members of the family, with quality and beauty that is durable and precious like its name.

Every adoptive child has two histories and a bright future. It’s the history of the native land, the history of the family to which it is now a member and the future that has yet to unfold. The Precious Baby Doll Company celebrates and respects all three through stories, clothing and accessory lines. The books tell the stories of the beginning of their lives, leaving room for the parents to fill in all the details that made their child so uniquely wonderful. The books affirm the pride in having a home in “two lands”, with a foundation of knowledge about the country of origin as well as a deep love of America.

Source: Precious Baby Doll

Hispanics Tune in and Help Raise More Than $633,000 for Kids With Cancer During 2nd Annual Promesa & Esperanza Radiothon Benefiting St. Jude

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Hispanic radio listeners in more than a dozen cities tuned in to help fight against childhood cancer, raising more than $633,000 in cash and pledges during the 2nd annual ‘Promesa y Esperanza’ (Promise and Hope) radiothon to benefit St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital(R). The two-day radiothon took place October 8 – 9 in Philadelphia, Charlotte, New Orleans, Providence, Norfolk, Durham, Nashville, Minneapolis, Kansas City, Louisville, Richmond and Springfield, Mass. Thousands of callers pledged their support for kids with cancer and other catastrophic diseases at St. Jude, one of the world’s premier pediatric cancer research centers.

Hispanics Tune in and Help Raise More Than $633,000 for Kids With Cancer During 2nd Annual Promesa & Esperanza Radiothon Benefiting St. Jude

Hispanics Tune in and Help Raise More Than $633,000 for Kids With Cancer During 2nd Annual Promesa & Esperanza Radiothon Benefiting St. Jude

Stations owned by Golden Door and Davidson Media Group (DMG) and its partner radio stations dedicated more than 30 hours of programming to further the mission of St. Jude by encouraging their listeners to pledge just $20 a month as anAngel de Esperanza (Angel of Hope). These donations help St. Jude maintain its promise that no child is ever denied treatment because of a family’s inability to pay. Since opening in 1962, St. Jude has treated children from all 50 states and around the world.

The hospital’s International Outreach Program (IOP) freely shares medical advancements achieved in the treatment of childhood cancer in developed countries to those with limited resources. As of June 2009, the St. Jude IOP program has partner clinics in 15 countries in Latin America and around the world, including Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Costa Rica, Venezuela, Ecuador, Chile and Brazil.

“This year’s radiothon was truly a great success and we are so proud to partner with St. Jude to help ensure that these sick children will have a fighting chance to live healthy and happy lives,” said Felix L. Perez, President and CEO of Davidson Media Group. Davidson Media Group owns 37 Radio stations in 19 different markets throughout the U.S.

Listeners had the opportunity to hear stories of survival from Hispanic children who are currently undergoing treatment, such as 3 year-old St. Jude patient Victor who was diagnosed with leukemia. At St. Jude, Victor received medical treatment at no costs to his family thanks to the generous donations from the community.

“Everyone at St. Jude is grateful for the generosity shown by the Hispanic community for our patients and their families,” said Richard C. Shadyac Jr., CEO of ALSAC, the fundraising organization of St. Jude. “It is heartwarming to see such an enthusiastic response during the Promesa y Esperanza radiothon, and we are inspired by the radio partners and donors who have embraced our lifesaving mission of finding cures and saving children.”

About St. Jude:

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital is internationally recognized for its pioneering work in finding cures and saving children with cancer and other catastrophic diseases. St. Jude is the first and only pediatric cancer center to be designated as a Comprehensive Cancer Center by the National Cancer Institute. Founded by late entertainer Danny Thomas and based in Memphis, Tenn., St. Jude freely shares its discoveries with scientific and medical communities around the world. St. Jude is the only pediatric cancer research center where families never pay for treatment not covered by insurance. No child is ever denied treatment because of the family’s inability to pay. St. Jude is financially supported by ALSAC, its fundraising organization. For more information, please visit www.stjude.org.

Source: St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital

Main image: The Children’s Neuroblastoma Cancer Foundation

Hispanic Children and Obesity Risk

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Hispanic Children In U.S. At Greater Risk For Obesity Than Other Ethnic/Racial Groups

The prevalence of overweight in the US population is among the highest in Mexican-American children and adolescents. In a study of 1,030 Hispanic children between the ages of 4 and 19, published in the June 2009 issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, researchers from the Baylor College of Medicine found less than optimal diets in both overweight and non-overweight participants.

Hispanic Children and Obesity Risk

Hispanic Children In U.S. At Greater Risk For Obesity Than Other Ethnic/Racial Groups

Hispanic Children In U.S. At Greater Risk For Obesity Than Other Ethnic/Racial Groups

According to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys (NHANES), in 2005-2006 the prevalence of overweight among children (2-19 years) from all ethnic/racial groups was 15.5%. For Mexican-American males and females (2-19 years) the prevalence was 23.2% and 18.5%, respectively. Although the US environment encourages a sedentary lifestyle and excess food intake, the Hispanic population is burdened with additional risk factors for childhood obesity including parental obesity, low socioeconomic status (SES), recent immigration, acculturation to US diet and lifestyle, and limited health insurance coverage.

The VIVA LA FAMILIA Study was designed to identify genetic and environmental factors contributing to childhood obesity in the Hispanic population. It provided the novel opportunity to assess the diet of a large cohort of Hispanic children from low-SES families at high risk for obesity (1,030 children from 319 families in Houston, Texas). On average, 91% of parents were overweight or obese and parental income and education levels were low. Food insecurity was reported by 49% of households.

Writing in the article, Nancy F. Butte, PhD, Professor, USDA/ARS Children’s Nutrition Research Center, Department of Pediatrics, Baylor College of Medicine, states, “The diets of these low-SES Hispanic children were adequate in most essential nutrients, but suboptimal for the promotion of long-term health. Diet quality did not satisfy US dietary guidelines for fat, cholesterol, saturated fatty acids, fiber, added sugar, and sodium. Although energy intake was higher in overweight children, food sources, diet quality, and macro- and micronutrient composition were similar between non-overweight and overweight siblings…Knowledge of the dietary intake of children from low-SES Hispanic families at high risk for obesity will provide a basis on which to build nutritional interventions and policy that are appropriately tailored to population sub-groups.”

In a commentary published in the same issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, Rafael Pérez-Escamilla, PhD, Professor of Nutritional Sciences & Public Health, Director, NIH EXPORT Center for Eliminating, Health Disparities among Latinos (CEHDL), University of Connecticut, Storrs, asks whether the process of acculturation into “mainstream” US society is having negative effects on Hispanics. Citing numerous studies, he explores many of the factors that both support and contradict the assimilation argument, and concludes that while acculturation is likely a negative influence, further study is warranted. He writes, “However, we still need to elucidate the mechanisms and the extent to which acculturation to the USA ‘mainstream’ culture per se explain deterioration in dietary quality, and increased risks for obesity and associated chronic diseases among Latinos. Filling in this gap in knowledge is essential for developing culturally appropriate and behavioral change based interventions targeting Latinos with different levels of acculturation.”

The article is “Nutrient adequacy and diet quality in non-overweight and overweight Hispanic children of low socioeconomic status – the VIVA LA FAMILIA Study” by Theresa A. Wilson, MS, RD, Anne L. Adolph, BS, and Nancy F. Butte, PhD. The commentary is “Dietary quality among Latinos: Is acculturation making us sick?” by Rafael Pérez-Escamilla, PhD. Both appear in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, Volume 109, Issue 6 (June 2009) published by Elsevier.

Source: APA – Elsevier (2009, June 4). Hispanic Children In U.S. At Greater Risk For Obesity Than Other Ethnic/Racial Groups. ScienceDaily. Retrieved