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Time for summer fun! Read on to find out about topics that may affect your family this m onth:Poison
Ivy, Oak, Sumac
Sun
exposure and sun screen Insect
repellants
POISON IVY, POISON OAK, AND POISON SUMAC: Treatment and Prevention Poison ivy is a woody shrub that grows and spreads along the ground or climbs
high in trees or on poles. It is found throughout the United States except on
the West Coast. There are 3 leaflets on each leaf cluster of the plant. The
clusters of the 3 leaflets grow about 3 to 4 inches apart on either side of the
plant (Picture 1). The edges of the leaves may be smooth, toothed, or rounded.
The leaves are glossy green in early spring and summer, and by fall the leaves
are a bright red color. The berries hang in clusters from the stem. In summer
the berries are greenish-white. By fall the berries turn to a tan color, and
later to a reddish color. The poison ivy rash can be caused by contact with the sap of the plant. A
child can get the rash by touching the plant, by coming Poison oak and poison sumac grow in the eastern and southeastern part of the United States. The rash is caused by contact with the sap. Poison oak and poison sumac have the same symptoms as poison ivy and are treated in the same way. Poison oak is a low-growing shrub. Stems usually grow upright. Leaflets occur in threes, and have toothed edges (Picture. 2). Poison sumac grows as a woody shrub or small tree, rather than a vine. The sumac leaves have 7 to 13 leaflets in pairs with a single leaflet at the end of the twig (Picture 3). Poison sumac grows mainly in swampy areas.
Poison Ivy(picture 1) Poison Oak(picture 2) Poison Sumac(picture 3) SYMPTOMS Itching, burning, redness, and small busters appear on the skin within a few hours to 5 days after contact. A severe rash with swelling and large blisters may last for several days IMMEDIATE TREATMENT · If your child comes in contact with the sap, give him or her a complete bath with soap and water within 15 to 20 minutes of contact. Clothes that may be contaminated with the sap should be washed. · If you are sensitive to the sap, wash your hands and also change and wash your clothes. · Wash your hands and arms with soap and water after decorating a live Christmas tree. TREATMENT OF THE RASH · A soothing lotion such as calamine may be purchased from your local pharmacy without a prescription. When applied to the rash, the lotion helps prevent itching and helps dry the rash. Note: It is best not to use Caladryl® lotion for poison ivy, because it is absorbed into the skin. You can use calamine lotion. · The skin should be cleaned with mild soap and water and patted dry 2 times a day to help prevent infection. · Cool compresses applied to the affected area help reduce itching. (To make a compress, soak a washcloth or small towel in cool water and wring out excess water. Fold the cloth into a small pad.) · Trim the child's fingernails to discourage scratching and help prevent infection if the blisters are scratched. · To help relieve the itching, you may give your child a medicine by mouth called Benadryl®. It is available at any pharmacy without a prescription. Ask the pharmacist or call your doctor for the correct dosage.
OTHER INFORMATION · Only the sap of these plants is infectious and not the fluid in the blisters on a person's skin. · There is no allergy shot available to prevent poison ivy. The shots are not considered safe or effective. PREVENTION · Teach your child how to identify the plants. When possible, avoid contact with them. · Plants should be removed from play areas by an adult who is not sensitive to them.· It is best to kill the plants by spraying with a broadleaf weed killer, and not by pulling or burning them. A broadleaf weed killer can be purchased at your local plant nursery. CAUTION: Any weed killer that is not used must be stored out of the reach of children. WHEN TO CALL THE POISON CONTROL CENTERIf your child has eaten any part of the plant, you should call the Poison Control Center (614) 228-1323 or 1-800-682-7625 immediately for advice. If left untreated, the plant can cause severe stomach upset. WHEN TO CALL YOUR DOCTOR Call your doctor (phone 871-8500) if any of the following occurs: · If the rash covers a large part of your child's body or involves the eyes. · If your child has trouble sleeping because of itching. If you have any questions, please call HH-I-111 6/83, Rev. 6/91 Copyright 1991, Children's Hospital, Inc., Columbus, Ohio.
Sun Sun Exposure:Guidelines for Parents
The sun is the main cause of skin cancer, the most common form of cancer in the United States. All skin cancers are harmful and some, including malignant melanoma, can be deadly. Why are children at risk for sun damage? Virtually everyone is at some risk for sun exposure damage. Infants, children, and adolescents are at a higher risk because of the time they spend outdoors; between 60% to 80% of a person's lifetime exposure happens before he or she turns 18 years old. Research has shown that one or more blistering sunburns in childhood increase the risk of developing skin cancer later in life. A parent's knowledge of sun exposure helps decrease or avoid the chances of run, re skin cancer in their children. 
How can I protect my child? There are several ways to protect children from the sun. Babies under 6 months of age should be kept out of direct sunlight. Children should be clothed in comfortable, lightweight, tight-woven long pants and shirts. Hats should have a brim of at least 3 inches (7.5 cm) all around to cover the face, neck, and ears. Sunglasses are important for all ages. Protective glass on car windows will decrease the damaging ultraviolet ray exposure. Avoid the sun between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. (11 a.m. to 4 p.m. during daylight saving time) and use sunscreens and sunblocks whenever outdoors. What about sunscreens and sunblocks? Sun products that protect against both ultraviolet A (UWA) and ultraviolet B (UV~) rays are best. Look for the words broad spectrum on the label. Sunblocks such as zinc oxide or titanium dioxide, or combination sunscreens such as benzophenones (oxybenzone, dioxybenzone, sulisobenzone), provide protection against both UVA and UVB rays. Always choose a sunblock or sunscreen with an SPF of 15 to 30. Anything over 30 is unnecessary and may actually harm your child due to strong chemicals. Apply 1 ounce (28.35 grams) 15 to 30 minutes before going outdoors to all areas of the body including the lips, ears, nose, neck, shoulders, hands, back, waist, and feet. Reapply sun lotion every 2 to 3 hours and after swimming and sweating. All children, especially adolescents, should avoid artificial light sources such as tanning beds and sunless tanning products. How should I treat a sunburn? Signs of sunburn usually appear 6 to 12 hours after exposure, with the greatest discomfort during the first 24 hours. For red skin, tepid baths and cool soaks arc best. Washcloths dipped in water, milk, or cold teas can be applied directly to the skin. Plain yogurt applied several times a day for 10 minutes may offer relief. Have your child drink plenty of fluids including water and juices. Apply moisturizers and aloe to dry skin and use oatmeal baths for itchy skin. Always avoid butter, grease, or powder on any type of burn; these home remedies can actually make the burn worse. For pain, acetaminophen or ibupro-fen may be given as directed. Ask your primary care provider about applying a low-dose over-the-counter cortisone cream to sore and swollen skin. If your child has severe blisters, fever, chills, headache, or a general feeling of illness, call your primary care provider immediately. parks, public signs can be posted at playgrounds and swimming pools, lifeguards can set good examples, and policies can be created. Parents can make a big difference in the prevention of sun exposure and future skin cancer in today's children. For more information, contact these national resources:
What else can I do? Setting a good example is the best preventive measure that a parent can initiate. It is a good idea to periodically perform skin assessments on children by looking for the ABCDE's of skin cancer (see chart). Parents can also help by getting involved in the community and schools and encouraging sun-safe activities for children. School teachers and coaches could participate. Trees can be planted along streets and Although most children's moles are perfectly harmless, it is important to look for changes in size, texture, shape, and color. An easy way to remember what to look for is the "ABCDE" signs of skin cancer:
D= Diameter greater than 1/4 inc
American Academy of Dermatology P.O. Box 4014 930 North Meacham Road Schaumburg, IL 60618-4014 (847) 330-0230 http://www, aad.org
American Academy of Pediatrics 141 Northwest Point Blvd. P.O. Box 927 Elk Grove Village, IL 60009-0927 (847) 228-5005 http://www, pediatrics.org
American Cancer Society 1599 Clifton Road, NE Atlanta, GA 30329 1-800-ACS-2345 http://www, cancer, org
National Weather Service Climate Prediction Center http://nic.fb4.noaa.gov/
Skin Cancer Foundation P.O. Box 561 Department JDN New York, NY 10156 (212) 725-5176; E-mail: info@skincancer, org
When the weather turns warm, you may want to use an insect repellent to protect your child from bites by mosquitoes, biting flies, gnats, chiggers, ticks, or other "bugs." In choosing a repellent, you need to keep in mind what insects you want to protect against and which substances are safe and effective. The best all-purpose insect repellent is a substance called N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide, commonly known as deet. It is the active ingredient in most commercially available repellents. Deet is available in products packaged as sprays, aerosols, gels, liquids, sticks, and impregnated towelettes. Although deet has been used safely for 40 years, it is best not to apply products with a deet concentration of more than 10% to children’s skin. Check the label of the product you are considering for the concentration. Be sure to apply the deet product to all exposed areas except the hands (particularly of small children) and the skin near the eyes and mouth. Also keep repellent away from cuts or any patches of irritated skin. Deet will remain effective for several hours, but will wash off with water and sweat, so it’s best to reapply it from time to time. The substance also may damage plastics and spandex. If you prefer a plant-derived product, consider a repellent in which the active ingredient is citronella. Although citronella is effective, it does not protect as long as products containing deet. Soybean oil is another "natural" repellent that works well. When clothing or other objects rub the skin,some repellent may come off. Evaporation, wind, heat, sweating, and water have the same effect and shorten protection time. Using an insect repellent with sunscreen. The sun protection factor (SPF) of sunscreens may decrease when an insect repellent containing deet also is applied. Therefore, if you use sunscreen and deet-containing insect repellent on your child at the same time, choose a sunscreen with a higher SPF than you usually use. If you apply one of the new combination sunscreen and insect repellent products, keep in mind that it may not protect as well against sun as the SPF on the label would suggest. What about Lyme disease? Many parents worry that their child will be bitten by a tick and get Lyme disease. The best protection against ticks is permethrin, which is available in a spray repellent. Permethrin should not be applied directly to the child’s skin, however, because its safety when used that way has not been firmly established. Spray permethrin repellent on clothing, shoes, tents, netting, sleeping bags, and the like. It will last for several washings. On the child’s skin, use a deer-containing repellent. Safety first 92 CONTEMPORARY PEDIATRICS Vol. 15, No. 6
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How to choose and use
insect repellents