Is Your Kid Depressed?

 Depression is a serious health problem that affects children as well as adults. A child can get depression after the loss of a loved one or a traumatic emotional event. Children who have been abused or constantly criticized can also develop chronic depression,

 Sometimes it is hard for depression to be diagnosed in a child. Often the child seems as lazy as the child suffers fatigue and may insist on lying around. The lack of motivation and energy that goes along with depression may be seen as stubbornness. Like adults, children who are depressed either overeat or undereat and develop a dislike of exercising and socializing. They may also become disinterested in their usual hobbies and interests.

Children that are most likely to experience depression are those who have experienced the loss of a pet or loved one (such as a parent or a sibling and those who already are experiencing some kind of disability or learning disorder such as Asperger's syndrome, dyslexia or Attention Deficit Disorder. If not treated depression can lead to failing grades, violence, alcohol, drug use and obesity 

A child with depression – 

Will wear clothes that cover most of the skin on the body

May insist on wearing the same thing every day

Refuses to look anyone in the eye

Uses his or her hair to cover the faceIs always irritable

Cries easilyIs unusually sarcastic or sardonic

May tell morbid tales or be obsessed with death

Prefers to watch television all day

Falls asleep at school or refuses to get up in the morning

Has insomnia or wakes up too early in the morning

Refuses to make decisions

Has many vague physical problems such as stomachaches and headaches

Cries easily

Shows inappropriate emotion or none at all (such as laughing at the death of a pet)

Talks about death or suicide

Talks about running away from home (apparently four out of five runaways were motivated by depression to leave home)

 The sad fact is that as many as one in every three children and one in eight adolescents living in the United States might have depression. This is according to a health study done in 1996. 

Another fact is that teenage girls are more likely to suffer from depression –at least according to the National Institute of Mental Health. There is also quite a bit of evidence that depression is hereditary so if you have a relative in the family with the disorder it is likely that one of your children or you may suffer from it too. 

The consequences of untreated depression in childhood can be devastating as your child grows older For one thing it is a precursor for all sorts of personality disorders and serious depression in adult hood. It also means that your child is at increased risk for such problems as addiction, alcoholism, manic depression and suicide. 

 The fact that it can be so dehabilitating when your child becomes an adult is why it is so important for parents, teachers and guardians to detect depression in children early before it becomes a chronic and self-sabotaging chronic condition that lasts a lifetime.

The Most Recent Baby Food Recalls

We have all been horrified by the latest toxic pet food scare and just even thinking about it has got me thinking about baby food recalls. Just for your interest I decided to compile a list of the most recent baby food recalls just in case you happen to have a jar of the offending baby food sitting on your shelf.

February 16th 1997 – This recall was for Earth's Best Organic 2 Apple Peach Barley Wholesome Breakfast Baby Food. This batch of baby food was infected with Clostridium botulinum, which can cause botulism, a life-threatening illness. The affected baby food was sold in single jars and 4-jar variety packs. It is part of the Earth’s Best 2nd Vegetables, Fruits and Blends line, which is made for babies over 6 months old. If you think you might have a jar of this contact Hain Celestial Group at 800-434-4246 for more information.

September 16th 2006 – This recall was for Similac Advance and Similac Alimentum Advance Baby Formula. This was a huge recall where about 3,00,000 bottles of Similac Alimentum and Similac Advance baby formula were recalled because the bottles were manufactured without a special plastic layering that keeps oxygen out of it. The problem with this is that when oxygen contacts this type of formula it reduces the Vitamin C in it. Vitamin C deficiency occurs rapidly in babies.

Once again if you have kept this on the shelf you might want to look at the lot numbers. The two brands affected are Similac Advance with Iron – stock code 55961, lot numbers 40177RH or 40172RH. The use-by se-by date is Nov. 1, 2007.
Similac Alimentum Advance – stock code 57512, lot number 401895V. The use-by date is May 1, 2007.March 16th, 2006. This recall was indirectly related to babies, toddlers and children. This was a recall of Walgreens Iron Supplements because thousands of bottles were issued without childproof packaging. Unfortunately these iron supplements look at taste like candy and an overdose could cause liver damage, coma and death in children. If you have a bottle of this still and have questions you can call Inverness who makes the product at 888-698-5032.

Feb 15th 2005. This recall was also for Similac Baby formula, specifically Similac Advance with Iron. This time the problem was that the 12.0 oz. cans were not made correctly and a manufacturing malfunction created a product where there was plastic debris at the bottom of the can. This of course was a serious choking hazard.

In the next blog I will try and keep you informed about the latest baby products recalls so that we can keep our dear ones safe and sound. Remember too that if you ever suspect that anything is wrong with a food product meant for children contact the manufacturer and the FDA immediately! These things are almost always caught by the public and not the maker of the product or any kind of quality control practitioners. When it comes to quality control – you are it!