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Newsymail 2001

Date sent: Fri, 28 Dec 2001 21:23:09 -0600

Many families have a custom of writing to their children when they reach adulthood, be it at 16, 19, or 21 years old. They write a letter to their child describing their feelings for them, what they wanted to teach them while raising them, and what they hope for them in the future. My Father wrote me a letter and I would encourage you to do the same. There is a copy of my Dad's letter at my web site:

http://www.rogerknapp.com/medical/21st_letter.htm

Date sent: Sat, 15 Dec 2001 23:38:21 -0600

A study in the Dec. 11 issue of Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association confirms that high triglycerides predict stroke risk. "High triglycerides constitute an independent risk factor for ischemic stroke/TIA across subgroups of age, sex, patient characteristics, and cholesterol fractions, whereas high %HDL was an independent protective factor among patients with coronary heart disease. Risk of ischemic stroke or TIA was 27% higher in patients with triglycerides >200 mg/dL. Merry Christmas... eat Turkey that has less fat. It was almost our

National bird!

Dr. Knapp :)

Date sent: Sun, 9 Dec 2001 13:47:21 -0600

I get many questions about skin moles and "bumps". Moles will change in color or size rapidly if there is melanoma. This is extremely rare in young children. We get 80% of our sun exposure the first 20 years so keep them covered. They can burn in the winter with cool wind and bright

sunlight. But especially melanoma gets red skin around the mole with an irregular border. See the attached pictures. The other bump that is common is a type of wart called a Molluskum

Contageosum. It is a small round bump with a white center "seed" and sometimes has a dimple in the middle of the bum. See attached picture. It is treated like the common wart. Careful.... they can spread like the name implies: contageosum.

Dr. Knapp

Date sent: Sun, 25 Nov 2001 17:59:33 -0600

This is not medical but was in our medical journal: "Companies that supply, build, and operate fiber optic networks are burning! ... In virtually every generation, new technologies have arisen

that promised to transform the way Americans conducted business, exchanged information, and entertained themselves. Each inspired an exuberant investment boom, which led to a glut of capacity, ruinous competition, falling prices for consumers and, ulti­mately, bankruptcies and

consolidation ... A similar set of circumstances affected the pioneers of the original information superhighway, the telegraph. Soon after Samuel F. B. Morse invented it, hundreds of local service providers popped up like wildflowers ... The only value in the stock certificates of upstart

companies ... proved to be historical ... Between 1860 and 1890, investors poured nearly $9 billion into the next new thing: railroads. In those years, the nation's rail network grew from 30,626 miles to nearly 200,000 miles .... a 653% increase. The hyper­construction led to competition and excess capacity, which was good for freight shippers and passengers. But when

the financial panic of 1893 hit, it spelled disaster for investors ... Creative destruction was the term coined by economist Joseph Schumpeter to describe the workings of innovation and technology ... Many new companies have been created; almost as many will be destroyed."

New York Times. June 20, 2001 It is interesting how history repeats. I love the comments by Aristotle thousands of years ago how the teenagers are disrespectful, rebellious, etc. Our parents said the same thing about us that you are saying about your children. Pretty funny? or sad?

Dr. Knapp

Date sent: Mon, 19 Nov 2001 22:14:08 -0600

In a study reported this month, an ultrasound examination of the fetal profile in 701 fetuses at 11 to 14 weeks gestation was done immediately before karyotyping for Downs Syndromes. The nasal bone was absent in 43 of 59 (73%) trisomy 21 fetuses and in three of 603 (0.5%) normal fetuses . This would be a simple way to screen for Downs Babies.

(If the sonogram shows the baby picking his nose, then he will be a Texas Aggie!)

Have a Happy Thanksgiving.

Dr. Knapp

Date sent: Thu, 15 Nov 2001 16:13:52 -0600

Everyone will tell you to watch out for ear pain when flying with infants. That you should give them something to suck on when flying. The fact is that flying almost never hurts their ears to fly until 4 years old or older. Expect nothing or just fussy baby since their daily routine is upset.

If they do have ear pain, 1-2 drops of olive oil in their ears with help the pain. You should take some in an eyedropper for YOUR ears. They baby will be fine. It never hurts to have them suck on something (pacifier might be preferred over the breast.... the men would vote for the later!) but you would find that it hurts little babies to fly. Have a good vacation this holidays.

Dr. Knapp

Date sent: Sun, 11 Nov 2001 08:51:01 -0600

A little medical history THE GREAT TOOTH ROBBERY

"The night of 18 June 1815 was one to remember. After 23 years of war in Europe, Napoleon faced the combined might of England, Holland, and Prussia at Waterloo. By 10 pm, the battle was over. The French were defeated and 50,000 men lay dead or wounded on the battlefield. The casualties were high, but for one group of people that was reason to celebrate. They were the dentists who were about to benefit from the great tooth bonanza. In the early part of the 19th century, patients with plenty of money, but few teeth were prepared to pay enormous sums for a good set of dentures. The best were made with real human teeth at the front. Most of the time

demand for second hand incisors far outstripped supply, but wars helped make up the shortfall. The windfall from Waterloo provided enough to ship supplies all round Europe and even across the Atlantic."

Dr. Knapp

Date sent: Sun, 4 Nov 2001 12:04:03 -0600

Here are some comments from another author: Catch your child doing good. It is such a simple concept, and yet, in our attempt to be "good" parents, we are likely focused on catching the negative. Dr. Jeffrey Kelly in Solving Your Child's Behavior Problem says, "The best way to motivate a child to good behavior is to develop a plan to reinforce or reward the good actions we want to see." Praise and attention are powerful motivators.

Be specific in praising your children. Don't just say, "You were good today." Find specific incidences that define good behavior for your children. "You played nicely with your sister and took turns" and "Thank you for remembering to pick up your toys" describe the behavior you want and expect from your children. Offer occasional rewards. There is a difference between reward and bribery. Reward is offered when you catch him doing something good, after the

Good deed is completed. "You didn't run up and down the aisles in the store today; I think I'll buy you some candy." Bribery occurs before the fact: "If you're good in the store today I'll buy you some candy." Can you see the difference? Reward helps the child be self-motivated to do well. Bribery teaches him to be object-motivated to do well.

Utilize self-fulfilling prophesy. Dr. James Dobson addresses this concept in his book, Hide or Seek. In essence, children become what you tell them they are. If you tell her she's kind, she'll more than likely try to be kind. And, if you tell her she's a brat, she will prove you right. Children take adults' words to heart. They take our words and see themselves in that light. They will fulfill whatever role we give them. It's been said that a child's mind is like a bank - whatever you put in, you get back. We need to deposit appropriate, but true words into her bank. Of course, that doesn't mean you should tell her how good she is when she IS being a brat. But Seek out the good things she does and then let her hear you say them. All too often our words create emotional bankruptcy. Let's take every opportunity to deposit words of gold.

My Advice: Tell complements about your child to other people with your child in hearing range. Never say anything negative about your child in their "ear-shot".

Dr. Knapp

Date sent: Wed, 24 Oct 2001 22:13:49 -0500

A reminder and a couple of quickies.

• 1.. Get your flu shots. Children with asthma, lungs troubles, and heart disease need them. Also if you just want them to have them we can give it to them. I would if they are teens since missing a week of high school is tough.
• 2.. I also recommend the vaccine against Meningiococcus Meningitis before they go to college.
• 3.. Teens are more stable and psychologically better if the Mother goes to church. I guess the old saying of pray together - stay together is true.
• 4.. Teens 16-17 years old have more crashes with passengers in the car. If none the crash ratio is 1.0, if 1 passenger - it is 1.39, if 2 – it is 1.86, and if 3 passengers it is 2.82. That is almost 3 times more than if no passengers. Teen care pooling is good for the environment but not for your insurance rates.
• 5.. Bedwetting statistics are: 10% in first grade. 3% in middle school. And 1% of 20 year olds. It is common to wet the bed into teens so don't worry if they are still having the problem. There is a medication for it. (I guess it isn't very romantic to go on your honeymoon with "Attends" on!!!)

Have a safe week..

Dr. Knapp

Date sent: Tue, 23 Oct 2001 00:05:19 -0500

Sometimes simple things work best. If there is a chance that a child swallowed a coin, then we can use a metal detector to find it in the child. It has been shown in medical studies to be very accurate in detecting coins. Also a parent's hair can get wound around the infant's toe, and there

Will be a fine crease around the toe. We can cure it by soaking the toe in Nair or other hair dissolving product. The hair will release and the toe will become normal. They used to cut the hair and skin. Now we just use something simple... which is sometimes the best.

Dr. Knapp

Date sent: Sun, 14 Oct 2001 22:37:44 -0500

There is not anything new in medical news that I would deem interesting to waste you reading time. All we hear lately is about terrorism, small pox and anthrax. I do not worry about small pox since it is so difficult to grow and put into a form to disseminate that the possibility of that is nil. Anthrax on the skin like the letters is nothing and 100% cured. The anthrax letters are for psychological effect. Inhaled pulmonary anthrax is deadly but 50 people in that building in Florida were exposed, 1 became symptomatic and died since they were not thinking of it. Now they are. Only a few others tested positive and did not become symptomatic. They are being treated to be safe. But many people did not get anything. So it is hard to put into a form to aerosolize it and get into people's lungs. It can be done and one has to be aware of it. The risk is sooo low. I'm not lying awake and do not have Cipro in my house. Be aware and cautious. Like sending your children to school and being concerned about some nut with a gun. I more worry about car bombs and chemical warfare stuff like Botulism Toxin. That is another story. You don't really want to know. For more info about Anthrax:

http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dbmd/diseaseinfo/anthrax_g.htm

Dr. Knapp ;<)

Date sent: Sun, 23 Sep 2001 21:10:36 -0500

I guess life and death go on after the recent events. Certainly we now will try to get back on our regular schedules. In Afghanistan (which is about the same size and population as the state of Texas) they have conditions we had 100 years ago. Their life expectancy is 45 yrs and ours 75. Their infant mortality is 15% and females receive no medial care. They have 1700 miles of paved roads and we have 296,000. They have few phones, no internet, and no movies. I am certainly thankful for America. If you are planning on another child, be sure you take vitamins while getting pregnant. There are less birth defects if you are on them as you start trying. Also you can increase your chances for a boy or girl by changing the timing of when you do it during the month's cycle. See the book "Choosing the Sex of Your Baby". Just use the one chapter on timing. It will give you more than a 50% chance and my patients that have tried it are batting 80% success on their choice. It can't hurt. Also there is not a perfect interval between babies. There are good and bad things with any interval.

Dr. Knapp

Date sent: Sat, 1 Sep 2001 23:54:43 -0500

The FDA this month approved the Clarion Bionic Ear for treatment of deafness in children and adults. It delivers an electrical stimulus directly to the hearing nerve. The external part of the system converts the sound to digital code, then sent via radio waves to the surgically Implanted

ear device. It provides the deaf person with more than 10 times more sound information than the fastest cochlear implant technology. I guess the 6 Million Dollar Man was ahead of his time. I know most women would like to have their husbands hearing better.. ha ha.

Have a good Dabor Lay... I mean Labor Day.

Dr. Knapp

Date sent: Sat, 18 Aug 2001 22:43:57 -0500

Future moms, do you need another reason not to smoke during pregnancy? A new study shows that smoking during pregnancy may increase the chances (to 20%) that you'll have a very cranky baby. Smoking during pregnancy is already known to place the unborn baby at increased risk for many health problems, including an early delivery, low birth weight, breathing problems, and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Although heavy alcohol use has long been known to cause the mental retardation, stunted growth, and abnormal facial features known as fetal alcohol syndrome, it is unknown whether the occasional drink would lead to any long-term effects in the fetus. But a study in the Aug. 2 issue of Pediatrics shows that even occasional drinking while you're pregnant – as little as a drink a week -- can lead to behavioral problems in kids as late

as age 6-7. Boy these poor pregnant moms can't seem to get away with anything when pregnant. I sure hope they don't find any problems with sex while pregnant. (Ha . just kidding.) It does pay off in the long run to watch what you do when pregnant.

Dr. Knapp

Date sent: Sun, 5 Aug 2001 19:03:27 -0500

Is my child ready for Kindergarten? They should at least know the alphabet and numbers on sight. Not just the memorized alphabet song. Work on them memorizing the alphabet by trying these hints:

• 1. Practice writing each new letter in sand or fingerpaint.
• 2. Form the letters in cookie dough, or pretzel dough and bake them to eat.
• 3. Make cards with the capital letters and post them around the house. Then point to them and say "there's an R."
• 4. Put magnetic letters on the refrigerator and say" If you name the letter I will give you a Goldfish Cracker."
• 5. Look for each new letter on cereal boxes, signs, newspapers, and books.
• 6. Circle the letter on the pages of magazines or newspapers. Start with capital letters and then move to lower alphabet case.
• 7. Make a matching game with pairs of cards made of the capital or lowercase letters.
• 8. Start an alphabet book allowing a page for each letter. Count how many times you see your letter during the day or during a car trip.
• 9. Point the letters in the books while reading to them. There is no good test for readiness. All the tests have as good a chance as 50/50 coin toss. Also the question comes up should we put him/her in early or hold them back if their birthday falls just before or after the cutoff date. I usually recommend putting them in at the time they were due to go in to Kindergarten. Don't push ahead or hold back.

Dr. Knapp

Date sent: Wed, 1 Aug 2001 23:20:32 -0500

Hearing can be damaged by loud noise and more with higher tones than the base sounds. Watchout for your children playing too loud of music. Check the earphones they are using and be sure it is not too loud. I think if they are using the earphones in the car, store, and everyplace the family goes that they are trying to escape and divorce themselves from the family. Earphones are for the house and bedroom. Not for walking around the town with the family.

Dr. Knapp

Date sent: Thu, 26 Jul 2001 22:25:54 -0500

There is a new snake bite antivenin called Crotalid Fab for rattlesnake, cottonmouth, and copperhead snakebites. If you have one with you, a Sawyer Extractor can be applied to suck the venom out of the bite but this must be applied in minutes to the bite. You do not cut the bite or suck with your mouth (as mentioned in some gross jokes.) Most ER's will have the antivenin.

Identify or memorize what the snake looks like but don't catch it because it puts more people at risk for a bite also. Elevate the bite, apply the Sawyer extractor if available, and go to the ER immediately but calmly. There is no need for panic but go in right away. Not 1 in 5000 snake bites will cause death. Better than a shark attack! "Red on black, venom lack. Red on yellow, kill a fellow." If a red stripe is beside the yellow stripe, then it is poisonous.

Dr. Knapp

Date sent: Tue, 17 Jul 2001 07:18:32 -0500

Feed those brains. Several studies show that if the baby has a smaller weight at birth than expected for the average, then there was a big increase in school difficulties and lower performance at 12 to 19 years of age. Other studies show decrease calories in childhood caused problems in school performance and increase in psychological problems later as a teenager.

We definitely have a big increase in obesity but one does not want to hold back on calories .. Especially in that first year when the brain grows the most. Eating habits and snacking at school age can cause obesity. Like everything else. moderation is the best course. There are charts for height and weight at the web site and you can plot the child's growth as it goes up the percentile lines. After 3 years old they should gain the same number of pounds as they are years old, approximately. For example the 5 year old would gain close to 5 lbs that year. Then it is 12 pounds a year during the teens (a pound a month). You can draw a graph with that number of lbs

Gain over the 12 months of that year and follow their weight each month. If they are gaining over that, then they are getting too heavy. But in infancy, weight gain is good and do not be concerned about plump baby. it is good for their brains. (especially if they are blond! J)

Dr. Knapp

Date sent: Wed, 11 Jul 2001 22:44:36 -0500

Higher prices are good!!!? Raising the price of cigarettes prevents at least some teenagers from taking up smoking. Survey of Michigan schools showed that for every 10% increase in the price of cigarettes, the chance of an adolescent starting smoking dropped between 3-10%. All 50 states have excise taxes on cigarettes, ranging from 2.5 cents in Virginia to $1.11 in New York. But 36 states have not raised the taxes for over 5 years. It is kind of funny to call for higher taxes!

Dr. Knapp

Date sent: Sun, 1 Jul 2001 23:19:34 -0500

For the Fourth I have a recipe for you. It is also at my website. Dr. Knapp

Homemade Banana Ice Cream or Vanilla if replace banana with vanilla extract.

5 Large eggs (beaten)

2 1\2 Cups Imperial Granulated Sugar

1 Can Carnation Evaporated Milk

2 Cups Borden Heavy Whipping Cream 1\2 Gallon Bordens Whole Milk

2 Teaspoons Adams Real Vanilla

1 Can Bordens Eagle Brand Milk

4 Large Ripe Bananas (mashed)

Mix all of the above and mix with electric beaters. Place in 4 quart ice cream freezer.

Date sent: Sat, 23 Jun 2001 12:15:06 -0500

Studies reported in the New England J. of Medicine show that waiting to put in PE tubes in the ears to treat chronic ear fluid and infections did not change the child's development. Tests at 3 years old in the two groups (those getting tubes immediately and those who waited) showed no

Differences in speech-sound production, language, word diversity, cognition, or on any measures of receptive language, sentence length, grammatical complexity, parent-child stress, or behavior. Thus waiting to see if the fluid goes away will not hurt your child. Also removing tonsils and/or adenoids did decrease fluid recurrence in children if they were older than 2-3 years old, but did not help children below 2 years old. Of course your child will still have "selective" hearing. ha ha.

Dr. Knapp

Ps If they do not have tubes, put olive oil in their ears before swimming to prevent swimmer's ear infection.

Date sent: Sun, 17 Jun 2001 23:52:56 -0500

For a long time conventional wisdom has been that it is good for teenagers to work after school. There are more than 5 million teens less than 18 working in America. Two different organizations studying this found working teens more than 20 hours a week, had lowers grades, higher alcohol use, and too little time with their parents and families. Between 16 and 19 yrs. old, the percent teens working are: 53% Americans, 30% Germany, and 18% Japan. But then how can they pay for their car and stuff. You might think about limiting the hours!

Dr. Knapp

Date sent: Thu, 14 Jun 2001 22:22:53 -0500

Hepatitis C is on the rise. But the most common source is tattoos. The latest statistics from Southwestern Med School are:

41% -- Commercial tattoo parlors

17% -- drug abuse

8% --- Health care jobs

Dr. Knapp

Date: Sun, 21 Jan 2001 20:15:27 -0600

Knocked out teeth. Find the tooth and hold it by the crown only. Do not touch the root. Rinse the tooth and either replace the tooth in the socket (yea.. right!) and bite down on a gauze or cloth to hold it in. Or you can store it in cold milk or in salt water or in your mouth between cheek and gum. Do not allow the tooth to dry out. Seek care to reimplant it in 60 minutes either from your dentist or in the ER from a oral surgeon. Sometimes broken off tips can be glued back on.

Dr. Knapp

What time of the day should you go see the dentist?

At tooth-hurty (two thirty)

 

Date: Mon, 29 Jan 2001 00:00:47 -0600

Puberty is earlier. New studies in 1993 showed the average age of breast development in whites and blacks to be 9.96 years and 8.87 years, respectively and pubic hair to develop at 10.51 and 8.78 respectively. Menstruation started on average at 10.51 years in whites and 8.78 in blacks. Precocious puberty that needs medical attention is pubic hair and mature breast development before 7 in whites and before 6 in blacks. Minor breast buds that do not keep growing and have no pubic hair at 1-2 years old is called premature thelarche and does not need evaluation. Development seems to be getting younger. Too bad their mouth does not mature faster. Back-talking-teen is another topic.

Dr. Knapp

Date: Sun, 4 Feb 2001 11:15:14 -0600

Knee pain.

Many children and adults have it. Over use causes "rough" cartilage under the knee cap and is called Chondromalasia (Wow. big word!). There is a diffuse pain around and under the knee cap after exercise. Teens get a condition called Osgood Schlatter where a tendon inserts at the top of the tibia shin bone. There is point tenderness at the top of the tibia about 1 inch below the knee cap. If the knee swells, locks up, has problems climbing stairs, or has point tenderness anywhere else, then see your doctor. If you are just getting old like me, take your Motrin.

Dr. Knapp

Date: Sat, 10 Feb 2001 07:54:06 -0600

If sex or rape has occurred and pregnancy is to be avoided, females may take the following birth control pills immediately and prevent pregnancy. I will put this up at my web site for future reference. Happy Valentines......

Dr. Knapp

Oral Contraceptive Equivalents for the Yuzpe Method of Emergency Contraception

Trade Name Formulation No. Pills

Taken With Each Dose*

Preven+ 0.05 mg ethinyl estradiol 2

0.25 mg levonorgestrel

Ovral 0.05 mg ethinyl estradiol 2

0.50 mg norgestrel

Lo-Ovral 0.03 mg ethinyl estradiol 4

0.30 mg norgestrel

Nordette 0.03 mg ethinyl estradiol 4

0.15 mg levonorgestrel

Levlen 0.03 mg ethinyl estradiol 4

0.15 mg levonorgestrel

Triphasil (Yellow pills only) 4

0.03 mg ethinyl estradiol

0.125 mg levonorgestrel

Trilevlen (Yellow pills only) 4

0.03 mg ethinyl estradiol

0.125 mg levonorgestrel

* Treatment consists of 2 doses taken 12 hours apart. + Approved by the FDA in September 1998. (Adapted from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists Practice Patterns on Emergency Oral Contraception, December 1996).

Date: Tue, 20 Feb 2001 21:25:05 -0600

Circumcision is frequently done in the newborn. Xylacain is injected under the skin at the base of the penis to anesthetize it so there is very little discomfort. The reasons for circumcision are:

1. A lower risk of urinary tract infections in circumcised males. There is a 90% decrease.

2. A lower risk of getting cancer of the penis. Studies show 98% of males who get cancer of the penis are not circumcised.

3. A slightly lower risk of getting sexually transmitted diseases, including HIV, the AIDS virus.

4. Prevention of foreskin infections.

5. Prevention of phimosis, a condition in uncircumcised males that makes foreskin retraction impossible.

6. Easier genital hygiene.

Reasons sited against circumcision are:

1. Possible risks. As with any surgery, circumcision has some risks. Complications from circumcision are rare and usually minor. They may include bleeding, infection, cutting the foreskin too short or too long, and improper healing.

2. The belief that the foreskin is necessary to protect the tip of the penis. When removed, the tip of the penis may become irritated and cause the opening of the penis to become too small. This can cause urination problems that may need to be surgically corrected.

3. The belief that circumcision makes the tip of the penis less sensitive, causing a decrease in sexual pleasure later in life.

4. Almost all uncircumcised boys can be taught proper hygiene that can lower their chances of getting infections, cancer of the penis, and sexually transmitted diseases.

Sometimes the penis sinks into the baby fat around the pubic bone and looks like they were not circumcised. This looks better by school age. See pictures at my web site.

Dr. Knapp

www.rogerknapp.com

Date: Thu, 1 Mar 2001 15:01:13 -0600

The infant mortality has dramatically dropped over the last 100 years as shown on this graph. It used to be 10% died the first year alone. Antibiotics and Vaccinations have done wonders and since 1900 has doubled the life expectancy of us from 35 to 70+ years. More Americans died in the Civil war than all wars combined. Of those dyeing in the Civil War, 1/3 died of bullets and war, 2/3s died of measles, polio, meningitis and all these diseases for which we vaccinate. Ignore the recent TV shows on how bad these are and that they will damage you kids. Such bad journalism.

Dr. Knapp

Date: Thu, 8 Mar 2001 21:14:11 -0600

I recommend playing board games starting at 4 years old. They help train their attention span. (TV hypnotizes them) They work with counting the spaces, reading the cards in Sorry, and adding subtracting banker in Monopoly. They work with fair play, following rules, and how to be a good winner/looser (us Dad's haven't learned that yet!) Children should follow the rules. They will try to play the games differently but insist on them playing by the rules. And that is life. We have rules at job, rules of driving, taxes and at school. It is important that they learn to play by other's rules. There are other times when they can be creative. Keep the TV and video games to 2 hours a day or less. And watch out for the violent ones, it does rub off on them as you have seen lately in the news.

Dr. Knapp

Date: Sun, 18 Mar 2001 19:27:48 -0600

Did you know a human hair can wind around the small infant's toe (or more rarely penis) and cut off the circulation? It will wind around and sink into the skin so you cannot see the hair. All you see is a fine sunken line around the toe with blue skin distal to it. We treat it by soaking the toe in "Nair" or other hair dissolving solutions for woman's leg hairs. It is nice to know in case the rare event occurred to yours or relatives child you would not go to the ER and have somebody cut the skin to release it. Pretty strange huh?

Dr. Knapp

"You can have it Fast, Cheap, or Well Done.

One yes, two of them sometimes, but getting all three ...... almost never."

Date: Thu, 15 Mar 2001 16:52:31 -0600

Have fun with your child and make cheese from milk:

1. Heat four cups of whole milk in a saucepan until it almost starts to boil. Quickly turn the heat down to a simmer (be careful not to let it boil over) and slowly add four teaspoons of vinegar mixed with two tablespoons of water. You'll immediately see small white clumps (curds) appear on the surface.

2. Keep on simmering, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes, until the curd completely separates from the whey (a pale greenish-yellowish liquid). Turn off the heat.

3. Pour the mixture into a colander lined with two layers of cheesecloth. (Put a bowl beneath the colander to catch the whey. When it cools, see what it tastes like.) Rinse the curds with cold water, then drain them in the colander for half an hour.

4. Pour the curds out onto a clean surface and knead them for two minutes to form a lump. Flatten the lump until it's about half an inch thick and wrap it with the cheesecloth and a paper towel. Put a weight on it and let it sit for five hours.

5. Unwrap the cheese, slice it and taste some on crackers or French bread or with a bite of fruit. Try making a new batch; this time knead a little salt or some herbs and spices (say, oregano, basil or garlic) into the curds in step 4.

A very cool magazine called Explorations you can order at www.explorations.org has this and many neat things to do with your kids.

Dr. Knapp

Date: Sun, 25 Mar 2001 21:05:24 -0600

The husband and wife have different opinions about many things. For example one likes to party more than the other. The one that likes to get out more probably should not go so much and the one that likes to stay at home should get out more often. If both partners spend too much money, then they will go broke. So the one who spends too much should decrease their spending and the one that is miserly should spend more. Neither one is right. The proper amount is the compromise in between. And the parents will not agree on the discipline of their children. One will be harder and the other softer on the child. Neither one is right. The proper balance is the middle. That is not the problems of the marriage but the checks and balances of the marriage. If two men or two women raise a child, then the balance is not there. Don't look at these differences as a problem of your marriage. It is the good thing that you are different and both bring something special to the table. "Neither one of you are right. find that happy middle between you."

Dr. Knapp

Date: Mon, 9 Apr 2001 20:42:35 -0500

You now realize how hard it is to raise a child and now you appreciate all the effort your parents put into raising you. If your parent is still alive, you should write a handwritten letter to them and say how much you appreciate them and love them. That you want to tell them thanks for the sacrifices and hard work. Make it real mushy. Because raising kids requires a lot of self sacrifice and is hard to do! It is definitely worth the sacrifices and the rewards are great. They can keep the letter, re-read it many times, and cry with it. But it is hard to do if they are dying and hard to do face to face because you cry. It would be greatly appreciated and better now while they are in decent health. Many years from now you will be glad you did.

Dr. Knapp

Date: Fri, 20 Apr 2001 05:57:31 -0500

Some candle wicks can give off lead. some produce in excess of 2,200 micrograms per hour while it only takes 430 to be hazardous to children. Consumer Product Safety Commission plans to ban candles with lead core wicks sometime. Some manufacturers have voluntarily stopped producing them. Here is the list. Have a safe spring and use sunscreen and bug off stuff (10% deet is safe.)

• A.I. Root Company
• Alene Candles Inc.
• Ameriplus, Inc.
• Arizona Natural Resources Inc.
• Aroma Naturals, Inc.
• AROMATIQUE, Inc.
• Aspen Bay Company-Mississippi River Traders-Exporters
• Bright of America
• Bullfrog Light Co.
• Calwax Corporation
• Candle Corporation of America
• Candles of Cape Cod
• Candle-Lite, Inc.
• Candlemaker, Inc.
• Carolina CandleLites Inc.
• Casey Pottery Company
• Cathedral Candle Company
• Cavedon Co., Inc.
• CERES Candles & Gifts, Inc.
• Certified Packaging Corp.
• Changing Paradigms LLC
• Coty US Inc.
• Country Home Candle Co./River Rock Candle Co.
• Cultural Heritage
• Dadant & Sons, Inc.
• Dial Corporation Faroy, Inc.
• General Wax & Candle Co.
• GlobalTech Industries, Inc.
• Gold Canyon Candle Co.
• GuildHouse -An American Greetings Corporation
• Hanna's Candle Company
• Illuminations.com, Inc.
• Lamplight Farms
• Latitudes International
• The Lofton Group, LLC
• Lumi-Lite Candle Co., Inc.
• Miracle Candle Co.
• MOLCA Design Corp.
• Neo-Image Candlelight Ltd.
• Northern Wicks Ltd.
• Old Virginia Candle Company
• Park Avenue Candles
• Partylite Candles
• Premier Candle Corp.
• Productos De Parafina La Soledad, S.A. de C.V.
• Reed Candle Company
• SC Johnson
• Surgipath Medical Industries, Inc. d/b/a Cera Bella
• USA Labs, Inc.
• Velas Artisticas S.A. de C.V.
• Will & Baumer, S.A. de C.V.
• Williamsburg Soap and Candle Co.
• Xanadu Candle International Ltd.
• Yankee Candle Company, Inc.
• American Candle Designs
• AMI Candle, Inc.
• ANA Design Corporation
• Archer Manufacturing Co. Inc.
• Aunt Bees, Inc.
• Back Door Candle Store
• Belae Brands, Inc.
• Biedermann & Sons, Inc.
• Busy Bee Candles
• California Candle Company
• The Candleberry Company
• Candleberry Lane, Inc.
• Candle Factory, Inc.
• The Candle Factory
• The Candle Factory, Inc.
• The Candle Man
• The Candle Mill Co., Inc.
• The Candle Station
• Candlery
• Candles & Moore Manufacturing
• Candlescence Candle Co.
• Carmen's Candelry, Etc.
• Carousel Candle & Gift Co., Inc.
• Christy's Country Candles, Inc.
• Colonial Candlecrafters
• Continental Candle Co.
• Country Candle Co. Inc.
• Creative Candles, Inc.
• Dakota Country Candles
• Dani, Inc.
• Danica Design, Inc.
• D'Liteful Scents
• Emery Family Candles
• Firecraft Candles
• Garalights
• Green Mountain Aromatics
• Heather Candles
• Heritage Candles, Inc.
• Hollowick, Inc.
• Hot Wax Candle Co., Inc.
• Illuminee Du Monde, Ltd.
• The Int'l Manufacturing & Resource Group
• Keepsake Candles, Inc.
• The Kerry Collection
• Lincoln Candle Co.
• Lumar Candle Co.
• Main Street Candlery, Inc.
• Memphis Candle Company
• Minka Candles
• Mountain Country Scenses
• Mountain Spirits Candle Co.
• Muench-Kreuzer Candle Co.
• Ner Shava Inc.
• Nola Candle Co., Inc.
• The Northern Company
• Northern Lights Candles
• Nature's Essence
• New York Candle Co.
• Old Port Candles, Inc.
• Our Secret, Ltd.
• Pacific Trade International, Inc.
• Paul Hodge Creations, Inc.
• Perin-Mowen, Inc.
• Philangeius, Inc.
• Plum Blossom, Inc.
• Pourette Manufacturing Co.
• Robert Alan Candle Co.
• Scentinal Candle Company
• Scents & Accents
• Scentual Candle, Inc.
• Sebring Candle Co. Inc.
• Simeria Candle Corporation
• Simply Candles
• Southern Wicks
• Spring Rock Farms, Inc.
• Star Candle Company
• Starship Shapes
• Sunset Mountain, Ltd.
• Swan Creek Candle Co.
• Syratech Corporation
• Taronga West Candles
• Torling Fragrance Products
• Twin City Beekeeping Supply, Inc.
• Vivaimagen
• Warming Glo Candle Co.
• Waxen Candles, Inc.
• Waxman Candles
• Waxworks of California
• Will & Baumer

Date: Sun, 6 May 2001 18:06:51 -0500

MOMS

This is for all the mothers who have sat up all night with sick toddlers in their arms, wiping up barf laced with Oscar Mayer wieners and cherry Kool-Aid saying, "It's OK honey, Mommy's here."

Who walk around the house all night with their babies when they keep crying and won't stop.

This is for all the mothers who show up at work with spit-up in their hair and milk stains on their blouses and diapers in their purse.

For all the mothers who run carpools and make cookies and sew Halloween costumes. And all the mothers who DON'T.

This is for the mothers who gave birth to babies they'll never see. And the mothers who took those babies and gave them homes.

This is for all the mothers who froze their buns off on metal bleachers at football or soccer games Friday night instead of watching from cars, so that when their kids asked, "Did you see me?" they could say, "Of course, I wouldn't have missed it for the world," and mean it.

This is for all the mothers who yell at their kids in the grocery store and swat them in despair when they stomp their feet like a tired 2-year old who wants ice cream before dinner.

This is for all the mothers who sat down with their children and explained all about making babies. And for all the mothers who wanted to but just couldn't.

For all the mothers who read "Goodnight, Moon" twice a night for a year. And then read it again. "Just one more time."

This is for all the mothers who taught their children to tie their shoelaces before they started school.=20 And for all the mothers who opted for Velcro instead.

This is for all the mothers who teach their sons to cook and their daughters to sink a jump shot.

This is for all mothers whose heads turn automatically when a little voice calls "Mom?" in a crowd, even though they know their own offspring are at home.

This is for all the mothers who sent their kids to school with stomachaches, assuring them they'd be just FINE once they got there, only to get calls from the school nurse an hour later asking them to please pick them up. Right away.

This is for mothers whose children have gone astray, who can't find the words to reach them.

For all the mothers who bite their lips sometimes until they bleed—when their 14-year-olds dye their hair green.

What makes a good Mother anyway?

Is it patience?

Compassion?

Broad hips?

The ability to nurse a baby, cook dinner, and sew a button on a shirt, all at the same time?

Or is it heart? Is it the ache you feel when you watch your son or daughter disappear down the street, walking to school alone for the very first time?

The jolt that takes you from sleep to dread, from bed to crib at 2 A.M. to put your hand on the back of a sleeping baby?

The need to flee from wherever you are and hug your child when you hear news of a fire, a car accident, a child dying?

For all the mothers of the victims of all these school shootings, and the mothers of those who did the shooting. For the mothers of the survivors, and the mothers who sat in front of their TVs in horror, hugging their child who just came home from school, safely.

This is for mothers who put pinwheels and teddy bears on their children's graves.

This is for young mothers stumbling through diaper changes and sleep deprivation.

And mature mothers learning to let go.

For working mothers and stay-at-home mothers.

Single mothers and married mothers.

Mothers with money, mothers without.

This is for you all.

So hang in there.

Happy Mother's Day

"Home is what catches you when you fall - and we all fall."

 

Date: Sun, 6 May 2001 18:25:37 -0500

Amazing! Some women cannot get pregnant because their eggs do not live long after fertilization. What doctors do is first combine the egg and sperm. Then they take a tiny (very tiny) needle and aspirate the liquid contents of the egg(not the DNA genetic stuff) of another woman's egg and inject it into the couple's egg. That causes the egg to live long enough to divide and grow in the uterus of the couple. All of the babies have been normal with the original DNA of the original couple. Wow that is a tiny needle..... and steady hands.

Dr. Knapp

Date: Sun, 13 May 2001 20:46:56 -0500

A remarkable new study shows that virtually all patients with autism have a deficiency of a protein known as metallothionein, which helps to regulate minerals and metals in the human body. The researchers, presenting their findings at the 154th Annual Meeting of the American Psychiatric Association, suggest that this deficiency inhibits the body's ability to handle toxic insults -- especially from metals such as zinc, copper, and aluminum -- at an early age, which then leads to neurological problems. And the defect could make children especially vulnerable to adverse reactions to certain vaccinations that contain those metals. It is important in the development of the brain, intestines, and the immune system. If you have a defect in that protein those areas will be affected. Among other things, metallothionein helps to regulate the ratio of copper to zinc in human cells. Some of the features of autism -- problems with speech, socialization, eye contact, immune system, and stomach -- are similar to those in people who have a metallothionein defect. Autism is not from the vaccinations.

Dr. Knapp

Date: Mon, 15 Jan 2001

Holly Mackerel! You just can't eat or breathe anything with out it causing something bad. Now they do not want Pregnant or Nursing Moms to eat big deep sea fish. Mercury damages fetuses and infants brains. Actually that is why we want you to use electric digital thermometers and not mercury ones because Mercury damages brains. Men who manufactured beaver hats in 19th century England used mercury in the process and that is where we get "mad as a hatter". The fish to be avoided are shark, swordfish, king mackerel, and tilefish. These fish live relatively long lives and eat lots of smaller fish that have been contaminated from both natural sources and by industrial pollution, says the FDA. That allows the mercury to reach high concentrations in the bigger fish, a process called "biomagnification." (Uuuuuh .. Big medical word alert!)

Dr. Knapp

Date: Mon, 15 Jan 2001 19:58:57 -0600

Holly Mackerel! You just can't eat or breathe anything with out it causing something bad. Now they do not want Pregnant or Nursing Moms to eat big deep-sea fish. Mercury damages fetuses and infants brains. Actually that is why we want you to use electric digital thermometers and not mercury ones because mercury damages brains. Men who manufactured beaver hats in 19th century England used mercury in the process and that is where we get "mad as a hatter". The fish to be avoided are shark, swordfish, king mackerel, and tilefish. These fish live relatively long lives and eat lots of smaller fish that have been contaminated from both natural sources and by industrial pollution, says the FDA. That allows the mercury to reach high concentrations in the bigger fish, a process called "biomagnification." (Uuuuuh .. Big medical word alert!)

Dr. Knapp

Date: Mon, 15 Jan 2001 19:58:25 -0600

Dr. Rennard reported in Chest Mag. about the properties of Chicken Soup and it's ability to help the immune system fight off the cold virus. So Grandma was right about Chicken soup helping the cold. The individual ingredients did not help and it required all of them reacting together to from the soup that was active in helping. The store bought soups were tried and 5 helped some, 3 did not help and 1 made it worse. Here is their recipe.

Ingredients:

1 5- to 6-pound stewing hen or baking chicken

1 package of chicken wings

3 large onions

1 sweet potato

3 parsnips

2 turnips

11-12 large carrots

5-6 celery stems

1 bunch of parsley

salt and pepper to taste

Directions: Clean the chicken, put it in a large pot, and cover it with cold water. Bring the water to a boil. Add the chicken wings, onions, sweet potato, parsnips, turnips, and carrots. Boil about 1.5 hours. Remove fat from the surface as it accumulates. Add the celery and parsley. Cook the mixture about 45 minutes longer. Remove the chicken. The chicken is not used further for the soup. (the meat makes excellent chicken Parmesan. ) Put the vegetables in a food processor until they are chopped fine or pass through a strainer. Salt and pepper to taste. Make matzoh balls according to the recipe on the back of the box of matzoh meal and add to soup before serving.

Stay well

Dr. Knapp

Date: Mon, 15 Jan 2001 19:57:55 -0600

Vaporizers are frequently used for illnesses. When used, we recommend cool over hot because of the risk of burns only. It really does not matter if hot or cold or vaporizer or humidifier. You do not have to put smelly stuff like Vaporub, etc. in them or on the child. They smell good but do nothing for the cold. Vaporizers can help some colds and especially are great for "croup" (seal-bark cough). The congestion and mucous is frequently increased by the moisture precipitating in the nose. Also they increase the humidity in the house or room and increase house mites and allergies. The moisture does not go past the voice box and they do not help lung problems. So we really do not recommend them unless there is croup and you are better off with a cool dry room. Try them on your child's cold if you would like but watch out that they are not making it worse.

Happy New Year

Dr. Knapp