Page 20 - Florida Sentinel 9-2-16 Online Edition

Health
Many studies have shown that food dyes can impair chil- dren’s behavior, but until now the amounts of dyes in pack- aged foods has been a secret.
Research by Purdue Uni- versity scientists, published in the 2014 journal Clinical Pedi- atrics, reports on the dye con- tent of scores of breakfast cereals, candies, baked goods, and other foods.
Research shows that dyes can cause hyperactivity and im- pair learning in children and have produced immune system tumors in mice.
Cereals That Are
A NO-NO:
• Trix
• Fruity Cheerios
• Cap’n Crunch’s Crunch
Berries
Candy That Is Not Sweet To Your Health:
• Skittles and M&M’s
The most widely used dye, Red 40, contains p-Cresidine, which the U. S. Department of Health and Human Services says is “reasonably anticipated” to be a human carcinogen, meaning they have the poten- tial to cause cancer. Sorry peo- ple: Kool-Aid is a killer.
Here are some of the drinks with the most Red 40 in them:
• V8 Splash Strawberry Kiwi Baacardi Mixers
• Strawberry Daiquiri Hi-C Boppin Berry
• Hi-C Fruit Punch
• Minute Maid Orange Soda • Schweppes Grape Diet Gin-
ger Ale
• Schweppes Grape Ginger
Ale
• SchweppesRaspberryDiet
Ginger Ale
• SchweppesRaspberryGin-
ger Ale
• Sunkist Orange Soda
• Gatorade Fierce Grape • Gatorade Fierce Berry • Gatorade Frost
Riptide Rush •Gatorade
Fruit Punch
• Gatorade Pas- sion Fruit
• Hawaiian Punch (original)
• Hawaiian Punch Fruit Punch
• Country Time Pink Lemon- ade mix
• Crystal Light Raspberry Ice drink
• Crystal Light Ice Tea mix
• Crystal Light Pink Lemon- ade mix
• Crystal Light Raspberry Ice mix
• Kool-Aid Mega Mountain
• Cherry Berry Kool-Aid Grape....
You get the picture..right?
According to Dr. Danielle Spearman- Camblard, a psychotherapist, consultant, and herbalist, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) can be hard to diagnose due to so many other conditions that can produce similar symp- toms and your doctor will want to rule them out.
To complicate matters, it’s not uncommon for children to have one or more of them in addition to ADHD.
Read through the list below to see what else could be affecting your child’s behavior:
1. Learning Disabilities
Like ADHD, learning disabilities can cause children to appear inattentive and restless in the classroom and to be delayed in their academic de- velopment.
It’s important to determine the reason for the child’s inattention. Is it because he’s unable to pay attention or because he doesn’t understand the material?
In other words, a child with ADHD will slip be- hind in school not because he’s incapable of learn- ing, but because he’s too distracted to focus.
A child with a learning disability will eventu- ally tune out and possibly misbehave because he can’t comprehend the material.
2. Vision or Hearing Problems
If your child can’t see well enough to read the words on the chalkboard, he’ll naturally start to slip behind in school.
Likewise, if he can’t hear
his teacher’s instructions,
he may seem to be ignoring
her. Even minor hearing loss
in one ear can make it hard for your child to hear directions.
If your child is having trouble in school, ask your child’s doctor about having his vision checked by an optometrist or ophthalmologist who works with children, and his hearing evalu- ated by a hearing specialist.
3. Lack of Sleep
Some researchers have noted similarities in behavior between children who are sleep-deprived and those who have ADHD.
Kids who aren’t getting
enough sleep simply can’t
concentrate to their full po-
tential. One clue that your
child may not be getting
enough sleep is if he has trou-
ble waking up in the morning.
Chart your child’s sleep pat-
tern for a week or so and then
ask your pediatrician whether he thinks he’s get- ting enough shut-eye.
4. Stress and Anxiety
All children cope with some degree of stress, and certain times of the day can be particularly taxing, such as bedtime or getting ready to leave in the morning.
It’s normal for children to become clingy or moody during these times. However, any situation that causes extreme or long-term stress, such as a divorce or the birth of a new baby, can cause a child to withdraw or act hyper.
A chaotic home or school environment can also trigger symptoms of stress and anxiety. If there isn’t a lot of structure and routine in your child’s life, he or she is likely to feel and act out of control.
5. Depression
The symptoms of depres-
sion in children (e.g., moodi-
ness, irritability, and
difficulty sleeping and con-
centrating) may also be noted
in children with ADHD. De-
pression in children is often
overlooked because the
symptoms are easily confused
with signs of normal develop-
mental phases. This is particularly true of girls.
Depression can also be an elusive diagnosis in young children because they can’t clearly commu- nicate how they’re feeling. If your child has unex- plained outbursts of crying or yelling, complains frequently about vague physical pains (such as headaches, stomachaches or fatigue), shows a lack of interest in playing with friends, or engages in reckless behavior, he could be depressed and should be evaluated by a mental health practi- tioner.
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