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Natural Awakenings Central New Jersey

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Avoid Infant Formulas with Added Sugar

Baby bottle of infant formula next to sugar cubes and small white rocking horse

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Early exposures to certain foods shape preferences that endure through adulthood, studies show, which is why research from the University of Kansas Medical Center and the University of Buffalo has raised concerns about the added sugar prominent in many baby formulas, especially cows’ milk formulas. The researchers tested 97 infants and 44 toddlers that were either breastfed or given various formulas for up to 15 months. The infants given formulas with added sugar had significant weight gain compared to infants that were breastfed or given formulas without added sugar. The sugar in formulas was found to be almost double the amount of sugar in breast milk. The researchers theorized that the added sugar not only raised the risk of weight gain, but also made it likely the children drank a greater amount. “Efforts by policymakers and pediatricians to educate mothers on lower-sugar options when breastfeeding is not feasible may enhance preventive measures of childhood obesity,” write the authors.

In-Print parenting National Content Global and Health Briefs Health Brief October 2021
Tick Talk

Spring officially sprung on March 21. We have turned our clocks ahead. We are looking forward to warm winds, sunny skies and the smell of fresh cut grass. The daffodils and tulips have recently bloomed and we are just starting with the yard work that comes with the warmer weather.  Sadly, another season has started ramping up.  Tick season.

•             The best form of protection is prevention. Educating oneself about tick activity and how our behaviors overlap with tick habitats is the first step.

•             According to the NJ DOH, in 2022 Hunterdon County led the state with a Lyme disease incidence rate of 426 cases per 100,000 people. The fact is ticks spend approximately 90% of their lives not on a host but aggressively searching for one, molting to their next stage or over-wintering. This is why a tick remediation program should be implemented on school grounds where NJ DOH deems high risk for tick exposure and subsequent attachment to human hosts.

•             Governor Murphy has signed a bill that mandates tick education in NJ public schools. See this for the details.  Tick education must now be incorporated into K-12 school curriculum. See link:

https://www.nj.gov/education/broadcasts/2023/sept/27/TicksandTick-BorneIllnessEducation.pdf

•             May is a great month to remind the public that tick activity is in full swing. In New Jersey, there are many tickborne diseases that affect residents, including Anaplasmosis, Babesiosis, Ehrlichiosis, Lyme disease, Powassan, and Spotted Fever Group Rickettsiosis.

•             For years, the focus has mainly been about protecting ourselves from Lyme disease. But other tick-borne diseases are on the rise in Central Jersey. An increase of incidence of Babesia and Anaplasma are sidelining people too. These two pathogens are scary because they effect our blood cells. Babesia affects the red blood cells and Anaplasma effects the white blood cells.

•             Ticks can be infected with more than one pathogen. When you contract Lyme it is possible to contract more than just that one disease. This is called a co-infection. It is super important to pay attention to your symptoms. See link.

https://twp.freehold.nj.us/480/Disease-Co-Infection

A good resource from the State:

https://www.nj.gov/health/cd/topics/tickborne.shtml

 

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