Topics for Parents

The Southwest Center for Pediatric Environmental Health (SWCPEH) has produced a DVD “Environmental Minutes with Dr. Mom”. The DVD contains 20 1-2 minute video clips that have appeared on the local ABC affiliate in Tyler, Texas along with text descriptions for more information and references for more information. The focus of the DVD is on parents or caregivers of children.

Click the title of the episode to view supplemental information via a PDF file. Click the thumbnail photo to view the episode video.

• Mobile Asthma Clinics
  When children with asthma don't get their medicines or regular medical care, they miss school and that means they don't learn. UT Health Center's Dr. Mom reports on the difference it makes in the live...

• Get the Lead Out
  Recently, the Consumer Product Safety Commission recalled millions of toys made in China that were contaminated with lead. Many stories have included where lead comes from but they haven't addressed w...

• Boating & Carbon Monoxide Exposure
  It's summer and time to head to the lake for skiing, tubing, swimming, fishing, or just going for a ride in the boat. Don't let this time of fun in the sun turn in to a tragedy for you and your famil...

• Learning About Asthma
  The Texas Asthma Camp for Children is in full swing at Camp Tyler. One of the goals of the camp each year is to teach kids with asthma that they can do anything other kids can do. It's done with a lit...

• Bites & Stings
  Summertime is right around the corner. Along with the sunshine, picnics and swimming, may come a few unwelcome guests who can fly in - uninvited. Dr. Mom has a few tips on how handle these unwelcome g...

• Video Games Help Fight Obesity?
  Video games are often the source of hours of fun - not just for little kids but for big 'kids' as well. The big problem is the strong correlation of sitting for long periods and the development of obe...

• Autism Spectrum Disorders
  Autism spectrum disorders affect one in 250 people. You might think that a problem this common would be easy to diagnose, but the symptoms can be very subtle. Dr. Mom explains why early diagnosis can ...

• Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
  There is an insidious threat to our health that is not often recognized until it's too late. With winter's chill, we stay cozy and warm inside, but inside may not be a safe place to be. Dr. Mom has more.

• Asthma & Pregnancy
  If you are a young woman with asthma and pregnant or thinking about becoming pregnant, there are some issues you need to consider. Dr. Mom has some information that will go a long way to helping keep you and your baby healthy.

• Harmful Food Allergies
  Many are aware that people can die from an allergic reaction to a bee sting or insect bite. But it may surprise you to know that three times as many people die form an allergic reaction to certain foods. UT Health Center's Dr. Mom explains just how serious the problem can be.

• Recreational Water Illness
  Swimming is one of the most popular activities in the country - especially during these hot summer days. We often assume that because swimming pools are treated with chemicals they are completely safe...

• Exercise-Induced Asthma
  Many athletes spend countless hours training, exercising, and working on perfecting their technique. It's all part of winning. The process is grueling, made even tougher if that athlete also battles with difficulty breathing. UT Health Center's Dr. Mom tells us more.

• Obese Kids and TV
  Twice as many children and almost three times as many teens are overweight today compared to their counterparts growing up 20 years ago. Of particular concern is the amount of TV watching by children and the relationship to obesity. But the problem may rest on more than just the inactivity associated with watching. UT Health Center's Dr. Mom has a new view on the subject.

• Skin Cancers
  Spring is in full swing. And along with it comes the risk of over-exposure to the sun. The latest research is showing that the message is still not getting out about the dangers of skin cancer. Today, UT Health Center's Dr. Mom has the latest facts that could save your skin.

• Amalgam Use in Children
  For the last 150 years, dentists have used silver-colored amalgam in the preparation of dental fillings. However, these contain mercury, and there have been great concerns over possible mercury exposure, especially in children. UT Health Center's Dr. Mom brings us the latest findings.

• Headphone Hazards
  Whether it's a holiday or birthday, the gift of the year has been portable MP3 players, or ipods. But with these players may come some health risks. Today, UT Health Center's Dr. Mom checks out these popular devices.

• Asthma Triggers
  For people who have asthma knowing what may cause you to have an attack is essential. Today, UT Health Center's Dr. Mom focuses in on some specific asthma triggers that can be found right where you li...

• Allergic Rhinitis
  You can feel the symptoms coming, you've had them before but they keep coming back. It's allergic rhinitis. Today, UT Health Center's Dr. Mom tells us why this happens and what to do about it....

• Holiday Poison Prevention
  About 80 percent of poisonings occur in children between the ages of 1 and 4 and many of those cases occur around the holidays. UT Health Center's Dr. Mom has some advice on how to protect your kids this holiday season.

• Pets and Allergies
  It was once said, if you want your child to avoid allergies, keep them away from dogs and cats. However recent studies are showing that the opposite may be true, UT Health Center's Dr. Mom speaks wit...

• Mold in the House
  The dry days of summer are giving way to the wet days of winter, and with that comes the problem of indoor mold. Dr. Mom is here to tell you what are the risks, and what you can do about indoor house ...

• Dangers of Art Supplies
  Arts and crafts at home and in school are a fun and creative way for kids to learn. Still, there are a few things you need to know about art supplies before you get started. Today, Dr. Mom describes s...

• Food Borne Illness
  Despite the fact that American is literally the safest country in the world with regard to its food supply, there are still nearly 80 million cases of food-borne illness reported each year. This week on UT Health Center's Dr. Mom, helps us understand how we can reduce these numbers.

• Bottle vs. Tap Water
  Many advertisements imply that bottled water is cleaner, purer, and tastes better than water that comes out of your faucet at home. But is there any evidence to back up these claims? UT Health Center'...

• Mosquito Magnets
  You're flipping burgers for the neighborhood barbecue, and the mosquitoes have already begun their feast -- on you. As you swat madly at the pests, you notice other folks seem completely unfazed. Could it be that mosquitoes prefer dining on some humans over others? UT Health Center's Dr. Mom helps to clear up the mystery.

• Built Environment
  There is a new term being used in the medical field: "built environment." Chances are you haven't heard this term, but it could be very important to your family's health. UT Health Center's, Dr. Mom h...

• Kids and Heat Illness
  Temperatures have been in the high 90's for the past several weeks in East Texas, and that means we're all more susceptible to heat illnesses. But this can be especially true for our children. UTHCT's Dr. Mom explains.

• Ozone Hazards
  We hear a lot about "Ozone Action Days," but what does that phrase mean? This week, UT Health Center's, Dr. Mom talks to a doctor and our own Steven Parr to help us understand what an Ozone Action Day...

• Pediatric Melanoma
  This year the American Cancer Society predicts that 60,000 U.S. adults will be diagnosed with melanoma and that 7,700 will die from this deadly form of skin cancer. Rarely were children diagnosed wit...

• Mercury in Fish
  East Texas is big fishing country. Whether you eat the fish you catch from local lakes or the big blue sea, UT Health Center's, Dr. Mom, has some information you may need to know. ...

• Pocket Pets
  Health officials are warning parents about the dangers of owning "pocket pets." According to the CDC, in the past few months, hamsters, mice and other small rodents kept as pets have sickened up to 3...

• New Insect Repellants
  With the rise in cases of West Nile Virus, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has been working to bring new insect repellents to the United States. This week on UT Health Center's Dr. Mom ...

• MSRA Infections
  MRSA, is a common infection that is caused by bacteria found on the skin or in the nose. Traditionally these bacteria, know as staph, are found in hospitals but are now being seen outside of hospitals in places as common as the school locker room. UT Health Center's Dr. Mom has more.

• Summer Activities
  Summer break is fast approaching. If you don't have a good summer plan for your kids, you can bet they have a plan of their own. UT Health Center's Dr. Mom has more.

• Kids and Sun Exposure
  There are more than a million new cases of skin cancer every year. Even more frightening than this are the deaths that occur from skin cancer - more than 9,000 people die each year from malignant mela...

• African Americans & Asthma
  Asthma is an incurable, chronic inflammatory disease that affects the airways to the lung. It can be a fatal. Recent report suggests that some ethnic groups are at a higher risk. UT Health Center's Dr. Mom has the latest.

• Tractor Safety
  Agriculture ranks among the most hazardous industries. Farmers are at very high risk for injury and even death. Farming is one of the few industries in which the families (who often share the work and...

• Lead Levels
  In the 1950s, widespread use of lead in gasoline, house paint, and food cans resulted in high levels of lead in the blood for most Americans and many cases of lead poisoning in children.

• DEET
  Mosquitoes are not only a nuisance; they also carry viruses such as West Nile Virus and spread malaria in some countries. For the most part, however, the bites are merely a nuisance in the United Sta...