Medical Mondays

I decided to try something new on my blog.  On Mondays, I will give a little medical quiz.  Most of the questions will deal with little kids issues since that is my speciality.

Questions:
1.  True or False:  Whenever the temperature is over 90 degrees, newborn babies need extra water.
2.  True or False:  The best shoes for an infant to learn to walk are Nike brand.
3.  True or False:  The best way to prevent getting sick is to wash your hands.
4.  True or False:  A fever over 104 will cause brain damage.
5.  True or False:  The best doctors are pediatricians.

Answers below....

Today I did an easy 5 miles.  The temperature was in the 70s and felt much better than Saturday.  Overall pace was right around 8:30min/mile.  I wanted to keep the pace nice and easy since I have a lot of miles to do this week.  I also swam 125 yards. I can only swim 50 yards at a time and then I must take a little break.  But I actually thought swimming was fun today.  Maybe because I only did a few laps.  Baby steps...

Answers:
1.  False. Babies less than 4-6 months do not need any water.  They will stay hydrated from drinking breastmilk or formula.  It can actually be dangerous for newborns to drink water because their kidneys can't handle the dilute liquid.  This can lead to hyponatremia (low sodium) and could even cause seizures.  Hyponatremia can also happen to long distance runners if they only drink water on long runs.

2.  False.  Babies learn to walk best with no shoes at all.  Maybe adults will run best with no shoes too?? I don't know the answer to that.  But I am excited to see what happens in the next few years with all the barefoot runners and the new research in this area.

3.True.  I don't know if it is the best way.  But it definitely helps!

4.  False.  My main point with this question is the fever in itself is not dangerous.  A fever is your body's way of trying to fight off an infection.  The infection could be viral or bacterial.  You should be more worried if you or your child has a fever of 101 and is lethargic than if you or your child has a fever of 105 but is running around playing.

5.  I guess this is your opinion.  But I think it is true;)

Happy Monday!
Jaime