CHICAGO — Justin Roberts has wildly curious young fans, the type who might lean into a live monitor during one of his concerts just to see what it sounds like.

But the popular children’s entertainer knows a blast of loud music isn’t the only risk to a child’s hearing. What parents and kids really need to watch is the everyday use of earbuds that come with iPods and other MP3 players, said Roberts, who has teamed up with the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) to raise awareness about noise-induced hearing loss.

Not only do earbuds send sound directly into the delicate ear canal, but they boost the volume by as much as 9 decibels. And because today’s devices can hold and play music for longer periods, kids are wearing them more than the recommended one hour a day, putting them at risk for permanent hearing loss after just five years, according to the ASHA.

“Sound can be dangerous as well as fun,” said Roberts, who headlined a “Listen to Your Buds” concert for school groups recently at Chicago’s Museum of Science and Industry. “It’s an important message to get out to kids when they’re young and their hearing is still great.”

Studies show hearing loss is already affecting a younger population. More than half of high school students in the U.S. report having at least one symptom of hearing loss, according to a 2006 poll commissioned by ASHA. Another survey showed that 5.2 million 6- to 19-year-olds have some degree of hearing loss directly related to noise exposure.

The damage is based on two variables: the decibel level and duration of exposure.

Conversation measures 60 decibels on a sound meter. At 70 percent volume, an MP3 player can pump out 85 decibels, the recommended safe listening level.

But the gadgets are often played at 100 or even 120 decibels — the equivalent of a gunshot or a jet engine — which is enough to cause permanent damage.

The inner ear contains about 30,000 hair cells, which are tuned to specific frequencies, said audiologist Dennis Burrows, vice president for standards and ethics in audiology for ASHA. Loud music can destroy these cells; the first ones to go are the ones responsible for the highest frequencies.

“Prolonged and loud exposure, much like lots of foot traffic through a doorway wears down carpet, will shear off these hair cells,” said Burrows.

Roberts, who said The Who concerts taught him that “loud rock music was the coolest thing in the world,” now takes precautions to protect his own hearing — especially since musicians Roger Daltry and Pete Townshend of The Who suffer from hearing loss. He also tries to keep his own concerts at safe levels.

But he also acknowledges that he’s part of a rock band; the audience also should play it safe.

“Use ear protective devices for kids who are more sensitive or be aware that kids might be up front and dancing,” said Roberts. “Whether it’s leaning into a live monitor or using earbuds, kids are going to be exploring the world.”

For more information, visit justinrobertsmusic.com.

After the traditional Thanks Giving meal of turkey and trimmings my wife pulled out the Pictionary game.

I didn’t know what the reaction to it would be, the guests were all from my side of the family and we are not game players. Surprisingly, everyone was fine with playing.

The group consisted of my wife Laura, brother, sister-in-law, two nephews — 12 and 15, my five-year-old daughter Danni and me.

To promote harmony in the household my wife was careful about breaking us into groups – men against women.

The tough part is how to get Danni to participate. Laura came up with a great idea, whoever was drawing on the opposing team could talk to her and make sure she understood what the clue was.

It’s fun to find out what she knows about the world. The first clue I had to help her with was slot machine. She thought that it was a machine that you put a penny and several quarters in, turn a crank and create a novelty souvenir. Not a bad guess overall, but that wouldn’t have helped her team. Thankfully Google provided lots of one-armed-bandit images. I won that all play round, but she had a chance to shine too.

Danni was a good sport, my team’s artists managed to get their point across more quickly than her every time until she drew her lucky card. We snuck away to her room so I could help her read the clue and she showed my the sketch she would recreate for her team – a kidney bean with ant legs and two stick things poking at it.

I gave her a little advice and created a keyboard with black and white keys with hands on it – a piano player.

When we returned to the board and started the board she quickly drew what we had talked about and her team mates successfully guessed piano player.

The look on Danni’s face was priceless, she had been successful and was a little surprised by it. I beamed with pride that at her success. I wish I could see that look everyday.

In the end, the men beat the women three games straight, but everyone had fun, especially Danni.

By the Associated Press

TRENTON, New Jersey (AP) _ When this 12-year-old talks, millions of preschoolers around the world listen.

All Caitlin Sanchez needs to say is “Swiper, no swiping!” Or to summon the powers of her magical backpack.

Sanchez is the new voice of “Dora the Explorer,” one of the world’s most popular cartoons for preschoolers.

She has always enjoyed music and acting, but never expected to be talking to Boots the Monkey, Swiper the Fox, The Map and other characters who appear regularly on Dora’s cartoon adventures.

“When my mother called me on the phone and told me I got (the part), I really didn’t believe it at first,” Sanchez said. It’s the first cast change in Dora’s voice since the Nickelodeon cable show debuted in 2000 (the original voice of Dora, Kathleen Herles, is now 17 and in college).

The show is broadcast worldwide and translated in 24 languages, entertaining millions of preschoolers.

On the show, the 7-year-old Latina heroine and her band of animal friends take their audience along on their quests in an imaginative, tropical world filled with jungles, beaches and rain forests. During their travels, they ask their audience to help them solve the various problems they encounter.

Sanchez, who has been acting professionally for nearly five years, does the English- and Spanish-speaking parts for Dora on the new season of shows being broadcast in the United States. She has long been a fan of “Dora,” and feels honored to be a part of the show.

“Dora really is an international icon to preschoolers and a really good role model, so it’s neat to see how she has spread across the globe and become so popular,” said Sanchez. “One of my friends went to Ireland, and she brought back a Dora book in Gaelic … I love being part of this (show).”

Getting the role wasn’t an easy task for Sanchez, who is the oldest of three children in what she describes as “a very musical” family.

“I was kind of nervous about trying out and everything, but I believe you should be confident in everything you do and if you follow your dreams and be positive, you can do anything you want to do,” she said. “I was real excited to get it, and it has been a lot of fun. This show really helps kids learn.”

She soon learned that doing voiceover work isn’t a simple task.

“With each script, you’re saying the lines and doing the songs a lot of times — they want me to use different inflections, to do things in different ways so they can decide what they like best,” she said.

In this season’s shows, Dora meets friends from different cultural backgrounds (French, Mayan, Guatemalan, German and more) who teach her special skills. Dora also uses more math to help solve problems, and she also will teach multiword phrases in Spanish.

Sanchez, a self-taught musician who loves to play jazz piano, sees her work on “Dora” as another step toward reaching her dreams. For now, that includes attending a prestigious school such as The Juilliard School, though she realized she might change her mind.

“I know I can be anything I want, and my parents have always encouraged me to be the best I can be and to enjoy myself, so that’s what I try to do,” she said.

By the Associated Press Writer

DALLAS (AP) _ The doctor who brought conjoined twins from Europe to the United States to be evaluated for surgery says there’s no longer a chance the 4-year-old girls will one day lead separate lives.

Last summer, doctors at Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital in Cleveland attempted to separate Anastasia and Tatiana Dogaru, who are joined at the head. But even after that surgery was deemed too dangerous and called off, the craniofacial surgeon whose foundation brought the girls to Dallas as babies was hopeful that separation might still be possible.

But no longer.

“We have finally decided that it’s in these girls’ best interest that they remain like they are and that’s really hard for me to say because I’ve been optimistic about separation,” Dr. Kenneth Salyer, chairman and founder of the Dallas-based nonprofit World Craniofacial Foundation, told The Associated Press.

He said attempts to find other medical centers to take the case were unsuccessful after the failed Ohio attempt. Other complications arose as the twins grew older. One girl’s brain is growing into the other’s, making surgery impossible. Also, their brains’ ability to recover from a separation surgery diminished with time.

“As they’ve gotten older and they’ve grown and developed — it’s now too dangerous to separate the children,” Salyer said.

The girls, who will be 5 in January, were born in Rome to Romanian parents. The top of Tatiana’s head is attached to the back of Anastasia’s, meaning the girls have never been able to look each other in the eye. Anastasia has no kidney function and relies on Tatiana’s kidneys.

Twins born joined at the head — known as craniopagus twins — occur about once every 2.5 million births.

After their 2004 birth, doctors in Italy told the girls’ parents, Claudia and Alin Dogaru, that nothing could be done for them. But the parents heard about the successful separation in Dallas a year earlier of Egyptian twins joined at the head. Through his foundation, Salyer had brought Ahmed and Mohamed Ibrahim to Dallas and was part of the team of surgeons that performed the 34-hour surgery.

So the Dogarus contacted Salyer and the girls came to Dallas in October 2004. Not long after arriving, Tatiana underwent heart surgery to fix a constriction of the main vessel of her heart — an ailment that would have been deadly.

After more than a year, Salyer said a plan was developed for a separation surgery. “I had nothing that told me at that time that we couldn’t do it,” he said.

Next was finding a hospital for the surgery and the foundation hoped to find an institution that could donate the majority of the costs, said Sue Blackwood, foundation vice president.

Salyer said the foundation first approached Children’s Medical Center Dallas, where the Ibrahim twins were successfully separated. But Children’s could not do the procedure as a charity case. As a not-for-profit, the hospital said in a statement that it can’t absorb the cost of every complex surgery and still serve its regional community.

Another Dallas hospital also passed on the case, he said.

Finally, Rainbow Babies agreed to do the surgery as a charity case, Salyer said. The plan was for Anastasia to get dialysis after the separation and then get a kidney transplant, likely from one of her parents.

Even after the surgery was called off at Rainbow Babies last summer, Salyer didn’t give up. He consulted three more centers across the U.S., but all three eventually decided against taking on the surgery again.

He said he told the girls’ parents a couple of months ago that separation would be impossible. The family now lives in the Chicago area, where Alin Dogaru, a Byzantine Rite Catholic priest, has accepted an assignment at a parish. The parents declined to comment for this story.

The girls’ future is uncertain because of their complicated connection. Besides their joined brains, they also share blood vessels and don’t have enough venous drainage, Salyer said. “They don’t have normal systems,” Salyer said.”All of the medical issues in total, you can’t say how these children are going to do,” he said.

He said that based on today’s medical capabilities, the girls cannot be separated.

“Nobody is going to go in there unless we get some new magical methods,” Salyer said.

But he points out that the girls have already overcome many odds to become the smart, active girls they are today.

“They’re troopers and they may be with us a long time — God willing,” Salyer said.

By LISA KRUSE - Lee News Service

I’m a working mom, and I have to admit I have it easy compared to other working moms.

For instance, if there is a snow day or if my child is ill, my job as a pastor allows me to stay home with him.

My best friend also is a working mom, and, like many working moms, doesn’t have it so easy. She works in the food industry and takes her job seriously. She takes on extra hours when a co-worker can’t be there and volunteers to work when the boss is in a pinch. She goes in early and stays late because she likes what she does. Her son started kindergarten this year, and she’s been enjoying the working hours without the day care bills.

But a few weeks ago her son got sick. He missed school, so consequently my friend missed work.  Although she took him to the doctor and got an excuse to prove to her employer that she was taking care of an ill child, my friend was reprimanded for missing work. Her boss called her in for a meeting and asked her to sign papers acknowledging that she’d missed four days of work.

Her boss gave her a speech about finding care for her child so she can be at work. The boss told her to find a grandparent or have her husband or a friend watch the child. But it’s her husband’s job that pays the rent and provides health benefits for the family. And the grandparents either live out of town or work full time.

Honestly, what is a parent supposed to do in this situation? My friend was considered an exceptional employee until she took a few days to stay home and care for her sick boy. Now she is on probation at work.

It seems a mom can’t win. If she stays home to raise her children, some say she lives a life of luxury. If she chooses to work outside the home, she is judged for “paying someone else to raise her children.”

My friend’s job is important to her, but her family is her priority. I applaud her for that. It’s too bad her employer penalized her for it.

By the Associated Press Writer

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) _ A set of 1-month-old girls believed to be the first known American Indian conjoined twins are doing well and will be separated, doctors say.

Preslee Faith and Kylee Hope Wells were born Oct. 25 and are joined at the liver and rib cage, said David Tuggle, a pediatric surgeon who will be involved in the separation.

“They are very cute and they hold each other,” Tuggle said Tuesday of the twins.

The twins’ parents are 21-year-old Kyle Wells and 20-year-old Stevie Stewart of Calumet. Both have a history of twins in their families.

Stewart, a member of the Cheyenne River Sioux tribe, said the girls already are developing personalities. For example, Kylee “is laid back and sleeps through anything, even her sister crying,” Stewart said.

“I can’t wait to take them home.”

Tuggle said the twins, who weighed a combined 8 pounds, 7 ounces at birth, appear to have separate hearts, but doctors want to learn if the girls share blood vessels around their hearts before performing the separation.

“The thing about conjoined twins is that there is always something you don’t know exactly about them,” Tuggle said.

Tuggle said conjoined twins are rare and occur in about 1 in 600,000 births in Oklahoma. He said the condition happens soon after conception because of an error in cell division and is random.

Doctors learned of the twins’ tissue connection during a routine ultrasound exam done when Stewart was 20 weeks pregnant. The babies were born at 34 weeks via Caesarean section.

Since birth, they have remained in an intensive care unit at the University of Oklahoma Medical Center, where they have been “on and off” breathing machines, said Kris Sekar, a neonatal doctor who has been overseeing their care.

“They have great days and off days, but we have done very well,” Sekar said.

Stewart, who wept at times while speaking with reporters, said she is allowed to hold her babies whenever she wants and changes their diapers, but allows nurses to dress the twins.

Stewart’s mother, Marla Longbrake, said her daughter has handled the stressful situation well.

“It was a shock, but she and the father didn’t question it,” Longbrake said of learning of the twins’ condition. “They’re just happy, beautiful little girls.”

Tuggle said he has “no idea” how long the surgery might last or when it might take place, because the twins need to grow bigger and stronger first. He said it would be good for the surgery to occur before the twins are eight to nine months old, to help with their psychological development.

Tuggle participated in the last surgical separation of conjoined twins at OU Medical Center, which occurred in 1986. Those twins, Faith and Hope Cox, are healthy and now in their 20s.

Stewart said she has spoken with Natalie Cox, the mother of the Cox twins.

“It is nice to be able to talk to someone who’s been through this,” she said. “She said if I ever need anything to call her.”

Copyright 2008 The Associated Press.

NEW YORK (AP) _ One Brooklyn chef is serving up gourmet lunches for schoolchildren, introducing them to dishes like slow-cooked pork shoulder and braised short ribs.

Chef Deborah Snyder charges $7 a meal to prepare lunches that typically include vegetables, a starch and meat or other protein.

That’s a sharp contrast to the pedestrian fare served up in school cafeterias like hamburgers, toasted cheese sandwiches and peas with diced carrots. Those lunches cost $1.50 a meal.

Snyder says she already has 15 regular customers and hopes to expand soon. The 39-year-old executive pastry chef at Lever House e-mails a weekly menu to parents.

She says they appreciate her business because “packing a lunch stresses people out.”

Customer Chris Olshaker says the money is worth it if her 2-year-old daughter gets exposed to new foods.

By the Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) _ If the toy fits inside the tube from a toilet roll, it’s too small for the tiny tots, consumer advocates warned Tuesday.

U.S. Public Interest Research Group said parents shopping for holiday toys should look out for hazards such as small parts, soft plastics and lead contamination.

Although increased consumer protections were approved this summer, U.S. PIRG warned parents that those rules have not yet gone into effect.

“Unfortunately, while the product safety bill is a major step forward, many of its protections are not yet fully in effect, so it’s still buyer beware this year,” said Elizabeth Hitchcock, public health advocate for U.S. PIRG.

In its 23rd annual “Trouble in Toyland” report on hazardous playthings, the organization focused on three hazards: small parts that can choke children who are younger than 3-years-old, lead-tainted toys and soft plastic toys that contain chemicals called phthalates.

Hitchcock said the tube at the center of a toilet paper roll is perfect for testing whether a toy is small enough to pose a choking risk. If a toy, or a piece of a toy, fits into the cylinder, it is too small for children under three, Hitchcock said.

In terms of lead-contamination, Ed Mierzwinski, U.S. PIRG’s consumer program director, said parents should absolutely avoid children’s metal jewelry.

“Any heavy, cheap jewelry — costume jewelry, kids jewelry — has probably got lead in it,” Mierzwinski said.

He said the risks from lead-contaminated paint are lower, because the percentage of lead is usually small.

Lead poisoning can cause irreversible learning disabilities, behavioral problems and, at very high levels, seizures, coma and death.

Of the seven toys U.S. PIRG tested for lead, three were contaminated.

Phthalates are a big concern for the organization this year. These chemicals are widely used to make plastic products softer and can cause health problems.

The consumer-safety legislation President Bush signed in August set a standard for plastics containing phthalates. But the Consumer Product Safety Commission says manufacturers can keep selling phthalate-containing toys until the current stock runs out, because the law does not apply retroactively.

“Products containing phthalates are still out there for sale this holiday season,” she said.

She added that since lab testing is the only way to know if a toy contains phthalates, parents should just avoid soft plastic toys this year.

“The agency fully enforces the laws that protect children, and we will continue to do that,” said CPSC spokeswoman Julie Vallese. “When it comes to safety, the CPSC does not look for loopholes.”

She added that there is “conflicting information” in terms of scientific data on the danger of phthalates.

Of the 14 plastic toys U.S. PIRG tested, two contained phthalates.

The Toy Industry Association responded with a statement saying parents should not be “needlessly” frightened by the report.

“The toy industry works continuously to strengthen our rigorous testing and inspection procedures and ensure safe toys,” the trade group’s statement said. “Protecting children will always be our highest priority.”

Adults gain substantial health benefits from two and a half hours a week of moderate aerobic physical activity, and children benefit from an hour or more of physical activity a day, according to the new Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans. The comprehensive set of recommendations for people of all ages and physical conditions was released today by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

The guidelines are designed so people can easily fit physical activity into their daily plan and incorporate activities they enjoy.

Physical activity benefits children and adolescents, young and middle-aged adults, older adults, and those in every studied racial and ethnic group, the report said.

            “It’s important for all Americans to be active, and the guidelines are a roadmap to include physical activity in their daily routine,” HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt said. “The evidence is clear — regular physical activity over months and years produces long-term health benefits and reduces the risk of many diseases. The more physically active you are, the more health benefits you gain.”

Regular physical activity reduces the risk in adults of early death; coronary heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, colon and breast cancer, and depression. It can improve thinking ability in older adults and the ability to engage in activities needed for daily living. The recommended amount of physical activity in children and adolescents improves cardiorespiratory and muscular fitness as well as bone health, and contributes to favorable body composition.

            The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans are the most comprehensive of their kind. They are based on the first thorough review of scientific research about physical activity and health in more than a decade. A 13-member advisory committee appointed in April 2007 by Secretary Leavitt reviewed research and produced an extensive report.         

Key guidelines by group are:

            Children and Adolescents — One hour or more of moderate or vigorous aerobic physical activity a day, including vigorous intensity physical activity at least three days a week. Examples of moderate intensity aerobic activities include hiking, skateboarding, bicycle riding and brisk walking. Vigorous intensity aerobic activities include bicycle riding, jumping rope, running and sports such as soccer, basketball and ice or field hockey. Children and adolescents should incorporate muscle-strengthening activities, such as rope climbing, sit-ups, and tug-of war, three days a week.  Bone-strengthening activities, such as jumping rope, running and skipping, are recommended three days a week.  

            Adults — Adults gain substantial health benefits from two and one half hours a week of moderate intensity aerobic physical activity, or one hour and 15 minutes of vigorous physical activity. Walking briskly, water aerobics, ballroom dancing and general gardening are examples of moderate intensity aerobic activities. Vigorous intensity aerobic activities include racewalking, jogging or running, swimming laps, jumping rope and hiking uphill or with a heavy backpack. Aerobic activity should be performed in episodes of at least 10 minutes.  For more extensive health benefits, adults should increase their aerobic physical activity to five hours a week moderate-intensity or two and one half hours a week of vigorous-intensity aerobic physical activity. Adults should incorporate muscle strengthening activities, such as weight training, push-ups, sit-ups and carrying heavy loads or heavy gardening, at least two days a week.

            Older adults — Older adults should follow the guidelines for other adults when it is within their physical capacity. If a chronic condition prohibits their ability to follow those guidelines, they should be as physically active as their abilities and conditions allow. If they are at risk of falling, they should also do exercises that maintain or improve balance.

            Women during pregnancy – Healthy women should get at least two and one half hours of moderate-intensity aerobic activity a week during pregnancy and the time after delivery, preferably spread through the week. Pregnant women who habitually engage in vigorous aerobic activity or who are highly active can continue during pregnancy and the time after delivery, provided they remain healthy and discuss with their health care provider how and when activity should be adjusted over time.

            Adults with disabilities — Those who are able should get at least two and one half hours of moderate aerobic activity a week, or one hour and 15 minutes of vigorous aerobic activity a week. They should incorporate muscle-strengthening activities involving all major muscle groups two or more days a week. When they are not able to meet the guidelines, they should engage in regular physical activity according to their abilities and should avoid inactivity.

            People with chronic medical conditions — Adults with chronic conditions get important health benefits from regular physical activity. They should do so with the guidance of a health care provider.

            For more information about the “Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans,” visit www.hhs.gov or www.health.gov/paguidelines.

US HHS and BBPH Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans

The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans are designed so that people can customize them to suit their lifestyle and include activities they enjoy. The Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans contain examples of activities for different age groups and those with special considerations. A shorter companion guide, Be Active Your Way, helps adults develop a customized plan to suit their lifestyle and physical activity goals.

Health benefits of physical activity occur for children and adolescents, young and middle-aged adults, older adults, and those in every studied racial and ethnic group. Regular physical activity improves health for young and old and reduces the risk of disease.  With regular physical activity, children and adolescents improve their cardiorespiratory and muscular fitness and bone health, and reduce symptoms of depression. Adults and older adults lower the risk of coronary heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, colon and breast cancer and can help prevent falls and reduce depression. Older adults also enjoy better thinking ability with regular physical activity. Regular physical activity also helps people with arthritis or other rheumatic conditions affecting the joints by improving pain management, function, and quality of life.

Some physical activity is better than none; the more physically active you are, the more benefits you reap. For most health outcomes, additional benefits occur as the amount of physical activity increases through higher intensity, greater frequency, and/or longer duration.

Children and adolescents should participate in one hour or more of physical activity per day; and most of the activity should be moderate or vigorous aerobic physical activity. They should participate in vigorous physical activity at least three days a week. They should participate in muscle-strengthening activities, such as push-ups and sit-ups and playing tug-of-war, three days a week. They should incorporate bone-strengthening activities, such as jumping rope, hopping or running, at least three days a week.

Adults gain substantial health benefits from two and one half hours a week of moderate aerobic physical activity or an hour and 15 minutes of vigorous physical activity. Aerobic activity, such as walking briskly, water aerobics, ballroom dancing, jogging, and jumping rope, should be performed in episodes of at least 10 minutes. Increasing aerobic physical activity to five hours a week of moderate activity or two and one half hours a week of vigorous aerobic physical activity, results in more extensive health benefits. Adults should do muscle-strengthening activities, such as weight training, push-ups, sit-ups, carrying heavy loads and heavy gardening, at least two days a week.

Older adults generally should follow the guidelines for adults. If chronic conditions limit their ability to do two and one half hours a week of moderate aerobic activity, they should be as physically active as their abilities and conditions allow.

Be safe as well as active. Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans include tips for safe physical activity. Some examples are choosing activities appropriate for current fitness level and health goals; increasing physical activity gradually over time to meet guidelines or health goals; and using appropriate gear and sports equipment and looking for safe environments. For more information about Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, visit www.hhs.gov or www.health.gov/paguidelines or Bismarck.org/publichealth and click on documents.