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ABOUT
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EDUCATION
I hate burns
It doesn’t matter which industry you are in, there is always some job at work that you just don’t like doing. If you work in hospitality, it might be emptying the bins. If you are corporate, it might be attending the monthly meeting. For me as an Intensive Care Paramedic (ICP) I hate going to burns.
In my time on the job, I have been to many burns patients and they just don’t get any easier. I once attended a sex worker who was doused in petrol and set alight by one of her clients. It was heart breaking. But I guess a more appropriate story to tell for this blog is that of the 9-year-old boy who went to visit his grandmother. He was so excited to see her, that when he did, he ran over to give her a big hug and hit her with pace throwing her off balance. At the same time grandma was emptying the spaghetti from the saucepan into the strainer. She fell off balance and that boiling water scolded the little boy. The water went down his neck and down his back. In the chaos, grandma picked him up and ran him upstairs to cool the burn. Unfortunately, in a panic, she turned on the hot water.
Burns are horrible! Not only can they be life threatening, but they are cosmetically devastating and painful. But there is one good thing about burns. One great thing about burns. One thing that even an ICP who has been to too many burns can say is fantastic.
So what’s so good about burns?
The answer: what you do in the moments immediately after the burn injury makes a huge difference! As a first aider your actions could be the difference between life and death, they could be the difference between scarring or not scarring, or (in my opinion) most importantly they could be the difference between pain and no pain.
So what do you do if someone is burnt?
Tips
For more useful information and practical hands-on tips book into one our many paediatric first aid courses run Australia wide. Check out our website http://www.rescueblue.com.au
What’s the difference between Degradable vs Biodegradable vs Compostable?
For Plastic Free July, Wotnot is focusing on the simple, positive steps we can take to be more effective guardians of the planet and create cleaner streets, oceans and a better world for our children.
Hello Wotnot Community! My name is Shay, and I’m a family blogger from Grin Natural, passionate about encouraging parents to make good choices for their families and the earth. Some of these good choices include instilling personal care habits in your little one’s, as these habits will lay the foundation for healthy living from toddlerhood right into adulthood. It’s also important to couple personal care habits with natural, eco-friendly products that are safer for our family and better for the environment. Our choices today will affect their futures.
We know we need to keep clean to kill germs and avoid getting sick, we need to protect our skin from the effects of sun damage, and we need to have effective oral care as this can impact the wellbeing of our entire body’s microbiome. Think back to habits that are now second nature to us as adults, like brushing our teeth, washing in the shower and eating our fruit and vegetables - these are all learned behaviours that become lifelong habits.
So, let’s talk about some of these personal care everyday habits for toddlers:
Washing Hands
Let’s start with hand washing. Now more than ever, hand washing needs to be a consistent daily practice for all families. Most germs spread through hand contact, so handwashing helps prevent your child and others from getting sick. Encourage your child to wash their hands when they are dirty, before eating any meals or snacks, after blowing their nose, sneezing or coughing and after going to the bathroom - just to name a few. Using natural hand wash and hand sanitisers ensures your little one’s skin does not come into contact with any harsh chemicals.
Bath time
Bath time can be the best part of your toddler’s day and a fun family bonding activity. Encourage your child to wash all parts of their little body’s and make sure they are fully dry before getting dressed. Practising regular cleanliness can help boost self-esteem and confidence and washes away germs and all the other fun bugs our toddlers may come into contact with when rolling around in the playground. Evening baths/showers are also a key component to an effective bedtime routine for your little one - and we know how precious the evening time is for parents. Wotnot’s 100% natural baby wash cleanses without removing your baby's natural oils and is free from any artificial fragrance, making it gentle on your baby’s delicate skin.
UV Protection
Australia has some of the harshest levels of UV radiation in the world, and it’s key to remember, UV radiation can also be very high on cloudy/overcast days, not just on sunny days. Our children have very sensitive skin, and as parents, it’s our job to protect their skin from the severe effects of the sun. Some ways the Cancer Council Australia recommend you can protect your little one’s skin are; make sure they’re wearing a wide brim hat when outdoors, seek shade where possible, slide on your sunglasses, avoid direct sun exposure between the hours of 10 am and 4 pm, cover their skin in sun protective lightweight clothing and apply an all-natural sunscreen. Wotnot 30 SPF Natural Sunscreen is highly effective and can be applied all over the body from as early as three months old. It’s also toxin-free, reef-friendly, and highly moisturising to nourish and protect. It is essential to apply your sunscreen 20-30 minutes before going out in the sun.
Oral Care
Our mouths connect to our body and our mind. Poor oral hygiene can cause cavities, which lead to problems that stretch far beyond our mouths. The Australian Dental Association (ADA) and the Australian Health Policy Collaboration (AHPC) have released a report showing three in four children consume too much sugar while one in three five- to six-year-olds had decay in their baby teeth. According to oral care expert Sarah Liebkemann, children with poor oral hygiene and cavities may have trouble sleeping, eating nutritious meals, focusing, speaking, and smiling. Children with tooth pain frequently act out, miss school, or struggle with confidence. Poor oral health can also increase the risk associated with a wide variety of health conditions. Teaching your child about oral health early in life will help them carry that good habit into adulthood.
Parents can start their baby on an oral care routine from the first few weeks of life. Begin by gently wiping their gums with a damp washcloth or use the Grin Natural finger brush, which also helps to soothe those sore, itchy gums when teething commences. Use the Kid’s biodegradable toothbrush and a rice-sized smear of natural toothpaste twice a day from the moment baby's first tooth appears in the mouth. Dentists recommend taking your baby to their first dental visit when their first tooth comes in or before their first birthday. And once two teeth are touching, it’s vital to begin flossing with Grin Natural’s biodegradable kid’s flossers to avoid impacts like tooth decay. According to the Australian Dental Association, 50% of Australian children under six suffer from tooth decay, and it’s easily preventable with good oral hygiene). Make dental care fun by playing dental games and reading dental books. Our smiles are diverse and unique like we are, so teach your child to love and value their smile!
Keeping healthy and active
Eating healthy food and being consistently active is one of the best personal care habits you could instil in your toddler. Studies have shown that children who eat well and exercise regularly have a much better quality of sleep, and good sleep contributes to so much – overall health, a happy mood, healthy energy levels and much more. Healthy eating is consuming a reasonable amount of foods daily; vegetables, fruits, grains, dairy, oils, and proteins. Have your little one’s assist with meal preparation; this makes it an enjoyable family activity and encourages toddlers to try new foods. Of course, a balanced approach is to serve a variety of foods in moderation; after all, an ice cream on a hot day is delicious for the whole family. And ensure water is always the go-to drink.
Personal care habits can be implemented and practised together as a family every day. Encourage your toddlers to start their habits from a young age, making it much easier when they get older.
References:
https://www.ada.org.au/
https://www.perthnow.com.au/community-news/melville-gazette/kids-urged-to-start-looking-after-teeth-early-to-avoid-disease-c-843941
https://www.cancer.org.au/cancer-information/causes-and-prevention/sun-safety/about-sunscreen
With Eczema Awareness week from 3-10 May, we are focusing on raising awareness of this skin and immune condition which affects so many Australians.
Treating eczema and atopic dermatitis and preventing flare-ups can be confusing and overwhelming. That's why it’s important to find doctors and healthcare providers who can answer your questions, offer recommendations for avoiding triggers and easing symptoms, and prescribe treatments if needed.
We spoke with Belinda Kirkpatrick the author of ‘Healthy Hormones’, and expert Naturopath and Nutritionist with over a 15 years of clinical experience.
Belinda specialises in women’s and children’s health and is especially passionate about hormonal health, fertility management, miscarriage prevention and menopause. Belinda is known for her extensive knowledge of natural and conventional treatment in addition to her evidence-based approach to integrative healthcare.
See an extract below or watch the full interview here
Question: I think myself or my child may have Eczema. Should I see a Dermatologist or a Naturopath?
Naturopaths and Dermatologists look at Eczema in different ways and we can work really beautifully together. I've got a dermatologist that I work with, and I think when we each understand what we've got to offer, we can provide the best patient care for the individual.
So a dermatologist is a specialist doctor specialising in skin conditions and they can be really fantastic for diagnosis. So if it seems like it's more than just Eczema, or you're not sure if there is something else going on, or it seems a little bit different to what you might understand, as the normal kind of dry skin, itchy, red kind of eczema, that's where often a dermatologist can be really useful to be able to tell the difference between different types. If the Eczema has been getting infected, and that person does need antibiotics or steroids, that's where you need the dermatologist. There’s no doubt that sometimes things such as steroids can be useful to put the fire out, so to speak, while you then work on those other underlying causes. But I wouldn't say that they would be my recommendation as a first line of treatment.
What a naturopath is going to be able to do in contrast to a dermatologist, is looking at the underlying causes of why that Eczema is happening, what could be exacerbating it, what can we change in the diet, the lifestyle, the immune system, the microbiome, the topicals of what this baby/ child/ person is being exposed to. And looking more at those underlying causes and trying to improve that person’s ability to counteract irritated inflammation, but also be able look at treating it and hopefully putting it into remission.
Question: Why is it important to get to the root cause of the skin condition? – for example, look at diet, environmental factors, stress etc
It’s really important to look at the root cause of the condition. So with Eczema, it's one of those genetic conditions. Things like asthma, eczema, hay fever, sinusitis, they're very hereditary. If you've got a parent or both parents with one of those conditions, your child is more likely to have one of those kinds of conditions. You can't change your genetics, but you can help your body to cope a little bit more.
Diet is really important. It’s not about food allergies necessarily, but there's so many kinds of people who might have intolerances that flare up, and or foods that that can cause these flare ups. Probably the biggest ones are unfortunately dairy, gluten and sugar. They're fairly widespread in the diets of many little people. But working with a naturopath or even a nutritionist can be useful, because we've got so many suggested beautiful foods and alternatives now that even little people can manage and not be put off by so we're really lucky in the last 5 or 10 years that there's been so much movement in terms of specialised breads, different milks and things like that. When you're cutting big foods out of little people's diets, it’s really important to be looking at working with a professional because for instance, if your baby or child is better without dairy, you still need calcium for healthy bones. So these factors need to be balanced correctly.
Environmental factors are massive – sleeping in polyester sheets, wearing non-breathable fabrics and fibres, using commercial washing powders or fabric softeners, bath oils and maybe even essential oils could be aggravating your skin. As you would know, there's so many products full of toxic ingredients that are being sold in the baby aisle, even well-known brands specifically formulated for babies that have been used for decades, could have ingredients that can be inflammatory for the skin. Washing powders and soaps can be irritating for certain babies’ skin. So it’s super important to be looking at each every one of those things and using proper low-tox/ no-nasties products and maybe even no essential oils if the baby's skin is quite inflamed.
I was riddled with Eczema as a child but I haven't had Eczema in 20 years. However when I put on that first jumper of the cooler season I’m like, oh, here it is! And it is obviously dust mites. So many people are allergic to dust mites and also cockroach poo which we have everywhere, particularly in Sydney and probably many other places. It's all about completely getting rid of all those things.
Nutritional deficiencies are a key factor as well. A lot of babies, children and adults don't get enough protein in their diet which is really important for their immune system. Also very important is a good gut biome. When babies are born vaginally, they get a big gulp of mum’s vaginal flora on the way out. And that's either good or not so good as Mum’s gut bacteria may not be amazing either! Babies born by C-section however, don't get that big gulp, which often means that they're born a little bit more sterile. So looking at gut bacteria is really important. Also looking at essential fatty acids like fish oils can help too - even adults and children that regularly eat fish often don't get enough. Going dairy free would probably be a good place to start with. A naturopath can work with you to get to the desired outcome.
Stress can have a big impact on Eczema. Stress affects every part of the immune system. And I think the thing is that Eczema is an immune issue, it's your immune system overreacting. So when we get stressed that can deplete our immune system, and then we'll come out with whatever else that is the weakest link. Some people might get asthma, some people get diarrhoea and bloating, some people get anxiety and sleeping issues.
Question: Why is it best to avoid conventional skincare products on yours or your child’s sensitive skin?
It’s very important to understand what you are putting on yours and your children’s skin as we don't know all these toxins, we can't even say the name of half of them! Most people just trust that if it is on the store shelf then it must be safe to use. It is crazy to think that there is no regulation for skincare products, especially because there are so many ingredients that people react to. In addition, some ingredients are potentially linked to hormonal conditions, chronic diseases, and sometimes even cancers. There is a lot of what we call ‘greenwashing’ out in the market now, and even if something is labelled organic, it can still contain many allergens such as perfumes and essential oils. This makes it very hard for the average person to navigate the ingredients because they're not trained in what is safe to buy. It is important to be aligning yourself with companies and products that you can trust. Like you guys at Wotnot, where you have a real commitment to being non-toxic.
It is vital to understand what might be triggers and to align yourself with companies that disclose the full ingredients list.
Question: My child has developed a rash – what should I do?
Firstly identify what that rash is, so if they've been bitten by something or they're having hives or something, then it probably is best to speak to your GP to get that accurate diagnosis to understand what you're dealing with. If you think it might be Eczema, as it’s that dry, sort of diffuse red itchy skin and it looks like Eczema, you need to get moisture into that. Ideally look for something topical that contains zinc oxide or zinc (like a natural sunscreen or nappy balm etc) as these help with connective tissue healing, inflammation, and it's really important to keep the area moisturised.
Beware as a lot of products feel moisturising, but aren't – for instance, people ask me about coconut oil all the time which isn’t really moisturising or providing a barrier. Don’t let your kids be in the bath or shower too long, and don’t have it too hot because those things really do tend to aggravate eczema. Towels should be washed in a low-tox detergent and only pat dry the skin, don’t rub dry. If you have noticed itching, grab a bag of peas or an ice pack out of the freezer, and just put that on there to reduce the inflammation and get them into the habit of tapping it rather than scratching it. I haven't had eczema for 20 years however if I scratch there for a couple of minutes, I'd suddenly have Eczema! It's like it's just under there waiting for me to aggravate it and break that layer of skin.
If it's been going on for a little while and you've noticed it worsen, I would probably look at doing some fish oils and probiotics. I'd cut dairy out of the diet and or at least minimise it dramatically. Depending how old they are, and whether you've got advice around that. Then really increasing protein and vegetables and try to get some good nutrition there (not just honey or vegemite on toast). Ensure to keep the affected area really well moisturised, using low-tox/ non-tox products, always wear 100% cotton or bamboo clothing and bedding – steer clear of polyester.
Question: What are your best prevention tips?
It's all about trying to minimise those environmental factors like we mentioned earlier about the clothing and using natural fibres, clothing and bedding, and using toxin-free products including your washing powders. Making sure that you are moisturising enough, making sure that your person is getting enough water, lots of protein and vegetables that should the bulk of your diet and keeping breads and things like as an accompaniment to the meal rather than the basis of the meal.
If you know Eczema is in the family genes too, probiotics can be helpful at keeping it at bay and maybe look at vitamin D as a supplement. Most babies are born vitamin D deficient, mostly because they're born to vitamin D deficient mothers, as well as breast milk is very low in vitamin D. Baby formula has it in there. A lack of Vitamin D has also been linked to an increase in the incidence of Eczema and other immune issues too. If you know you were low in vitamin D in pregnancy or your baby's been having immune issues and then I recommend speaking to a Naturopath or a trained professional to see about getting a supplement and ensure you've got the right type and dose.
Question: Lastly, if there anything else you’d like to mention from your experiences of treating patients with Eczema?
With Eczema, I think it's about getting on to it early. Not just getting into that habit of using the steroid creams. Starting off moisturising with good products if you've got that opportunity is a great first step, and also look at the environmental factors that might be causing issues. No doubt there are people who are reading this already knee deep in the whole process. If you can part any of your knowledge onto others or gift them with great skincare or other products then that’s going to really help someone that might be experiencing the symptoms.
FREE GIFT!!
Receive a 50% discount when you sign up to Belinda’s online course 7-Day Nutrition Reset using the code WOTNOT using this link - https://programs.belindakirkpatrick.com.au/
Website - www.belindakirkpatrick.com.au
Instagram - @bknaturopathy
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/bknaturopathy
About the author - Belinda Kirkpatrick, the author of ‘Healthy Hormones’, is an expert Naturopath and Nutritionist with over 15 years of clinical experience.
Belinda specialises in women’s and children’s health and is especially passionate about hormonal health, fertility management, miscarriage prevention and menopause. Belinda is known for her extensive knowledge of natural and conventional treatment in addition to her evidence-based approach to integrative healthcare.
Belinda is the creator of several online courses including the 7-Day Nutrition Reset, 14-Day IVF Support Program and Five Weeks to Fertility. These programs have been endorsed by senior Fertility Specialist, Associate Professor Dr Gavin Sacks from IVF Australia and are designed to support all women who are trying to conceive naturally or with IVF.
Belinda’s tertiary qualifications include: Masters of Reproductive Health, Bachelor of Health Science (Naturopathy), Associate Degree in Clinical Sciences and Advanced Diploma of Naturopathy.
Belinda is in clinical practice in Sydney, Australia; author of Healthy Hormones, creator of the Seed iPhone App; is a mother of two beautiful girls; loves yoga and meditation and feels like a full-time cook!
