There's An App For That!

When I hear the familiar tune for an iPhone commercial, I drop what I am doing and "rewind" the DVR, not wanting to miss a single second of the ad. I marvel over the latest apps that promise me efficiency, knowledge, fun, and tight abs. There are thousands of apps out there - 66,000 according to the newspaper this week. I thought that somewhere among the thousands of iPhone apps there had to be a few that would be beneficial to moms, so I started my search in the iTunes Store. Within minutes, I discovered I could learn Aussie slang, find my way through Paris, or track my finances. I could even identify a rare bird or a poisonous mushroom while out on a hike. Well, as a busy mom, I do not see the practicality of learning Aussie slang, and since a nature hike is a rare occurrence, an overseas adventure would be even more unlikely. Which leaves me with tracking my finances, but like I said, I have children, and well... you know what I am saying.

Dissatisfied with my initial results, I continued my quest. I had an inkling of success when I noticed, glowing on the right side of the iTunes Store window, these two perfect words - power search. Using this feature, I entered mom-related keywords, and boy, did I find the mother load of apps for mothers. There are apps that log the entire pregnancy, practically from conception. Some apps can time contractions or track the number of kicks from baby, while others are more suitable after baby for recording feedings and diaper changes. Even though the iPhone is one incredible device, it can't actually change the baby...yet. There are apps that can direct moms to the nearest playground, record vaccinations, and plot out growth charts for kids. Right at our fingertips are the tools to make parenting just a little easier.

With continued investigation, I came upon an app that all parents and moms-to-be should put on their iPhones. This free app isn't about convenience or entertainment, it is about health and safety. Fish4Health educates users about safe fish consumption for women and young children. For years, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has publicized fish advisories for women and young children. The reason being that many fish and shellfish are contaminated with toxins such as mercury, PCBs, chlordane, dioxins, and DDT. These chemicals may harm the developing nervous system of a fetus or young child. Here's a quick biology lesson - these contaminants end up in our lakes, rivers, and oceans from man-made causes such as insecticide and fertilizer use in agriculture and burning of fossil fuels. These toxins settle in the water and persist for long periods of time. Bottom-feeding creatures accumulate the toxins which pass up the food chain to larger fish...the higher up the food chain, the higher the levels of contamination. Think about where humans are in the food chain and you will understand why this is a health problem for our offspring.

We know that fish consumption is an important part of a healthy diet for everyone. By following these recommendations from the EPA, women and young children can get the health benefits of eating fish and shellfish while at the same time reducing exposure to the harmful effects of mercury and other toxins. Keep in mind that children need to eat child-sized portions of fish and shellfish.

• Do not eat Shark, Swordfish, King Mackerel, or Tilefish because they contain high levels of mercury.
• Eat up to 12 ounces (2 average meals) a week of a variety of fish and shellfish that are lower in mercury.
  • Five of the most commonly eaten fish that are low in mercury are shrimp, canned light tuna, salmon, pollock, and catfish.
  • Another commonly eaten fish, albacore ("white") tuna has more mercury than canned light tuna. So, when choosing your two meals of fish and shellfish, you may eat up to 6 ounces (one average meal) of albacore tuna per week.
• Check local advisories about the safety of fish caught by family and friends in your local lakes, rivers, and coastal areas. If no advice is available, eat up to 6 ounces (one average meal) per week of fish you catch from local waters, but don't consume any other fish during that week.

So keep this advice in mind next time you are eating fish or shellfish. Download Fish4Health if you are an iPhone enthusiast. If you have other parenting issues, quandaries, or questions, take a look-see at the iTunes Store because "there's an app for that".

www.epa.gov