Saturday, October 29, 2011
(HealthDay News) — From decorative contact lenses to face paint, experts warn that Halloween costumes may result in a wide array of potentially serious health issues from falls to allergic reactions.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration along with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission provided the following "lucky 13" guidelines on how kids and their parents can enjoy a fun and safe Halloween
via Experts Offer ‘Lucky 13′ Tips for Safe and Healthy Halloween.
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
(HealthDay News) — Teens who don’t get enough sleep may find themselves putting on extra pounds and boys, in particular, may be at risk for obesity, new research suggests.
In the study, researchers surveyed 108 male and 147 female students at a Texas high school and found that the average sleep time on weekdays was 6 hours 32 minutes for males and 6 hours 30 minutes for females. The average sleep time on weekends was 9 hours 10 minutes for males and 9 hours 22 minutes for females.
via Sleepy Teens More Prone to Weight Gain: Study.
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
(HealthDay News) — Having a good relationship with their teacher may help reduce aggressive behavior among first-graders and also protect them from other students’ aggression, researchers have found.
Genetic factors can influence aggression in middle childhood, but outside influences also play a role, according to the study published in the September/October issue of the journal Child Development.
via Bond With Teacher Can Help Curb Aggression in Kids.
HealthDay News — Children with specific gene variants respond better to the drug methylphenidate Ritalin, Concerta, which is widely used to treat attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder ADHD, a new study says.The finding could help improve treatment of ADHD, according to the Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center researchers."Physicians don’t have a good way of predicting who will experience great improvement in ADHD symptoms with a particular medication, so currently we use a trial-and-error approach. Unfortunately, as a result, finding an effective treatment can take a long time," lead investigator Dr. Tanya Froehlich, a physician in the division of developmental and behavioral pediatrics, said in a medical center news release.
via Some Kids Respond Better to ADHD Drug Than Others.
Saturday, October 22, 2011
The Drug Enforcement Administration took emergency action on Friday to ban three synthetic stimulants used to make products that are marketed at head shops and on the Web as “bath salts,” but are actually used as recreational drugs that mimic the effects of cocaine, LSD and methamphetamine.
The emergency measure places these substances — mephedrone, methylenedioxypyrovalerone MDPV and methylone — under the D.E.A.’s most restrictive category for at least a year, while they study whether they should be permanently banned. This classification is reserved for substances with high potential for abuse and no accepted use under medical supervision.
via D.E.A. Bans Chemicals Used in ‘Bath Salts’ – NYTimes.com.
(HealthDay News) — In new guidelines released Sunday, the American Academy of Pediatrics has expanded the age range for the diagnosis and treatment of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) to children as young as 4 and as old as 18.
For the youngest children, the academy is emphasizing the use of behavior treatments over medication in most cases.
"I think the most significant changes are expanding the ages from preschool through adolescence. The original guidelines were from 6 to 12, because that’s where the evidence was. We’ve been able to broaden the scope of the guidelines because there was more evidence available for preschoolers and adolescents," said the lead author of the new recommendations, Dr. Mark Wolraich, CMRI Shaun Walters Professor of Pediatrics and the Edith Kinney Gaylord Presidential Professor at the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences Center in Oklahoma City.
via New ADHD Guidelines Include Preschoolers, Older Teens.
(HealthDay News) — Children are more apt to dislike obese peers and others with an "undesirable trait" if they believe it’s the child’s own fault, according to new research.
The study included 137 third- through eighth-grade students who were asked to respond to statements about six hypothetical boys who were either a poor student or poor athlete, extremely overweight, extremely aggressive, extremely shy, or had symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.
The Kansas State University researchers presented the hypothetical boys as real and said the boys had been asked if they were trying to do anything to fix their undesirable trait and whether their attempts had been successful.
via Kids Can Be Tougher on Obese Peers.
Two years ago, I spent nine months with sinus infections. I had one after another, and if I didn’t go to the doctor and get antibiotics, I got so sick that I would throw up. None of the doctors I saw could figure out why all of a sudden I was so prone to sinus infections. I saw an ear, nose and throat doctor and an infectious diseases doctor, as well as seeing almost every doctor and nurse practitioner at my GP’s practice. I had every test you can imagine. And no one could figure out what the problem was. Finally, when I was on one of my by now bi-weekly visits to my GP to get a prescription for antibiotics to fight the most recent infection, the nurse practitioner said, "Why don’t we check your Vitamin D level." Sure enough, I was extremely deficient. The standard range is 32-100 ng/mL. Mine was 20. I was put on prescription Vitamin D and voila! No more sinus infections.
via How Vitamin D Affects Depression – Prevention – Depression.
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
(HealthDay News) — Obese 8- and 9-year-olds are more likely to suffer socially and emotionally than their normal-weight peers, a new study finds.
In the study, researchers in Australia checked children’s BMI, a measure of height and weight, at ages 4 and 5 and then again a few years later. Parents and teachers filled out questionnaires that assessed children’s mental health and health-related quality of life.
via Obese Kids May Face Social, Emotional Woes.
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
HealthDay News — Inadequate sleep and the absence of a good bedtime routine take a toll on the school performance of primary school children, research shows.When 6-year-old children go to bed late and sleep less than nine hours each night, their academic skills suffer along with their memory and motivation, researchers in Barcelona found.
via Lack of Sleep Hurts Kids’ Academic Performance: Study.
