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Getting Kids to Eat Their Vegetables
Lilian Presti
We've all heard of the kid who won't eat anything except chicken fingers and hot dogs -- and maybe you recognize this child well because he or she is yours. Although most children aren't this extreme, many are still not eating as much healthy foods as their parents would like
4 Flu Vaccine Doses for Kids This Fall -- but Where and When
Nancy Shute
This may go down in history as the most confusing flu season ever, given that a vaccine for the new H1N1 swine flu isn't yet available, but the plain old seasonal flu vaccine is. Talk about a recipe for pandemonium at the pediatrician's office!
Neurofeedback: An ADHD Treatment That Retrains the Brain
Megan Johnson
A controversial treatment for overcoming attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is getting new respect. Called neurofeedback therapy, it supposedly retrains the brain to produce electrical patterns associated with calm and focus. While the technique is costly, time consuming, and far from proven, its promise is tantalizing.
Nutritious Meals Make Better Grades
Joanne Capano
Nutrition is important for all of us, especially our children. What children eat does make a difference, especially in school, reports a study published last year in the Journal of School Health, a journal published on behalf of the American School Health Association.
Trick-or-Treat? Conquer Sugar by Offering Kids Sweeter Alternatives
Lilian Presti
In an age when close to one in five kids in the U.S. is overweight or obese, should we be rethinking our manner of celebrating Halloween, or simply carry on with what we've been doing? The answer appears to lie somewhere in the middle, according to childhood obesity experts ...
Strong Genetic Component May be Associated with Asperger Syndrome
Robert Voigt, M.D., Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, Mayo Clinic
Asperger syndrome is a developmental disorder that affects a child's ability to socialize and communicate effectively with others. Children with Asperger syndrome typically exhibit social awkwardness and an all-absorbing interest in specific topics. Doctors and researchers don't understand exactly what causes Asperger syndrome, there seems to be a strong genetic component associated with this disorder
Healthy, Natural School Lunch is Easier Than You Think
Andrea Donsky and Randy Boyer
As you cruise down the supermarket aisles with kids asking for all sorts of junk for their school lunches, it can be difficult to resist the urge to grab those pre-packaged, all-in-one lunch meals. But healthy, homemade lunches that your kids will want to eat are actually easier than you might think.
Newborn Screening Can Identify a Variety of Treatable Conditions
Dietrich Matern, M.D., and
The blood taken from your baby after she's born will be examined to find out if she has any of a variety of treatable conditions. This procedure, called newborn screening, is very important because these conditions can be most effectively treated when they are identified early, before symptoms appear.
Drug-Free Approaches to Managing ADHD
Megan Johnson
For decades, Ritalin and similar stimulants have reigned over other treatments for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, also known as ADHD or ADD. The meds are seemingly tried and true, with numerous studies backing their effectiveness. However, the latest results from the Multimodal Treatment Study of Children with ADHD found that stimulants' effects wane over time. Here's 9 Drug-Free Approaches to Managing ADHD ...
What Parents Should Know About Swine Flu Shots
Nancy Shute
The questions I asked at my daughter's well-child doctor visit this week were not happy ones: They were all about what to do if the swine flu pandemic gets much worse this fall and she becomes sick. I left the pediatrician's office just as worried.
School Lunches Go Vegetarian
Zach Miners
A new nationwide survey by the School Nutrition Association says almost 2 out of 3 U.S. schools now offer vegetarian fare for lunch on a regular basis. That's a 40 percent increase since 2003, the first year veggie meals were tallied by the nonprofit group. However, rising prices are hitting districts hard ...
The Huge Health Toll Obesity Takes on Kids
Sarah Baldauf
Chronic disease in
Vitamin D and Kids: How Much Sun Should They Get to Stay Healthy
Nancy Shute
Right after I coated my kid with SPF 70 sunscreen and dropped her off at camp this morning, I picked up the newspaper and read: "Millions of Children in U.S. Found to be Lacking Vitamin D." Sunscreen was listed as a main culprit for the deficiency, which can put children at risk of developing high blood pressure, high blood sugar, heart disease, and weak bones. Yikes! ...
Keep Kids Hydrated in Summer Weather
Joanne Capano
Once summer hits, many kids want to spend all day, every day playing outside. In addition to wearing cool clothing, sunscreen, hats and sunglasses, it's important to send kids outdoors with enough water to drink to avoid becoming dehydrated.
How to Use Tylenol So It's Safe for Your Kids
Nancy Shute
Too much Tylenol can be a very dangerous thing, for kids and adults. So much so that the Food and Drug Administration is considering banning infant Tylenol as part of its efforts to reduce the risk of potentially fatal liver damage. But we parents can take steps on our own to make sure we're using Tylenol safely
Summer Safety: 8 Reasons Kids End up in the ER & How to Prevent It
Sarah Baldauf
Summer has arrived. And for all its pleasant, warm-weather pastimes -- pool parties, barbeques, bicycling, and more -- an emergency department near you is feeling the usual seasonal spike in children's unintended injuries. No wonder summer is known in the medical business as trauma season.
How Positive Psychology Can Increase Your Happiness
Lindsay Lyon
You can thank your parents -- in part -- for how happy you are; roughly half of human happiness is genetically determined. Another 10 percent comes from your life circumstances, like how happy you are with where you live. according to longtime happiness researcher Sonja Lyubomirsky, a professor of psychology.
Teens Who Think They'll Die Young Take More Risks
Teenagers tend to wildly overestimate the odds of dying young, and teenagers who think they'll be dead before age 35 are far more likely to abuse drugs, attempt suicide, get arrested, or contract HIV. Scientists have known for quite a while that teenagers tend to think that an early death is much more likely than the infinitesimally small risk it really is.
Avoid Tick-Borne Illness
Harvard Health Letters
The deer tick (also called the black-legged tick), which can carry and transmit the bacterium responsible for Lyme disease. Considered somewhat rare in the mid-1980s, Lyme disease is now the most common vector-borne illness in the United States. About 20,000 cases are reported annually to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
5 Nutrition Facts About Milk & Healthy Kids
By Kerry Hannon
Here are five things you should know about your kids and milk.
FDA Expert Panel Declines to Endorse New Influenza Vaccine
An advisory committee said more efficacy and safety data are needed before it can back FluBlock, which is made using a new technology.
Medscape Medical News
H1N1 Flu Wave Peaking in US?
New cases of the H1N1 flu have declined, but deaths and hospitalizations are still rising.
WebMD Health News
Children's Hearing Loss From Cisplatin Chemotherapy Associated With Gene Variants
Recognizing genetic markers for cisplatin ototoxicity will improve children's treatment outcomes.
Medscape Medical News
Sen Grassley Questions Top Medical Schools About Ghostwriting
As part of his mission to see more financial transparency in medicine, Sen Grassley has asked eight top US medical schools about their policies on ghostwriting.
Heartwire
Risperidone Helpful in Children With Bipolar Disorder
Risperidone is effective and well tolerated in children and adolescents experiencing acute manic or mixed episodes of bipolar I disorder, Belgian and US researchers report in the November issue of Bipolar Disorders. The results also suggest that the lower dose range tested is superior to the higher range tested.
Reuters Health Information
Psychostimulant Medication Safe in Adolescents With ADHD and Substance Use Disorders
Psychostimulant medication for ADHD appears to be safe and well tolerated with low abuse potential in adolescents in treatment for co-occurring substance abuse.
Medscape Medical News
P&G Recalls Some Vicks Spray After Bacteria Found
Procter & Gamble Co is voluntarily recalling about 120,000 bottles of Vicks Sinex nasal spray after finding the bacteria Burkholderia cepacia in a small amount of the product made at its plant in Gross Gerau, Germany, and sold in the United States.
Reuters Health Information
Patients Happier When Doctors Discuss What Went Wrong
Hospital patients who suffer a side effect from treatment are more likely to give high ratings to their quality of care when hospital staff are up front about what went wrong, a new study suggests.
Reuters Health Information
Unique Malpractice Risks of Ambulatory Surgery Centers
More physicians are setting up ambulatory surgery centers, but there are many malpractice risks that come with having a center. Here is what to watch out for.
Medscape Business of Medicine
Physician Impairment due to Substance Use Disorders
A family physician starts self-prescribing narcotics abuse after a bike accident.
Medscape Internal Medicine
Heart Rate Characteristics and Neurodevelopmental Outcomes in Very Low Birth Weight Infants
Neurodevelopmental outcome can be hard to predict in very low birth weight infants - - this noninvasive marker is one more piece of evidence for clinicians.
Journal of Perinatology : Official Journal of the California Perinatal Association
House Passes Medicare SGR Fix
The House passed a bill that would rewrite the controversial sustainable growth rate formula and eliminate a 21.2% Medicare pay cut for physicians scheduled for 2010.
Medscape Medical News
No Adverse Events Reported So Far With H1N1 Influenza Vaccine
US officials are keeping a close watch for adverse events from H1N1 influenza vaccinations; nothing has been reported yet, but it's early, and the data are insufficient to assess the safety just yet.
Medscape Medical News
H1N1 Vaccine as Safe as Seasonal Vaccine, WHO Says
The WHO emphasizes that the pandemic H1N1 influenza vaccine appears to be as safe as the seasonal influenza vaccine, with few reports of adverse events.
Medscape Medical News
Platelet Transfusions in NICUs May Cause More Harm Than Good
Platelet transfusions in neonates are associated with increased mortality, even when they're given to treat severe thrombocytopenia, investigators report.
Reuters Health Information
FDA Panel Recommends Prevnar 13 Vaccine for Approval
An advisory committee voted 10 to 1 (with 1 abstention) to approve Pfizer's request for licensure of Prevnar 13 to immunize infants and children against invasive pneumococcal disease.
Medscape Medical News
Olopatadine Nasal Spray Reduces Seasonal Allergy Symptoms in Children
Olopatadine hydrochloride 0.6% nasal spray, a nonsteroidal selective antihistamine, safely and effectively reduces ocular and nasal symptoms in children with seasonal allergic rhinitis.
Medscape Medical News
Promising New Cancer Drugs in the Pipeline
A number of novel and promising cancer therapies are currently in the pipeline, and researchers might be discovering new uses for older drugs.
Medscape Medical News
Perspective: The Missing Link in Academic Career Planning and Development: Pursuit of Meaningful and Aligned Work
Why is it so difficult to retain faculty in academic medicine? What can be done to address the problem?
Academic Medicine : Journal of the Association of American Medical Colleges
New Senate Healthcare Reform Bill Features Public Option With Opt-Out
The Senate bill would cost $849 billion through 2019, but it would ultimately shave $127 billion off the federal deficit while reducing the number of uninsured by 31 million people.
Medscape Medical News
Medscape Pediatrics Headlines
Latest medical news, articles, and features from Medscape Pediatrics
Insect Repellent Helps Prevent Insect-Borne Diseases - Naturally
Many people are changing their perceptions about mosquitoes - from an itchy annoyance to a potential health risk. Already this year, reports of mosquito-borne encephalitis (West Nile and St. Louis) have been recorded in central Florida and Louisiana. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 20,000 confirmed cases of insect-related illnesses in humans are reported each year.
Got Kids? Keep Them Cool This Summer
With June 21 -- summer's official start -- just around the corner, the experts at DANNON Natural Spring Water are offering these tips to help keep your children healthy and hydrated this summer and beyond.
Stress and the Expectant Working Mom
For nearly one million working women who become pregnant each year, juggling stress in the workplace along with stress that comes with being pregnant can be a tall order. First among them is how to work and manage a healthy pregnancy at the same time.