- Report: Nation's kids need to get more physical - May 23 2013 12:35
WASHINGTON (AP) — Reading, writing, arithmetic — and PE? - Can You Drink During Pregnancy? Sorry, the Jury Is Still Out - May 22 2013 08:11
In movies and TV a secret pregnancy is always revealed after the woman declines a cocktail. The assumption being, of course, that responsible, educated moms-to-be would never partake in alcohol while they’re expecting for fear of hurting their unborn child. Trouble is, the research on drinking during pregnancy has never been clear-cut. - Surgery offers mixed benefits for kids' sleep apnea - May 21 2013 11:18
By Gene Emery NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A new study has confirmed that removing the tonsils and adenoids of children with obstructive sleep apnea can reduce sleepiness and improve the quality of life, but putting off the surgery might not hurt either. The study is the first controlled test to compare the operation with so-called watchful waiting as a strategy for stopping childhood obstructive sleep apnea syndrome, where the structures in the back of the mouth can temporarily block breathing during sleep. ... - Video Game to Help Kids Fight Cancer - May 13 2013 14:49
Video Game to Help Kids Fight Cancer - Philadelphia doctor guilty of murdering infants in late-term abortions - May 13 2013 12:54
PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) - A Philadelphia abortion doctor was found guilty on Monday of murdering three babies during late-term abortions at a clinic serving low-income women. Dr. Kermit Gosnell, 72, who ran the now-shuttered Women's Medical Society Clinic, faces the possibility of the death penalty in the case that focused on whether the infants were born alive and then killed. He was accused of delivering live babies during late-term abortions and then deliberately severing their spinal cords. ... - Bipolar disorder tied to mother's flu in pregnancy - May 10 2013 13:56
By Andrew M. Seaman NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Children born after being exposed to the flu during pregnancy may have a nearly four-fold higher risk of later developing bipolar disorder, according to a small new study. The senior researcher said the results can't prove that a mother's bout of flu while pregnant causes her child to develop the mental disorder, but the association does suggest that some cases might be prevented. "The idea is that if influenza is playing a causal role - and we can't say that from one study - there is a vaccine," Dr. ... - Bidet toilets not tied to pregnancy risks: study - May 10 2013 08:35
By Genevra Pittman NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Pregnant women can be reassured that cleaning with a bidet after using the toilet will not throw off their vaginal bacteria balance or increase the risk their baby will be born early, a new study suggests. One cause of premature birth is inflammation around the fetus, which can stem from a vaginal infection. Researchers have been unsure whether various forms of genital washing, including bidet use and douching, might clear out healthy bacteria and increase the risk of vaginosis, or vaginal bacterial infections. ... - Kids' chemical injuries down, but may rise in summer - May 7 2013 09:25
By Kerry Grens NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Injuries from gasoline, lamp oil and similar chemicals have dropped considerably among small children in the last decade, according to a new study. "It seems to decline right around 2000, 2001. That's when the Consumer Products Safety Commission mandated products be placed in child-resistant packaging," said Dr. Heath Jolliff, the study's lead author and associate medical director of the Central Ohio Poison Center at Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus. ... - FDA warns on use of certain migraine drugs during pregnancy - May 6 2013 11:30
(Reuters) - The U.S. Food and Drug Administration warned on the use of migraine drug valproate sodium in pregnant women as it could result in lower IQ scores in the baby. The FDA said the results of a recent study showed that children exposed to valproate products in the womb had lower IQ at the age of six than children who were exposed to other antiepileptics. Drugs containing valproate are used to prevent migraine headaches, treat epileptic seizures and manic episodes associated with bipolar disorder. ... - Sucking on your kid's pacifier: good idea or gross? - May 5 2013 21:51
By Genevra Pittman NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Toddlers are less likely to have asthma and itchy rashes if their parents "cleaned" their pacifiers by sucking on them when the kids were infants, a small new study suggests. The findings don't prove that technique protects kids against asthma, eczema or other allergies. But researchers said it's possible the transfer of mouth microbes from parents to baby may help boost the bacterial diversity of the young child's digestive system and foster immunity. "We know these bacteria are important for development," said Dr. ... - Moms' iodine levels tied to kids' poor test scores - May 3 2013 12:37
By Andrew M. Seaman NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Mothers who are mildly iodine deficient are more likely to have children who perform poorly in spelling, grammar and literacy, according to a new study from Australia. Severe iodine deficiency during pregnancy is known to cause serious mental disabilities in children, but researchers examined the test scores of nine year olds whose mothers were only slightly iodine deficient during pregnancy and found the kids performed between 6 percent and 10 percent worse than peers born to mothers with sufficient iodine. ... - Parents see more food, skin allergies in children - May 2 2013 07:02
NEW YORK (AP) — Parents are reporting more skin and food allergies in their children, a big government survey found. - Changing mothers' aid limits juice for kids - May 1 2013 07:19
By Andrew M. Seaman NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A change to a U.S. program that provides food and medical visits to many infants, children and pregnant women succeeded in reducing the amount of juice bought overall, according to a new study. Researchers examined the impact of an October 2009 change in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children - known as WIC, which cut the monthly allowance of 100 percent juice by more than half. "Basically the program achieved its goals. ... - Do school programs keep kids from smoking? - April 30 2013 11:43
By Andrew M. Seaman NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Certain school-based programs that aim to keep kids from smoking cigarettes seem to work, according to a fresh look at some past research. After examining over a hundred "gold standard" studies, researchers found that school-based programs that teach children life skills and self esteem were linked to a significant reduction in the number who started using tobacco down the road. "There was a significant effect for more than one year," said Julie McLellan, one of the study's authors from the University of Oxford in the UK. ... - FDA looks at caffeine impact on kids after Wrigley gum - April 30 2013 11:08
(Reuters) - Wrigley's new Alert Energy Caffeine Gum has prompted the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to look into the potential impact that added caffeine may have on children and adolescents. The FDA said on Monday it was taking a "fresh look" at the issue in response to the launch of a caffeinated gum, "and if necessary, will take appropriate action." While the FDA did not name the gum in its statement, Wrigley launched the product this month. ...