Recess and PE policies mean more activity for kids

2011-12-05T14:30:37Z

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - According to a new nationwide survey of elementary school principals, kids are more likely to get the recommended amount of recess and physical education if they live in states or districts with policies that call for more of those types of activity.

However, more than half of states and districts didn't require regular PE classes, and few made daily recess mandat...

Can weight loss reset health risks in heavy kids?

2011-11-16T14:30:43Z

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Overweight children who shed their excess pounds in adulthood don't face a higher risk of obesity-related health problems, an analysis of four studies involving children and adults in the United States, Australia and Reuters Health) - One in eight parents goes online for medical information about their child's condition before taking the child to the emergency room, according to new research.

What's more, many parents would willingly visit sites recommended by their child's doctor -- which means pediatricians should be prepared to offer advice on this topic, according to Dr. Purvi Shroff

Doctors keeping very sick babies off life support

2011-07-07T13:00:22Z

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A study of babies in intensive care suggests that doctors are getting better at recognizing situations where infants are sure to die or have severe brain damage -- and are often holding back on life support when that's the case.

The findings "reflect increasing awareness by the medical community of the need to limit interventions of minimal or very questionable be...

Nurses may help some overweight kids

2011-04-07T14:30:57Z

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A program including regular follow-ups with nurses and focused attempts to cut back on TV, fast food, and sodas appears to keep some overweight and obese kids from gaining more weight, according to a new study.

Specifically, girls in general and kids from households earning less than $50,000 were less likely to gain weight over the course of a year if they were in...

Dramatic rise in skull flattening in Texas babies

2011-04-06T13:30:21Z

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - The number of infants born with "flat-head" syndrome has risen dramatically in Texas - but is probably not cause for concern, according to a new study.

Between 1999 and 2007, the number of cases of plagiocephaly -- misshapen areas in the skull that most commonly manifest as a flattening at the back of the head - increased ...

Treat kids' discomfort, not fevers: Pediatricians

2011-02-28T11:30:25Z

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Don't immediately reach for the medicine cabinet when your little one's forehead feels warm, according to a new report from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) that says fevers alone are not a cause for intervention.

"The focus should be on comfort and not...

Jaundice at birth may be linked to autism

2010-10-11T13:31:26Z

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Babies diagnosed with jaundice may be more likely to later receive a diagnosis of autism, suggests a large new study.

However, the Danish researchers caution that many questions remain unanswered, making it too early to say for sure if there is a true cause-and-effect relationship between the conditions.

Environmental exposures prior to, during and shortly a...

Mental problems rise with kids' screen time: study

2010-10-10T22:30:28Z

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - More than two hours a day spent watching television or playing computer games could put a child at greater risk for psychological problems, suggests a new study.

British researchers found the effect held regardless of how active kids were during the rest of the day.

"We know that physical activity is good for both physical and mental health in children and t...

Friendly bacteria help calm colicky babies

2010-08-27T09:45:09Z

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Italian researchers offer some hopeful news for parents of colicky babies: a daily dose of "good" bacteria may help their child to cry less.

After three weeks of treatment with probiotic bacteria, babies cried for an average of about a half-hour a day, while infants who received a placebo were still crying for an hour and a half daily. At the study's outset, babies in both groups were cryi...

Obese kids' feet found to be flatter and fatter

2010-07-23T11:45:44Z

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - It's known that obese children tend to have "flatter" feet than their normal-weight peers, but it has been unclear whether that reflects a potential problem in the foot's bone structure or simply extra fat padding. A new study suggests that it's both.

In general, people with "flat feet" have a lowered arch at the inside of the foot, such that if they wet their feet and stood on a flat surf...

Obese kids more apt to be bullied, study confirms

2010-05-03T05:15:12Z

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Obese children in grades 3 through 6 are more apt to be bullied by their classmates than children who are trim, regardless of their gender, race, social skills, or academic achievement, a study published today in Pediatrics shows.

This finding is "so disturbing to me," Dr. Julie C. Lumeng from Reuters Health) - Childhood cancer survivors are at a four-fold increased risk of developing new cancers of the bladder later in life, new research shows.

But their risk is still very small; based on the findings, fewer than one-half of a percent of all childhood cancer survivors will be diagnosed with bladder cancer by age 55.

About three-quarters of children diagnosed with cancer will survive for at...

Baby Einstein DVD fails to boost language

2010-03-04T10:45:27Z

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Fueling recent criticism of educational DVDs for toddlers, a new study finds that kids do not improve language skills after viewing one such product, the Baby Wordsworth from the Walt Disney Company's PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) - A Delaware pediatrician faces 471 counts of child rape and sexual exploitation after being accused of abusing his young patients for more than a decade, according to a grand jury indictment.

Dr. Earl Bradley of the coastal town of

Exercise may not boost obese teens' metabolism

2010-04-16T07:05:46Z

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - A few months of moderate aerobic exercise may not rev up obese teenagers' ability to burn calories, even though it may increase thinner teens' ability to burn dietary fat, new research suggests.

In a study of 28 obese and normal-weight teenagers, researchers found that after 12 weeks of treadmill and exercise-bike sessions, the heavier teens showed no changes in their bodies' calorie- and ...

Experts urge screening for obesity in kids

2010-04-16T07:32:57Z

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Doctors should screen children and teens between 6 and 18 years for extra pounds, a federal task force recommends.

For children who are found to be obese based on their body mass index (BMI), a standard measure of the relationship between height and weight, the task force also calls for referrals to a comprehensive program that includes dietary advice, physical activity, and behavioral cou...

Child's cancer does not raise divorce risk: study

2010-06-11T22:58:08Z

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Despite some concerns to the contrary, new research suggests that dealing with a child's cancer does not generally raise parents' risk of divorce.

Using data on nearly 978,000 married couples in Norway, researchers found that divorce rates between 1974 and 2001 were no higher among couples with a child suffering from cancer compared with other pa...

Refrigerated breast milk keeps integrity for 4 days

2010-04-16T08:03:18Z

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Breast milk can be refrigerated for up to four days without losing its nutritional value or allowing bacteria to build up, a small study suggests.

Guidelines on safe storage of breast milk vary somewhat. But in general, it's thought that breast milk can be refrigerated at 39 degrees Fahrenheit for as long as five to eight days, though it should ideally be used within two or three days.

...

Sticking to evidence on stomach bugs could save $1B

2010-04-16T09:27:32Z

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - When it comes to treating kids for acute gastroenteritis - an infection of the stomach - many children's hospitals in the U.S. are ignoring evidence-based guidelines - and costing the health care system more than $1 billion in unnecessary spending, according to the authors of a new study.

Evidence-based guidelines issued by the

House approves $82.8 billion for nutrition programs

2010-06-25T20:21:44Z

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. House approved $82.8 billion for federal nutrition programs ranging from food stamps to school lunch on Wednesday, including a plan to compensate poor families for lunches missed during flu epidemics.

The money is part of a $121 billion funding bill for the Agriculture Department and the

Doctor's office weigh-ins no help to heavy kids

2010-04-16T10:10:13Z

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Having doctors routinely weigh overweight children and give parents advice on diet and exercise may have little impact on kids' weight gain or lifestyle habits, a new study suggests.

The findings call into question national policies in countries like the US, UK and

Many teens share prescription drugs: study

2010-04-16T10:46:00Z

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Many teenagers may be sharing their prescription medications with their friends, putting them at risk of drug side effects or having a health problem go undiagnosed, a new survey finds.

The survey, of 592 12- to 17-year-olds from across the U.S., found that 20 percent admitted to having lent a prescription drug to a friend, while a ...

Too much TV time bad for kids' blood pressure

2010-04-16T11:00:48Z

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - You knew too much TV could be bad for kids in general. Now, hints a study released Monday, too much time in front of the tube, even playing video games, may increase a child's risk of developing high blood pressure.

The findings held regardless of whether the children were overweight or thin.

"We've known from previous studies that sedentary behaviors are linked to obesity, and that ...

Bedwetting, being overweight linked to sleep apnea

2010-04-16T11:31:22Z

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Children who are overweight and wet the bed at night may have obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), researchers report.

Both being overweight and wetting the bed are associated with the nighttime breathing disorder, they found. However, overweight and bedwetting are not associated with each other.

In a "case-control" study, Dr. Joseph G....

Wikileaks Berkeley

2010-12-14T22:31:11Z

Beverly Dove holds a sign as she speaks during a city council meeting in Berkeley, Calif., Tuesday, Dec. 14, 2010. The council in this famously liberal city is considering a resolution Tuesday night bestowing hero status on Pfc. Bradley Manning, the soldier at the center of the

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