Health News

As Grandparent Caregivers Increase, Many Are Unaware Of Newer Safety Guidelines

Date: Oct-23-2012
The number of grandparent caregivers continues to grow, and while these older adults may be experienced in caring for young children, many are unaware of more recent safety and other recommendations - including those related to appropriate child sleep position, crib safety, car seat and walker use, according to research presented at the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) National Conference and Exhibition in New Orleans. According to the 2011 American Community Survey, an estimated 2...

Sex Addiction Is A Legitimate Mental Disorder

Date: Oct-22-2012
Although sex addiction is the basis for laughs on many television programs and in magazines and movies, the reality is that sex addiction is a condition which destroys families, relationships, and lives. However, psychiatrists have not been quick to believe that "out-of-control sexual behavior" is a mental health condition because of lack of research on this topic. A 2010 study asked, "Is sex addiction fact or fallacy?" Researchers from UCLA decided to test whether "hypersexual disorder", or sex addiction, is in fact a mental health condition...

Blue Light Helps Teens Deal With Stress

Date: Oct-22-2012
Exposure to morning short-wavelength "blue" light may help sleep-deprived teens prepare for any stress or challenges that might come that day, more than dim light exposure. Fixed wake up times on school days, as well as not being able to fall asleep early, are causing many adolescents to become chronically sleep deprived. The CDC reports that nearly 70% of school kids are not getting the appropriate amount of sleep. Studies show that they are resting for less than 8 hours on week days...

Antibiotics Are Ineffective For Treating Common Cold Cough In Kids

Date: Oct-22-2012
Antibiotics are not successful in treating cough due to the common cold in children, according to findings presented at CHEST 2012, the annual meeting of the American College of Chest Physicians. Researchers found that when children suffering from acute cough were treated with either anti-tussive medication or antibiotics, using only antibiotics presented a lower percentage of cough resolution...

Teen Sport Injuries Linked To Lack Of Sleep

Date: Oct-22-2012
Teens who sleep at least eight hours each night have a 68% lower risk of sports injury compared to those who regularly sleep less, researchers reported at the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) National Conference and Exhibition in New Orleans, yesterday. Several studies recently have demonstrated a range of benefits for children who either get more sleep, or manage to slumber during the recommended hours each day. Researchers from Canada reported in Pediatrics last week that children who sleep an extra 27 minutes each weekday night have considerable improvements in behavior at school...

Huge Drop In Orthopedic Surgeons Accepting Pediatric Medicaid Patients

Date: Oct-22-2012
The number of orthopedic practices willing to treat a child with a broken bone who is covered by Medicaid dropped from 62% in 2006 to just 23% today,, Dr. Christopher Lobst, announced at the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) National Conference and Exhibition in New Orleans yesterday. Dr. Lobst added that even privately insured children may find it harder to get a timely appointment with an orthopedic surgeon these days. In the Abstract, titled "National Access to Pediatric Fracture Care," the researchers identified five orthopedic practices in each state...

Brain Injury Linked To Crime In Young People

Date: Oct-22-2012
A new UK report finds there is a link between brain injury in childhood and crime in young people, and points to evidence that brain trauma can cause maturing brains to "misfire" and disrupt the development of self-restraint, social judgement and impulse control. It calls for more collaboration among health and criminal justice authorities to spot brain injuries early, treat them properly, and ensure they are taken account of throughout the criminal justice process...

Common Risky Behaviors Of Children Struck By Motor Vehicles

Date: Oct-22-2012
An abstract presented at the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) National Conference and Exhibition in New Orleans highlights the risky behavior of child pedestrians who are struck by cars - including darting into the street, crossing in the middle of the block, and crossing while using an electronic device. For the abstract, "Risky Behaviors of Pediatric Pedestrians Who are Struck by Motor Vehicles," researchers collected data on all pedestrians who were injured by a motor vehicle and presented to a Level I trauma center in New York City between 2008 and 2011...

Physician At The Forefront Of 2002 Meningitis Outbreak Shares Lessons Learned

Date: Oct-22-2012
In a new perspective piece published Online First in Annals of Internal Medicine, a physician recalls lessons learned from treating patients affected by the 2002 outbreak of Exophiala (Wangiella) dermatitidis meningitis or arthritis related to contaminated, injectable coticosteroids prepared from a compounding pharmacy. According to the author, the lessons he learned in 2002 are applicable to the current outbreak. He warns that compounding of preservative-free corticosteroids requires meticulous sterility to ensure lack of fungal contamination...

Scientists Model How Vibrations From Football Hits Wobble The Brain

Date: Oct-22-2012
It's fall football season, when fight songs and shouted play calls fill stadiums across the country. Another less rousing sound sometimes accompanies football games: the sharp crack of helmet-to-helmet collisions. Hard collisions can lead to player concussions, but the physics of how the impact of a helmet hit transfers to the brain are not well understood. A research team from the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md., has created a simplified experimental model of the brain and skull inside a helmet during a helmet-to-helmet collision...