Children’s Health
Re-emerging Virus Enterovirus D68 (EV-D68) Linked to Paralysis of Children
A cluster of children from Colorado in the USA have been treated for muscle weakness or paralysis that may be connected to a nationwide outbreak of a usually rare respiratory virus called enterovirus D68 (EV-D68), one of more than 100 non-polio enteroviruses. The study, published in The Lancet, highlights theRead
Doctors Teaching Parents Baby Talk for Early Childhood Development
OP/ED I was recently in a YMCA board meeting with visiting guests from our local school board. The topic was early childhood development and narrowing the achievement gap for preschoolers. In our community alone there are at least 700 children who are not prepared to start school. The solution was something our school board calls small talk. It’s not a complicated system of education preparedness, it’s simply talking to infants in full sentences from birth to age three. Brilliant idea.Who will be the teacher? You the doctor. Are you prepared to teach parents baby talk?
Breastfeeding & Intestinal Microbiota in Infants
Citicoline Improves Teen/Adult Attention in Two Trials
In an age where attention spans are short and activity levels are low for teen boys, a new study shows citicoline may improve concentration and motor speed. The randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled human clinical trial conducted by The Brain Institute, at the University of Utah, was presented at the annual AmericanRead
Wet Wrap, a Drug-free Option for Atopic Dermatitis and Eczema
Parents are very reluctant to use steroids on their children’s eczema, which is why they often request alternative therapies. Wet wrapping is one option. From a practitioner perspective, wet wrapping to address atopic dermatitis and eczema seems like a fairly simple and straightforward approach. But does it work? Our slideshow introduces you to Lucie, a two-year old with chronic eczema and how her condition inspired the the largest study ever conducted on wet-wrap therapy. Experts at National Jewish Health in Denver saw a dramatic improvement in symptoms without traditional therapies like antibiotics, steroids or immunotherapy drugs. By Noreen Heer Nicol PhD, Mark Boguniewicz, MD et al, published in J. of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Vol. 2, Issue 4, July 2014.
Are Today’s Adolescents Tomorrow’s Hip-Fracture Patients?
The seeds of the pernicious disease osteoporosis are sown during adolescence, when the skeleton is most active in absorbing dietary calcium and building up nearly all the bone mass that will carry the teenager throughout life. Along with calcium, both vitamin D and vitamin K (particularly vitamin K2) are essential for bone formation. Little research has been done to evaluate adolescents’ vitamin K requirements for optimal bone development, but recent papers indicate that vitamin K status plays an important role in children’s bone health, and that bone metabolism requires significantly more vitamin K than blood coagulation. Calcium and vitamin D intake is well understood in the medical community, though fewer physicians are aware of the importance of vitamin K2, and little has changed with respect to dietary intake. By Karan Baucom, MD; Lara Pizzorno, MA; and Joseph Pizzorno, ND, published in the J of Restorative Medicine, Osteoporosis: The Need for Prevention and Treatment.
Prenatal Exposure to Flame Retardants Linked to IQ and ADHD
Prenatal exposure to flame retardants may be as concerning as lead exposure to children’s brain development. A new study involving Simon Fraser University researchers has found that prenatal exposure to flame retardants can be significantly linked to lower IQs and greater hyperactivity in five-year-old children. The findings are published onlineRead
Update to AAP Screenings’ Schedule
Introduction The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has updated its schedule of the screenings and health assessments that are recommended at each well-child visit from infancy through adolescence. The updated periodicity schedule reflects current AAP recommendations for preventive pediatric health care, which are explained in detail in the thirdRead
