Rapid Infant Weight Gain Linked to Childhood Obesity
Babies who gain weight quickly during the first six months of life may be more prone to obesity as toddlers, Harvard researchers report. “We need to start our preventive methods when children are much younger,” said study author Dr. Elsie M. Taveras. “Even in the first couple of weeks of life, we can start guiding parents about how to prevent rapid weight gain in their infants.” While... Read more
Tonsillectomy linked to excess weight gain in kids
Children who undergo the surgical removal of their tonsils (tonsillectomy) with or without the removal of their adenoids (adenoidectomy) are at increased risk for becoming overweight in the years after surgery, according to a report in the journal Pediatrics. Prior research has linked tonsillectomy to accelerated weight gain, but whether it is a risk factor for becoming overweight was unclear, note... Read more
Child’s Food Allergies Take Toll on Family Plans
Two new reports show that food allergies can be a burden on a family’s finances and even its vacation plans. The studies, expected to be presented in Washington, D.C., at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology, demonstrate how these common conditions can have a wide impact on a family’s quality of life. In looking at the lives of thousands of caregivers... Read more
Contact Lenses Boost Kids’ Self-Image
Compared to glasses, contact lenses improve how children feel about their appearance, their ability to play sports and their acceptance among friends, a study of 484 nearsighted children finds. “Many studies have examined the effect of spectacle wear on self-perception and the perception of others, but the majority of this research has been conducted on adults,” study leader Jeffrey J.... Read more
Watching R-Rated Movies Boosts Kids’ Smoking Risk
Children who are allowed to watch R-rated movies are more likely to smoke, say researchers who analyzed data from a four-year study of more than 1,200 Massachusetts youngsters. “We don’t know why this is so. It may have to do with a parenting style that is permissive of activities that are not age-appropriate. Or it may be an outcome of all the smoking scenes in R-rated movies,” lead... Read more
Are Internet-Addicted Kids More Violent?
A new study from Taiwan links aggression in teens to heavy Internet use, but its findings are being questioned by some American researchers. The research, based on questionnaires about Internet use and behavior filled out by 9,405 adolescents, classified 25 percent of the boys and 13 percent of the girls as Internet addicts. Of that group of Internet addicts, 37 percent reported showing aggression,... Read more
Eye Problems, Hearing Loss May Be Linked
About 20 percent of children with sensorineural hearing loss also have eye disorders, a new study has found. Sensorineural hearing loss, caused by damage to the inner ear or to the nerves that link the ear to the brain, affects up to three of every 1,000 children, according to background information in the study. Half of all cases in children are due to genetics, and one gene, GJB2, accounts for a... Read more
Parents Blamed for Childhood Obesity
Children tend to eat what their parents eat, finds a new study that suggests a parental contribution to the growing obesity problem among young children and teenagers. Researchers found adolescents are more likely to eat at least five servings of fruits and vegetables a day if their parents do. Contrarily, teens whose parents eat fast food or drink soda are more likely to do the same. Every day, more... Read more
Kids a possibility for girls with Turner syndrome
Girls born with a genetic defect that leads to infertility may yet be able to have children when they reach adulthood, according to researchers in Sweden. Turner syndrome occurs when a female is born with one X chromosome instead of two. Usually they stop growing prematurely and their ovaries shut down at an early age. In some cases, however, it may be possible to retrieve ovarian tissue containing... Read more
C-section may raise kids’ asthma risk: study
Children born by cesarean delivery are at increased risk for developing asthma, particularly if their parents have allergies, according to a report published this month. C-section has been thought to be a risk factor for asthma, although the relationship is controversial, Dr. H. A. Smit, from the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment in Bilthoven, the Netherlands, and colleagues... Read more