Category Archives: Parenting

Study Finds Link Between Exercise and Brainpower in Kids

Posted on August 19, 2014 by Greg Asseff

The importance of exercise for children cannot be overstated. Physical activity helps kids raise HDL (“good” cholesterol), reduce blood pressure, reduce the risk of certain types of cancer, and lower the risk of diabetes. Exercise can also improve a child’s psychological well-being by potentially helping them gain self-confidence and self-esteem. Perhaps most importantly, though, exercise can help control body weight and help protect a child against obesity – an epidemic that affected 18 percent of children aged 6 to 11 in 2012 according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The health problems for which obesity increases risk are numerous and well known: high cholesterol, high blood pressure, diabetes, bone and joint problems, sleep apnea and poor self esteem, just to name a few. Also, it seems as though things could be getting even more dire for the most obese children.

Posted in Exercise, Health, News, Parenting, Studies, Weight Loss | 4,166 Comments

Dangers of Tanning Warrant Surgeon General Call to Action

Posted on July 29, 2014 by Greg Asseff

In 2011, we reported that many young women were using indoor tanning beds despite knowing the serious cancer risks. Now, the problem has gotten so bad that its warranted a call to action from the U.S. acting Surgeon General, Boris D. Lushniak. A call to action is a detailed, science-backed document intended to solve a public health problem by stimulating action throughout the country. The call to action addresses both indoor and outdoor tanning. According to Lushniak, skin cancer is a “major health problem” whose chief cause involves overexposure to ultraviolet light, regardless of where it comes from. The announcement comes only two months after the FDA revealed it would be putting black box warnings on tanning beds and sunlamps. In short, all people are encouraged to stop tanning, use sunscreen and stay out of the sun whenever possible to prevent cancer.

Posted in Health, Medical, News, Parenting, Skin and Beauty | 1,234 Comments

Yet Again, Report Shows Vaccines Are Safe

Posted on July 1, 2014 by Greg Asseff

A new report published in the Pediatrics medical journal concludes once again that the benefits of getting your child vaccinated far outweigh the risks. Researchers from the RAND corporation analyzed 67 different research studies and concluded that serious side effects due to immunization are “very rare.” The results echo similar findings presented by the Institute of Medicine almost three years ago.

While most people likely won’t be surprised by these results, the study is still a very important step in curbing the belief that vaccines cause autism. Due to outspoken anti-vaccine proponents, especially celebrities such as Jenny McCarthy, Jim Carrey and Kristin Cavallari, the U.S. is seeing a resurgence of preventable diseases due to parents’ fear that their children will end up being developmentally disabled if they are immunized.

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FDA Warns Against Using Lidocaine on Teething Babies

Posted on June 26, 2014 by Greg Asseff

Do you have a teething baby at home? Better not give them viscous lidocaine to treat their pain, according to a new consumer update from the FDA. A well-known local anesthetic, lidocaine has been used in the past to numb babies’ gums by either putting the chemical on a pacifier or rubbing it into the mouth using the fingers. However, the FDA reports that the medication has caused babies to suffer brain injuries, heart problems, seizures and even death when swallowed.

Lidocaine is a prescription drug that is used most often to treat throat or mouth ulcers, often in chemotherapy patients. It may also be used to minimize a child’s gag reflex while undergoing dental work. Despite its prescription-only status, parents or grandparents who have it on hand might be tempted to give it to a child suffering from teething pain.

Posted in Health, Medical, News, Parenting | 1,281 Comments

FDA’s Antidepressant Warnings Backfire According to Study

Posted on June 19, 2014 by Greg Asseff

Back in 2003, the FDA began to issue warnings about a possible increase in the risk of suicidal behaviors and thoughts in about one percent of the teens and children that take antidepressants. In October of 2004, they began printing this warning, which came to be known as the “black box warning,” on drug labels for such medications.

While the move was certainly well-intentioned, a new study suggests that the warnings may have actually led to an increase in suicide attempts among young people. According to the medical journal BMJ, the “black box warnings” and subsequent media attention may have led to doctors under-treating depressed teens and children for fear of increasing their risk of attempting suicide. The use of antidepressants in young adults dropped over 20 percent after the warnings came out.