President Obama signed a memorandum this morning officially launching a federal task force to battle the  childhood obesity epidemic. It's part of a government campaign to tackle the problem, led by first lady Michelle Obama, who declared fighting childhood obesity would be her signature issue this year. 

Known as Let's Move, the campaign focuses on better informing parents of the importance of nutrition and exercise, decreasing fat and sugar in school lunches, making healthy food more accessible to families and more emphasis on physical education.

The administration plans to get the FDA and the American Beverage Association to use better labeling of nutritional information, according to the Politico. The American Academy of Pediatrics will also work to educate their members on better obesity monitoring.

This falls in line with news we reported a few weeks ago that a government task force now recommends screening children as young as 6 for obesity and referring them to a weight loss program.

While government statistics released last month suggest the stunning three-decade rise in child obesity rates is leveling off, the rate is still too high, say public health officials. A third of U.S. children are obese or overweight, putting them at risk for diabetes, high blood pressure, sleep problems and depression.

Michelle Obama has spoken candidly about why this is a priority for her -- and the nation. Her own children had troubles with fluctuating weight, leading to Obama to make changes in their eating habits and exercise. Obama told NPR:

I thought my kids were perfect," Mrs. Obama said. "They are and always will be." She hadn't realized that her daughters were in danger of becoming obese. She wasn't sure what to do, but she knew she had to do something she said.

Over the course of a few months, the Obama family started making what seemed like minor changes. "We did things like limit TV time," she said.

(Of course, the first lady's gotten a heap of criticism for being so forthcoming about the issue. Who knew trying to get kids to eat right and exercise could be controversial?)

Continue reading "White House launches childhood obesity effort" »

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Categories: Pediatrics
        

Mothers over 40 are more likely to have a child with autism, but the age of fathers often has little to do the chances of a child having the developmental disorder, new research has found.

For years, researchers have known that the age of the parents affects a child's risk for having autism. But experts couldn't say for sure whether the risk was higher for older mothers, older fathers or both. 

In fact, some studies suggested that it was the father's age that increased the autism risk. The new study, published in the journal Autism Research, found the father's age increased the chance of a child having autism only when the dad is over 40 and the mother is under 30. 

The risk of having a child with autism increased by 18 percent for every five-year increase in the mother's age, according to the study which examined nearly 5 million births in California in the 1990s. A 40-year-old woman's risk of having a child diagnosed with autism was 50 percent greater than that of a woman between 25 and 29 years old.

Researchers at UC Davis Health System compared the 4.9 million electronic birth records, noting the parents ages, with cases of autism diagnosed before age 6 as classified by the California's department of developmental services.

Other experts warned that the increased risks are small, even for older mothers. The overal low risk for autism "may be the most important take-away message," Maureen Durkin, a University of Wisconsin researcher told the AP.

While interesting, the new study tells us nothing why the risk of autism may be linked to a mother's age. The authors say more study is needed to explain the connection, although they have a few theories.

For now, though, add this to the multitude of incremental findings as researchers work to unlock the mysteries of the puzzling disorder, affecting as many as 1 in 100 children.

Continue reading "Mother's age linked to child's autism risk" »

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Categories: Pediatrics
        

We have a story today about the Lancet retracting Dr. Andrew Wakefield's controversial article from a dozen years ago that first linked a childhood vaccine to autism and spurred a global panic over vaccines and an emotional debate over the causes of the disorder.

This comes after years of mounting evidence, including two review papers from the Institute of Medicine showing no link between the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine and autism. Last week, a British medical panel said Wakefield's work was full of false information and he risks losing his medical practice.

It's highly uncommon for a prestigious medical journal to retract a paper, usually done only in examples of "fraud or misrepresentation," and as Dr. Paul A. Offit, author of "Autism's False Profits" told me yesterday. Offit, chief of infectious diseases at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia is a huge critic of Wakefield and other vaccine skeptics.

So is this the end of the vaccine-autism debate?

Don't be so sure, said medical experts I spoke to. Despite the evidence, groups such as Jenny McCarthy's Generation Rescue are calling Wakefield a hero and vastly misunderstood. What do you think?

Continue reading "Is this the end of vaccine-autism debate?" »

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Categories: Pediatrics
        

Sixth and seventh graders who took part in an abstinence-only education program were more likely to delay sex, according to a new study that could reignite the debate over what's the best method to reverse the teen pregnancy rate and prevent sexually transmitted diseases. 

The study, appearing in today's Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine suggests that abstinence-only programs that don't preach about morals may be effective in preventing young teens from engaging in sex, according to the authors of the NIH-funded study. 

The research is billed as the first of its kind to measure the effectiveness of abstinence-only programs and comes on the heels of last week's news about a rise in the teen pregnancy rate , which set off yet another round of the contentious contraception vs. abstinence-only debate.

Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania enrolled 622 African-American students in either an 8-hour abstinence-only class, or one of three other classes that focused on condom use, other interventions and general health issues. Black teens are at especially high risk for unintended pregnancies, sexually transmitted diseases and HIV/AIDS.

By the three-year follow up mark, about a third of kids in the abstinence only course had had sex, while nearly half of the kids in the other courses had.

Critics of abstinence-only programs say they actually lead to less condom use if teens do end up having sex. But this study found that wasn't the case.  

The findings don't settle the contraception vs. abstinence only debate, the authors are clear to note. Nor should this study signify that all abstinence only programs work.

"Tackling the problem of STIs among young people requires an array of approaches implemented in a variety of venues," they conclude. "What the present results suggest is that theory-based abstinence-only interventions can be part of this mix. Using theory-based abstinence-only interventions selectively might contribute to the overall goal of curbing the spread of STIs in both the United States and other countries."

Continue reading "Study: abstinence-only program shows promise" »

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Categories: Pediatrics
        

When New York City public schools made the switch from whole milk to the fat-free variety in 2005, kids consumed 33 fewer calories and 3.4 fat grams per day, according to a new report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The numbers get really impressive when you add them all up. For each of NYC's 1.1 million public school students, the switch resulted in 5,960 fewer calories and 619 fewer grams of fat in 2009 compared to 2004.

More calories could get cut if schools abandoned chocolate milk as well, the CDC report found.

The amount of sweetened, chocolate milk being consumed by students is a matter of concern. Low-fat and fat-free chocolate milk have more calories than reduced-fat white milk and contain twice the amount of sugars. Limiting chocolate milk availability would reduce further the number of calories served to students by approximately 23 percent.

But some are concerns that getting rid of low-fat and fat-free chocolate milk would reduce milk consumption overall. We've debated chocolate milk here at Picture of Health and some of you had some strong opinions about the Raise your hand for chocolate milk campaign. Any additional thoughts?

Baltimore Sun photo

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Categories: Pediatrics
        

According to the Greater Baltimore Medical Center, one of the most popular places to have a baby in the area, parents last year didn't follow the national trends so closely.

GBMC compared its names from 2009 to those reported to the parenting website BabyCenter.com.

Local moms and dads picked Mary more often than any other name last year (35 babies), but that name wasn't in the Top 100 nationally. It also didn't crack the Top 10 at GBMC in 2007 or 2008.

For boys at GBMC, William was tops (42 babies) for the second consecutive year, followed by Michael (39 babies).  Neither was in the Top 10 nationally. Michael ranked 18th while William was 27th.  None of the Top 10 boy’s names nationally were in GBMC’s Top 10 most popular.

"Picking a baby's name is a monumental decision, and the multitude of 'baby name' Web sites makes it hard to narrow a million choices down to one,” said Lori Kantziper, clinical partner for GBMC's Postpartum Unit and a nurse specializing in care for new mothers and infants, in a statement.

See the full Top 10 lists and other facts from GBMC here.

Associated Press photo of one of the first babies born in the United States in 2010, who was not yet named

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Categories: Pediatrics
        

We're never surprised by the attitudes of teens, but new research has us at Picture of Health scratching our heads.

Adolescents perceive cigarette smoking to be riskier than using drugs and alcohol, according to a new government report.

On one hand, it's good news for the work that public health officials have put into anti-smoking campaigns. Nearly 70 percent of kids 12 to 17 years old said there was a great risk from smoking one or more packs a day.

But only 40 percent said there was a great risk from binge drinking (defined as five or more drinks once or twice a week) and just a third perceived a great risk from smoking marijuana once a month. And just about half said there was a great risk in using cocaine once a month or LSD once or twice.

The findings, from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, are based on responses from nearly 50,000 12 to 17-year olds participating in a national survey.

They bolster the government's annual report of teens drug and alcohol use released earlier this week that found teen cigarette smoking is down to the lowest level since 1975. At the same time, though, marijuana use is growing and prescription drug use remains high.

University of Michigan researcher Lloyd Johnston, who oversaw that survey, told the LA Times that kids underestimate the risks of LSD, inhalants and Ecstasy. It's a sign that "a new generation of kids are interested . . . in rediscovering these drugs, because they don't understand why they shouldn't be using them."

AP photo

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Categories: Pediatrics
        

Despite the risk posed to mother and baby, early births -- both by elective c-section and induction -- are on the rise.

But many women aren't completely aware of the potential harms of giving birth too soon -- especially when there is no medical need, according to a new study by United Health Care on women's attitudes toward the safety of early births. 

Even though the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecologists (ACOG) recommends scheduled deliveries take place after a woman's pregnancy has reached 39 weeks (of a 40 week pregnancy) a little more than half of women surveyed think it's safe to deliver before 37 weeks.

Despite the warnings, rates of births between 34 and 36 weeks are increasing, the report says. The risks are real: studies show babies born that early are more likely to have medical problems.

The authors suggest that doctors are planning births to fit their schedules or that of their patients -- overlooking safety concerns. Patients' misconceptions of the risks might be fueling their decision to request a c-section, the authors said.

Continue reading "Women's attitudes towards elective c-sections" »

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Categories: Pediatrics
        

If there isn't enough to watch out for, a new study from Children's Hospital Boston’s Division of Emergency Medicine shows that holiday decorations, particularly glass ornaments, can be a safety hazard.

Records there show an average of five ornament-related injuries per year. More than half involve children eating fragments of these decorations, as well as batteries and pieces of glass.
 
“Parents need to be vigilant during the holiday season, even though it’s also a busy time of year,” says co-author Dr. Lois Lee, of Children’s Division of Emergency Medicine and director of the hospital’s Emergency Department Injury Prevention Program. “If you know that your child has a tendency to put things in his or her mouth, you should be especially careful.”
 
The study, which looked back at hospital records, was published in the December 2009 issue of Pediatric Emergency Care.
 
Out of a total of 76 cases:
 
-56 percent involved ingestion or taking fragments of ornaments or light bulbs into the mouth and more than a quarter of these injuries resulted in bleeding of the mouth or gastrointestinal tract;
-27 percent of cases involved lacerations; more than two-thirds of lacerations required surgical repair;
-85 percent of cases required radiological screening;
-three patients were examined for potential toxin exposure;
-two patients experienced minor electrocution;
-one case of ingestion involved an ornament not made of glass.

Because so many kids get hurt, researcher recommend health care professionals talk to parents about their decorations. They suggest keeping toddler away from the Christmas tree by putting a gate around it or keep ornaments off lower branches.  And make sure the tree won't easily fall over on someone.

Anyone else have suggestions to keep things merry this time of year?

Associated Press photo of glass ornaments

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Categories: Pediatrics
        

Does your child care center serve your kid fatty snacks and sugary drinks? Does your child watch TV more than once a week at day care? 

With nearly 25 percent of children ages 2 through 5 classified as obese or overweight, children should learn about healthy lifestyles as early as day care, according to a new report. But for many children, that's not happening, finds the study from Harvard and Duke researchers done for the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

Researchers graded states on how well their regulations required children to eat healthy and do physical activity. Most states had just a few regulations on obesity prevention. 

Researchers drew up model regulations -- 10 for healthy eating, such as not serving sugar-sweetened drinks, and 10 for physical activity, including providing children 60 minutes a day of exercise. On average, states had just three of the 20 model regulations.

States then were given letter grades on how well they matched the model guidelines. Across the board, the grades were dismal. Maryland was mediocre with a C average. Jeesh.

Georgia and Nevada ranked highest for healthy eating and physical activity regulations, and South Dakota, Puerto Rico, and Idaho ranked lowest. (You can see how states compare here.)

Continue reading "Preventing child obesity -- it's not happening at day care centers" »

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Categories: Pediatrics
        

The Baltimore City Health Department has ordered two city businesses to stop selling children's jewelry found to have levels of lead in excess of what the city allows.

The items include a "Gymnastics bracelet," full of red and blue charms, sold at Beauty Zone, 231 N. Eutaw Street and a "Dora" bracelet and earring set sold at Choice Corner Accessories & Fine Gifts, 400 W. Lexington Street. Both items were found to have lead levels in excess of 600 parts per million, higher than the city limit.

Concerned about lead's damaging effect on children, the city took on the hazard of lead back in 2006, banning its use in jewelry, candy and even eyeliner sold in the city. The effort was spearheaded by Dr. Joshua Sharfstein, former city health department commissioner who now holds the deputy commissioner post at the Food and Drug Administration.

In 2006, the city set a lead level limit of 600 pmm, lower than federal regulations at the time. Earlier this year, the feds lowered its limit to 300 pmm with plans to drop it to 100 pmm in two years. The health department plans to follow suit with new regulations of its own, said a health department spokesman.

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Categories: Pediatrics
        

The Consumer Product Safety Commission is investigating safety issues of the Zhu Zhu toys, after complaints that they may have unsafe levels of a hazardous metal called antimony.

The probe was sparked by the consumer group Good Guide, says our colleagues at Charm City Moms. The group claims this year's holiday season toy craze contains levels of antimony that could make a child sick, if ingested. The toy maker, Cepia, insists the product is safe.

Could this spell trouble for the insanely popular hamster toys? 

Baltimore Sun photo

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Categories: Pediatrics
        

It's among a parent's most dreaded tasks: talking to their teen about sex.

Medical experts and public health advocates say it's not just what you say to teens about sex, but when you say it. Too many parents, it seems, are waiting too long to have "the talk."

More than 40 percent of adolescents have already had sex by the time their parent had talked to them about sexually transmitted diseases and birth control, according to a new study appearing today in the journal Pediatrics.

The findings are based on a survey of 141 parents with children aged 13 to 17. Parents were asked whether they discussed among 24 sex topics -- from body changes during adolescence to how condoms prevent STDs. Researchers followed up with surveys three, six and 12 months later to gauge progress. Meanwhile, participants' children answered separate surveys about their sexual experiences.

Continue reading "Parents wait too late to talk to teens about sex" »

Posted by Kelly Brewington at 7:09 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Pediatrics
        

Pediatricians recommend that all toddlers get screened for autism. And for years studies have shown that the disorder can be diagnosed in children as young as 14 months.

Everyone seems to agree that early intervention is key in managing the puzzling neurodevelopmental disorder. But are there effective treatments for children diagnosed as young as their first birthday?

New research appearing in today's Pediatrics suggests there are. A very small five-year study found interventions starting as early as 18 months improved IQ, language ability and social interaction in autistic children.

The study, by researchers with Autism Speaks, the University of Washington and UC Davis Mind Institute, is based on a clinical trial of 48 18-to-30 month old children. Half got intensive two-hour therapy sessions with a specialist five days a week and five hours of parent therapy. The control group received only annual assessments from doctors and referrals to therapies already available in their communities.

The children who received the interventions had an average increase of 18 IQ points over the study period and made gains in language skills and social interaction. Only one child in the control group had an improved diagnosis, the authors found.

Continue reading "Early autism interventions show promise" »

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Categories: Pediatrics
        

Just two weeks after Maclaren recalled more than 1 million strollers, another baby product line is recalling its products in what is being called the biggest crib recall in U.S. history.

Our colleagues at Charm City Moms break down the specifics: More than 2.1 million drop-side cribs made by Stork Craft Manufacturing are being recalled after reports that four infants suffocated.

The problem is with the crib hardware, the Associated Press reports. The drop-side can detach, creating a space between the side and the mattress, where a baby can become trapped. Scary stuff.

For more information: Contact the company, 877-274-0277, to order the free repair kit, or log on to www.storkcraft.com.

Posted by Kelly Brewington at 11:11 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Pediatrics
        

Cigarette smoke and lead are known to have bad effects on children. Some studies have shown a link to between the exposures and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.

A new study shows those downsides begin as early as in the womb. Children exposed to cigarette smoke and to lead in utero were eight times more likely to be diagnosed with ADHD, according to an article appearing in today's Pediatrics.

For years, researchers have known too much lead exposure in pregnancy can lead to a host of developmental and behavioral problems once the child is born. And other research has shown a link between tobacco and attention problems. This study takes a look at both exposures to reveal a significant impact.

The team of researchers from around the country studied a national health survey of 2,588 children 8 to 15 years old. They measured lead levels in a child's blood and measured tobacco exposure based on how much smoking a woman reported during pregnancy. Children exposed to tobacco or lead alone were more likely to have ADHD. The risk was even greater when exposed to both toxins.

The findings may not be surprising -- we've known for years that lead exposure and smoking are bad during pregnancy. But consider that some 15 percent of women smoke during pregnancy, according to a 2004 study the article states. And nearly 2 percent of children nationwide have lead levels above what the CDC says are "levels of concern."

Understanding the causes of ADHD has been a challenge for researchers. They believe a mix of genes and environmental factors is at play. The authors say the new research could play an important role in tackling the condition.

Continue reading "Smoking, lead exposure during pregnancy linked to ADHD" »

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Categories: Pediatrics
        

Comprehensive heart screening could save the lives of more young athletes, according to a new study by Johns Hopkins researchers. 

The data, presented at this week's American Heart Association conference in Orlando Fla.,found benefits in testing athletes with both an echocardiogram, a heart ultrasound to measure heart size and an electrocardiogram, or EKG, to assess the heart's electrical rhythms.

Researchers tested the athletes, who were at state track and field championships last year, with the two screening tools and found no life threatening problems, but did find abnormalities in 36 kids. The majority of those were picked up using both screening tools.

 "What is the price for a single life?" said Dr. Theodore Abraham in a news release. "We're counting the costs upfront. We're not counting the savings on the downstream end."

AP photo

Continue reading "Better heart screening could save young athletes" »

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Categories: Pediatrics
        

For years, we've been hearing that more children are suffering from food allergies. Some estimates say allergy to peanuts in particular have as much as doubled or tripled in the past decade. 

A new study from federal researchers offers the latest, albeit lower, estimate. Food allergy among children increased 19 percent between 1997 and 2007, they found. In 2007, about 4 percent of all children had a food or digestive allergy.

Between 1993 and 2007, the number of visits to clinicians for allergies tripled. Hospitalizations increased, too. In the period between 1998 and 2000 and 2004 and 2006, hospitalizations rose from an average of 2,600 to 9,500.

The research, published in the new issue of the journal Pediatrics, is based on a review of several federal surveys, such as hospital discharge data and interviews with parents of children with allergies. Researchers with the CDC's National Center for Health Statistics also looked at estimates of child food allergies by race and gender. They found that black children were twice as likely as whites to have peanut allergy and nearly twice as likely to be allergic to milk.

The study examines levels of a particular antibody, known as immunoglobulin E, or IgE. Children with higher IgE levels appeared more susceptible to allergies. Some 9 percent of children had detectable levels of IgE to peanuts, the study found.

The bottom line: food allergies are increasing for boys, girls and children of all ages and ethnicities. But how much of this is a real increase and how much is due to closer detection and increased awareness remains murky.

Continue reading "Food allergies among children on the rise" »

Posted by Kelly Brewington at 7:02 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Pediatrics
        

A new dairy industry ad campaign extolling the virtues of chocolate milk is drawing the ire of some educators and healthy eating activists.

The "Raise your hand for chocolate milk" campaign, which starts Monday, comes with a website that asks supporters to sign a petition showing their support for chocolate milk in schools. (Get a glimpse of the campaign with this video) 

Really? And here I thought school lunches were getting healthier. The Institute of Medicine said just last month that schools needed to strip the fat and salt from their lunches and offer fat free milk -- not chocolate.

The dairy folks insist that their hope is to get children to drink milk. Without chocolate milk, they may not drink milk at all, they claim. In addition, they say they hope to draw a distinction between chocolate milk and soda, the milk lobby told the AP. Chocolate milk actually has some nutrients -- when compared to soda, they say.

Um, OK. Well, lots of folks aren't buying their claims. With child obesity levels soaring, schools shouldn't be in the business of giving kids chocolate milk-- which has more calories and sugar than the plain variety, opponents say.

Others see more sinister motives. The campaign -- costing between $500,000 and $1 million -- is supported by a group that has been fighting efforts to get chocolate milk out of schools. With millions of dollars in sales to schools at stake, this campaign is all about money, argues the Marion Nestle at the Food Politics blog.

What do you think?

AP photo

Continue reading "Chocolate milk in schools causes a stir" »

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Categories: Pediatrics
        

Stroller company Maclaren USA announced a huge stroller recall this morning affecting more than 1 million strollers after a dozen reports of children's fingertips being amputated when they put their hands into a side hinge. 

Our colleagues at the Consuming Interests blog give us the full details.

The recalled strollers include 11 different models, details of which can be found at the company website www.maclaren.us/recall or by calling (877) 688-2326. The products were sold from 1999 through November 2009 at stores like BabysRUs for $100 to $360.

photo courtesy of AP

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Categories: Pediatrics
        

Children without insurance are 60 percent more likely to die than their insured peers, according to a new study from Johns Hopkins researchers that argues that health care reform must protect the nation's most vulnerable.  

The findings, published in the Oct. 30 issue of the Journal of Public Health, offer another sobering statistic: lack of insurance might have contributed nearly 17,000 deaths among children in the United States over the last two decades.

Researchers analyzed more than 23 million hospital records from 37 states between 1988 and 2005, comparing the risk of death in children with and without health coverage. When comparing death rates taking into account underlying disease, uninsured kids had a higher risk of dying regardless of their medical problems, researchers found.

The uninsured rate for children has been rising steadily for two decades causing some lawmakers to fight for expansion of the public insurance to low-income kids through the Children Health Insurance Program, which President Obama signed into law earlier this year. Last year, the rate and the number of uninsured children dipped to their lowest since 1987. Still, advocates are quick to point out, some 7.3 million children lack insurance nationwide.

Confronting the issue is a moral imperative, said researchers.

"Thousands of children die needlessly each year because we lack a health system that provides health insurance. This should not be," said Dr. Peter Provonost, director of Critical Care Medicine at Hopkins, in a statement. "In a country as wealthy as ours, the need to provide health insurance to the millions of children who lack it is a moral, not an economic issue."

Continue reading "Uninsured children and a rising death toll" »

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Categories: Pediatrics
        

A CDC advisory panel has said the HPV-vaccine Gardasil should not be used routinely in men and boys. The panel's advice, which the CDC usually follows, comes on the heels of the vaccine winning approval for boys by the Food and Drug Administration.

The panel said it's OK to give the vaccine to males who want it, but stopped short of adding it to the list of routine recommended vaccines for boys.

Supporters of the vaccine's use in boys had hoped recommending the vaccine to them would lead to greater protection for girls and women from the sexually transmitted virus (HPV) that can cause cervical cancer. But members of the panel questioned whether this was cost effective. The vaccine isn't cheap -- a series of three injections runs upwards of $300.

Others hoped that the approval would signal gender parity in the war against sexually transmitted diseases. After all, it takes two doesn't it? If girls can contract HPV from sex, shouldn't their partners help protect them from the virus?

The vaccine would also protect boys from genital warts. While genital warts may not be as severe as cervical cancer, the costs associated with its treatment could be reason enough to vaccinate boys, some experts say.

"It’s embarrassing, but it does not cause cancer," Dr. Maura Gillison, an oncologist at Ohio State University told me recently. "But it does cause a heck of a lot of money for the American health care system. For that, there is no question."

Continue reading "Federal panel does not recommend Gardasil in boys... now what?" »

Posted by Kelly Brewington at 7:39 AM | Permalink | Comments (4)
Categories: Pediatrics
        

The level of mercury in the blood of autistic children is no different than that of their typically developing peers, according to new research that takes aim at the theory held by some parents that one trigger -- mercury in vaccines -- causes autism.

Several studies have ruled out that vaccines cause autism. Nevertheless, the issue sparks controversy in some circles at just the mention of a possible link.

The new study by researchers at the University of California Davis' MIND Institute, looks directly at blood-mercury levels and finds they are virtually no different a group of 452 children 2 to 5-year olds, 249 of whom were diagnosed with autism. The study examined a wide range of sources of mercury in the children's environments, from dental fillings to fish consumption. The research, published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives, comes from a long-range study to identify causes of autism, a wide spectrum of disabilities marked by impaired communication and social interaction.

It's important to note that while the study is among the first to examine the blood mercury levels of children with autism, researchers cautioned that they did not probe whether mercury is a factor in the cause of autism.

Still, researchers point to it as evidence that a host of research is necessary to identify what is likely a complex web of causes for a very complicated set of neurobiological disorders.

Continue reading "Mercury levels no different in children with autism" »

Posted by Kelly Brewington at 7:03 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Pediatrics
        

Back when I was in school -- no need to specify when -- lunches consisted of a rectangular block of pizza and milk (chocolate if it was Friday!). On some days I don't recall a single vegetable on my plate.

School lunches have improved since then, but they have a ways to go as far as nutrition is concerned, according to a new study by the Institute of Medicine, that urges new dietary standards. The current guidelines -- which set the standard for school lunches for some 30.5 million children and breakfasts for another 10.5 million -- haven't been changed since 1995, the report states. 

The report recommends that lunches have more fruit, vegetables and whole grains and less saturated fat and sodium. Right now, there are no requirements for whole grains and fruit and veggies are counted in the same category. While the current guidelines set minimum calories needed, there is no maximum set.

The current guidelines don't specify limits for sodium, either. Right now, a typical high school lunch contains about 1,600 milligrams of sodium. The new recommendations say the limit should be more than half that amount at 740 milligrams.  

Continue reading "Study: healthier school lunches needed" »

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Categories: Pediatrics
        

We've written a good deal here at Picture of Health about racial and ethnic health disparities. But here's an issue of unequal access that's news to me: gaps in care among children with brain tumors.

Hispanic children who have been diagnosed with brain tumors are less likely to receive high-quality treatment in specialty hospitals than their peers of other ethnicities, according to a recent paper by Johns Hopkins researchers.

The findings, published in a recent issue of the journal Pediatrics, found that out of a study over 18 years of 4,421 children with brain cancer, Latino children had the worst access to quality care.

You might think this is a matter of access to good health insurance. But researchers found that coverage didn't play a role in where a patient was treated. Rather, even after adjusting for socioeconomic status, Latino children received top-notch care at one-third of the rate of other children, researchers found.

The gaps in care were shocking to researchers. Despite recent studies and industry efforts pushing to provide quality care for all, the gaps remain, they said. The reasons for the gaps are unclear. Perhaps Hispanic kids are less likely to live near to-notch institutions? Or maybe something else is at play? Researchers also found disparities were higher in communities with high numbers of immigrants and fewer neurosurgeons, which makes sense.

Continue reading "Hispanic kids less likely to get top-notch brain cancer care" »

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Categories: Pediatrics
        

So much about autism is a mystery to scientists -- no one knows what causes it and there is no cure. But in recent years one aspect of the puzzling neurobiological disorder appears clear: more children are being diagnosed with autism.

New research suggests that previous estimates of the number of children with autism are too low. As many as 1 in 100 children may have autism -- higher than the 1 in 150 estimate widely cited.

The findings come from the journal Pediatrics and an unpublished paper from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The Pediatrics study was based on a phone survey of some 78,000 parents of children ages 3 to 17 and asked if they had been told by a health care provider that their child had autism, Asperger disorder or a related disorder. The results showed 1 in 91 children had received such a diagnosis. Parents who answered yes were asked about the severity of the disorder.

For years, researchers have been trying to understand the causes of autism and whether there is a true increase in its prevalence. Some specialists think genetics are its main cause while others see environmental factors. And other experts attribute some of the growth to better diagnosis and a broadening of autism's definition.

Now researchers think the figures might reflect a real rise in cases.

"The concern here is that buried in these numbers is a true increase," said Dr. Thomas Insel, director of the National Institute of Mental Health told the Associated Press. "We're going to have to think very hard about what we're going to do for the 1 in 100."

Continue reading "Autism diagnoses on the rise " »

Posted by Kelly Brewington at 7:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (6)
Categories: Pediatrics
        

Pregnant women have access to more prenatal tests than ever before with numerous options available to determine the likelihood of genetic disorders. What if those tests slowly led to fewer babies being born with Down syndrome and if the disorder eventually disappeared?

Well, it's happening, according to new research.

Between 1989 and 2005 there was a 15 percent decrease in births of babies with Down syndrome, according to new study by Dr. Brian Skotko, a genetics fellow at Children's Hospital Boston.

It's a striking finding, considering that more women are waiting longer to have children -- a factor that increases the chance of Down syndrome. If there were no prenatal testing, researchers would have expected the opposite - a 34 percent increase, not a decrease, Skotko found. Instead, women are finding out the diagnosis of Down syndrome and choosing not to continue the pregnancy.

The research, appearing in the latest issue of the journal Archives of Disease in Childhood, raises some interesting questions about how doctors and patients should navigate such a diagnosis. As it is now, doctors do a poor job explaining Down syndrome and discussing the diagnosis with soon-to-be parents, Skotko says. This could only get tougher in the future.

Continue reading "Will babies with Down syndrome disappear?" »

Posted by Kelly Brewington at 7:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Pediatrics
        

The CDC is considering promoting circumcision of all infant boys as a way to reduce HIV transmission. (Warning: this, ahem, delicate, issue always seems to inspire sharp remarks from both sides.)

So far, data from Africa about whether circumcision reduces the spread of HIV is somewhat promising. Several large clinical trials in Uganda showed circumcision reduces a man's risk of getting HIV by more than half. Still, another trial was stopped recently when it showed circumcision does little to reduce the virus' transmission to a female partner. And circumcision doesn't appear to protect men who have sex with men from contracting the disease, a separate study found. It’s unclear how those studies might translate to reducing the HIV risk here.

The CDC isn't close to deciding whether or not to recommend the practice yet debate is already raging about it all over the web.

Continue reading "CDC weighs circumcision policy " »

Posted by Kelly Brewington at 7:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (30)
Categories: Pediatrics
        

The University of Maryland is still looking for some itty bitty volunteers to take part in its swine flu vaccine trial: babies 6 to 35 months.

Investigators have had no problem recruiting adults and older children in the trails, which started in adults earlier this month and in children last week. In fact, they had so many 18-64 year olds try to volunteer, they had to use a lottery to make the final cut. Even older children, many of whom were signed up by their doctor parents, have been an easy find.

But the smallest of all test subjects have proved a challenge for researchers. Officials say it isn't because parents are reluctant to test the experimental inoculation on their wee ones. They've had great response from all age groups. Rather, it seems babies' recommended -- and rigorous -- vaccine schedule might be getting in the way. From 12 to 18 months alone, children can receive various vaccines from shots against measles, mumps and rubella to hepatitus A. But the swine flu study requires that babies have not had recent inoculations and will not be vaccinated soon after they receive the H1N1 shot.

If you are interested in volunteering your tot and want to know if your child qualifies, call the University of Maryland's Center for Vaccine Development for details: 410-706-6156. Vaccinations are taking place now at the University of Maryland's Ambulatory Pediatric Center in Baltimore and at clinics in Annapolis and Frederick. The university, one of a handful of vaccination sites across the nation, hopes to test 40 children in the 6 to 35 month old range.   

Continue reading "Wanted: tiny testers" »

Posted by Kelly Brewington at 7:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Pediatrics, Swine flu/H1N1
        

Poison control centers have seen a sharp increase in the number of calls about teen misuse of attention-deficit drugs, suggesting "a rising problem with abuse of these medications," according to a new study out today.

The calls came from emergency room doctors, parents and school officials asking for advice for how to deal with apparent abuse of the increasingly common medications. The severity of the calls has increased over time and four deaths were reported in the study.

Teens, who many times use the drugs to get high, may not realize that there can be serious consequences to using what are, after all, prescription medications. Sales data of attention-deficit drugs suggest that abuse of the medications reflects an increased availability of the prescriptions, which have also been rising. The calls about ADHD medication rose 76 percent over an eight-year period, a pace outstripping calls for victims of substance abuse generally and teen substance abuse.

Continue reading "Teens abusing ADHD medication, study finds" »

Posted by Stephanie Desmon at 12:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Pediatrics
        

There is no question that properly installed infant car seats save lives.

But a study today in the journal Pediatrics finds that even healthy newborns may not be getting enough oxygen when they spend too much time in those cozy and convenient carriers.

The study, done with 200 two-day-old babies in Slovenia, showed that infants placed in cribs got more oxygen than those who spent prolonged periods of time in either car seats or in car beds, which are designed for tiny or premature babies.

Among the findings: The percentage of time the babies spent with oxygen saturation levels below 95 percent was, on average, significantly higher for those in car seats (23.9 percent) compared to those in cribs (6.5 percent).

The moral here is not to dump your car seat. Instead, the authors note, parents should limit the their babies spend in those carriers to when they are on the road.

Continue reading "Infant car seats can cut off air to babies" »

Posted by Stephanie Desmon at 7:55 AM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Pediatrics
        

Now this might sound counterintuitive: Giving children small quantities of milk over time may ease their allergic reaction to it.

Allergy experts at Johns Hopkins started following a small group of children in 2008, giving them higher doses of milk over time in an attempt to train their immune systems to tolerate it. It worked. In a recent follow-up, all 18 children with a history of severe milk allergy saw their allergy eased or disappear within 17 months, researchers report in the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.  

Given the extremely small sample size, there are a number of caveats. Researchers are still learning about milk allergy and ways to possibly overcome it. What works for one child may not work for another. And these patients were given milk under the close supervision of a doctor. So a word of caution to parents -- don't try this at home.

Still, researchers are encouraged by the findings: regular dairy use could help children become more tolerant and remain so.

Continue reading "Got milk allergies? Drink more milk" »

Posted by Kelly Brewington at 12:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (4)
Categories: Pediatrics
        

Two new studies shed light on the safety of the vaccine to protect women from cervical cancer and call into question the ethics behind the marketing of the shot.

Gardasil, the blockbuster vaccine to combat the human papillomavirus (HPV), which can cause cervical cancer, is linked to complications, including 32 deaths, according to an analysis in today's Journal of the American Medical Association. But researchers note that the rate of side effects is low and the safety record is not out of line from other similar vaccines. The most common side effects are fainting, nausea and dizziness at a rate of about 40 to 80 cases per 1 million girls vaccinated.

Raising more eyebrows, however, is an accompanying JAMA article revealing that the makers of Gardasil, Merck & Co, provided grants to professional medical associations to help promote the vaccine.

"However, much of the material did not address the full complexity of the issues surrounding the vaccine and did not provide balanced recommendations on risks and benefits," the authors note.

Continue reading "HPV vaccine promoted with drug company money" »

Posted by Kelly Brewington at 12:22 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)
Categories: Medical studies, Pediatrics
        

Twice as many kids are overdosing on what's in the medicine cabinet as what's underneath the sink, according to a new study.

More than 70,000 kids each year in the U.S. are treated in emergency room for unintentional medication overdoses -- 80 percent of them from unsupervised ingestion of drugs. Many are getting sick after they get their hands on commonly available over-the-counter medications. The four most frequent culprits: acetaminophen (Tylenol), cough and cold medicine, antidepressants and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (Ibuprofen).

The rate of hospitalizations for medication overdoses, according to the study in this month's American Journal of Preventive Medicine, was four times that for poisonings from non-pharmaceutical products like cleaning sprays, pesticides and shampoos.

Continue reading "Calling Mr. Yuk" »

Posted by Stephanie Desmon at 7:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Pediatrics
        

In recent years, childhood depression has received a lot of attention as researchers have tried to unravel how the disorder affects kids. But little is known about if, and how, depression strikes very young children. A new study suggests that children as young as 3 can be diagnosed with depression and that the disorder is often a chronic condition.

The study, which appears in the August issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry, is sure to raise eyebrows among people who question if children that young are emotionally mature enough to be depressed. The study's authors say that despite skepticism, a growing body of research suggests that depression does exist among preschoolers and they launched the study to better understand it.

The authors studied 306 children 3 to 6 years old, including 75 of them diagnosed with depression, and evaluated them for up to two years. Preschoolers with depression at the beginning of the study were four times more likely to have depression 12 or 24 months later  than children who were not depressed at the study's start. 

Continue reading "Depression in preschoolers" »

Posted by Kelly Brewington at 7:08 AM | Permalink | Comments (3)
Categories: Mental health, Pediatrics
        

A new study out today suggests that 7 out of 10 children in the U.S. have low levels of vitamin D, raising their risk for bone and heart disease.

The findings, in what appears to be largest study to date of children and vitamin D, seemed to surprise even the researchers. In sheer numbers, the study published online in the journal Pediatrics suggests that 7.6 million children have a vitamin D deficiency while 50.8 million more have levels considered insufficient.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recently recommended that children take vitamin D supplements of 400 IU a day.

Continue reading "Study: 7 in 10 kids need more vitamin D" »

Posted by Stephanie Desmon at 7:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)
Categories: Pediatrics
        

For a while now, parents, physicians and researchers have debated whether children with autism have more digestive problems than their non-autistic peers. As parents search for therapies for a mysterious disorder with no cure, many have placed their children on gluten-free and other restrictive diets.

But little research has been done on the diets or the link between gut problems and autism. Until now.

A new study out of the Mayo Clinic finds that autistic children don't have more gastrointestinal problems than other kids. And researchers warn that children should not be put on such restrictive diets unless appropriate tests are done that discover a digestive issue. 

Continue reading "Study raises doubts about link between autism and digestive problems" »

Posted by Kelly Brewington at 7:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (6)
Categories: Pediatrics
        

The teen pregnancy rate increased in 2006 and again in 2007, after 14 years of declines, according to a report released today from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

It's among a string of worrisome statistics released today that indicate after recent years of improvements, some trends are getting worse. Among the findings in the CDC's analysis of youth sexual and reproductive health: 

+   The rate of AIDS diagnoses in young men (15-19 years old) is on the rise, nearly doubling from 1.3 cases per 100,000 population in 1997 to 2.5 cases per 100,000 population in 2006.

+   In 2006, about 1 million teens and young adults had chlamydia, gonorrhea or syphilis. And the rates of syphillis, for men and women, are on the rise.

+   The humanpapillomavirus, or HPV, is widespread. Between 2003 and 2006, nearly a quarter of girls 15-19 years old had an HPV infection. That figure was 45 percent for young women ages 20-24.

Continue reading "Sobering statistics on teen pregnancy and STDs" »

Posted by Kelly Brewington at 12:53 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Pediatrics
        

Most warnings about bathtub safety focus on making sure the water isn't too hot to scald children and that someone is always watching the kids to be sure they don't drown.

Turns out, the more common danger to kids in the tub or shower is slipping and falling. In fact, tens of thousands of children end up in the emergency room each year after being hurt in the tub or shower, according to a study published today in the online issue of the journal Pediatrics. Eighty-one percent of tub or shower injuries are slips and falls. And more than half of the injuries occur in children under the age of 4.

The researchers from the Center for Injury Research and Policy at Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, Ohio say that scalding and drownings have gotten the most attention because of the severity of these injuries. Legislation and educational efforts have helped make strides in those areas. But, the study's authors write, "bathtub slips and falls should not be overlooked."

Continue reading "Bathtub dangers for kids" »

Posted by Stephanie Desmon at 12:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)
Categories: Pediatrics
        

Medication errors happen. They can and do occur at every step of the way from calculating dosages to prescribing, dispensing and giving drugs not only to adults but to children. Take one of the more famous cases: Actor Dennis Quaid's newborn twins who somehow survived being given a blood-thinner at 1,000 times the proper dose.

A study published this week in the journal Pediatrics looked at medication errors specifically involving heart drugs dispensed to children. What they found was, er, heart-stopping. They found that in a single year, half of the errors made were in children under the age of 1 and 90 percent of those were in children younger than six months. The littlest seem to be most vulnerable because health care providers may miscalculate and give them more medication than someone of their weight can handle or they may prescribe a drug not meant for someone so young. ...

Continue reading "Infants and medication errors" »

Posted by Stephanie Desmon at 12:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)
Categories: Pediatrics
        

When it comes to HIV/AIDS the mantra has always been: get tested.

But some doctors warn that not all tests are created equal. Sometimes a negative test can give a false sense of security to both doctors and patients, particularly for risk-taking teenagers, said Dr. Allison Agwu, a pediatric infectious disease specialist at Johns Hopkins Children’s Center.

Rapid HIV tests are designed to pick up antibodies to the virus, not the virus itself. It can take weeks or months for someone to produce antibodies. So a rapid test can come up negative the first time, but positive some weeks or months later. False negatives often happen during the earliest and most contagious stages of the infection.

And with teens, those crucial months matter.

“The test is only as good as when you get the test,” said Agwu. “I can’t tell you the number of times I spoke to a patient, and they say, ‘Well I’m negative. And they go on to doing whatever risky behaviors they’ve been doing.”

Of the 53,000 new HIV infections diagnosed each year in the United States, 14 percent of those occurred in 13 to 25-year-olds, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Continue reading "Keepings teens safe from HIV" »

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Categories: HIV/AIDS, Pediatrics
        

Conventional wisdom says teenagers do crazy things because they think they’re invincible. But a new study finds that while many teens think they’ll live forever, a sizable minority is downright fatalistic about their future.

Some 15 percent of adolescents aren’t sure they’ll live past 35, and these teens are more likely to engage in risky behaviors such as doing drugs and having unsafe sex, according to a study by University of Minnesota researchers appearing in today’s Pediatrics.

The figures are even more startling among minorities and teens living in poverty. Among whites, some 10 percent said they thought they might die young. Meanwhile, that figure was 26 percent for blacks, 21 percent for Latinos, 15 percent for Asians and a staggering 29 percent for Native Americans, the study found. Among black youth on public assistance, 1 in 3 youth shared these negative views.

There’s no doubt that adolescence is a crazy, confusing time. But even researchers were troubled and surprised at the magnitude of the findings.

Continue reading "Not so invincible" »

Posted by Kelly Brewington at 1:30 PM | Permalink | Comments (6)
Categories: Pediatrics