Archive: Family Health
Cat catches swine flu
Does the swine flu pandemic pose a threat to your pet? Yes, according to a report out today from the American Veterinary Medical Association. A cat in Iowa has tested positive for the H1N1 virus, state officials confirmed this morning, "marking the first time a cat has been diagnosed with...
By Rob Stein | November 4, 2009; 12:25 PM ET | Comments (21)
Sneezes spread paranoia
During these days of swine flu fears, common sneezes and coughs are spreading more than just colds and the flu. They're spreading paranoia, according to new research. University of Michigan psychologist Spike Lee and colleagues decided to test whether people's fears of sneezes and coughs spilled over into other areas....
By Rob Stein | November 4, 2009; 07:15 AM ET | Comments (0)
Spreading swine flu
People may be able to spread swine flu even after their symptoms have subsided, according to new research. A study of Air Force cadets who came down with the flu this summer found that a significant proportion of them were still "shedding" virus more than 24 hours after their fever...
By Rob Stein | October 21, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (6)
Getting Guys to Wash Their Hands
We all know that one of the simplest, best ways to stay healthy is to wash our hands a lot, especially these days during the swine flu pandemic. Some new research out Thursday offers clues to what gets people to actually do it. And guess what? Shame appears to be...
By Rob Stein | October 15, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (20)
Added Bonus from Seasonal Flu Shots?
If you've gotten or plan to get the regular seasonal flu shot this year, there may be an added bonus: It may also provide some protection against the new H1N1 virus that is causing the swine flu pandemic. Jose Luis Valdespino-Gomez of the Biological Laboratories Reagents of Mexico and other...
By Rob Stein | October 8, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (5)
Does Routine Bilirubin Screening Make for Healthier Babies?
A government-sponsored task force has determined that there's not enough evidence to suggest that the benefits of routinely screening newborns for elevated levels of bilirubin outweigh the potential risks or that routine screening leads to better health for babies across the board. Bilirubin screening tests (evaluating skin or blood samples)...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | September 28, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (5)
For Some Women, Recession Means Having Few Children
By Rob Stein The recession is apparently prompting more women to try to delay having babies, according to the first survey (pdf) aimed at documenting the effects of the economic downtown on childbearing. Nearly half of working-class women want to put off childbearing or to have fewer children, according to...
By washingtonpost.com Editors | September 23, 2009; 07:50 AM ET | Comments (6)
What Do You Eat When You've Got the Flu?
Are you a "feed a fever, starve a cold" person? Or do you "feed a cold, starve a fever"? In reality, you shouldn't starve either a cold or a fever. To the extent that you can, you should try to keep eating (and drinking) nutritious foods and beverages while you're...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | September 22, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (5)
Gene Therapy For Colorblindness?
Scientists say they have used gene therapy to enable colorblind monkeys to see red and green, possibly opening the door to curing colorblindness in people. Jay Neitz of the University of Washington in Seattle and his colleagues injected gene-carrying viruses into the retinas of two male squirrel monkeys, which are...
By Rob Stein | September 17, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (8)
Will Down Syndrome Disappear?
From left to right: Brian Skotko, Kristin Skotko, Allison Hanselman. (By Brian Skotko) What would the world be like if there were no more people with Down syndrome? That's the unsettling and provocative question posed by Brian Skotko in an article published online, ahead of the print edition, in...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | September 16, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (31)
Back to School with Bento Boxes
(Julia Ewan for The Washington Post) As students return to school today in District of Columbia public schools and in other jurisdictions over the next two weeks, there's lots of buzz about school nutrition programs (which I'll be writing about in my "Eat, Drink and Be Healthy" column on...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | August 24, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (0)
U.S. Lifespan Hits Record High
Americans are living longer than ever, according to new government statistics. The National Center for Health Statistics released its annual report on deaths and life expectancy yesterday, with the latest data for 2007 showing that overall the average U.S. lifespan had hit a record high of 77.9 years. That's up...
By Rob Stein | August 20, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (7)
Kids Should Get Moving -- But With Supervision
Kids who sit around a lot -- especially in front of television and computer screens -- tend to have higher blood pressure than their more active peers, whether they're chubby or thin. That's what one new study shows. And kids in school gym classes are getting injured much more frequently...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | August 5, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (3)
Alternative Medicine Spending Soars
The amount of money that Americans are shelling out for herbal supplements, meditation, acupuncture and other forms of "alternative" medical care is continuing to skyrocket, according to a new government data out today. Americans spent $33.9 billion out-of-pocket on "complementary and alternative" or CAM therapies in 2007, according to the...
By Rob Stein | July 30, 2009; 12:00 PM ET | Comments (10)
FDA Rules Mercury Amalgam Fillings Safe
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration's long-awaited final regulation on the use of mercury amalgam for dental fillings issued Tuesday deems the material safe, while at the same time moving the material from the Class I (low risk) medical-device category to Class II (moderate risk). This allows for tighter control...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | July 29, 2009; 01:00 PM ET | Comments (15)
CDC: Childhood Obesity Epidemic Slowing
The epidemic of obesity among American children appears to be slowing, federal health officials are reporting today. An analysis of data collected nationally about low-income preschool-aged children ages two to four years old found the prevalence of obesity increased from 12.4 percent in 1998 to 14.5 percent in 2003, but...
By Rob Stein | July 23, 2009; 12:02 PM ET | Comments (1)
Cure For Childhood Insomnia?
Here's yet another reason to encourage your kids to put away the video games and get outside for some real physical activity: It will help them fall asleep more easily and sleep better, according to new research out today. In fact, every hour on the couch translates to about three...
By Rob Stein | July 23, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (2)
Beware Antibiotics for Ear Infections
Here's something to keep in mind the next time your child has an ear infection and you're tempted to ask the doctor for some antibiotics: A new study found that kids who took antibiotics to treat acute ear infections appeared to be more likely to end up having more ear...
By Rob Stein | July 16, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (7)
Sickening Sand
When I go to the beach, I worry about sunburns, riptides and how I look in my bathing suit. Now, I guess I also have to worry about getting sick. A study published online last month but only now making the news suggests that people who play in the sand...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | July 13, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (2)
Celiac Disease Increases Sharply
Celiac disease, an immune system disorder that causes people to react to gluten in their diet, has increased dramatically in the past half-century, according to new research. Gluten is a protein found in wheat, rye and barley. People with Celiac disease get severe abdominal pain, diarrhea, vomiting, constipation and other...
By Rob Stein | July 9, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (6)
Acetaminophen Worries
The Food and Drug Administration is pondering what to do about the wildly popular painkiller in Tylenol, Excedrin, Vicodin, Percocet and many other commonly used drugs to treat aches and pains and alleviate fevers. That's after an FDA panel called for sweeping changes yesterday at the conclusion of a a...
By Rob Stein | July 1, 2009; 09:01 AM ET | Comments (6)
Paying Girls Not to Get Pregnant
With the recent rise in teen pregnancy, it's clear that efforts to get young people to either abstain from sex or use birth control are falling short. Any ideas as to how to fix the problem are welcome, so it's not surprising that a program that aims to get girls...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | June 29, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (24)
Is That Right? A Full Serving of Vegetables in Chef Boyardee
The current ad for Chef Boyardee Beef Ravioli shows a kid eating a bowl of the stuff while his mom tries to prevent his dad from saying what the voice-over eventually announces: "There's a full serving of vegetables in every bowl of Chef Boyardee. Just don't tell them." The first...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | June 26, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (10)
The Best Part of the Mediterrannean Diet
For years, we've been hearing that the Mediterranean diet is one of the healthiest way to eat. People who to consume diets that are rich in whole grains, olive oil, nuts, fruits and vegetables, fish, cheese and moderate amounts of wine seem to live longer, healthier lives. But is there...
By Rob Stein | June 25, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (4)
Is Toll House Recall a Turning Point?
(Courtesy of Business Wire/Doubletree Hotels) When I blogged the other day about Nestle's recalling its refrigerated Toll House cookie dough products, reader "Chasmosaur1" commented: You know what kills me? It is SO not hard to make Tollhouse/chocolate chip cookies. I've never understood why they prepackaged cookie dough. The most...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | June 24, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (15)
Toll House Cookie Dough Recall
If you were thinking of making chocolate chip cookies for Father's Day, better plan to make them from scratch. Nestle has issued a recall of ALL of its prepackaged, refrigerated Toll House Cookie Dough products because of potential E. coli contamination. Since March, 66 people have been sickened, and 25...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | June 19, 2009; 11:56 AM ET | Comments (8)
Why Are Teen Births Rising?
The recent increase in teen births appears to be primarily the result of a decrease in contraceptive use, especially condoms, according to new research out today. After declining for 14 years, the teen birth rate increased in 2006 and then again in 2007, causing alarm that one of the nation's...
By Rob Stein | June 18, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (35)
Teens, Adults Take Dim View of Kids with Acne
In commemoration of National Acne Awareness Month, this startling news: Teens with acne are perceived as losers, at least compared to their clear-skinned peers. (Courtesy of PR Newswire.com) In research funded by the acne-med-maker Galderma and sponsored by the American Acne & Rosacea Society, just over 1,000 adults and about...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | June 15, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (6)
Watch Out For That Monitor!
You've heard about all the health problems that can be caused by spending too many hours glued to your computer. Your back may ache from sitting in the wrong position. Your eyes can get bleary from staring at the screen all day. And you can get tendinitis or carpal tunnel...
By Rob Stein | June 11, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (3)
Will Men Get Gardasil?
The Food and Drug Administration is considering whether to approve Gardasil for men. But the question is: Will men be willing to get a vaccine for mostly altruistic reasons? A new study raises questions about that. The vaccine protects against the human papillomavirus (HPV), the most common sexually transmitted infection....
By Rob Stein | June 4, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (5)
Do Kids Follow Parents' Dietary Habits? Maybe Not So Much.
When I wrote last year about the fact that my modeling healthful eating and exercise behaviors didn't seem to be making much of an impression on my kids, then ages 14 and 11, I didn't find much in the parenting literature to back me up. But a new study in...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | June 3, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (5)
Learning to Love Leaf Lettuce
Although leaf lettuce contains more nutrients, the Huget family prefers iceberg lettuce (above). (Photo by Getty Images) When Mom becomes a nutrition columnist, it doesn't necessarily follow that the whole family will fall into lockstep with her new ideas about healthful eating. My husband, daughter (age 15) and son...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | June 2, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (15)
What Not to Do with a Dead Bat
(AP Photo/Mike Groll) One thing you definitely should not do if you find a dead bat is to put it in a jar and take it to your kids' school. Yet that's exactly what one Montana parent decided to do last fall when the family cat brought home a...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | June 1, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (12)
Is That Right? Frosted Mini-Wheats Keep Kids "Full and Focused"
(Reuters/Rick Wilking) Ads for Kellogg's Frosted Mini-Wheats promise that kids who tank up on these fiber-rich cereals will be "full and focused" in preparation for the school day. Turns out that "full and focused" claim is what's left after the Federal Trade Commission in April made Kellogg stop saying...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | May 29, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (5)
Mysterious Missing Fingerprints
Here's something that sounds like it could come straight out of a James Bond movie: A man trying to get through customs in New York was detained for hours because his fingerprints disappeared. In a letter published online yesterday by the Annals of Oncology, Eng-Huat Tan of the National Cancer...
By Rob Stein | May 28, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (1)
Keeping Kids Safe Around Exercise Equipment
None of us knows the exact circumstances surrounding 4-year-old Exodus Tyson's death yesterday: As was widely reported, the child, daughter of former heavyweight boxing champion Mike Tyson, somehow became entangled in a cord attached to a treadmill and was strangled. As many have noted, Exodus Tyson's death is a reminder...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | May 27, 2009; 04:20 PM ET | Comments (3)
Going to School Sick
Yesterday's story about Stefanie Zaner, an 18-year-old Montgomery County high-school senior who's closing in on a school-career-long perfect attendance record, raised some compelling issues. First, let me say this: I applaud Zaner for her tenacity and dedication. And I especially appreciate that, according to the article, her achievement didn't depend...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | May 27, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (11)
Learning to Love the Female Condom
When it comes to creating condoms, the folks who make 'em for men have it easy. Male condoms are the essence of simplicity and require little in the way of engineering -- or imagination. By contrast, when the people at The Female Health Company in Chicago set out to make...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | May 18, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (2)
Is That Right? Juicy Juice for Brain Development
The other day I blogged about the FDA's nabbing General Mills for inappropriately printing specific health claims (the kind reserved for drugs) on Cheerios boxes. I'm not the only observer who felt that, while the FDA was certainly within its rights to call out the cereal maker for not playing...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | May 15, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (14)
The FDA, Making the World Safe -- From Cheerios
(Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images) Of the countless things the U.S. Food and Drug Administration could be doing to help make the nation's food supply safer, here's one issue the agency recently chose to focus on. The FDA a week ago issued a warning to the folks who make...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | May 13, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (12)
Here Comes the Sun. And the Sunscreen.
If I were really rich, I would fund huge, well-designed studies, free of ideological or academic bias and commercial concerns, that would get to the bottom of the big health issues of the day. One of the first research projects I'd tackle would tell us once and for all how...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | May 12, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (12)
Nourishing Gifts for Mom
Sunday is Mother's Day. (You knew that, right?) Many of us will likely bestow cards and flowers on our moms to show our gratitude and love. But if your mother is into health and nutrition, you might want to get creative and cater to those interests. It's not too late...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | May 8, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (5)
Do Plus-Size Clothes for Teens Endorse Obesity?
The news that Target and Forever 21 are launching lines of plus-size clothes for teens has ruffled some emotions. Some argue that providing Size 30 or 2XL clothing for young women is akin to telling them it's fine to be fat. Others say young women of all sizes and shapes...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | May 4, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (19)
How Are You Preparing for Swine Flu?
By Justin Jouvenal Swine flu has yet to show up in the D.C. area, but hospitals and government officials are gearing up for the possibility. Maryland has opened a swine flu command center in Baltimore, Children's National Medical Center is closely monitoring reports of outbreaks, and Howard University Hospital officials...
By Amy Adkins | April 27, 2009; 01:42 PM ET | Comments (19)
For Kids with Eczema, a Simple Solution
Relief may be as close as the laundry room for kids who suffer from the painful and itchy skin condition known as atopic dermatitis or eczema. Researchers at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine have found that the best treatment for the chronic skin condition, which affects an estimated 17...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | April 27, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (4)
Does Facebook Lead to Bad Grades?
Spending too much time on Facebook may help a college student's social life but it may not be so great for their grades, according to a new study presented today. Aryn Karpinski of Ohio State University surveyed 219 Ohio State students in 2008, including 102 undergraduates and 117 graduate students....
By Rob Stein | April 16, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (3)
A Most Unusual Lunch: Placenta
I received an attention-grabbing e-mail the other day -- one that took me a while to, er, digest. It came from a lively online Web site called MomLogic, where people write all kinds of parenting tips and information. This particular bit of information was about one mother's experience eating the...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | April 13, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (13)
Common Asthma Treatment Ineffective
Contrary to what doctors and patients have long believed, taking heartburn medicine does not help reduce coughing, wheezing and breathlessness among people who have asthma, according to new research out today . More than 22 million Americans have asthma, and many also have acid reflux, which is a condition that...
By Rob Stein | April 9, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (1)
Adventures in Yogurt-Making
A couple of weeks ago I shared a recipe for making yogurt in a crockpot with readers of my weekly Lean & Fit e-mail newsletter (Want to sign up? Start here.) with the promise that I'd try it myself and share results on this blog. That was supposed to happen...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | April 7, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (13)
Too Much TV? Feed 'em Donuts.
Asma Attaoui holds a rack of donuts at a Dunkin' Donuts franchise in Boston. (AP Photo/Lisa Poole) You'll want to watch the new Dunkin' Donuts TV ad more than once, just to be sure you've got it right. Three kids (and a dog) are in a darkened room, watching...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | April 6, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (19)
Does Baby Fat Lead to Obesity?
There's new evidence that baby fat may not always be so cute after all. Babies that gain a lot of weight quickly in their first six months of life are at increased risk for becoming obese by the time they become toddlers, according to new research. Obesity rates among children...
By Rob Stein | April 2, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (5)
Celebrity Bike-Ride Shoulder Injuries
It's likely that lots of people injured their shoulders while riding bikes (more precisely, when falling off bikes) last week; shoulder crackups are among the most common bicycle-related injuries. But the two whose accidents made news are Lance Armstrong and Matt Lauer. Armstrong and Lauer suffered two different shoulder injuries...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | March 27, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (7)
A Conversation about Constipation
Let's chat about constipation. That invitation alone ought to provide a certain relief to some of the estimated 4 million Americans who suffer from recurrent constipation. After all, for such a common problem, it's not one we discuss much. As they say, misery loves company.... I got to thinking about...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | March 24, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (9)
Would a Ski Helmet Have Saved Natasha Richardson?
We're all so sad today about actress Natasha Richardson's untimely death following what appeared to be a minor ski accident. My thoughts are with her family, especially her husband and their two teenage sons. Richardson in May 2008. (AP)A New York medical examiner has now determined that Richardson died from...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | March 19, 2009; 11:20 AM ET | Comments (23)
A Wake-Up Call for Insomniacs
How'd you sleep last night? If your answer is "Hardly at all," you're like an estimated 30 percent of the U.S. population. Insomnia -- the inability to fall, or stay, asleep at night -- is a serious problem, one that's been tied to cardiovascular disease and depression. It causes daytime...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | March 11, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (14)
Maintaining Good Health -- for Yourself, or for Loved Ones?
Watching the recent videotape of former President George H.W. Bush choking up as he talked about his wife Barbara's heart surgery made me tear up. (Skip ahead to minute 1:21 to see Mr. Bush's remarks.) The husband's raw emotion made me wonder what he would have done if things hadn't...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | March 10, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (8)
How We Eat When Times are Tough
When the economy's on the fritz, people spend less on food, most experts agree. But just how they go about cutting back isn't clear; nor is the impact of the economy on diet and nutrition. Canned vegetables, unlike these carrots, are generally cheaper than fresh produce. (Julia Ewan -- The...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | March 6, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (8)
Can Your Marriage Make You Sick?
A bad marriage may be bad for your health--if you're a woman, according to new research out today. Nancy Henry of the University of Utah and her colleagues studied 276 couples who had been married an average of 20 years.The couples filled out questionnaires assessing positive aspects of their marriage,...
By Rob Stein | March 5, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (12)
Barbie, Mom and Body Image
In Barbie's 50 years as the doll America loves to hate, there's been lots of hand-wringing over the fashion icon's role in shaping girls' self-image. Do those big breasts, wasp waist and mile-long legs make us gals feel so inadequate that we fall into punishing dietary habits and other self-destructive...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | March 3, 2009; 07:20 AM ET | Comments (12)
Young People Felled by Flu
Those of us trying to make sense of the recent flu-related deaths of two Maryland teens have to face the reality that life can be terribly unfair. While we know that the very young and the very old, those with chronic illnesses or underlying health conditions and those with compromised...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | March 2, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (14)
Breastfeeding and MS
It's well established that women with multiple sclerosis tend to have fewer relapses -- bouts of the disease's unpredictable symptoms -- when they're pregnant. The trade-off is that they usually have much higher risk of relapse during the first 3 or 4 months after giving birth. New research to be...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | February 25, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (2)
And Now, Some Good News About Peanuts
Eating 10 peanuts might not sound like a big deal. But to people with peanut allergy -- or their parents -- being able to eat just one, or even to be in the same room with a peanut, would be a welcome relief. British researchers reporting in the journal Allergy...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | February 23, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (3)
New Initiative to Fight Childhood Obesity
A new initiative billed as the first of its kind was unveiled today to help battle one of the nation's biggest health problems--childhood obesity. The Alliance for a Healthier Generation, a joint effort between the American Heart Association and the William J. Clinton Foundation, announced the Alliance Healthcare Initiative, which...
By Rob Stein | February 19, 2009; 01:36 PM ET | Comments (3)
Decoding Students' Code of Silence
If your child knew of a fellow student's plan to "do something dangerous," could you count on him or her to tell an adult? A study in the February Journal of Educational Psychology, published by the American Psychological Association, tries to tease out the circumstances that lead kids to either...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | February 16, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (0)
To Protect Kids From Melanoma, Skip the Shore Vacation?
This bitter-cold weather has me dreaming of Ocean City, Md., where my family has vacationed every summer since we've been a family. Some of my favorite photos are of our tiny children plunked diaper-down in the sand, relishing the salt air and sunshine, radiating health and happiness. So a new...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | February 6, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (4)
Testing Children's Books for Lead
A federal law requiring all products for kids 12 and under to be tested for lead content has publishers of children's books on high alert, Publisher's Weekly reports. The law was enacted last August, and the first deadline for demonstrating conformity to new standards comes on February 10 -- even...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | January 26, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (7)
Salmonella in Snack Crackers
The list of companies recalling snack crackers, candy, ice cream and other products that contain peanut butter or peanut butter paste sold by the Peanut Corporation of America for fear of salmonella contamination continues to grow; check the FDA site for an updated list. The FDA cautions Because identification of...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | January 20, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (6)
A Vaccine's Unintended Consequences
When a new vaccine was approved in 2000, experts hoped it would protect children against a common bacteria that causes a variety of illnesses, including meningitis. They were not disappointed. The vaccine, known as Prevnar, has resulted in a sharp drop in cases. The question was: Would it also reduce...
By Rob Stein | January 15, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (8)
By Any Name, This Game Is Deadly
Do your kids play something called "space monkey"? Or maybe "the scarf game"? Maybe they sound like fun. What they are, though, are choking games -- where kids choke themselves or their friends to elicit a brief sensation of euphoria. Apparently many adolescents, including lots of high-achievers, view them as...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | January 7, 2009; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (3)
Study Links Gay Teens' Parental Rejection to Future Health Risks
Parents who reject their lesbian, gay or bisexual (LGB) teens may increase the odds that their offspring will experience depression, engage in risky sexual practices and even attempt suicide according to a study published in the January issue of the journal Pediatrics. Researchers led by Caitlin Ryan, director of the...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | December 29, 2008; 10:00 AM ET | Comments (28)
No Booze for Pregnant Women
How much alcohol can a pregnant woman consume without risking harm to her baby? Ideally, none at all. That's the message from a new study that adds to the body of evidence that prenatal alcohol exposure, even in small quantities, heightens a child's risk of conduct disorder. The study, conducted...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | December 8, 2008; 10:00 AM ET | Comments (10)
How to Mark World AIDS Day? How About Getting Screened?
Twenty years ago today was the first World AIDS Day. I remember it well. The museum at which I then worked had a ceremony; when it was over, I hugged a dear friend, who was gay, and begged him to be careful. That was back when most of us thought...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | December 1, 2008; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (2)
After the Game, Get Outside and Play!
Folks watching Thanksgiving-day football tomorrow will get a lot of reminders to get off the couch and have some healthy fun. Special spots during the game will promote the National Football League's year-old initiative to fight childhood obesity by encouraging kids to play -- and they don't mean video games...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | November 26, 2008; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (1)
Happy Days: Less TV, More Newspaper?
A widely reported study last week showed that happy people watch less TV than those who say they're not happy. The study, headed by John P. Robinson, professor of sociology at the University of Maryland, and published in the December issue of the journal Social Indicators Research, set out to...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | November 24, 2008; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (3)
When A 'Curly' Lightbulb Breaks
Add to the list of things no parent especially wants to hear: "Mom, my reading lamp fell over, and the light bulb broke. It was one of those curly ones." That's what my 12-year-old son told me the other day as I sat working at my desk. Cleaning up a...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | November 3, 2008; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (28)
Clinical Studies and Kids
If your child's physician suggested enrolling your kid in a clinical study, would you know what to say? A new Web site launched by the National Institutes of Health makes a good case for conducting medical research with children and answers any question that could possibly pop into a parent's...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | October 29, 2008; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (1)
Is Gardasil Safe?
Fretting about whether to get your daughter vaccinated against cervical cancer? Or perhaps about getting Gardasil yourself? The federal government has new data that officials say should help calm fears about the safety of the controversial shots. The analysis of data collected from about 190,000 women and girls who got...
By Rob Stein | October 23, 2008; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (9)
Childhood Food Allergies Increasing
The federal government is confirming what many doctors, researchers and parents have long thought: More kids are reporting food allergies. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta released a new study today that found that reported food allergies increased 18 percent between 1997 and 2007 in the United...
By Rob Stein | October 22, 2008; 01:32 PM ET | Comments (1)
Putting the Kibosh on Car Surfing
There is no end, apparently, to the things teenagers will do that you wish they'd have the good sense not to do. The most recent edition of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) highlights a phenomenon known as "car surfing" and suggests...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | October 20, 2008; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (12)
Kids + Sports = Better Health
No surprise here: Kids who play sports and do other physical activities report all kinds of health benefits, feeling better about themselves mentally and physically, a comprehensive new study shows. The Women's Sports Foundation partnered with Harris Interactive to survey 2,185 children in grades 3 through 12 and 863 parents...
By Frances Stead Sellers | October 13, 2008; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (2)
Starve a Cold, Feed a Fever?
Whatever the U.S. Food and Drug Administration decides to do about limiting over-the-counter (OTC) cough and cold medications' availability for use by little kids (they've already recommended they not be given to kids under age 2), a lot of people are spooked by the notion that such products may be...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | October 6, 2008; 07:07 AM ET | Comments (9)
Two Eyes, Two Sizes
Photo courtesy of ReutersHere's one of the areas where John McCain and I see eye to eye. Have a look at this news photo -- or just about any posed portrait of him you can find. Then take a gander at my head shot. Notice how we each have...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | September 29, 2008; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (7)
Tough to Talk When a Newborn is Dying
End-of-life decisions are trying no matter the circumstances. But when the end of a life comes near its very beginning, discussions about what to do are all the more wrenching. The emotional trauma of delivering a terminally ill or severely premature baby is often compounded by unsatisfactory communications between physicians...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | September 22, 2008; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (5)
Bilingual Kids Stutter More
Those who study stuttering have suspected that bilingual kids are more likely to stutter than kids who speak just one language. An article released online last week in the Archives of Disease in Childhood (a British Medical Journal publication) solidifies that connection -- but without explaining how or why the...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | September 15, 2008; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (22)
Infant Abductions: Down in Hospitals, Up in Homes
The good news: The number of babies abducted from hospitals has dropped dramatically since 1983. The bad: That decline has been matched by an alarming increase in the number of babies abducted from private homes and public places. An eye-opening report in the September issue of The American Journal of...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | September 6, 2008; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (15)
When Making Music Causes Pain
I had to chuckle when I read a press release about an occupational therapists' advice for helping music-making kids avoid injury. Neither of my musician children is exactly in danger of practicing so much that it hurts. But on closer read, I thought even my practice-slacking kids might benefit from...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | August 25, 2008; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (0)
Still In the Dark About Sunscreen
I'll be heading off to Ocean City soon. As always, I'll bring plenty of sunscreen, just as Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) recommended we all do after he recently had another "spot" removed from his fair skin. (Sen. McCain has had skin cancer four times.) But I won't be armed with...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | August 4, 2008; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (0)
Reminder: Not Every Kid's a High Achiever
I like the way my kids are. They're reasonably well-mannered, generally kind and considerate, interested in music and animals. They like to draw. And sometimes they like to just sit around and watch TV. I'll admit to having occasional pangs when I read or hear about kids who have done...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | July 21, 2008; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (0)
I Have WHAT?
Ouch. I've just had the most painful case of Sphenopalatine Ganglioneuralgia ever! I took a huge gulp of icy-cold tea, and it gave me what we laypeople call brain freeze. Today's blog is not about brain freeze, however; we're looking at Latin and Greek medical terms for common health conditions....
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | July 14, 2008; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (1)
Grownups Give Booze to Underage Drinkers
A whopping 650,000 young adults under age 21 say a grownup -- in some cases a parent -- has supplied them with alcohol, according to a report released Thursday by the U.S Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). This, despite the fact that the federal government virtually outlawed...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | June 30, 2008; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (8)
Dry Drowning
When I read about the 10-year-old South Carolina boy who died earlier this month from something called "dry drowning" hours after swimming -- and then walking home from the pool -- alarms went off in my head. We have a pool in our yard, and while I'm always on alert...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | June 25, 2008; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (3)
A Longer Walk to School
Spiraling fuel costs have made running school buses a budget-busting proposition. So last night the Montgomery County Public School (MCPS) board voted to give Superintendent Jerry D. Weast leeway to increase the distances from school beyond which bus service is provided -- in effect, making more kids walk to school....
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | June 24, 2008; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (5)
When Young Adults Grieve
As much as I -- like everyone else, apparently -- have been saddened by the sudden death of political commentator Tim Russert, I have been moved by the great grace and equanimity with which his only child, 22-year-old Luke Russert, has handled his enormous loss. I lost my own father...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | June 23, 2008; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (8)
Home Alone
Would your 11-, 12-, or 13-year-old know where in the house to go to keep safe during a bad storm? Does he or she know how to use kitchen appliances safely? Would he or she know to get out of the house immediately if there were a fire? I'd like...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | June 16, 2008; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (0)
A Bad Time for Rabies
The news that there's a temporary shortage of human rabies vaccine sends a shiver down my spine. The shortage, caused by production problems at Sanofi Pasteur and Novartis, the nation's only two licensed suppliers of rabies vaccine, means the existing stock is all we've got until July, when Novartis is...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | June 9, 2008; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (3)
Drug Labeling with Pregnancy in Mind
When you're pregnant, or thinking about getting pregnant, there are so many things to consider: Are you ready emotionally? Financially? Physically? Once you've addressed those issues, many other important questions remain -- including this one: Are your prescription drugs safe for you to take while you're pregnant? The U.S. Food...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | June 2, 2008; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (0)
When Teens Give Blood
If your 16- or 17-year-old asked for permission to donate blood, what would you say? In light of dwindling pools of eligible donors -- only about 38 percent of the adult population is able to give blood -- the American Red Cross is hoping more teens will donate. Many states,...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | May 26, 2008; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (17)
Dog Food Danger
Remember being a kid and daring your brother to eat dog food? Well, don't do that any more. That timeless prank seems riskier in light of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's report last week about an outbreak of salmonella infections apparently caused by contaminated dry dog food....
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | May 20, 2008; 07:07 AM ET | Comments (7)
Fat Cells Are Forever
Well, this is kind of a bummer. Seems that the number of fat cells we develop as kids and teenagers determines how many we'll have for the rest of our lives. So says a study published in the May 4 online journal Nature. Researchers at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden,...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | May 19, 2008; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (0)
Kids Say Specs Make Kids Look Smart
When I was shopping for new eyeglass frames recently, my 14-year-old daughter wanted a pair, too. Not that she needs glasses; her vision's perfect. But she thought the glasses looked really cool. How far we've come since I was 14, when glasses conferred instant nerd status on their wearers. (Of...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | May 16, 2008; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (0)
Breastfeeding Boosts Brainpower
Like many of her peers in the early 1960s (okay, it was 1960), my mom didn't even consider breastfeeding; for her (meaning, for me), it was bottles all the way. And I guess I turned out okay, brainpower-wise. But just think how smart I could have been if she'd nursed...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | May 12, 2008; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (0)
Farewell to Peanut Allergies
Imagine a world where nobody's allergic to peanuts. Where passengers on planes could snack on peanuts; where parents wouldn't have to worry about their kids' gasping for air after taking a bite of a PB&J sandwich; where allergic kids wouldn't have to carry EpiPens everywhere they go -- and wouldn't...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | May 6, 2008; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (11)
Inside The Minds of Teen Drivers
Remember how great it felt to be, say, 17, cruising in a car with your buddies on a sunny spring day, the windows rolled down and the radio blasting? And aren't you sometimes kind of surprised that you lived to tell the tale? I know I am. And now that...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | May 5, 2008; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (5)
Study Says ... Dogs Beat Out Cats
We love all our pets. But are dogs better for your kids' health than cats? Say it ain't so! Hate to be the one to break it to you. But a big new study is tilting the evidence toward the dog in the house. How so? Well, it looks...
By Rob Stein | May 1, 2008; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (0)
Salmonella From Your Pet?
When we hear about salmonella these days, we're more likely to think raw eggs than reptiles. But this article in the current issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association reminds us that your family's pet turtles (and other reptiles) can make people just as sick as an undercooked...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | April 28, 2008; 07:10 AM ET | Comments (8)
Wearing Crocs? Watch Your Step!
My daughter and I, both big-time Crocs wearers, had just been admiring the new high-heeled versions when I read that the Japanese Trade Ministry has called on the Colorado-based manufacturer to redesign the ubiquitous rubbery shoes. Seems 65 Japanese people, mostly kids, have got their feet stuck -- and sometimes...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | April 22, 2008; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (37)
Shaken Faith in the Flu Vaccine?
They account for some of the great victories in the history of public health, but vaccines have had a rough time of it lately. First there was the federal government's agreement in March to compensate an Atlanta family whose daughter developed autism after receiving a set of routine childhood shots....
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | April 21, 2008; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (0)
Model Behavior, Revisited
Go figure. My article in today's Health section about my kids' apparent reluctance to follow my lead as I model behaviors (eating fruits and whole grains, exercising regularly, you name it) warrants an immediate follow-up. Even as I was typing away, putting the finishing touches on my story, subtle changes...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | April 15, 2008; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (0)
Homeschooling--And Not By Choice
Ready to keep your kids home from school--perhaps for months? To forgo family outings to the zoo or playground? And to help them with schoolwork that comes to the house by e-mail? Don't dismiss those possibilities. It's pretty much a given that sooner or later the world will face another...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | April 14, 2008; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (7)
Vaccines: The Debate Continues
Do news reports and online chat about vaccination risks--and particularly the MMR's supposed link to autism--give you pause? Research published in the April issue of Pediatrics suggests that parents don't seem to be swayed by media reports of vaccination's potential risks. Michael Smith, a pediatric infectious disease specialist (at the...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | April 9, 2008; 02:00 PM ET | Comments (0)
Does Your Family Defibrillate?
It's been almost exactly a year since I wrote about Rita and Richard Helgeson, whose 18-year-old son Andrew, an accomplished athlete at Montgomery Blair High School in Silver Spring, died in his home after suffering a sudden cardiac arrest in May 2005. The Helgesons channeled their grief by mounting a...
By Jennifer LaRue Huget | April 8, 2008; 07:00 AM ET | Comments (22)
