Synthetic Fields Cause a Scare

The Chicago Tribune reported May 28 that parents across the country are up at arms over the potential dangers associated with artificial turf playing fields at schools and parks. Amid contentions that recycled tires used in the fields could expose kids to toxins, and dyes in the artificial grass could expose them to lead, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, California and Connecticut have introduced legislation calling for health studies of the fields. (Minnesota, New Jersey and New York would bar installation of new fields until the studies are complete.) And both the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and the Environmental Protection Agency have said they would look into the safety of the artificial turf. Stay tuned to see whether the grass is really greener! Learn more … 

Boosting Your ‘Good’ Cholesterol

HDL (high-density lipoprotein) cholesterol, the good one, is linked with lower cardiovascular risk. Here are tips from the June issue of Harvard Women’s Health Watch on how to boost yours:

1. Get in five 30-minute sessions of moderate to vigorous aerobic exercise per week for a 5-10% boost.
2. Lose weight if you need to. Every seven pounds dropped will boost your HDL.
3. Quit smoking to raise your HDL 15-20%.
4. Avoid trans fats and highly refined carbs like white-flour products.
5. Consider taking meds such as Niacin, available over-the-counter. But check with your doctor first.

Stretching May Reduce Risk of Preeclampsia

For women who’ve already experienced preeclampsia, stretching exercises may be more effective at reducing the risk of recurrence than walking. Researchers from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Nursing, reporting to the American College of Sports Medicine May 29, monitored two groups of pregnant women with a previous preeclampsia diagnosis. Among the group assigned to regular walking, 15 percent developed preeclampsia. But less than 5 percent of the group assigned to perform stretching exercises developed the condition. This could be because stretching produces more transferrin in the blood, which protects against stress in the body.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is warning nursing moms not to use Mommy’s Bliss Nipple Cream, produced by San Rafael-based MOM Enterprises Inc. and marketed to soothe sore, cracked nipples. The agency says two ingredients in the cream – which the labeling specifically says moms don’t need to wash off before nursing – could be harmful to babies:

• Chlorphenesin – an antifungal and antibacterial ingredient that can depress the central nervous system and cause slow or shallow breathing in infants

• Phenoxyethanol – a preservative used in cosmetics and medications, it can also depress the central nervous system, and cause vomiting and diarrhea, which is especially dangerous in infants because of the risk of dehydration

If you are using the cream, stop immediately. Watch for a decrease in your baby’s appetite, difficulty awakening your child, limpness of extremities or a decrease in the baby’s strength of grip or a change in skin color. Seek medical attention immediately if your baby has these symptoms.

MOM Enterprises Inc. says they have stopped marketing the cream.

Learn more … 

Antidepressant Helps Kids With IBS

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) must be depressing to the 6 % of middle schoolers and 14% of high school students dealing with the diarrhea, constipation and tummy pain it causes. And researchers from Mattel Children’s Hospital UCLA have found that low-dose antidepressant therapy can actually help with IBS symptoms. In their study, reported in the May issue of the Journal of Pediatrics, adolescents taking the antidepressant amitriptyline reported a reduction in diarrhea and pain and improved quality of life. The dosage used was far less than that used to treat depression, which researchers say reduces the risk of reported side effects. Learn more …

Dairy Won’t Help With Weight Loss

Ad campaigns touting low-fat dairy products as an aid to weight loss are misleading, say researchers reporting in the May issue of Nutrition Reviews. Amy Lanou, Ph.D., and Neal D. Barnard, M.D., with the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine – a nonprofit organization that promotes a vegan lifestyle and alternatives to animal experiments – reviewed 49 clinical trials that assessed whether dairy products helped with weight loss and found that 41 of those showed no effects on weight. They speculate that the associate between dairy intake and weight loss seen in “observational” studies could be because of other factors, like increased exercise or improved diet overall. Learn more … 

Vest Could Give a Helpful “Hug” to Kids With ADHD

Deep pressure touch stimulation (DPTS) can often help children with ADHD, autism and sensory processing disorders focus their attention and feel less anxious – just like a comforting hug. And the University of Massachusetts Amherst reports that student Brian Mullen, with the help of his advisor in the mechanical and industrial engineering department, has created a novel vest that delivers a portable DPTS “hug” automatically. This these folks can head out into school or the workplace and have a little help adapting. Mullen has formed a company called Therapeutic Systems to market the vest. Learn more …

Men generally don’t like to go to the doctor. And men with depression, anxiety or mood disorders really avoid donning the paper gown. Sharon Orrange, M.D., who serves on the faculty at USC’s Keck School of Medicine and has a private practice in Los Angeles, says she sees a lot of these issues go untreated because men think asking for help will make them seem weak.

Read on …

Yes, folks, you can drink your tap water. So says Linda Heller, R.D., clinical nutrition manager at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles and a chair on the American Dietetic Association’s Pediatric Dietetic Practice Group.

I came to Heller thirsty for knowledge about what we should be chugging these days – with the various types of mineral waters, flavored waters, and even vitamin-enhanced waters crowding store shelves. It turns out that water from “community sources” is perfectly safe to drink, thanks to government standards. “It may not taste good, it may not smell good, but it’s safe,” Heller says.

Read on …

Best Carseat Position

Signs of Bullimia

Dog Bite Prevention

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