Pediatricians Criticize Court’s Overturn of Handgun Ban

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the Society for Adolescent Medicine released a joint statement June 26 harshly criticizing the U.S. Supreme Court decision that day to overturn a District of Columbia ban making it illegal to own handguns in the district. AAP President Renee Jenkins, M.D., called the decision “a tragedy for children, taking away a critical law needed to fight a public health threat that needlessly claims as many as eight young lives a day in America.” The ban also required shotgun and rifle owners to unload and disassemble them or to use trigger locks. Learn more … 

How Does Salmonella Get Into Tomatoes?

It could be soaked up right through their lovely red skins, according to a June 23 Associated Press report. If tomatoes picked and shipped under warm conditions are plunged straight into cold water for cleaning, the temperature difference can make the fruit draw the water inside. And if that water’s contaminated with bacteria, that bacteria will end up inside as well. Learn more …

Can You Get Worms From Your Pet?

The CDC reported earlier this month that 14 percent of the U.S. population is infected with Toxocara, internal roundworms contracted from dogs and cats. It is most common in young children and people under age 20, who become infected by accidentally ingesting Toxocara eggs in dirt, play areas or sandboxes contaminated with the feces of infected dogs or cats. Most infected people don’t notice any symptoms, but the infection can cause blindness and other serious illnesses. Learn more …

Here’s a piece on how to talk with your pediatrician about your child’s medication from  Steven Brown, MD, PhD.:

Every week, a front-page article warns us about a terrible side effect of a different medication.  This can be especially frightening if you’re a parent, and your child’s medicine is suddenly on high-alert.  So, what should you do when one of your child’s pills is on the news? Read on …

Ask About Guns!

Saturday, June 21, is the start of summer, a time when kids have more freedom to be out and about. It’s also ASK Day. Pax, a national nonprofit working to end gun violence, urges parents to ask a simple question about whether there are guns in the homes of friends they might be visiting (Pediatrics reports that 40% of homes with children also have a gun in them) to prevent needless tragedy. The Centers for Disease Control says eight kids are killed by guns every single day in the U.S. Some of them, Pax hopes, might be saved by a simple question. Learn more … 

FDA Issues Caution About Silver Fillings

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) this month cautioned for the first time that the mercury contained in silver dental fillings could pose a safety concern for pregnant women and young children. According to the posting, mercury “may have neurotoxic effects on the nervous systems of developing children and fetuses.” A small amount of mercury vapor is released from the fillings, also called “dental amalgams,” through chewing and tooth brushing, and the agency is still studying the impact of this vapor. FDA at this point advises against removal of existing fillings, and says that they are safe for most people. Learn more …

FDA Says Plastic Bottles With Bisphenol A Are Safe

In an update on ongoing research, Norris Alderson, Ph.D., the FDA’s associate commissioner for science, said on June 11 that consumers don’t need to stop using plastic products – including water bottles and baby bottles – that contain the chemical bisphenol A. Research from the National Toxicology Program and the National Institutes of Health, based on animal studies, has led to concern that bisphenol A leaching into liquids in the bottles can cause changes in the brain and reduce survival and birthweight in fetuses. Canada plans to ban use of the chemical in baby bottles, and U.S. legislation has been introduced to ban it in children’s products. About 99 percent of human exposure comes through diet. Learn more …

It was tough to listen to what Julie Moise had to say. As a health writer, I hear about these things fairly regularly, but it’s never easy to listen to the voice of a parent whose child has died.
Ian was just 6 months old, and he died of the flu. Read on …

FDA Warns About Tomatoes

Amid reports of a salmonellosis outbreak, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) June 7 warned consumers in several states against raw red plum, red Roma, and round red tomatoes and products containing these tomatoes unless they come from certain producers. States not impacted so far by the outbreak include Arkansas, California, Georgia, Hawaii, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Texas. At least 145 cases of infection, including 23 hospitalizations, have been reported since mid-April. See an updated list of sources not associated with the outbreak … 

Tick Tock

It’s time to think about Lyme Disease. And the California Lyme Disease Association (CALDA) has launched a new Web site – www.lymedisease.org – to help you learn to properly remove the deer ticks that carry the disease, and give you links to risk maps, scientific studies and more. Lyme-carrying ticks have been found in all 50 states, and hitch rides on deer, squirrels, rodents, and even household pets.

Unhealthy Debts

A new poll from the Associated Press and AOL found that debt-related stress is causing health problems for an increasing number of Americans. High debt-stress levels boosted muscle tension, back pain, migraines or other headaches, anxiety, ulcers or digestive tract problems and depression. And among those reporting high levels of debt stress, 6 percent also reported heart attaches, compared with just 3 percent of those with lower debt stress. Learn more …