Just Bellyaching?

With school in session, you’re much more likely to hear your kids complaining about stomach pain than during summer vacation. But for as many as 10% of these children, the pain is coming from a complicated and often misdiagnosed medical condition called “functional abdominal pain.” Researchers at Nationwide Children’s Hospital define the condition as stomach pain that is not associated with any evidence of physical disease or tissue damage. They say the pain tends to come on more frequently during stressful times, and is currently treated through coping techniques like relaxation training and guided imagery. Experts are exploring the possibility that medications designed to treat depression could help, but meanwhile have any persistent abdominal pain checked out by a doctor. Learn more …

Sitting Still May Whet Your Appetite

Be more active, and you’ll be more hungry? Not necessarily, says a study presented to the American Physiological Society Sept. 24-27. Researchers found that when subjects spent the day being pushed around in wheelchairs, they reported being 12-17% hungrier – and 12-16% less satisfied when they did eat – than when they spent the day doing active things like walking and folding laundry, and sitting no more than 10 minutes per hour. So turn off the TV and go for a walk. It’ll make it easier to put down those potato chips. Learn more …

Just Got Diagnosed?

Having a chronic illness in the family brings lots of issues – financial, treatment based, and just plain fear and anxiety. It can also get in the way of good family communication. The web site JustGotDiagnosed.com, founded by Gary McClain, Ph.D., focuses on talking families through that initial fear and restoring some sense of “normal” so that everyone can make clearer decisions about their ongoing health. Structured much like a conversation with a therapist, the site also includes resources and patient stories. One tip: Create (or stick to) family routines around wake up and mealtimes, because regular routines reduce stress. Check it out …

Here’s a piece from Robert Adler, M.D. (pictured at left). He is vice chair of the Department of Pediatrics at Childrens Hospital Los Angeles and professor of pediatrics and vice chair of the Department of Pediatrics at the Keck School of Medicine at USC. He has an extensive clinical and research background in lead poisoning and prevention, and is concerned about parents who are in the “nesting” phase of getting ready for a new baby:

Many young couples, in anticipation of their new babies, set out on remodeling projects, turning their extra rooms into a special nursery or finishing lingering home improvement tasks. But what all young couples need to be aware of is that some home remodeling projects can be dangerous, very dangerous, for their babies. The developing fetus is most susceptible to household toxins and the number-one household toxin is lead paint. Read on …

REV It Up

If you’re one of those Type-A, mom-type, gotta-do-it-all women, you might want to check out the REV online community – and their spokesmom contest. The site itself, www.rev-life.com, seeks to bring together busy moms for a big-time digital “conversation” about how they find healthy balance in their overstocked lives. It offers tools like calendars, blogs, and photo uploading to facilitate the sharing and make those lives just a bit easier. Right now, they’re looking for five moms who make a difference in the lives of their families and communities to be REV.’s spokespeople for 2009. Just visit the site to add as many entries as you like (like posting on a blog). Winners receive $1,000, a six-month supply of REV (crystals with EPSOM salts!), and the chance to represent the site for a year. Even if you don’t enter, you’ll have fun browsing the site, picking up tips and reading about other moms like you.

A Warning About Energy Drinks

Caffeinated energy drinks that have crowded their way onto store shelves and into the habits of an ever-younger audience should carry labels disclosing just how much caffeine they pack – and warning about health risks to those who drink them, says a group of scientists from Johns Hopkins. Some of these drinks, say researchers, contain the same caffeine as 14 cans of Coca-Cola. But though levels can range from 50 milligrams (your average 12-oz. cola has 35mg) to 500 milligrams, this often isn’t listed on labels. Those who overindulge risk “caffeine intoxication,” marked by nervousness, anxiety, restlessness, insomnia, stomach upset, rapid heartbeat, and in rare cases, death. The researchers are collecting reports of energy drink intoxication of kids and adolescents. Learn more … 

Controversial Autism Study Called Off

The National Institute of Mental Health reported Sept. 17 that it is calling off a study of chelation therapy, a treatment that removes heavy metals from the body, as a potential treatment for autism. The agency decided it wasn’t confident enough in the procedure’s safety. A study published last year linked one of the drugs used in chelation therapy to brain problems in rats. Believers in the treatment have sharply criticized the agency’s decision, while some medical experts have called exposing children to the potential risk of chelation without evidence that it helps “unethical.” Learn more …

Acetaminophen and Childhood Asthma Linked

Kids who are given acetaminophen (i.e. Tylenol) during their first year are more likely to develop asthma than those who aren’t, according to a study reported in the Sept. 20 issue of The Lancet. But because the study didn’t establish that acetaminophen causes asthma, the researchers said it should still be used in cases of high fever. Looking at information from more than 200,000 children from around the world, researchers found that those given acetaminophen during their first year of life were 46% more likely to develop asthma at age 6-7, and 18% more likely to develop eczema. Thus, researchers say that for now the drug shouldn’t be used routinely, but limited to high childhood fevers. In other words, use it — but not unless you have to.

Once upon a time, we were all told to flush our expired and disused medication down the toilet to keep it away from children and pets. But when you think about where those flushed drugs end up – and consider the fact that drug sales have doubled during the past five years – that route doesn’t seem like such a good idea.

In fact, in government testing conducted in 1999 and 2000, 80% of samples from 139 streams throughout the U.S. were found to contain acetaminophen, steroids, hormones, codeine, antibiotics, antimicrobials, ibuprofen or other drugs, usually in very small amounts. And studies have shown these chemicals can impact local fish and wildlife.

California is facing the issue with the No Drugs Down the Drain campaign, a series of events Oct. 4-11 that offer a free, easy and safe way to get rid of unwanted medications. NoDrugsDownTheDrain.org offers a list of these events, searchable by zip code.

No event near you? Another option is to add water, salt, and ashes or dirt to the medication in its container, cover with several layers of masking tape or duct tape, and place into the trash as close to collection time as possible.

Watching For Baby Milestones

Those milestones that are so dear to parents’ hearts – baby’s first smile, first step, and even waving bye-bye – can also be important signs of baby’s development. And if they don’t happen on time, it could be a sign something is wrong. This new video from the CDC helps parents learn developmental signs so they can act early and help their children reach full potential.

More Bad News on BPA

The first major study of the effects of the plastics chemical bisphenol A (BPA) on people has reported a possible link between the chemical and heart disease and diabetes. The study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association Sept. 16 and presented to the FDA, looked at urine samples of 1,455 American adults. More than 90 % had BPA in their urine, and among those with the highest levels, more than twice as many also had heart disease or diabetes. Learn more … 

Pregnant Moms’ Flu Shots Protect Newborns

Though infants younger than 6 months – the group with the highest hospitalization rate from flu among U.S. kids – can’t get the flu shot, they can be protected. A study from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health reported at a National Vaccine Advisory Committee Meeting Sept. 17 found that giving the vaccine to pregnant women protects their newborns. Babies born to vaccinated moms had a 63% lower rate of flu, and a 36% lower rate of serious respiratory illness. Learn more … 

Accupuncture Pins Down Breast Cancer Treatment’s Side Effects

Accupuncture does just as good a job – without side effects – of managing the hot flashes and night sweats many women experience during breast cancer treatment as conventional drug therapy, according to a study presented Sept. 24 at the American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology’s annual meeting. As a bonus, many patients experienced more energy and feeling of well-being, and even a higher sex drive. Learn more … 

My 16-year-old daughter has grown up with a health writer mom and never took an interest in the sample products I had around for review – until Toasty Pig. She’d been having some cramps, so I brought home the cute little guy (part of the Sootheze Toasty Spa Friends Line; $17.95-$38.95; www.sootheze.com).

She immediately had to hug him. Then we popped the soft little plush piggy, filled with nine different herbs and natural flax seed, into the microwave for a minute. Now he was cuddly, and warm! And he smelled really nice.

She curled up on the couch with the pig on her tummy and smiled. And I haven’t seen him since.

The critters come in an animal kingdom of different versions – from bears to bunnies, cows to sea creatures – and they can go in the freezer, too. Perfect for a bruise or a bump on the head. In fact, it’s tough to imagine a situation where hugging one of these sweet animals wouldn’t make you feel at least a bit better. 

Heartburn is one of the most commonly reported complaints of pregnant women. That burning sensation behind the breastbone is generally caused by stomach acids making their way into the esophagus, and it’s aggravated by changing hormone levels and pressure from the growing baby. But for most moms, a few diet and lifestyle changes can cool the burn. Here are some tips from the American College of Gastroenterology: Read on …