Exposure to air pollution and overuse of antibiotics may be important risk factors for childhood obesity, according to recent studies. The findings suggest that there’s more to the obesity equation than excess calories & lack of exercise.
With the recent shortages of drugs to treat ADHD, and changes in insurance coverage of these treatments, many families of children with this complex condition are searching for non-pharmaceutical alternatives. Homeopathy may not be top-of-mind for most primary care doctors, but it is worth considering.
Despite clear guidelines to the contrary, many doctors still expect that they must provide antibiotic prescriptions when parents or caregivers bring a child with a respiratory illness. Likewise, ,any parents will be disappointed, and even question a doctor’s judgment, if no antibiotics are offered. The result is a continued overuse of antibiotics and an inordinate rise in bacterial resistance, a need for stronger antibiotics, and the use of adult dosing to treat bacterial illness in pediatric patients. There are other non-antibiotic options that should be first line choices.
A high-profile international study of the impact of cell phones on childhood brain tumor risk is sending the signal that there is no “exposure-response relationship. However, some environmental health experts contend that significant safety concerns are hidden within the data.
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a dose of 1,200 IU per day, vitamin D3 reduced the incidence of Influenza A among a cohort of Japanese schoolchildren, but was associated with an increase in incidence of Influenza B, giving no overall advantage in preventing flu-associated illness.
Sublingual immunotherapy is a safe, highly effective alternative to injection-based treatments for managing allergies. Moreover, it enables primary care physicians to treat patients that they are currently referring out to specialists.
Analysis of data from more than 38,000 families suggests that maternal use of the popular antidepressant Wellbutrin (bupropion) during pregnancy correlates with a 3-fold greater risk of ADHD in children exposed to the drug in utero. The study is not definitive proof that bupropion causes ADHD. But author Roberto Figueroa says doctors need to be a lot more cautious with this, and any other drug that crosses the placenta.
Stimulants like Adderall and Ritalin may have more of an effect on parents and teachers than they do on the children with ADHD who take them.
New data from the Women’s Intervention Nutrition Study (WINS) and the Women’s Healthy Eating and Lifestyle (WHEL) trial show clearly that low-fat, high-vegetable diets can reduce risk of breast cancer recurrence in high-risk women. The findings should prompt a re-thinking of the negative diet data from the Women’s Health Initiative.
Acne, psoriasis, rosacea and other common skin disorders are reflections of the same systemic inflammatory processes that underlie heart disease, diabetes, irritable bowel, and many other chronic disorders. Eliminating high-glycemic foods, restoring hormone balance, and minimizing inflammation will not only resolve these skin problems, they will also reduce risk of more serious diseases along the way.
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