Two recent studies of inner-city youth show that vitamin D deficiency and high-blood pressure correlate strongly with obesity. The former problem is fairly easy to treat, through vitamin D supplementation. The latter presents a major clinical challenge.
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.
Once the epitome of public health success, childhood vaccine policies are under fire, owing to a growing concern that thimerosal, the mercury-containing preservative in many vaccines, may trigger autism, ADHD and other developmental problems. Federal authorities maintain vaccines are safe and thimerosal poses little threat, but an increasingly vocal movement of parents, politicians and physicians are unconvinced.
Chronic pain syndromes, including back pain, headaches, and abdominal pain are on the rise in children. Better nutrition, biofeedback and attention to family dynamics can make a world of difference.
Don’t expect too much help from federal authorities when trying to figure out what supplements your child might need. Though there are mountains of scientific studies on childhood nutrition, there is little consensus on how to apply that data in a practical way for optimal childhood nutrition. Parents, undaunted by the lack f “official” guidance, are figuring it all out for themselves.
Market research from the Hartman Group, Bellevue, WA, indicates that 60% of parents surveyed indicated that doctors were the most important sources of information on dietary supplements for their children.
A number of rare childhood metabolic disorders, such as Wilson’s disease, sickle cell anemia, cystic fibrosis, and short bowel syndrome, can be ameliorated with judicious use of various dietary supplements. But variations in quality of existing supplement products has made it difficult for many parents to provide these benefits to their children.
Daily supplementation with omega-3 fatty acids can improve verbal expression, motor coordination, language mastery, and other communication skills in children with speech apraxia, a neurological problem characterized by an inability to organize and produce meaningful speech.
Chronic recurrent abdominal pain is very common in children. Fortunately, the majority of kids with this problem will respond well to combinations of herbal therapies, dietary changes, and biofeedback, reports Joy Weidert, MD. This is a far safer approach than wanton use of antispasmodics, anti-depressants or other drugs that have little evidence to support their use for abdominal pain in kids.
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