Simple Urine Test Effective in Detecting Kids Sleep Disorder

Sleep apnea is a breathing disorder characterized by pauses in breathing during sleep. These short stops in breathing usually lasts for 10 to 30 seconds and can happen up to 400 times every night. Men, people who are overweight or over the age of 40 are more likely to have sleep apnea, but it can affect anyone at any age, even children. Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), a common type of apnea in children, is caused by an obstruction of the airway, such as enlarged tonsils and adenoids. Share and Enjoy:

Parents worry about their kids’ safety on the internet

More than four in five parents say their children use the Internet without adult supervision, but at the same time almost two-thirds are worried about online predators, a new survey has found. The findings, released online Nov. 19 by the C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health, show that parents have a variety of concerns about their children’s safety on the Internet. The researchers found that 81 percent of parents surveyed said their children aged 9 to 17 use the Internet without being supervised by an adult. Almost half have profiles on social-networking sites such as MySpace and Facebook; the number grows to two-thirds among kids aged 13 to 17. Share and Enjoy:

Children’s food allergies increasing in the U.S.

Making sure that our kids get the correct foods they need is very important, but it is also important to make sure that those foods do not cause an allergic reactions. Pediatric food allergies, which can sometimes lead to life-threatening situations, are increasing at a dramatic rate across the United States. The author of a new study on the topic are unsure if the rise in reports of food allergies reflects an increase in actual prevalence or if better awareness of allergies has led more people to seek treatment for their symptoms. Whatever the cause may be, it is very clear that the number of children with food allergies has gone up 18 percent in recent years, and the number of people seeking treatment for food allergies at emergency departments or hospitals has tripled since 1993. Amy Branum, who is the author of the study and a health statistician for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said, “People are more aware of food allergies today, and that could have something to do with it. But, when we looked at health-care surveys filled out by parents and those from the health-care sector, we saw the increase across the surveys so this may be more than just increased awareness.” The results of this new study were published on November 16 and will appear in the December print issue of Pediatrics. Share and Enjoy:

The cries of a newborn may reflect parents’ language

We all know how exciting it is to hear our baby’s first words, but they could come a little sooner than we think. The cries of an infant, as young as three days old, already show similarity to the language their parents speak, according to the new study that compared the cries of German-born and French-born children. Kathleen Wermke, Ph.D., who is a medical anthropologist at the University of Wurzburg in Wurzburg, Germany, and one of the researchers of the new study, said that it is already well known by experts that parental voices, especially the mother’s, are perceived in utero and memorized, as are other sounds, such as a simple musical melody. So, what has this new study added? “The surrounding language seems to affect infants’ sound production much earlier than researchers thought,” says Wermke. The new research suggests that well before babies begin to coo, babble, or say “Mama” or “Dada,” they have already picked up on the pattern of their native language which comes out through their cries. Share and Enjoy:

Natural remedies for childhood eczema

If dry, cracked, and generally irritated skin has adults in pain periodically due to an allergic reaction, stress, or weather, imagine the pain children and infants who have developed eczema ... Share and Enjoy:

Germany begins mass swine flu immunizations

Not everyone will have access to the vaccine straightaway Germany has begun mass immunizations to prevent the spread of swine flu, the A(H1N1) influenza virus. However, only people with certain ... Share and Enjoy:

Childhood vaccines at all-time high, but access not yet equitable

21 OCTOBER 2009 | WASHINGTON, DC | GENEVA – Reversing a downward trend, immunization rates are now at their highest ever and vaccine development worldwide is booming, according to ... Share and Enjoy:

H1N1 Swine Flu A National Emergency In The US

Last Friday, President Obama of the United States signed a national state of emergency declaration for H1N1 flu should normal capacity become overwhelmed, the declaration now clears the way for ... Share and Enjoy:

Infectious Disease Specialists Design New Rapid Flu Test

Every year, up to one in five Americans will get the flu. It’s not always easy to make an accurate diagnosis and as many as 90 percent of patients who ... Share and Enjoy:

Combo Treatment Best for Anxiety Disorder in Kids

For children with anxiety disorders, a combination of cognitive behavior therapy and the antidepressant sertraline (Zoloft) works better than either treatment alone, researchers report. Share and Enjoy: