Parents Daily News Roundup

Wednesday, October 31st, 2012

Videos Reduce Children’s Anxiety Prior to Surgery
Research has found that having children watch a video immediately prior to surgery can reduce their anxiety during anesthesia induction, the most stressful time for children throughout the perioperative process. (via Science Daily)

Homelessness, High Mobility Threaten Children’s Achievement
Children who are homeless or move frequently have chronically lower math and reading skills than other low-income students who don’t move as much. (via Science Daily)

Closing Schools During Flu Outbreaks May Lessen ER Visits
A new U.S. government study suggests that during a serious flu epidemic, closing schools can keep people – especially kids – out of the ER. (via Reuters)

Kids Who Smoke Menthol More Likely to Get Hooked
Kids who experiment with menthol cigarettes are more likely to become habitual smokers than their peers who start out with the regular variety, new research findings suggest. (via Reuters)

Overweight and Smoking During Pregnancy Boost Risk of Overweight Kids
Moms who carry too much weight and/or who smoke during pregnancy increase the risk of having overweight kids, indicates a systematic analysis of the available evidence published online in the Archives of Disease in Childhood. (via Science Daily)

Parents Daily News Roundup

Friday, April 27th, 2012

Lawyer: Autistic Boy’s Teacher Didn’t Call Him ‘Bastard’
The former teacher of an autistic boy allegedly mistreated by staff at a New Jersey school did not call him “a bastard” or make other harsh comments that were secretly recorded by the child’s father, her lawyer said in a statement.

Mexican Woman Pregnant With Nine Babies, Report Says
A Mexican woman is pregnant with nine babies – six girls and three boys – the country’s main broadcaster Televisa reported on Thursday night.

Missing Children in U.S. Nearly Always Make it Home Alive
Anxiety over two cases of missing children in the news this week – New York’s Etan Patz and Arizona’s Isabel Mercedes Celis – masks an encouraging development in the search for U.S. boys and girls who disappear: More than 99 percent now return home alive.

Can Addictive Behaviors Be Predicted in Preschool?
Children’s behavior at age 3 offers some surprising clues about their risk of developing addictive behaviors like problem gambling or drug misuse in their 30s, according to data from an ongoing study of nearly 1,000 people in New Zealand.

Colicky Babies May Be Having Early Migraines
Frequent, unexplained crying in infants, known as colic, may be an early sign of migraine headaches, a new study suggests.

Bullied Children at Greater Risk for Self-Harm
Children who are bullied are three times more likely than others to self-harm by the time they are 12 years old, according to a new study.

Parents Daily News Roundup

Monday, November 14th, 2011

Breast-Milk Shortage Hits Milk Banks; Tiniest Babies at Risk
Got milk? Human milk banks are experiencing an unprecedented breast-milk shortage, forcing them to turn away babies in need.

Doctors See Surge in Newborns Hooked on Mothers’ Pain Pills
Medical authorities are witnessing explosive growth in the number of newborn babies hooked on prescription painkillers, innocent victims of their mothers’ addictions.

Is Daylight Savings Time Making Kids Fat?
UK researchers from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and University College London reveal that not changing the clocks could give children more daylight time to play outside, which is crucial in fighting obesity.

Online Bullying Rampant Among Teens, Survey Finds
Twenty-five percent of teens on social media sites have had an experience that resulted in a face-to-face argument or confrontation with someone, according to a study by the Pew Internet and American Life Project, the Family Online Safety Institute and Cable in the Classroom.

Babies Put on Transplant List Before Birth Get Hearts Faster
Unborn babies diagnosed with severe heart problems who are put on the heart transplant list before birth get new hearts more quickly than babies listed after birth, according to a new study.

Daily News Roundup

Wednesday, June 29th, 2011

1 in 3 high schoolers who use drugs, alcohol, cigarettes are addicted
Nearly half of all U.S. high school students currently smoke, drink or use other drugs, and a third of users meets the medical criteria for addiction, according to a report out Wednesday. (MSNBC)

New Federal Baby Crib Standards in Effect
Citing 12 million crib recalls since 2007 and dozens of infant deaths related to crib accidents, Attorney General Lisa Madigan announced that “the toughest crib standards” in the world took effect this week.  Faulty hardware, breaking slats and dangerous drop-side design flaws in baby cribs have spurred the recalls over the years.  But Madigan says new standards will make the flaws a thing of the past.  “It’s taken too long for this day to come.  There are 32 infants who died in dangerous cribs that the Consumer Product Safety Commission confirmed died because of the flaws in these cribs.  That is far too many deaths,” said Madigan. (CBS)

Vaccines Protect the Youngest Babies
Two new studies offer good news for newborns and children about two different vaccinations — flu vaccine for pregnant women, and rotavirus vaccine for infants. (New York Times)

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