Teen
Internet Sexual Solicitation
Dr. Greene's take on Internet sexual solicitation... Talk with your children. Many children who use the Internet are the targets of unwanted sexual advances. According to a study published in the June…
Weight Lifting for Kids – Safe? Effective?
My 14-year-old son is gearing up for freshman high school football in the fall. Team weight lifting starts next week. Is it healthy? Can this stunt long-term growth? (more…)…
Children with Asthma Miss Out
We know what to do, but we are not doing it! Asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease of the lungs. Inflammation can cause ongoing damage. Albuterol helps children breath better for the moment, but do…
Ecstasy and Memory Loss
Dr. Greene's take on ecstasy... Those who often use this drug can lose their ability to form new memories, according to a study in the April 10, 2001 issue of Neurology. Participants in the year-long …
Children, Exercise and Parks
We are raising the most sedentary generation of children in human history. However, a study published in the April 2001 issue of the American Journal of Public Health offers real, practical hope. Chil…
Eating Disorders in Teens
Nearly one sixth of high school boys and one third of high school girls show some of the symptoms of an eating disorder, according to a presentation at the 2001 annual meeting of The Society for Adole…
Education Saves Lives
Motor vehicle crashes are the most common cause of untimely funerals for 15 to 20 year olds. Almost 30% of the teen drivers killed had been drinking. Can anything really change these statistics? (more…
School Start Times
In most school districts across the United States, the buses begin rounding up high school students very early in the morning and then make a later trip for the start of elementary school. (more&helli…
Bidis and Clove Cigarettes
Bidi cigarettes, sometimes called kretek or clove cigarettes (although the different names have their own specific meanings), have increased in popularity more than 400% in the last few years. In my a…
Prevent Meningitis
One evening a child has a high fever, a severe headache, and a stiff neck. It might be just the flu -- or it might be meningococcal meningitis. This devastating disease, though still uncommon, has bee…
Ecstasy Use in Children Doubles
Teenage marijuana use has decreased slightly for three years running (after peaking at 44% who had used the drug at least once in 1997). According to the 2000 annual report of the Partnership for a Dr…
The Lunch of Champions?
No, once again, breakfast emerges as the most important meal for parents to focus on with their kids. Many children (and adults) still skip breakfast. (more…)…
Health-Hop Music
Music is a key to the inner world of children. It's also a great way to teach adolescents (and younger children) about health and social responsibility. Between the ages of 13 and 18, the average teen…
Teen Immunization
Data collected by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) points to a growing problem: an estimated 35 million teens, in the United States alone, are missing one or more doses of childhoo…
Dangers of Parental Smoking
Dr. Greene's take on parental smoking... (hint: don't do it!) A study in the August 2000 issue of the Archives of Disease in Childhood found that parents who smoke increase the risk of meningococcal m…
Sports and Head Injuries
We know that repeated head injuries can lead to long-term neurologic damage. What happens when kids play football or hockey? (more…)…
Benefits of Exercise
Exercise during the teenage years may be one of the most important ways to prevent osteoporosis. (more…)…
Iron Deficiency Worsens School Performance
Teen girls who have low iron are more than twice as likely to score below average in mathematics achievement tests than similar girls with normal iron status -- even if they have no signs of anemia. T…
Driving and Teens
Dr. Greene's take on teenage driving... Teenage driving is a dangerous proposition, with fatal collisions the leading cause of death in 15-19 year olds. But getting teens together in a car multiplies …
Teen Obesity Reaching Epidemic Proportions!
Obesity among teens has become a major epidemic. More teens are overweight now than at any time in history. A January 2000 report to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) identified the…