Diseases & Conditions
Fast-Food Fallout
Does stopping by a fast food restaurant a few times a week with your kids really make a difference in their health? A major long-term study has found a strong association between eating fast food more…
Autism and Inflammation
Autism and related conditions continue to become more common. Autism is the fastest growing developmental disability, increasing in frequency by more than 10 percent each year; this makes finding its …
Airplanes, Oxygen, and Children
In just a few hours, I will be boarding another airplane. Typically, commercial airplanes fly at an altitude of about 38,000 feet. The cabin is pressurized to make it safe and comfortable at that extr…
Help for OCD
At moments of stress, such as getting ready for bed or for school, some kids feel the need to touch certain objects, say certain words, or to wash and wash their hands. Some children have an overwhelm…
Chubby Average Predicts Disaster
When my wife and I were born, American teenage girls, aged 12 to 17, weighed an average of 118 pounds. Some weighed more and some weighed less. Today, the average has swollen to 130 pounds. And teenag…
Dad and Mom Prevent High Blood Pressure Together
High blood pressure, which used to be a disease of middle age, is becoming more common in children. Once a child has high blood pressure, unless there are significant lifestyle changes, the high blood…
Mild Flu Year?!?
It's too soon to say for sure, but early signs suggest that this year may be a mild flu season in the United States - despite the fear frenzy the flu vaccine shortage has fueled. Here's the first clue…
Mercury Free versus No Added Mercury
A concerned father recently contacted me about the no-added-mercury flu vaccine. He had called the manufacturers who admitted that there were still trace amounts of mercury in the vaccine. He wanted t…
Her Ears Are Different!
Babies hear dramatically different things in their two different ears, according to a startling study published in the September 10, 2004 Science. This could change our understanding of the fundamenta…
Can you leave the light on?
Dr. Greene's take on leaving the light on at night... Is it dangerous for kids to sleep with the light on? Lots of interesting news has been coming out of the 2004 Children with Leukemia conference in…
Common Fumes Cause Asthma?
Could it be that how you clean or how you decorate your home might influence whether your child develops asthma? Could the smell of new wall-to-wall carpets be linked to asthma risk? A provocative stu…
A Simple Home Test for Asperger’s?
People with Asperger's Syndrome (AS) have a normal IQ, and may be unusually talented in a specific area. Nevertheless they may have a tough time 'fitting in' because of an inability to read social cue…
Real versus Fake Acupuncture for CP
Parents are sometimes frustrated or disappointed by treatments for their children with cerebral palsy. Eager for anything that might bring improvement in this chronic condition, parents often turn to …
Simple Syrup NF to Quiet Coughs?!?
I've seen several headlines trumpeting that over-the-counter cough syrups are no more effective than water. The headlines are based on a study performed at the Pennsylvania State College of Medicine a…
Who Should Get Antibiotics for Ear Infections?
The consensus, evidence-based 2004 guidelines recommend that children under 6 months of age with red hot ear infections should be treated with antibiotics for 10 days and pain relief for at least the …
Drugs for Children who Need Them
Pediatricians who treat cancer are poised to petition the World Health Organization to add leukemia medicines for children to the WHO essential drugs list, according to a February 16, 2004 report to t…
A Glucose Watch at Camp
Dr. Greene shares some news on a glucose watch tested out on kids at a diabetes camp... Kids at a diabetes camp got to sample the future as they tried out a diabetes camp. After a day of fun activitie…
Echinacea and Colds in Children
In the U.S., more than $300 million are spent each year on echinacea, mostly in an attempt to treat and prevent the common cold. Colds are especially common in children, who average 3 to 8 colds a yea…
A Permanent Cure for Diabetes?
The cover of the November 14, 2003 Science features a stunning photograph of earth from space, as seen from Apollo 17 in 1972. It boasts the bold headline, 'State of the Planet.. Inside is a landmark …
Keeping Kids Out of Hospitals
Up to 46 percent of the times that kids wind up admitted to a hospital, it could have been easily prevented, according to a study in the November 2003 Pediatrics. The researchers followed hundreds of …