Teen
Fast Facts about Diabetes
A fasting blood sugar at or above 126 mg/dL or a random blood sugar at or above 200 mg/dL is diagnostic of diabetes, according to the official American Diabetes Association definition. (more…)…
Television Drama Highlights Dangers of Huffing
I've learned that on 11/29/99, the popular television show 7th Heaven (WB, 8:00 to 9:00 p.m., PST) will use drama to teach about huffing, the common, dangerous, and hidden drug abuse epidemic. I urge …
Teens are getting the message
Teens are getting the message. Not long ago, even teens that never used drugs felt that most of the cool kids did. The 12th annual survey conducted by Partnership for a Drug-Free America, released Nov…
Osteoporosis is a Pediatric Disease!
As I watched a hunched, elderly woman shuffle down the street, I was reminded that osteoporosis is a pediatric problem. It is during childhood that calcium intake determines not only whether children …
They Can Die With the First Try
October is Child Health Month, and in 1999, the American Academy of Pediatrics' focused on educating parents and children about huffing - the dangerous practice of inhaling fumes (aerosols, glues, pai…
Preteens Start Smoking to Control Weight
A poignant report out of Harvard Medical School appeared in the October 1999 issue of Pediatrics. Girls and boys as young as 9 years old take up smoking in an attempt to lose weight. (more…)…
Beltless on the Bus!
This morning I watched a school bus full of children stop suddenly. Because it was a school bus, the kids were not wearing seat belts. Should this be changed? The National Transportation Safety Board …
This is Your Brain As a Teen – Brain Sculpture 101
Startling evidence has changed the way we think about adolescence. We previously thought that the most significant brain growth happens before age 3. Now we know that there is a "brain spurt" just bef…
Carbon Monoxide Poisoning
You can't see it. You can't smell it. You can't taste it. You can't feel it. But it is responsible for more poisoning deaths in the United States each year than anything but heroin. What is it? (more&…
Do Bike Helmets Work?
When children topple off a bike, helmets can save their brains -- cutting the risk of head injury by 80%. But some helmeted children still get brain damage. Why? One study has found that those who wea…
Is It Empty Nest Time At Your House?
When your child first packs up and heads off for college, it is a bittersweet moment. How horrible if meningitis were to make the separation permanent. College students get meningitis 2.6 times more o…
Could Childhood Obesity be a Genetic Disorder? Yes!
The July issue of Pediatrics reports convincing evidence (from an investigation of twins growing up in different environments) that up to 80% of the variation in body fat between children is genetic a…
Fast Facts about Huffing
"Huffing," or inhaling volatile substances, is becoming increasingly popular among children, especially among 12- to 14-year-olds (Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, 1998;152(8):781--786).…
Helping Kids Eat Smart
Encourage your children's teachers to teach the class at least a little about good nutrition at the beginning of each year. If eating well is confirmed by this outside authority and is tied in with su…
Healthy Eating, Part IV – Motivators for school age children and adolescents
During school years, the phenomenon of peer pressure begins to become a very powerful force. Children see what's packed in each other's lunches. And, yes, it's not unusual for your darling to trade th…
Fast Facts about Pertussis
Pertussis is commonly known as whooping cough. Pertussis is caused by bacteria that attach themselves to the cilia (little hairs) that line the respiratory tract. These bacteria produce a potent toxin…
Fast Facts about the Chickenpox Vaccine
Chicken pox is caused by the Varicella-zoster virus. It is usually a mild infection, and not life-threatening. Although children with this virus may be miserable for several days, and miss a week of s…
Fast Facts about Bed Wetting
Contrary to popular opinion, bed wetting is a very common problem. It affects somewhere between five and six million children. (more…)…