Kid's Health Articles & Stories

Children with poor coordination could be at higher risk of obesity later in life. The research published in the British Medical Journal found that youngsters who performed least well in tests assessing cognitive and physical function were far morely likely to be obese by age 33. Researchers examined test results from the on-going National Child Development Study involving more than 11,000 people since 1958.

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Though studies have linked secondhand smoke to death an illness, a new study suggests that very little is done by parents to protect their children. Appearing in the latest issue of the American Journal of Public Health, the study examined the smoking histories of the adults in the homes, exposures to secondhand smoke inside the house, around the community, and attitudes toward smoking. Researchers used air-sampling technology to examine nicotine levels in the homes and hair samples to measure individual levels of exposure in non-smoking women and children.

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A recent report by health provider BUPA has found that people's worries are damaging their health by causing sleepless nights, loss of sex drive, and erratic eating habits. The 2007 Worry Report demonstrates that almost one in five people constantly worry about numerous things, and more than half feel they worry more now than five years ago. Half of the people surveyed this year, which is 6% more than in 2006, claimed they were more worried about their health and their family's health than about other concerning issues such as climate change or terrorist attacks. The survey finds that almost three quarters of people worry, but around 19% admit to worrying all the time or about a number of things.

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Childhood obesity has become a major health problem in America. About 16% of children ages 11-17 are overweight, which can have a lifelong effect on health and self-image. The focus on childhood obesity tends to point to school activities and school lunches, but a recent study at Ohio State University found that the time when kids can gain the most weight is over the summer break. One of the best ways to keep kids healthy is to keep them active, but it isn't always easy to come up with new ways to get them moving - here are some starters:

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Each year, it is estimated that 8% of pregnant women in the US develop gestational diabetes, where hyperglycemia and insulin resistance develop as a result of pregnancy. The childhood obesity rate has doubled in the last two decades and it is estimated that 7 million overweight or obese children will grow into overweight or obese adults. A study in the September issue of Diabetes Care has found the risk of childhood obesity increases in line with the pregnant mother's blood sugar levels. The research team of Kaiser Permanent Center for Health Research analyzed records of nearly 9,500 mother-child pairs who were members of the organizations health plan through the years of 1995 and 2000. The evidence found that diabetes in pregnant women resulted in an 89 percent higher risk of the child becoming overweight and an 82 percent higher risk of the child becoming obese between the ages of 5 and 7 years.

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Moms-to-be, take your multi-vitamins. It's become widely accepted that mothers taking folic acid during pregnancy can help reduce the risk of several birth defects. But a new study at the University of Toronto finds a correlation between pre-natal multivitamins containing folic acid and the decreased risk of several pediatric cancers: leukemia, brain tumors, and neuroblastoma (a malignant tumor in nerve tissue). This report in Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics found that taking a multivitamin with folic acid before and during early pregnancy could reduce the risk of leukemia by 36%, childhood brain tumors by 27%, and neuroblastoma by 47%.

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Children with smoking parents may not be as healthy as they appear. A study presented at the American Thoracic Society International Conference shows that although children of smokers may not exhibit respiratory problems, they may still be suffering from damage to their airways. Some researchers claim that children of smokers are more likely to have respiratory problems such as puffing, wheezing, and cases of pneumonia. However it is unclear if there is impairment in children who have no respiratory complaints or diagnosed problems.

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Yoga may offer solutions for depression, anxiety and epilepsy. Reports from the World Health Organization and elsewhere estimate that mental illness comprises fifteen percent of the global disease burden. Depression and anxiety disorders contribute heavily to these numbers. One treatment approach is offered by various medications designed to stimulate the brain's primary inhibitory neuro transmitter, gamma-aminobutyric (or GABA) levels. Findings released by Boston University School of Medicine report that yoga may elevate these GABA levels in the brain and may provide a way to treat these disorders.

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New research reveals a critical period when a child is at risk of becoming obese. A study from Columbia University Medical Center found that during the ages of 1-3 years, children are at risk of gaining significant weight. The researchers reviewed growth charts of over 1,700 children in New York City between the ages of one through five. They found that the rate of being overweight increased significantly with each year of age, with the biggest gains between ages of one and three years.

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A new study shows that the month of conception may impact future academic achievement of children. Scientists at the Indiana University School of Medicine have observed a connection between academic progress and the time of year a child was conceived. Led by neonatologist Paul Winchester, researchers linked test scores found in the statewide testing programs to the month of conception. The results found that the math and language scores were the lowest for children who had been conceived in the months of June through August. [Astrologers may take note: although scientifically discounted, the practice of forecasting constitutional factors according to month of conception is an ancient empirical tradition in Ayurvedic and Chinese medicine]

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