Medicine.org - Children's Health

Baby Bottles Made With BPA May Pose Health Risks to Children - Wal-Mart and Toys R Us Stop Selling Bottles with Bisphenol A

Thu, 01 May 2008 00:00:00 -0400

Bisphenol A (BPA), the chemical used to make clear plastic hard and shatterproof, is commonly used in many baby bottles and reusable water bottles. The newest information indicates that the chemical could pose health risks to humans.

The U.S. National Toxicology Program has concluded that "there is some concern for neural and behavioral effects in fetuses, infants, and children at current human exposures," and that there is "some concern for bisphenol A exposure in these populations based on effects in the prostate gland, mammary gland, and an earlier age for puberty in females."

American Heart Association (AHA) Recommends Heart Screening For Children before taking ADHD Drugs like Ritalin

Mon, 05 May 2008 23:09:36 -0400

According to a new recommendation from the American Heart Association, children who have been diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), also known as Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD), should be screened for heart problems with an electrocardiogram (EKG) before they are prescribed drugs such as Ritalin.

Drugs used to treat ADHD are stimulants, having the potential to increase both heart rate and blood pressure. In children with heart conditions, ADHD drugs could potentially make them more vulnerable to cardiac arrest and other heart problems. A Food and Drug Administration review of its own FDA databases found reports of 19 sudden deaths in children treated with ADHD drugs and 26 reports of other problems including strokes and rapid heart rates between 1999 and 2003.

The Cleveland Clinic estimates that the annual rate of sudden cardiac deaths among the approximately 2.5 million children in the US who take medication for ADHD is approximately one to two children per 100,000.

Prior to prescribing ADHD medication, the AHA now recommends that doctors screen children for any personal or family history of heart problems, and perform a thorough heart exam including an EKG. The AHA also recommends testing for children already taking ADHD drugs. Such testing can help identify any previously undiagnosed heart issues and detect abnormal heart rhythms that may lead to a sudden heart attack.

ADHD medications now have labels to warn patients of the possible risks to individuals who have heart defects or other heart problems.

Questions your doctor should ask in a heart screening exam:

Has your child ever fainted during exercise or similar physical activity?

Are You A Smoker? Take 20 Years Off Your Life Span

Mon, 12 Nov 2007 16:08:52 -0500

It is estimated that smokers take at least 20 years off their life span. Although, cigarette smoking has decreased, it is still prevalent in our American Society. Very sad is that fact that 4000 children start smoking every day, and 1000 of them will go on to become life time smokers. Cancer is one of a myriad of diseases which smoking causes, and contributes to a higher death rate.

• Cigarette smoking causes 87 percent of lung cancer deaths and is responsible for most cancers of the larynx, oral cavity and pharynx, esophagus, and bladder.

Are Supplements Safe?

Mon, 12 Nov 2007 15:45:11 -0500

Today’s Health Craze is good. Hopefully, it is a fad that turns into a lifestyle for most of us. But along with our new found interest in diet and exercise, we have renewed interest in what supplements can we take to make us even healthier. Therefore, one should have knowledge about their use and safety prior to purchase.

The need for dietary supplements

Because many products are marketed as dietary supplements, it is important to remember that supplements include vitamins and minerals, as well as herbs, botanicals and other substances.

Deprivation and Dieting

Sat, 10 Nov 2007 10:27:51 -0500

Deprivation feeds desire and leads to over-indulgence in the future. This should be a ‘motto’ (or an epitaph) on everyone’s refrigerator. It is a fact. Years of research have born out that a main reason for diets not working is the deprivation one feels during this ‘restricted semi-fast’. So, if you have always loved potato chips; you occasionally should have a small amount of chips.

Drugs Are Pleasureable vs Drugs Are Deadly

Sat, 10 Nov 2007 10:20:53 -0500

No doubt about it; drugs of abuse give us pleasure! Why else would we continue to dangerous drugs into our system which might kill us? That’s how potent the pleasure response is, when it overcomes are very need for survival.

Effects of Drugs of Abuse on the Brain

Pleasure, which scientists call reward, is a very powerful biological force for our survival. If you do something pleasurable, the brain is wired in such a way that you tend to do it again. Life sustaining activities, such as eating, activate a circuit of specialized nerve cells devoted to producing and regulating pleasure. One important set of these nerve cells, which uses a chemical neurotransmitter called dopamine, sits at the very top of the brainstem in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) (Figure 6). These dopamine-containing neurons relay messages about pleasure through their nerve fibers to nerve cells in a limbic system structure called the nucleus accumbens. Still other fibers reach to a related part of the frontal region of the cerebral cortex. So, the pleasure circuit, which is known as the mesolimbic dopamine system, spans the survival- oriented brainstem, the emotional limbic system, and the frontal cerebral cortex.

Club Drugs: Date Rape Drug Kills Children

Sat, 10 Nov 2007 10:09:13 -0500

All night dance parties have been around for generations; witness the marathon dancing of the Depression years. Today, all night dance parties are known as ‘raves’ or ‘trances’. It is not uncommon in some of these dance parties or bars known as clubs, for drugs to be used to allegedly enhance the experience. These drugs, for lack of imagination on the users part, are known as “Club Drugs’. Ecstasy, GHB, benzodiazepines, methamphetamine, or LSD are some of the drugs used at these parties. When used in combination with alcohol, all of them can be deadly. Two drugs, in particular, will be reviewed in this article which are ‘outlawed’ in all 50 States, and are commonly referred to as ‘date-rape’ drugs.

Can Being Overweight Be Healthy for You?

Thu, 08 Nov 2007 20:56:48 -0500

Physicians, Scientists and Other Health Care Professionals charged into the emotional fires which were initiated when the prestigious Centers for Disease Control stated being overweight was good for your health. Americans have been bombarded with fears that the increasing rates of obesity or overweight raised the risk of many diseases and health conditions, including the following:

• Hypertension

Lead Poisoning Is Still a Reality for Many American Citizens

Thu, 08 Nov 2007 20:51:33 -0500

Lead Poisoning is still a reality for many American citizens. Children, particularly those younger than 5, are especially vulnerable. What makes lead poisoning so alarming is no symptoms present themselves, no cues, such as sight or smell detect the substance, and even dirt and dust which are omnipresent may contain lead. Additionally, once lead is ingested it may remain in one’s body for years, and in the case of bones (where it prefers to reside) may last for decades What is a parent to do? Is there anything a parent can do?

Be Careful with Folk Medicines: They May Contain Lead

Thu, 08 Nov 2007 20:45:15 -0500

Your latest friend from India gives her child a ‘very effective’ Indian herb when they have a slight tummy ache. It has been used for centuries in her country, and has been very helpful in soothing the stressed infant. She offers you some, when you discuss your own baby’s colic. This may be the god-sent you have been waiting for! Should you take it? Read the following, and then make a decision.

Lead: Toys May Be Dangerous

Thu, 08 Nov 2007 20:41:19 -0500

Toys from imported countries have been recalled after lead exposure became a concern. However, imported countries are not the only source of lead based toys: antique or toys from the parent’s childhood, as well as collectables pose a significant risk also. While the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) issues recalls of toys that could potentially expose children to lead; only the parent is aware of home sources of toys which are also dangerous.

Lead Toxicity with Children

Thu, 08 Nov 2007 20:34:57 -0500

Children exposed to lead are at high risk for cognitive, motor, behavioral, and physical disabilities. The CDC has established a toxic dose for children at greater than 10 ug/dl. Exposure below 10 ug/dl. is still undetermined, and therefore, equally unhealthy. Although children are at greatest risk for neurological damage, all ages are adversely impacted.

Once levels rise above 10 ug/dl, it can take months, even years to rid the body of lead. This inordinate amount of time includes the children we medically intervene with to reduce toxic levels. What is especially disarming is that lead is not distributed within the body evenly; 70% of lead resides in the bone and it might be decades before bone levels decrease to normal.

Toxic Sugar and the Holidays

Wed, 07 Nov 2007 15:59:28 -0500

With all the Holidays right around the corner, it is time to watch your sugar intake. If you don’t, you will regret it Mid-January.
Sugar not only increases ones weight exponentially, it also takes its toll on almost every body system. Cavities, high cholesterol, obesity (with all the diseases associated with being fat), bone loss and fractures are all areas adversely impacted by one’s excessive intake of sugar. .

Have a Healthy Happy Thanksgiving

Wed, 07 Nov 2007 15:48:00 -0500

It’s difficult to worry too much about food at Thanksgiving; as this traditionally has been a day of food excess (when else would you have more than one vegetable dish at a setting?). Most people gain 1-2 pounds over Thanksgiving, and most of it caused by an increase in fat intake. All those delicious veggie dishes come laden with fattening sauces, coatings, and added ingredients. Turkey, like any fowl, has all the fat directly under the skin. Mashed potatoes, even sweet potatoes are made with heavy creams and other goodies made especially for our grand feast. Last, but not least, are the delicious, but fattening, desserts. The smells alone on Thanksgiving are enough to put a few pounds on all of us. What is a person to do? Is there any hope? Or should we just give in to the inevitable, and maybe exercise more than we usually do?

Acetaminophen Overdoses

Tue, 06 Nov 2007 11:13:06 -0500

Your liver is one of the most important organs in your body, and the largest in your abdomen. Its reddish color is due to its ability to contain a pint of blood at any one time. Every time we eat, breathe, drink or absorb anything, the liver is responsible for detoxifying, integrating, secreting, storing, digesting and many other processes to provide a homeostasis or balance to the rest of your body.