02/16/16

Tuesday, February 16, 2016

Al Errato Mayo Clinic Highlights

From: Mayo Clinic http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_WOSIATh_I

Larvicide linked to microcephaly? Experts debunk claim

Health officials and independent scientists say there is no evidence to back "Zika cover-up" conspiracy theories

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/health-experts-dismiss-claims-larvicide-linked-to-microcephaly/

A Going-Out Guide for People With Diabetes

Whether you're on a dinner date or spending a night out with friends, WebMD knows that type 2 diabetes doesn't need to intrude like an unwanted guest.

From: http://www.webmd.com/diabetes/features/diabetes-dining-out?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Organic Milk, Meat Have Higher Nutrient Levels

Research suggests these products could boost intake of omega-3s, other healthy fatty acids

From: http://www.webmd.com/diet/20160216/organic-milk-and-meat-have-higher-nutrient-levels-study?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Starting your baby on solids? Here are three new things I tell parents to do

Follow me at @drClaire

All pediatricians have certain “speeches” they can do in their sleep — like the safe sleep speech, the potty-training speech, the healthy diet speech, or the speeches for managing fever, common colds, or vomiting and diarrhea. But research over the past few years has changed one of those speeches: the speech about starting solid foods.

I still say the same things about waiting until at least age 4 months to start (closer to 6 months is likely better, especially if baby is getting breast milk), and about not starting two new foods at a time (so as to know the culprit should baby get constipated or a rash). But now, there are three big changes to what I will say:

Don’t give rice cereal. Rice cereal used to be my go-to starting food. It’s mild and babies usually like it, and you can add breast milk or formula until you get to a consistency that works well for babies new to the concept of food on a spoon. But then the Consumer Products Safety Commission came out with a report raising concern about the amount of arsenic that may be in rice and rice products (the rice plant is very good at pulling arsenic out of the soil, where it is often found because of arsenic-containing pesticide use). Arsenic can cause all sorts of problems, including an increased risk of cancer. The report said that babies who get two servings of rice cereal a day could double their cancer risk over a lifetime. Given that there are other kinds of cereal (like oatmeal), there is simply no reason to take that risk.
Do give peanut products. This is a real turn-around. For years, we told parents not to give peanut butter or any peanut products until children were two or three years old, for fear of causing an allergic reaction. It turns out that we had it entirely backwards; a recent study showed that giving peanut products early can actually prevent peanut allergy. Of course, parents should talk to their baby’s doctor before giving peanut products if there is a family history of peanut allergy or if their baby might be at higher risk of food allergies for another reason (like having bad eczema or other allergic symptoms). You should also never give whole peanuts or chunky peanut butter. But some smooth peanut butter on a cracker, or foods that contain peanut, should be one of baby’s early foods.
Make fish part of your child’s diet. And your whole family’s diet, too. I never used to talk about fish as a first food, but now I do. It’s full of important nutrients — and a study from Sweden showed that children who ate fish during infancy cut their risk of allergies by 25%. The researchers followed the babies in the study until they were 12 years old, and that reduction in risk was still there — with just two fish meals a month! We do worry about the level of mercury in fish, but two servings a week is fine, especially if you stick to fish that tends to be lower in mercury, such as tilapia, catfish, or cod.

Those are the three things I make sure all families do now. There is one other thing I tell families to at least consider:

Skip the spoon and let baby feed himself. In baby-led weaning, parents and caregivers wait until the baby can hold food and feed himself (of course, it’s really important not to give anything the baby could choke on, and to closely supervise all meals and snacks). Doing things this way has three advantages: It puts off feeding until the baby is really ready (as opposed to when the parents are ready). It puts the baby in charge of how much he eats (a study from New Zealand found that this kind of feeding decreased the risk of obesity). It also brings baby to the table and encourages family meals, and family meals are good for the health, development, and behavior of children as they grow.

Every baby and every family is different, and there are lots of circumstances that might change your pediatrician’s advice for your child. Be sure to talk to your doctor to get the best advice for you.

The post Starting your baby on solids? Here are three new things I tell parents to do appeared first on Harvard Health Blog.

From: Claire McCarthy, MD http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/starting-your-baby-on-solids-the-three-new-things-i-tell-parents-to-do-201602169227

Statement from Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack on Research Showing Significant Improvement in Efficiency of Ethanol Production and Other Trends

WASHINGTON, Feb. 16, 2016 – Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today released a statement on two recent research reports supported by USDA focused on ethanol and other renewable fuels, one published by USDA's Office of the Chief Economist and another published by the University of Missouri:

From: http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/usdahome?contentid=2016/02/0046.xml&contentidonly=true

Zika virus and pregnancy: What women need to know

The mosquito-borne illness is spreading rapidly and may pose a serious risk to unborn babies

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/zika-virus-and-pregnancy-what-women-need-to-know/

Guillain-Barre Syndrome and Zika: Is There a Connection?

From: Mayo Clinic http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_PstprpN_Tc

College Students Misusing ADHD Med as Study Aid

Nonmedical use of Adderall and ER visits are up, study says

From: http://www.webmd.com/mental-health/addiction/news/20160216/more-college-students-misusing-adhd-med-as-study-aid?src=RSS_PUBLIC

TK

From: http://www.webmd.com/diet/quick-breakfasts?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Can My Dentist Help Me With My Diabetes?

When you have diabetes, it can affect your whole body – even your teeth and gums. A dentist explains the link on WebMD.

From: http://www.webmd.com/diabetes/features/dentist-qa?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Cholesterol in Eggs May Not Hurt Heart Health: Study

Research also finds other dietary cholesterol doesn't appear to up heart disease risk

From: http://www.webmd.com/heart/news/20160216/cholesterol-in-eggs-may-not-hurt-heart-health-study?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Panel Undecided on Screening All Kids for Autism

U.S. Preventive Services Task Force says more data needed to say yes or no to universal testing

From: http://www.webmd.com/brain/autism/news/20160216/panel-undecided-on-screening-all-kids-for-autism?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Genetically Modified Mosquitoes to Fight Zika?

News comes day after WHO declared pathogen a

The goal: Sterile males would mate with females that carry the germ suspected of causing birth defects

From: http://www.webmd.com/news/20160216/in-fight-against-zika-virus-officials-consider-genetically-modified-mosquitoes?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Stress & the Heart – What You Need to Know - Mayo Clinic

From: Mayo Clinic http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1QZthtqLxu4

Mother of preemie who returned home: "I never doubted"

E'layah Pegue's family is celebrating a medical marvel, with their daughter becoming one of the smallest babies ever born who survived

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/north-carolina-premature-baby-elayah-pegues-medical-miracle-goes-home/

Adderall misuse rising among young adults

Study finds more young adults are winding up in the emergency room for misusing popular ADHD drug

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/adderall-misuse-rising-among-young-adults/

Genetically modified mosquitoes win support in Zika fight

World Health Organization says controversial method may be needed to help stop spread of disease

From: http://www.cbsnews.com/news/genetically-modified-mosquitoes-zika-virus-fight/

Why Are ADHD Medicines Controlled Substances?

Many ADHD drugs are closely regulated. WebMD tells you what that means -- and how it affects your prescription.

From: http://www.webmd.com/add-adhd/features/adhd-medicines-controlled-substances?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Acupuncture May Help Ease Fibromyalgia Pain

Alternative therapy combined with medication appears safe and effective, expert says

From: http://www.webmd.com/fibromyalgia/news/20160215/acupuncture-may-help-ease-fibromyalgia-pain-study-finds?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Penalty, Not Reward, May Get Workers Healthier

Monetary penalties beat rewards in motivating workers to get healthier, study finds

From: http://www.webmd.com/balance/news/20160215/sticks-not-carrots-may-work-best-to-boost-employees-health?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Anemia Drugs and Kidney Patients' Well-Being

Review of 17 clinical trials finds no evidence that certain costly meds improve patients' quality of life

From: http://www.webmd.com/news/20160215/anemia-drugs-may-not-boost-kidney-patients-well-being-study?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Lots of Fish in Pregnancy and Kids' Obesity Risk

Study couldn't determine what's causing the link, but certain toxins, such as mercury, may be to blame

From: http://www.webmd.com/baby/news/20160215/lots-of-fish-in-pregnancy-tied-to-higher-obesity-risk-in-kids?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Widely Used Heartburn Drugs Tied to Dementia Risk

Research finds association among users over age 75, but can't prove the medications cause memory problems

From: http://www.webmd.com/alzheimers/news/20160215/widely-used-heartburn-drugs-linked-to-dementia-risk-in-study?src=RSS_PUBLIC

New Weight-Loss Surgery May Be Less Risky, Costly

But, at least one expert isn't sure about long-term success of procedure

From: http://www.webmd.com/diet/obesity/20160215/new-type-of-weight-loss-surgery-may-be-less-risky-cheaper?src=RSS_PUBLIC

USDA Proposes Policies to Improve Food Access, Healthy Choices for Low-income Americans

WASHINGTON, Feb. 16, 2016 – U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Under Secretary for Food, Nutrition and Consumer Services Kevin Concannon today announced a proposed rule designed to provide Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participants increased access to healthy foods by requiring stores that accept SNAP to stock a wider array of food choices.

From: http://www.usda.gov/wps/portal/usda/usdahome?contentid=2016/02/0045.xml&contentidonly=true

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