If you’re a pot-smoking parent and you think your kids aren’t affected, think again. New research found evidence of secondhand marijuana smoke exposure in nearly half of children whose parents smoke the drug. “While the effects of tobacco smoke have been studied extensively, we are still learning about marijuana exposure,” said researcher Dr. Karen Wilson,… read on >
Almost 8 percent of American children have food allergies, and 1 in 5 of those kids suffers an allergic reaction severe enough to wind up in the hospital, a new study finds. “Childhood food allergies are relatively common and should be taken seriously, with 1 in 5 having a reaction that takes them to the… read on >
People with peanut allergy can protect themselves from an allergic reaction by consuming a small amount of peanut powder every day, a new study suggests. The “breakthrough” findings mean this new treatment is ready for review by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the researchers added. “We’re excited about the potential to help children and… read on >
Chemotherapy may damage the cells that make hair and cause it to fall out, the National Cancer Institute says. Hair loss may begin two weeks to three weeks after starting chemotherapy, the agency says. Before hair begins to fall out, consider shaving your head, getting a wig or wearing a hat or scarf, the institute… read on >
If your kid is highly skilled at hockey but wants to try basketball, new research suggests you shouldn’t worry about whether that might cost your child a college scholarship. Researchers surveyed 91 professional and collegiate ice hockey players and found they tended to play multiple sports as children, and only started to focus solely on… read on >
Your EpiPen will still work after being frozen, researchers report. The epinephrine auto-injector can be lifesaving in cases of severe allergic reaction, and millions of Americans carry the devices. In this study, researchers “took 104 same-lot pairs of [EpiPens] and froze one of each pair for 24 hours, while the other was kept at recommended… read on >
The “hygiene hypothesis” holds that early exposure to a variety of microorganisms may decrease the risk for chronic inflammatory diseases, like asthma. Two Swedish studies that tracked 650,000 children found that exposure to farm animals and even dogs can have this kind of beneficial effect. Living on a farm cut kids’ asthma rate by half.… read on >
Milk allergy affects more than half of American infants who have food allergies in their first year of life, a new study finds. However, study lead author Christopher Warren said, “Our findings suggest that while milk allergy is relatively common during infancy, many children are likely to outgrow their milk allergies. “We observed that while… read on >
When you have serious food allergies, eating at a restaurant can literally mean risking your life. But new research suggests you can take steps to protect yourself when dining out. In fact, the more steps you take to protect yourself from exposure to the allergic substance, the less likely you are to have an allergic… read on >
When vocal cords become inflamed, it is more difficult to speak and the voice could sound hoarse, the Nemours Foundation says. The voice is produced by the processes of lengthening, shortening, tensing and relaxing the vocal cords. Laryngitis may be triggered by speaking or singing loudly, or by excess stomach acid that backs up into… read on >
