Is your baby’s stuffy nose and cough just a cold or something more serious? It could be respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), the leading cause of infant hospitalization in the United States, experts say. RSV causes symptoms similar to those of other viruses, including stuffy or runny nose, fever, coughing, sneezing, loss of appetite and irritability.… read on >
Teens with friends are active teens, a new study suggests. “You can build beautiful parks and facilities; but if children don’t have friends to play with, these facilities won’t be enough to increase their physical activity,” said study lead author Sarah-Jeanne Salvy. “Peers and friends are the catalyst of the physical environment,” Salvy added. She… read on >
People with desk jobs want to move more, a new study suggests. “To our knowledge, this is the first study to investigate how long desk-based workers actually want to sit, stand, walk and be physically active,” said study lead author Birgit Sperlich. She’s a postdoctoral researcher at German Sport University Cologne. Sperlich and her colleagues… read on >
Boys tend to pay more attention in school when there are girls around, and new research suggests it’s not just about how the girls look. The study found that young men got better reading marks in school when they were outnumbered by young women in the classroom. Researchers reviewed the reading test scores of more… read on >
Satisfying a sweet tooth can be tricky when you’re trying to reach or maintain an ideal weight. You want to enjoy dessert without racking up fat and calories or triggering the urge to overeat. All healthy lifestyle diets stress fruit for dessert, but grapes and bananas can get boring fast. Add pizzazz to your fruit-picking… read on >
Here’s to keeping your health on a tight leash: New research suggests that having a dog might boost a single person’s life span. The study tracked more than 3.4 million Swedes, middle-aged and older, for 12 years. All were free of heart disease at the beginning of the study. The researchers reported that dog owners… read on >
Despite a long and illustrious pro baseball career, Tommy John is more famous as the source of the name for a surgical procedure than for the nearly 300 games the left-handed pitcher won. But Dr. Tommy John — who shares his dad’s name and played pro ball himself — is determined to change that. He’s… read on >
The joyous holidays may end up being a nightmare if a child gets hurt during the festivities. The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests how to keep little ones safe: Clean up immediately after a holiday party. A toddler could choke on leftover food or come in contact with alcohol or tobacco. Keep in mind that… read on >
Getting a pet can improve not only your emotional outlook but your physical health as well, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says. The CDC says furry companions have been shown to trigger these health improvements: Decreased blood pressure. Decreased cholesterol. Decreased triglycerides. Reduced feelings of loneliness. Greater exposure to social activities and… read on >
Before you let your parental frustration get the better of you, a new study suggests you should refrain from spanking your misbehaving youngster. Researchers analyzed data from more than 12,000 children in the United States and found that those who had been spanked by their parents at age 5 had more behavior problems at ages… read on >
