Kids with emotional problems or ADHD can find the holidays a very challenging time, as all the routines that provide a sense of order are jumbled in a whirl of activities. The kids are home from school and restless, their parents are hauling them along to Christmas shopping and holiday gatherings, and they’re eating lots… read on > read on >
All Health and Wellness:
Candles, Trees, Pets: All Holiday Hazards for Kids With Asthma
Kids are home for the holidays, but the wonders of the season can pose problems for children with asthma. Sources of joy like Christmas trees, a Yule log burning or Grandma’s pet dog can all be unexpected asthma triggers, warns the American Lung Association. Parents should talk with their kid’s doctor about creating an asthma… read on > read on >
WHO Declares JN.1 a COVID Variant of Interest as It Spreads Widely
The new COVID variant known as JN.1 was named a “variant of interest” by the World Health Organization on Tuesday, which means health officials are now closely tracking its rapid spread across the globe. So far, the highly mutated variant has not been shown to trigger more severe illness than previous incarnations of the coronavirus.… read on > read on >
Depression, Anxiety Common in Caregivers of Stroke Survivors
Anxiety, depression and post-traumatic stress are common among people caring for the victim of a recent stroke, a new study has found. Nearly 30% of caregivers of severe stroke patients experience stress and emotional problems during the first year after the patient leaves the hospital, according to a report in the journal Neurology. “This research… read on > read on >
Childhood Trauma Could Raise Odds for Adult Physical Pain
Beyond a myriad of other consequences, childhood trauma appears to raise the specter of chronic pain in adulthood, new research shows. Researchers pored over 75 years’ worth of data involving more than 826,000 people. That included information on levels of neglect or physical, emotional or sexual abuse, plus other serious trauma of childhood. Their review… read on > read on >
‘Magic Mushroom’ Psilocybin Can Ease Depression in Cancer Patients: Study
Long left to the fringes of the recreational drug culture, psilocybin — the hallucinatory ingredient in “magic mushrooms” — has recently been making inroads as a legitimate (and fast-acting) antidepressant. Research published Dec. 18 in Cancer shows its benefits may extend to people battling cancer, who often experience the added burden of depression. “As an… read on > read on >
Brain Cell Insights Could Someday Lead to New Parkinson’s Treatments
Early research in mice could be getting closer to the roots of what causes Parkinson’s disease. A “pathological” form of a common brain protein, alpha-synuclein, could play a role in the death of dopamine-rich brain cells, according to a team at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore. It’s this steady loss of dopamine cells… read on > read on >
Experimental Drug Could Be Big Advance Against Kidney Disease
Early results from a trial of a new kidney disease medication show it significantly reduces levels of a urine marker of kidney damage. The experimental drug — called BI 690517 for now — cut levels of the liver protein albumin in the urine in half for patients with chronic kidney disease. Albumin levels in urine… read on > read on >
Cinnamon in Applesauce That Sickened Kids May Have Been Deliberately Tainted With Lead
Cinnamon used in applesauce pouches that have been tied to high lead levels in kids may have been deliberately tainted with the toxic element, a source at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration says. “We’re still in the midst of our investigation,” Jim Jones, the FDA’s deputy commissioner for human foods, told Politico. “But so… read on > read on >
Most U.S. Parents Plan to Vaccinate Kids Against Flu, RSV: Survey
Most parents plan to have their kids vaccinated against influenza and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), even as COVID-19 vaccine acceptance flags, a new poll finds. Seven in 10 parents (71%) plan to have their children get an RSV jab and six in 10 (63%) plan to get their kids the flu vaccine, according to poll… read on > read on >