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 >
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 >
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 >
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 >
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 >
Aerosol products are found in every household but can be potential killers, doctors warn. Highlighting the dangers posed by “huffing,” Dutch physicians outline the tragic case of a 19-year-old who died after inhaling spray deodorant to get high. The teenager, who’d been in a residential drug rehabilitation program, died of cardiac arrest soon after, according… read on >
The new movie “Boy Erased”– about a gay teen’s ordeal when forced to attend a “conversion therapy” program — is shining a spotlight on a treatment deemed bogus and harmful by most experts. And new research shows the key role parents often play in efforts to change an LGBT child’s sexual orientation. The first-of-its-kind study,… read on >
Coffee’s bitter taste shouldn’t be a selling point. But a genetic variant explains why so many people love the brew, a new study suggests. Bitterness evolved as a natural warning system to protect people from harmful substances. That means they should want to spit out coffee, the researchers said. But their study of more than… read on >
Obesity in the teen years may increase the risk of developing deadly pancreatic cancer in adulthood, researchers report. The odds for this rare cancer can quadruple due to obesity, the Israeli research team found. Moreover, the risk rises as weight increases, even affecting men in the high normal weight range. “It’s been known for some… read on >
Twenty percent of homicides of U.S. children ages 2 to 14 years are related to intimate partner violence, a new study indicates. That’s double the rate in the National Violent Death Reporting System, according to Harvard School of Public Health researchers. For the study, the researchers analyzed data on nearly 1,400 children in 16 states… read on >
