The Nature of Nurture

The Science of Believing in Santa

2008-12-15T23:05:00.005-05:00

Ho ho, here's the study of the week: What can science tell us about belief in Santa, and how it affects our kids? Find out. Also...Remember how I said to go ahead and have that sip of wine? Well, another study says not so fast.Genetic testing for ... prowess on the football field? "Snake oil," says one expert.This week's food allergy article, courtesy of the Gray Lady. There's some fascinating

This is Your Brain on Poverty (And More Stories)

2008-12-08T21:40:00.000-05:00

I'm trying the weekly digest format this week. This is striking: A new study shows that brains of high-income children function differently than those of low-income children. So differently, in fact, that for the poorer kids, according to one psychologist, "it is a similar pattern to what's seen in patients with strokes that have led to lesions in their prefrontal cortex"--prefrontal cortex being

Go Ahead, Turn on the Tube

2008-12-04T23:33:00.000-05:00

Now this is news: Television might be good for your kids. That's right. A recent study has shown that it may help boost test scores, especially in disadvantaged homes. And it isn't even the first to dispel the popular notion that the boob tube is the root of all evil. One scientist jokes that she can summarize her 25 years of research about television in one sentence: "It's the content that

Why Some Teens Don't Use Condoms

2008-12-03T22:13:00.000-05:00

I like the idea presented in this blog to get some marketing gurus to work their magic on condoms. This follows a study of 1400 sexual active young people--all of whom reported having had unprotected sex in the preceding 90 days. The study suggests that young people avoid condoms because they think condoms detract from pleasure and because they worry that their partners will disapprove. And

CDC Confirms Growth in Childhood Food Allergies

2008-12-02T22:19:00.000-05:00

I'll be going back to a few stories I didn't get to cover in October, and this is one I think is so important, if not surprising: The number of children with food allergies grew 18 percent in a decade, from 1997 to 2007, according to a study by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In real numbers, that's 3 million kids in 2007. Wow. I hope we see the growth in allergy research

Trace Melamine in US Infant Formula

2008-12-01T22:12:00.000-05:00

Not good: U.S. Food and Drug Administration screeners have discovered trace amounts of the chemical melamine in major brands of baby formula sold in the United States. Although the FDA has assured people that the formula is safe, it previously said that no amount of melamine is safe for babies. Which is it? Melamine can cause kidney and bladder stones, and, in extreme cases, kidney failure and

Phthalates: The Latest

2008-11-24T23:00:00.000-05:00

Here's an update on a post from this summer about Congress's decision to ban phthalates from toys and other children's products. Studies have indicated that these chemicals may cause reproductive problems in kids. But parents should be aware that the new ban doesn't take effect until February 10, so it to won't apply to holiday gifts. Furthermore, regulators from the Consumer Product Safety

Drinking While Pregnant: Not Black and White

2008-11-20T21:31:00.000-05:00

Remember those occasional sips of wine you had while you were pregnant? Or was it just me? Well, there's no reason to feel guilty about it, according to new research involving more than 12,000 kids. It showed that moms who had the equivalent of one drink a week while pregnant did not increase their chances of having babies with mental impairments or behavioral problems. In fact, their kids were

Teen Delinquency All Media's Fault

2008-11-19T21:45:00.000-05:00

Sounds like a headline from The Onion, doesn't it? And yet, studies were reported in the most recent issue of Pediatrics that linked the media to harmful teen behaviors. One study, which tracked more than 700 adolescents for three years, shows that teens who watch a lot of television involving sex are much more likely than their peers to get pregnant or get someone pregnant. Apparently other

Can Bedroom Fans Lower SIDS Risk?

2008-11-18T21:19:00.000-05:00

SIDS is such a terrifying prospect for any new parent that it's no wonder there seem to be so many scientific studies on it. Doctors have pointed to a number of ways to lower the risk: Put babies to sleep on their backs, for example, and avoid surrounding them with loose or thick bedding. Now there's something new to think about: bedroom fans. A recent study found that infants sleeping in a room

FDA's BPA SNAFU

2008-11-17T22:38:00.000-05:00

Remember how the FDA said BPA is safe? Well, an advisory panel to the agency thinks maybe not. The panel seems to concur with the idea that FDA analysts relied too heavily on industry-funded studies and excluded other important evidence. Now what? To sum up an FDA statement: More research is already moving forward. Also, don't panic.The National Institutes of Health has a handy BPA summary

This Halloween

2008-10-25T23:02:00.001-04:00

I realize I've been somewhat MIA this month, but I expect to be back to more frequent posting after the election! For now, I want to point out two things that are going on this Halloween.1. Anyone who has read this blog knows that food allergies are a special interest of mine, so I'm excited to announce a new website designed to help allergic kids and their families: AllergyFreeHalloween.org.

Chelation Study Scuttled

2008-10-08T22:28:00.000-04:00

Remember the story about chelation, the controversial autism treatment that federal scientists were talking about studying? Well, the proposed study is officially off the table. Not only that, but a second chelation study, this one for heart attack survivors, is under investigation. These are tricky issues--the studies could be useful, but clearly the safety concerns are giving people pause.

Born Big? Don't Skip the Breast Exams

2008-10-01T22:33:00.000-04:00

This one is fascinating: Baby girls who are heavier and longer when they are born seem to be at a greater risk for breast cancer when they get older. The risk goes up as the birth size goes up. It's crazy to think that your birth weight and length could tell you something about what your health might look like decades later.

Vaccines: Still Good Medicine

2008-09-23T22:59:00.001-04:00

I read an interesting review of a book by pediatrician Paul Offit that seeks to give the history of the anti-vaccine movement and reassure parents that vaccines are good medicine. In the opening anecdote we learn the doctor has been terrorized by anti-vaccine quacks, including one who announced he knew Offit's children and where they went to school. Chilling. Another thing that comes up in the

BPA Update

2008-09-16T23:48:00.001-04:00

Today an advisory panel convened on behalf of the Food and Drug Administration held a public meeting on bisphenol A (BPA). An FDA official furthered the message that American exposure levels are too low to pose a health risk, though she also acknowledged that "concerning questions" have been raised by some scientific studies. One such study came out today; it involved a health survey of nearly

All the News That's Fit to Bullet

2008-09-11T22:58:00.003-04:00

WELL. It's been way too long since I've posted. I've quickly become the slacker blogger. Okay, not really--I've actually been working my tail off on another project, which all five of you loyal readers will soon hear about! But for now, on to the news...Another study has disavowed any link between autism and vaccines, the measles/mumps/rubella vaccine in particular.The government's National

Sugar, Spice, and Lifelong Asthma

2008-08-25T23:59:00.000-04:00

Boys are more likely to have asthma than girls--but they are also more likely to grow out of it. And, according to a study of 1,000+ asthmatic children, boys have fewer asthma attacks after puberty hits than girls do. Says the lead researcher: "Especially intriguing is that the differences in gender begin at the time of transition into early puberty."

BPA Safe, Says FDA

2008-08-19T23:59:00.002-04:00

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has just come out and said that bisphenol-A (BPA) in food containers (such as plastic baby bottles) is safe. Recall that a few months ago another federal agency said that BPA just might be harmful to human development. Huh. Clearly there needs to be more discussion. Accordingly, FDA is planning a public meeting on September 16.

A Meta-Note, Plus Goodbye to Needles

2008-08-13T22:40:00.000-04:00

My excellent vacation gave me some much-needed time to think about goals. Since I've got some big things coming down the pike in the next few months, I've decided to reduce my posting from daily to once or twice weekly, at least on a temporary basis. I might experiment with digest-style or just keep going as I've been, with one story per post as the focus. Stay tuned!So, on to the news of the day

Ah, College - A Time to Steal and Break Stuff

2008-07-31T23:13:00.002-04:00

Here's something for the empty nesters (or soon to be): A new study has named college attendance as a risk factor for bad behavior. Sociologists examined survey data for thousands of adolescents and young adults and found that male college students are more likely to commit property crimes than their non-college peers. And--brace yourself for a shock--drinking levels are higher for college men

Daycared Kids Gain More Weight

2008-07-30T23:18:00.000-04:00

Sorry, working parents (and yes, I'm one of them): A recent study of thousands of kids says that infants cared for by caregivers other than their parents tend to gain more weight than children cared for by parents. The kids under care are also less likely to be breastfed and more likely to start eating solid foods early. No surprise on that point--as many a working mom can attest, pumping breast

Government and Nonprofits Team Up on Allergy Research

2008-07-29T23:40:00.000-04:00

This is a quickie, since I'm about to crash hard tonight: Government agencies and advocacy groups are dedicating millions of dollars total to a new research initiative on food allergies. Check it out and cheer.

Congress to Ban Toxins in Toys

2008-07-28T22:58:00.000-04:00

Big news from Washington today: Congressional negotiators have agreed to ban a brand of toxins called phthalates from toys and other children's products. This is good news for parents who worry that ingestion of such toxins could cause health problems for their little ones. It's the latest in a trend: perpetually ahead-of-the-curve California instituted a ban last year, as have the European Union

Autism Update

2008-07-27T14:02:00.000-04:00

Earlier this month saw a new study on the underlying factors of autism. This one points to faulty DNA that disrupts genes important to brain development. The researchers primarily examined families whose parents are also cousins; apparently "marriage between first cousins increases the prevalence of neurological birth defects by about 100 percent." (If you happen to need one more reason not to