by Kristin Cantu on February 23, 2010
More than four million babies are born in the United States every year. Of those, 13 percent will be born prematurely. For these infants, their time spent in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) is critical to the future of their well-being.
A recent study finds that routine tests performed on infants in the NICU can increase their pain response. It was once believed that newborns don’t feel pain from routine tests. However, some infants undergo many of these routine tests daily and this study shows that “repeated exposure to pain and stress early in life may have lasting effects, including increased pain sensitivity later in life,” according to Reuters. Full story »
by Claire McCarthy on February 23, 2010
We’ve all heard the stories in the news about Rebecca Riley, the 4-year-old who died in 2006 of an overdose of psychiatric medication. She made her first trip to a psychiatrist when she was two, because she was active and had trouble sleeping. She was diagnosed with bipolar disorder when she was only three–her ten-year-old brother and four-year-old sister had already been diagnosed with the same—and put on three different medications. By the time she died, she was taking more than ten pills a day. She got sick, and her mother, who was recently convicted in her death, gave her extra pills to make her sleep. Rebecca never woke up. Full story »
by Childrens Hospital Boston staff on February 22, 2010
Maggie Hickey was a star athlete and scholar. But after hitting her head, she couldn’t exercise or study without coming down with crippling headaches or other mysterious symptoms.
Maggie’s story is featured in Dream’s online edition. Here’s an excerpt:
On a Friday afternoon last October, 15-year-old Maggie Hickey was getting ready to go to a high school football game when she started feeling queasy. The next thing she knew, she was lying on a couch with a whopping headache, a gash over her left eye and only the fuzziest idea about what had happened. “I felt so disoriented and started crying,” Maggie remembers. Full story »
by Childrens Hospital Boston staff on February 22, 2010
by Lyle J. Micheli, MD, director of Children’s Division of Sports Medicine
The Winter Olympics in Vancouver are now well underway; the question of athletic doping in sports inevitably will be addressed and revisited. It is important to realize that this is by no means a new issue although methods of detecting doping and the various methodologies for doping have now changed dramatically over the years. Full story »
by Childrens Hospital Boston staff on February 21, 2010
Here’s a quick look at what Thrive was up to last week.
School life for children after cancer takes a toll. Children’s Nelson Aquino, CRNA, reflects on his life-altering experience in Haiti. There are ways to confront bullying and cyberbullying head-on. Children’s injury prevention expert offers fire safety tips for your family. Learn how to make snacking a healthy time for your child. Are infants who swim more likely to get asthma? Girls’ soccer injuries are preventable. What are parents’ legal responsibilities when it comes to sexting? Is there such a thing as Internet overload for your child’s brain?
by Childrens Hospital Boston staff on February 20, 2010
by Melissa Jeltsen on February 19, 2010
We’re all familiar with the myriad benefits of the Internet, a tool which has undeniably changed the way we communicate, learn and use entertainment. But how much of a good thing is too much? For a small fraction of kids, the Internet’s draw may prove too enticing, as Internet addiction (loosely defined as excessive use of the Internet that negatively impacts academic, social and family life) appears to be on the rise in much of the industrialized world.
We spoke to a neurologist specializing in the teen brain, media expert Michael Rich and a psychologist for this article about Internet addiction and its possible effects. Read on to find out what you need to know about your child’s Internet use–and how you can help them manage their screen time effectively.
That’s important to do, as a national survey recently found that the amount of time young people spend with entertainment media has risen dramatically: Today, 8 to 18 year olds spend an average of almost eight hours a day using digital media. And because they are often “media-multitasking” (like instant messaging on the computer while watching TV and texting friends on their cellphones) they actually manage to cram a total of 10 hours and 45 minutes worth of media content into those eight hours.
So, is it bad for kids and adults alike to spend so much time using digital media? The answer isn’t straightforward, as the article makes clear, and much more research needs to be done. A Frontline documentary also probes the question.
by Childrens Hospital Boston staff on February 19, 2010
Other stories we’ve been reading:
Media expert Michael Rich, MD, MPH, director of the Center on Media and Child Health at Children’s Hospital Boston, answers your questions about media use. Last week, he discussed whether or not 
