Tonight at 8 pm, HBO will debut a four-part documentary series, The Weight of the Nation, an unflinching look at the severity of the obesity crisis in America, and its crippling effect on our nation’s health and economy.
HBO and the Institute of Medicine of the National Academy of Sciences have joined forces to bring together the nation’s foremost experts on weight and weight loss for a frank and educational look at obesity in America. The series explains how weight became such an issue in this country and provides answers for how we can get to a healthy weight by overcoming the forces that drive us to eat too much and move too little. Full story »
By reviewing a computer based screening on patient alcohol use, doctors can help reduce underage drinking according to a new study
Can a doctor really persuade a teenager not to use alcohol or drugs with a two or three minute intervention? The answer is “yes,” according to a new study in the journal Pediatrics.
“In just a few minutes we can make a significant impact in reducing teenage alcohol use,” says Harris. “By streamlining the alcohol screening process for clinicians and patients alike we can make the process easier and more efficient for everyone, which will yield more positive results.”
Teens in Harris’s study completed a five-minute computer-based survey, known as the CRAFFT, which asks six simple questions about alcohol and drug use. After the screening users are assigned a “score” and risk level based on their answers. They’re then directed to 10 illustrated pages of stories and science-based evidence about the serious health effects of alcohol and drug use. Full story »
Tree climbing can be dangerous and should only be done under close supervision
The warm weather is finally here, which means many kids will be spending more time outside. Playgrounds are a great way for children to get exercise, but while there they should be watched closely to make sure the running and climbing doesn’t end in injury. To keep kids safe while playing outside:
Make sure an adult is always watching
When possible, visit playgrounds built on a soft surface like rubber, bark chips or sand
Dress them in safe play clothes. Scarves, hood draw-stings, necklaces and other dangling accessories can get caught on play equipment. Also, helmets should only be worn during the activity it was designed for. Playing and running with a helmet could cause an accident because it could limit the child’s range of vision.
Riding a bike, skateboard or scooter is another great summer activity, but only when done safely. Most accidents involving children and bicycles, in-line skates and skateboards happen because the child broke a traffic or safety rule. If your child uses a wheeled toy be sure he or she:
Knows the rules of the road:
Always ride on the right side of the road, going the same direction as traffic
Use hand signals to let others know which way he is turning
Stop at all stop signs and red lights
Look both ways before crossing a street or sidewalk Full story »
Sarah Pastore was born with bright blue eyes, a beautiful smile and a single, failing kidney. She fared well in her first few months, but by the time she approached her first birthday her prognosis was clear: without a kidney transplant the little girl from North Reading, Mass., was sure to die.
Her parents, Nancy and Robert, were screened to see if they could be potential donors, but neither was a good match. Because Sarah’s brother John Paul is under 18, he wasn’t eligible to donate. It looked like the next stop was the organ donor list.
But before her name could be submitted to the list, her uncle, Anthony Pastore, was tested to see if he and his niece would be compatible for transplant. As luck would have it, they were, and the 32-year-old Woburn man quickly offered one of his kidneys to save her.
With the live donor identified, Sarah was well on her way to better health. But how exactly do doctors fit an adult kidney in a toddler’s body? Full story »
Thanks to better brushing habits, increased access to fluoride and regular trips to the dentist, Americans are getting fewer cavities than ever before. But as reported in a recent story in TheNew York Times, there is one segment of the population that isn’t doing so well when it comes to their teeth: preschoolers.
Cavity rates are on the rise for kids between the ages of 2 and 5, with just over 28 percent of them experiencing tooth decay. That means that nearly one in three toddlers has at least one cavity, which can cause mouth pain, gum disease and other health problems.
And like many medical conditions, if action isn’t taken early, tooth decay in toddlers can lead to life-long problems.
“Cavities at a young age is the single biggest risk factor for a lifetime of cavities,” says Man Wai Ng, DDS, MPH, dentist-in-chief at the Department of Dentistry at Boston Children’s Hospital. “Over the years, that can force the child to deal with pain, expensive dental work and more serious medical concerns like diabetes and heart problems.” Full story »
Mattel Inc., maker of Barbie dolls, last week announced that it would create a bald version of the popular fashion doll to support people battling cancer.
The announcement came a few months after Beautiful and Bald Barbie, a Facebook group that petitioned Mattel to make a hairless version of the doll, gained mass support online. Their mission was simple:
We would like to see a Beautiful and Bald Barbie made to help young girls who suffer from hair loss due to cancer treatments, alopecia or trichotillomania. Also, for young girls who are having trouble coping with their mother’s hair loss from chemo. Many children have some difficulty accepting their mother, sister, aunt, grandparent or friend going from longhaired to bald. Full story »
The movie The Hunger Games opens today, and record tickets sales are expected to make the grisly, post-apocalyptic, survival tale one of the spring’s biggest blockbusters. Like the Harry Potter and Twilight series before it, The Hunger Games film is based on a book written for young adults that has captured the imaginations of readers of all ages.
Considering the ultraviolent nature of The Hunger Games’ plot line—24 teenage protagonists are pitted against each other in a fight to the death—is all this hype a good thing for young, would-be fans? The intended age for young adult novels is 12 to 17, but the books’ popularity has piqued the interest of much younger readers. Not wanting to sully their younger children’s budding interest in reading, many parents across the country have allowed them to read the story.
But just because your child has read The Hunger Game books, does that mean she’s ready to watch it’s bloody action unfold on the big screen? The answer will vary from child to child, but it’s a question parents of younger Hunger Game fans need to ask. Full story »
Spring has sprung early this year, which means allergy season will likely happen early as well. But for some kids allergies don’t cause itchy eyes and sneezing, they cause something not typically thought of as an allergic reaction: Eczema.
Just like seasonal allergies, also known as “hay fever,” eczema (or atopic dermatitis), occurs when a person with allergies comes in contact with triggers like pollen, dust mites or pet dander. But instead of the nose, lungs and eyes being affected, some people get dry, itchy, scaly skin and rashes on their cheeks, arms and legs. In the early spring, when pollen counts are high, it can be particularly bad for some people. The itching tends to get worse at night leading to many sleepless nights for some families.
“Depending on the severity of the case, eczema can be a real problem for some children and their parents, ” says Karol Timmons, RN, MS, CPNP, an eczema expert and pediatric nurse practitioner at the Division of Immunology at Children’s Hospital Boston. “In many cases the condition gets better as the child gets older, but for some kids it takes years of prevention and treatment to keep it from negatively affecting a child and family.” Full story »
Do you have a Children's Hospital Boston story you'd like heard? By sharing your Children's story you can be a great source of inspiration and encouragement to families who are going through similar situations. And it’s a great way to find support by connecting with others. Share your story today »
Thanks to better brushing habits, increased access to fluoride and regular trips to the dentist, Americans are getting fewer cavities than ever before. But as reported in a recent story in 
Mattel Inc., maker of Barbie dolls, last week announced that it would create a bald version of the popular fashion doll to support people battling cancer.
Spring has sprung early this year, which means allergy season will likely happen early as well. But for some kids allergies don’t cause itchy eyes and sneezing, they cause something not typically thought of as an allergic reaction: Eczema.
