by Childrens Hospital Boston staff on September 3, 2010
Michael Rich, MD, MPH
Michael Rich, MD, MPH, is Children’s Hospital Boston’s media expert and director of Children’s Center on Media and Child Health. Take a look at his blog archive or follow him on Twitter @CMCH_Boston.
Last week he wrote to a reader who was worried about some of the graphic killing scenes that aired on wildlife shows her children loved. This week he discusses how the staged violence of TV wrestling can affect young viewers.
Q: I am a Pre-K Special Educator who works one-on-one with developmentally delayed children ages 3-5. Some boys have hit, kicked, scratched, punched, and head-butted me and their classmates. I brought in a child psychologist to observe and speak to the parents of one of the boys and he told the parents that this is “learned behavior.” The parents have allowed these boys total freedom, and fathers watch professional wrestling with them. Do you know of any literature on viewing wrestling and its effect on preschool boys?
–Wrestling to Make a Difference
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by Tripp Underwood on September 1, 2010
by Claire McCarthy on August 31, 2010
Claire McCarthy, MD, is a primary care physician and the medical director of Children’s Hospital Boston’s Martha Eliot Health Center. Take a look at her blog archive.
My friend Nancy says that the whole point of the senior year of high school is to make parents so fed up with their kids that they can’t wait to send them to college.
That’s certainly how it was with my second child, Zack. By the time he left, I was so frustrated and annoyed that I was counting down the minutes. Don’t get me wrong; Zack is a good kid. But increasingly he didn’t do things I asked him to do. He left garbage and destruction everywhere he went. His room, which he refused to clean (“I like it this way”), smelled like a combination of dirty socks, moldy towels, Polo Black aftershave, and another smell that’s hard to describe but reminded me of the time a bunch of mice died inside our living room walls. He’d insist on organizing himself, but was constantly losing and forgetting things—and coming to me as I was climbing into bed to ask for checks and signatures due the next day (or the day before). Not only did he fight me on curfews, he didn’t like having to tell me where he was going when he went out. “Mom, I’m going to college soon,” he’d say as we argued about it. [click to continue…]
by Tripp Underwood on August 30, 2010
Medical terminology can be confusing for many patients, especially children.
Have you ever suffered a medical nightmare like this?
“Patient displays an acute communicable disease with an incubation period of 2 or 3 weeks and caused by herpesvirus, usually found in children. Manifestations include coryza, fever, malaise, and headache, followed in 2 or 3 days by the eruption of macular vesicles.”
Chances are you have. The above paragraph is just a complicated description of a common childhood virus: chicken pox. In most cases doctors are happy to act as medical translators for their patients— explaining complicated medical terminology in every day language— but when it comes to written material, many medical publications rely heavily on industry jargon. It can be intimidating and confusing to patients, especially kids.
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by administrator on August 29, 2010
This week on Thrive:
Empowering story form Healthy Family Fun Being a teenager can be rough. Simultaneously dealing with school, peer pressure and puberty can leave many young people feeling like forces outside their control are running their lives. But Jorge Medina-Barreto, a peer leader in the Adolescent Services Program at Martha Eliot Health Center, has taken a new path towards self-empowerment: improving his health through cooking and exercise.
Injunction halts federally funded stem cell research A federal district judge made a surprising ruling yesterday, blocking federal funding for stem cell research, overturning policies established by the Obama administration in 2009.
Andres Trevino was devastated when he heard about the injunction. Trevino, a Mexico City native, first came to America in 1999 to seek treatment for his son, Andy, who was sick with a rare and often fatal genetic mutation called NEMO. Thanks to Children’s doctors and medical knowledge and procedures attributed to stem cell research, Andy’s life was saved. See his story and reaction to the injunction in this Thrive video.
Getting the whole story: time for an end to nutrient based diet guide The US dietary guidelines are based on the nutrients that make up foods, but how many of us base our meals around what’s in food as opposed to the foods themselves? Are you concerned about eating enough fruit or about getting enough Vitamins A, B6 or C? Our obesity expert calls for a change in dietary guidelines, one that looks at whole foods instead of just nutrients, to make things less confusing for the average consumer.
Are nature shows with graphic animal death scenes ok for my child? Dr. Rich answers a reader’s question about whether or not the graphic hunting and killing scenes in a popular nature show are appropriate for young viewers.
by administrator on August 28, 2010
Ho-Ho-Hold on! Though often associated with fun times, hot chocolate and one jolly toy provider, sleds are actually quite dangerous. Sledding causes about 20,000 injuries each winter, especially among boys 10-14 who account for over half of all accidents.
Acne meds tied to inflammatory bowel disease A British study indicates that teens who took a commonly used skin medication appear to be at a higher risk for contracting inflammatory bowel disease. According to the study, out of a control group of just over 200 participants taking a tetracycline-based dermatological pill, 152 were diagnosed with IBD.
Can fishy baby food make life long fish fans? University researchers have created a new brand of baby food made from wild salmon. Creators hope that by introducing young, still developing taste buds to the healthy fish, babies who grow up eating it will develop a life long taste for the omega-3 rich fish.
Study: Abusive couples are more likely to spank children
A recent study showed that of those interviewed, 70% reported some type of abuse among the parents such as slaps, kicks or keeping a partner from seeing his or her family. Almost two thirds of the children in these families were found to be spanked by the parents. The study was done to show a correlation between corporal punishment and adult aggressive behavior.
by administrator on August 27, 2010
Michael Rich, MD, MPH, is Children’s Hospital Boston’s media expert and director of Children’s Center on Media and Child Health. Take a look at his blog archive or follow him on Twitter @CMCH_Boston.
Michael Rich, MD, MPH
Last week Rich commented on how to use kids’ want for toy weapons as a chance to discuss violence and make suggestions for more peaceful play. This week he answers a reader’s question about the effect graphic death scenes in nature programming can have on very young children.
Q: What are your thoughts on animal programs that show graphic killing that is in the wild, like Big Cat Diaries? My 4 year old loves animal shows and is interested in seeing this one, yet I am not sure this is appropriate content for his age. Please advise.
-Nightmares in Nature, in Miami, FL
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by Tripp Underwood on August 26, 2010
Do you shop for food or nutrients?
When moms talk about the trials and tribulations of feeding their children, the conversations typically center on what types of foods their kids like and dislike. How to get young Jim to eat green beans. Whether it’s healthy for Gracie to avoid meat entirely. You rarely hear parents discussing whether their kids are getting the right percentages of specific nutrients and additives, the correct amount of starch or sodium.
But while a nutrient-centric view of food isn’t in tune with how most people think about their food intake, it’s exactly how the U.S. government’s Dietary Guidelines for Americans approaches the subject. [click to continue…]
It was recently reported that the University of New Hampshire is considering offering an 
