Most Clicked AAP SmartBrief Stories
1. Some baby formulas, cereal bars are found to have high arsenic levels
AAP SmartBrief | Feb 17, 2012
Dartmouth College researchers tested 17 baby formulas, 29 cereal bars and three energy drinks, and found two baby formulas and 22 cereal bars sweetened with organic brown rice syrup that had high arsenic levels. The findings, published the journal Environmental Health Perspectives, indicate an "urgent need" for regulations on arsenic content in food, the researchers said. Reuters (02/16) Los Angeles Times (02/16)
2. Controlling parents more likely to raise delinquent children
AAP SmartBrief | Feb 15, 2012
Children raised by authoritarian parents were more likely to show disrespectful and delinquent behavior than those with authoritative parents, a study in the Journal of Adolescence found. Researchers assessed data from the New Hampshire Youth Study and noted that children with authoritarian parents did not consider their parents as legitimate authority figures. Times of India, The (02/14)
3. Study: Children always short of recommended amount of sleep
AAP SmartBrief | Feb 14, 2012
Australian researchers assessed sleep recommendations and actual sleep times of children from 1897 to 2009 and found the actual sleep times were consistently 37 minutes less than recommended. The study in the journal Pediatrics revealed an average 0.71 minute annual decline in age-specific sleep time recommendations over the study period. Reuters (02/13) WebMD (02/13)
4. Study finds vitamin D not tied to insulin sensitivity in youths
AAP SmartBrief | Feb 13, 2012
Plasma 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration was not linked to insulin sensitivity or beta-cell function among healthy black and white youths between the ages of 8 and 18, according to a study in Diabetes Care. PhysiciansBriefing.com (02/10)
5. SAMHSA: One in 10 U.S. children live with an alcoholic parent
AAP SmartBrief | Feb 16, 2012
An average of 7.5 million U.S. children younger than 18 lived with an alcoholic parent during any given year from 2005 to 2010, according to a Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration study. Researchers said these children were at a higher risk of mental health problems, cognitive or language disorders, and abuse or neglect. These children were also four times more likely to develop alcohol problems. Reuters (02/16)
6. HHS cuts budget for training pediatricians
AAP SmartBrief | Feb 15, 2012
The HHS announced Monday a proposed $177 million cut to the Children's Hospital Graduate Medical Education Payment Program. "In many areas we made cuts because our nation’s fiscal health and tight budget times demand action," said HHS Deputy Secretary Bill Corr. Healthcare Finance News (02/14)
7. Home oxygen for pediatric bronchiolitis cuts hospital admissions
AAP SmartBrief | Feb 14, 2012
The overall admission rate of pediatric patients aged 1 month to 18 months with bronchiolitis dropped from 40% to 31% from 2005 to 2009, according to a study in the journal Pediatrics. Researchers reported that there was no need for intensive care unit admissions or advanced airway management for patients who were discharged on home oxygen. PhysiciansBriefing.com (02/13)
8. Diet counseling for children helps reduce LDL cholesterol levels
AAP SmartBrief | Feb 17, 2012
Regular diet counseling for children from infancy through teen years helped lower saturated fat intake and LDL cholesterol levels among participants, according to a Finnish study in the journal Pediatrics. However, researchers reported that the average LDL cholesterol levels for the counseling and noncounseling groups were within the ideal or near-ideal range for adults at age 19. Reuters (02/16)
9. Babies can understand words as early as 6 months, study shows
AAP SmartBrief | Feb 16, 2012
Researchers examined babies' responses to pictures and phrases and found that 6- to 9-month-olds looked more frequently at the picture named by their parents than at other images. They reported in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science that the performance of 8- to 9-month-old babies was similar to the 6- to 7-month-old babies. HealthDay News (02/15)
10. Mercury not linked to increased risk of autism in children
AAP SmartBrief | Feb 16, 2012
The mercury levels found in the urine of children with autism were not greater than the levels in those without the condition, according to a U.K. study. Researchers noted that other heavy metal concentrations also were the same among children with autism, children from the general population, children without the condition but who had siblings with autism, and children who attended special education schools. MyHealthNewsDaily.com (02/15)
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