A roundup of recent newspaper stories about children's health...
Monday, Sept. 17, 2007:
Experts Say Data Don't Support Suicide Link.
Some researchers have questioned whether there are data yet available to definitively link a rise in suicides with an FDA warning on the risk of antidepressants. The researchers note that, while suicides did rise in 2004, antidepressant use remained unchanged that year, then dropped in 2005. Suicide data for 2005 are not yet available. (NY Times, 9/14/07 , by Berenson and Carey)
Editorial Urges Schwarzenegger to Sign Foster Care Legislation.
This San Francisco Chronicle editorial recommends that the governor sign legislation about the reporting of deaths of foster children, as well as legislation to screen foster children at age 16.5 to see if they are eligible for a federal supplemental income program when they emancipate at age 18.
Study Recommendation: Cholesterol Tests Should Start at 15 Months. British researchers have found that a simple blood test in infancy may help identify a genetic condition that causes high cholesterol levels later in life. The study found that screening for the condition was most effective early in life, and suggests cholesterol tests begin at 15 months old. (HealthDay, 9/13/07 )
Study: More Kids Have High Blood Pressure.
Rates of early high blood pressure and full-blown hypertension in children have increased slightly since the late 1980s, primarily due to a rise in childhood obesity, experts say. A study by researchers at the Morehouse School of Medicine found that more than 400,000 children nationwide developed pre-hypertension or hypertension between 1988 and 2002. Experts say the research is troubling, because high blood pressure isn't typically a concern until a person is in their 30s or 40s, and it can lead to many health problems, including heart attack and stroke. ( Washington Post, 9/10/07 , by Stein)
Ethical Questions Surround Care for Preemies.
This Austin American-Statesman article addresses the technological advances made in recent years in the field of neonatology. Premature babies who may have died two decades ago san be saved today, research shows. While the technology is available, it is expensive, and doctors are faced with ethical decisions about how and when to treat a baby born premature. (Austin American-Statesman, 9/9/07 , by Ball)
Study: Healthful Foods Not Advertised.
Of the food advertisements on television directed at teens, roughly 98 percent are for foods high in sugar, fat or sodium. For younger children, about 90 percent of food advertisements are for those same junk foods, according to a recent study by researchers at the University of Illinois . The study of 50,000 commercials omitted those for fast food, and found that most ads were for cereals or sweets. (NY Times, 9/11/07 , by Nagourney)
Helping Young Kids Avoid Cavities.
Cavity rates for young children are on the rise, research shows. This parenting.com article offers tips for parents on children's oral health. (CNN.com, 8/31/07 , by Francis)
A League of Their Own.
This San Jose Mercury News column by Mike Cassidy tells the story of a Santa Clara parent who started a soccer league for children with special needs. The community rallied around the idea started by Noelle Boccignone, who wanted to create a place for her 9-year-old daughter, who has Down syndrome, to enjoy soccer. This season, 19 kids signed up to play. (SJ Mercury, 9/11/07 , by Cassidy)
Editorial: New Guidelines a Disservice to Kids.
This New York Times editorial criticizes the Bush administration's decision to deny an expansion of the State Children's Health Insurance Program in New York state. The editorial predicts that this action will make it difficult for any other state to expand coverage, and will leave many thousands of children uninsured. The editorial calls the administration's new requirements a “distressing change” to a program that had previously been more accommodating. (NY Times, 9/8/07 )
Stress Makes Smart Kids Cheat.
Cheating has become so commonplace in high school and college that it is a normal part of academic life, studies have shown. Some students and education officials say that often the most high-achieving students are the ones who cheat, because of the pressure to excel and get into elite colleges. Denise Clark Pope, a lecturer at the Stanford School of Education and co-founder, with our foundation, of the Stressed Out Students Conference, is quoted. (SF Chronicle, 9/9/07 , by McMahon)
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