Sunday, June 26, 2011

Can mouthguards and football helmets really prevent concussion?


The growing concern over concussions has ushered in new products designed to prevent or treat the mild traumatic brain injuries. But do any of them really work? Here's a look at some of the most common claims:


http://www.chicagotribune.com/health/ct-met-concussion-sidebar-20110625,0,3241267.story

Saturday, June 18, 2011

Migraines in Children -Houston Parenting Magazine


Talk to the Doc — June 2011

Grinning cats, smoking caterpillars, and butterflies made out of bread. Talking doorknobs, marching cards, and a chronically-late rabbit.

Famous author Lewis Carroll must have had one heck of a headache when he dreamed up these characters.

It’s said that Carroll was inspired to write Alice in Wonderland after experiencing migraine auras—the distorted sense of perception that sometimes precedes a migraine.

Migraine auras have also been referred to as “Alice in Wonderland Syndrome,” rather fitting considering the book became one of the most popular children’s stories of all time, and children themselves have been getting migraines since the beginning of time.

Headaches are quite a common pediatric problem, with approximately eight percent of kids experiencing one by the age of 3, and two to three percent of those fitting the criteria for migraine. By elementary or middle school, 60 percent of children have had a headache; in approximately 10 percent, that headache was a migraine.

http://houstonfamilymagazine.com/talk-to-the-doc/migraines-in-children/


http://bluetoad.com/publication/?i=71351

Saturday, June 04, 2011

The School Bully Is Sleepy


School bullies and children who are disruptive in class are twice as likely to show signs of sleep problems compared with well-behaved children, new research shows.

The findings, based on data collected from 341 Michigan elementary school children, suggests a novel approaching to solving school bullying. Currently, most efforts to curb bullying have focused on protecting victims as well as discipline and legal actions against the bullies. The new data suggests that the problem may be better addressed, at least in part, at the source, by paying attention to some of the unique health issues associated with aggressive behavior.

....The researchers found that children who had behavioral issues were twice as likely to have shown symptoms of sleep-disordered breathing, like snoring or daytime sleepiness. Among children whom parents specifically identified as school bullies, the finding was similar.


http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/06/02/the-school-bully-is-sleepy/