Children's Health: Pressure to be cool, look good is detrimental to many children ♦ The hormonal factor FGF21, present in breast milk, plays a key role in regulating newborn metabolism

Poor motor skills in two-year-olds could indicate slow development in mathematical proficiency Two-year-olds with poor motor function also exhibit poor mathematical skills, a new study shows. This knowledge will make it easier for teachers to identify children who may need extra help.

The hormonal factor FGF21, present in breast milk, plays a key role in regulating newborn metabolism A compound found in breast milk, named fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21), plays a key role in neonatal nutrient absorption and intestinal function. FGF21 also contributes to improve newborn growth and metabolic profile.

Pressure to be cool, look good is detrimental to many children The pressure to be cool, look good and own the 'right stuff' is detrimental to many children and teenagers.While many young people buy into consumer culture believing it will make them feel better about themselves and help them to make friends, often the reverse happens.

More time for school lunches equals healthier choices for kids Elementary and middle school students who are given at least 25 minutes to eat lunch are more likely to choose fruits and consume more of their entrees, milk, and vegetable

Childrens Health: Concerns over the online market of human breast milk ♦ Medulloblastoma: Promising drug target identified ♦ High school seniors now try smoking water pipes

Many things can be read in a newborn's gaze, such as future visual cognitive abilities Experienced nannies and doctors have always known how much the visual contact with a newborn can convey. A recent study provides scientific evidence for this everyday understanding. The findings show that a newborn's ability to fixate relates to the microscopic maturation of brain structures, and it predicts visual cognitive abilities later in childhood.

Concerns over the online market of human breast milk  The sale of human breast milk on the internet poses serious risks to infant health and needs urgent regulation, argue experts. Purchasing human breast milk on the internet can be cheaper than buying from regulated milk banks, where it can cost up to $3-4 per ounce, because sellers can cut corners to save on costs such as pasteurization, testing for disease and contamination, and the appropriate collection, storage and shipping of milk.

Medulloblastoma: Promising drug target identified  A protein has been found that is critical to both the normal development of the brain and, in many cases, the development of medulloblastoma, a fast-growing brain tumor that usually strikes children under 10. When the researchers cut the level of the protein Eya1 in half in mice prone to develop medulloblastoma, the animals' risk of dying from the disease dropped dramatically.

One in four high school seniors now try smoking water pipes  Despite declines in the number of youths who smoke cigarettes, hookah or water pipe use continues to rise among Canadian youth, a new study reports. The study found that almost one in four high school seniors try smoking hookah.

6/1/14 Health News: MRSA: Hospital Superbug 'Shared with pets' ♦ Placenta Home to Diverse Bacteria That May Affect Newborn

MRSA: Hospital Superbug 'Shared with pets'

Pets can harbour the hospital superbug MRSA and it can pass between pets and their owners, research suggests. Cats and dogs have the same strain of the bacterium as people, genetic tests show. MRSA may spread between animals at veterinary clinics in a similar way to hospital infections, according to scientists at Cambridge University.Source:Continue Reading

Placenta Home to Diverse Bacteria That May Affect Newborn

The placenta that nourishes the fetus isn’t the sterile environment it was once thought to be, according to a study that finds the organ contains a diverse community of bacteria that affect a newborn’s health. The study of 320 placentas, published in the journal Science Translational Medicine, suggests the varied colony of bacteria may influence the pregnancy as well. Continue Reading