Food Research: Diet lacking soluble fiber promotes weight gain, mouse ♦ Vitamin D pill a day may improve exercise performance and lower risk of heart disease

Diet lacking soluble fiber promotes weight gain, mouse A new study highlights the importance of the gut microbiome in maintaining intestinal and metabolic health and suggests that eating more foods high in soluble fiber may help prevent metabolic disease and obesity.

Vitamin D pill a day may improve exercise performance and lower risk of heart disease Taking vitamin D supplements can improve exercise performance and lower the risk of heart disease.

Obese people need more vitamin E, but actually get less Obese people with metabolic syndrome face an unexpected quandary when it comes to vitamin E -- they need more than normal levels of the vitamin because their weight and other problems are causing increased oxidative stress, but those same problems actually cause their effective use of vitamin E to be reduced.

Even a little is too much: One junk food snack triggers signals of metabolic disease We hate to ruin Thanksgiving, but a new report suggests that for some people, overindulgence at the dinner table or at snack time is enough to trigger signs of metabolic disease

Children's Health Marijuana exposure among children 5 years old and younger ♦ Juvenile incarceration yields less schooling, more crime ♦ Early support vital for success in breastfeeding

Rising rate of marijuana exposure among children 5 years old and younger Debates about legalizing marijuana have focused on crime rates, economic benefits, and health effects among adults. But a new study shows that the risk to young children of swallowing, breathing in or otherwise being exposed to marijuana also needs to be considered

Early support vital for success in marijuana Most women understand the benefits of breastfeeding their infants, but there are physical and emotional roadblocks that can make it a challenge for moms. During the first weeks of a baby’s life it is vital for mom to be able to focus on caring for herself and nursing her infant.

Juvenile incarceration yields less schooling, more crime Teenagers who are incarcerated tend to have substantially worse outcomes later in life than those who avoid serving time for similar offenses.

Are offspring of obese moms pre-programmed for obesity and metabolic disease? The evidence is clear that the children of obese parents are prone to obesity themselves, placing them at higher risk for type 2 diabetes, but how and why this occurs remains under investigation. A study has found evidence suggesting that the in utero environment in obese mothers may program a child's cells to accumulate extra fat or develop differences in metabolism that could lead to insulin resistance.

Relief of dystonia symptoms is sustained in pediatric patients undergoing deep brain stimulation Children and adolescents who received deep brain stimulation for generalized dystonia maintained significant symptom relief for up to eight years. The results reinforce the observation that patients with a shorter duration of symptoms, and a younger age at implantation, experience better outcomes.

Childrens Health: Kids and robots learn to write together ♦ Pregnant women with asthma need to curb antibiotics ♦ ADHD + childhood trauma heightens risk for self-harm ♦Plus More

Kids and robots learn to write together  Who is the teacher: the student or the machine? By showing a robot how to write letters, children improve their writing skills and gain self-confidence. Continue Reading

Pregnant women with asthma need to curb urge to ask for antibiotics  Twice as many children born to mothers who took antibiotics during pregnancy were diagnosed with asthma by age 3 than children born to mothers who didn’t take prenatal antibiotics, a new study has shown.Continue Reading

Examination of prior authorization policies for antipsychotic prescribing to children  With a concern about inappropriate prescribing of antipsychotic medications to children, 31 states in the U.S. have implemented prior authorization policies for atypical antipsychotic prescribing.  Continue Reading

ADHD plus childhood trauma heightens risk for self-harm, suicide  Young women with ADHD who have been exposed to abuse, neglect or other traumas in childhood and adolescence are at greater risk for self-injury, eating disorders and suicide than those with ADHD who were not mistreated in early youth, according to new research. Continue Reading

Preventing metabolic disease may start in the womb; of your grandmother  No one wants to have child who is born underweight, but for numerous reasons, this may be unavoidable. An intriguing research report involving rats suggests that helping fetuses achieve optimal weight before birth is of even greater importance than currently believed. Continue Reading