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If your kid wants skin care gifts for the holidays, here are some risks to consider
LOS ANGELES — As parents rush into malls for the final days of Christmas shopping, many will be armed with wish lists full of beauty products for their children.
Skin care is a fast-growing phenomenon among Gen Alpha, typically defined as those born from 2010 and on. Dubbed "Sephora kids," the tweens and teens have been buying up products ...Read more
Employers press Congress to cement health price transparency before Trump's return
It seems simple: Require hospitals and insurers to post their negotiated prices for most health care services and — bingo — competition follows, yielding lower costs for consumers.
But nearly four years after the first Trump administration’s regulations forced hospitals to post massive amounts of pricing information online, the effect on ...Read more
Legionella bacteria found in 3 Baltimore City courthouses
BALTIMORE — Traces of Legionella were discovered in three courthouses in Baltimore City, the latest in a series of downtown public facilities where the bacteria has been detected.
Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott’s office reported that precautionary testing at the Baltimore City District (People’s) Courthouse, the Clarence M. Mitchell, Jr. ...Read more
Emory heart team implants new blood-pumping device for first time in US
ATLANTA — Physicians at Emory University Hospital performed the first-ever surgical implantation in the United States of a brand-new type of heart pump designed to help save patients with heart failure, using a smaller, more comfortable device.
“It’s exciting to see innovation is still happening,” said Dr. Mani Daneshmand, an Emory ...Read more
The ‘choking game’ and other challenges amplified by social media can come with deadly consequences
The “choking game” has potentially deadly consequences, as players are challenged to temporarily strangle themselves by restricting oxygen to the brain. It sounds terrifying, but rough estimates suggest that about 10% of U.S. teenagers may have played this type of game at least once.
There’s more, unfortunately: The Skullbreaker...Read more
Your black plastic kitchen utensils aren't so toxic after all. But you should still toss them, group says
A recent study that recommended toxic chemicals in black plastic products be immediately thrown away included a math error that significantly overstated the risks of contamination, but its authors are standing by their conclusions and warn against using such products.
Published in the peer-reviewed journal Chemosphere, experts from the ...Read more
Ask the Pediatrician: Cold and flu season tips
In most parts of the U.S., fall marks the start of cold and flu season. This means kids will face higher risks of getting sick. Respiratory viruses are usually the culprit and the symptoms they cause can make your child feel miserable.
What can you do to ease aches, sniffles and fever so your child can get better? Here's a closer look at the ...Read more
On Nutrition: Holiday drinks
There is truly something extra special about this season. Thinking about loved ones near and far. Wrapping gifts. Hoping you remembered what you need at the grocery store.
It’s interesting how eggnog hits the shelves in November and disappears the day after New Years. It’s what grocers call a “seasonal” item. Take a look at eggnog’s ...Read more
The rise in children's melatonin use and what experts want you to know
Packed holiday schedules, no school, disrupted bedtime routines — a parent’s worst nightmare. And if you are one of the many turning to melatonin to help their little ones get to sleep, you may want to think again. New research suggests this increasingly popular solution deserves a closer look.
Nearly 1 in 5 school-age children now ...Read more
Man Continues To Use Nicotine Gum After Quitting Smoking
DEAR DR. ROACH: I have a good friend who is almost 77 years old. He was a heavy smoker until about 14 years ago. He decided to quit smoking and used nicotine gum to help with this process. It's my understanding that nicotine gum should only be used for a fairly short period of time to help a person quit smoking.
However, he is still using it ...Read more
Reducing the risk of cardiovascular problems in Type 2 diabetes
Around 30% of people with Type 2 diabetes have cardiovascular disease (CVD). But that's just what's been diagnosed. A new study shows that another third of adults in the U.S. with Type 2 diabetes may have symptomless or undetected CVD. That may explain why more than 70% of people with Type 2 diabetes die from cardiovascular causes.
One of the ...Read more
Avocados, salmon, strawberry yogurt: Which of these meets FDA's new definition of a 'healthy' food?
In an effort to improve American diets, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Thursday released a new definition of what it means for a food to qualify as "healthy."
Products like fruit-flavored yogurt, fortified white bread and sweetened energy bars will no longer be allowed to label themselves as healthy if they exceed certain limits on ...Read more
Obamacare sign-ups lag after Trump election, legal challenges
New enrollments under the Affordable Care Act are on pace to trail last year’s record numbers by as many as a million as the outgoing Biden administration confronts upheavals in the program.
Donald Trump’s election to a second term has cast uncertainty around the future of the health law. In addition, the Biden administration implemented ...Read more
Democratic senators ask watchdog agency to investigate Georgia's Medicaid work rule
Three Democratic senators asked the country’s top nonpartisan government watchdog on Tuesday to investigate the costs of a Georgia program that requires some people to work to receive Medicaid coverage.
The program, called “Georgia Pathways to Coverage,” is the nation’s only active Medicaid work requirement.
Pathways has cost tens of ...Read more
How parents can have fun during the holidays, too
The holiday season can be a particularly busy time for families, with everything from mall photos with Santa to class Christmas parties to Elf on the Shelf demanding attention and care. All of that constant fun often leaves out parents, with the season sometimes being more stressful than the rest of the year.
However, the holidays should be ...Read more
There are more heart attacks on Christmas than any other day of the year
We sing about how Christmas brings “tidings of comfort and joy,” but the holiday also brings something not so “merry and bright.”
In fact, heart attacks and strokes surge during the last two weeks of December, according to the American Heart Association, with Dec. 25 being the day of the year with the highest number of cardiac events.
...Read more
Parents and caregivers: How to stop feeling like a Grinch and be more present with your kids this holiday season
Holidays are often depicted as picture-perfect moments: families blissfully united around a table filled with seasonal food favorites against an immaculate backdrop. For many parents, attempting to meet such unrealistic expectations can undermine their self-worth – and their sanity.
In the real world, parents are juggling more ...Read more
Rage has long shadowed American health care. It's rarely produced big change
Among the biggest-grossing films in America in February 2002 were a war drama about American troops in Somalia (“Black Hawk Down”), an Arnold Schwarzenegger action movie (“Collateral Damage”), and a future Oscar winner about a brilliant mathematician struggling with schizophrenia (“A Beautiful Mind”).
But none of these films topped ...Read more
Expecting Mom Wants Grandmother To Get Vaccinated Asap
DEAR DR. ROACH: My daughter-in-law and son are expecting their first baby in late January. I am a 65-year-old healthy, fit woman. I walk daily and do yoga. Other than perhaps my age, I have no medical risk factors. She is requesting that I received the respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine. I do not see any reason that it is necessary. She...Read more
Making friends with nutritional power couples
You know the expression "it takes two to tango"? Well, when it comes to maximizing your nutrition, that's very true. Some vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals in food cannot be optimally absorbed or used unless they are accompanied by a partner.
-- When you combine leafy greens with healthy fats like olive oil, avocado or omega-3s, you ...Read more
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