Second-Hand Smoke Makes Getting Pregnant Harder...

New findings in Tobacco Control suggest women exposed to second-hand smoke may have trouble getting pregnant. Researchers examined more than 4,800 women and found those growing up around a parent who smoked had more difficulty becoming pregnant. Also, women exposed to second-hand smoke were 39% more likely to suffer a stillbirth or miscarriage. Toxins in cigarette smoke may interfere with hormones needed for conception; Reuters reports.

Not to mention, previous research has shown parents who smoke can cause vascular damage in their kids. But quitting is hard, even our new president is still trying to kick the habit!

Veggie Last Minute Gifts

If you’re in a panic for that ULTRA last minute gift, maybe Santa will bring you these:

  • Organic Egyptian Cotton Veggies and Crate: $24.00
  • Plan Toy Assorted Fruits and Vegetables: $17.98
  • Yellow Label Kids Knit Fruit Rattles: $42.99

Quite honestly, this stuff could keep me busy for hours!

Via Serious Eats.

Canada Says Don't Give Kids Cold Medicine

Citing overdoses, misuse and limited evidence that cold medicines even work in children, Canadian health officials have urged parents not to give over-the-counter cold remedies to kids under the age of 6, expanding their original recommendation of 2 years of age; Reuters reports.

Last year, U.S. retailers scrambled to pull cold remedies out of stores after the government warned of their potential health risks to infants and the Food and Drug Administration contemplated an outright ban on children’s cold medicine, but later rejected the proposal.

Dr. Fuhrman doubts cold remedies, pointing to a study in Journal of Pediatrics showing that in a head-to-head comparison, placebo and cough medicine had the same effect. All kids improved after 3 days, with no difference in symptoms between the placebo group and medicine group.

It’s a cold, ordinary sniffles. Do we really need medicine for that!

Fear of Nuts, Hysteria!

Breastfeeding is strong medicine! Breast milk provides babies with necessary antibodies that help ward off allergies and boost immune systems and Dr. Fuhrman blames the decrease in breastfeeding for the rise in allergies among young children.

And now, a new study in the British Medical Journal claims the fear of nut allergies is becoming overblown. Researchers suggest the food industry’s restrictions and warnings about nuts, however well intentioned, are fueling the hysteria.

Especially since a previous study in Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology shows despite 69% of Israeli children eating nuts and only 10% of British children consuming nuts, kids in the U.K. were 10 times more likely to have peanut allergies; FoodNavigator reports.

Clearly, there is another factor at play here and not just nuts themselves.
 

Kids, Don't Eat Magnets

Be careful buying toys this year. First, a report came out claiming 1 in 3 toys contain toxins. And now, research in Pediatric Radiology warns parents to watch out for toys with magnets, because ingested magnets can stick to each other in kids’ bowels, leading to infection. The study calls for more warning labels and better publication education on the potential dangers; via HealthDay News.

Clearly, eating a magnet is not a good way to retrieve that nickel your kid swallowed.

Acetaminophen Linked to Asthma in Children

Infants given acetaminophen, a.k.a. Tylenol, have a higher risk of developing asthma later in life than kids not exposed to the drug. The study, published in The Lancet, claims infants given acetaminophen for fever during their first year of life, were 50% more likely to develop asthma-related symptoms at 6 or 7 years of age. Researchers also discovered an increased risk of rhinoconjunctivitis and eczema associated with acetaminophen; via Family Practice News.

Car Wrecks Hurt Heavier Kids More...

A new study in Injury Prevention shows overweight or obese children have an increased risk of sustaining injuries to their arms and legs during a car crash. The researchers examined 3,232 children, ages 9 to 15, injured in car accidents. Still,  experts are hesitant to say being obese means you’re more likely to be injured, but the higher risk persisted even when other factors were considered, like sitting in the front seat or not wearing a seatbelt; from The New York Times.

No doubt, this is a freak risk, but other, more conventional dangers of obesity include headaches, cancer, psychiatric disorders and heart disease. Moral of the story, keep yourself and your kids fit and healthy. Oh, and drive safely!

Genes Make Kids Eat Junk?

A new study in the New England Journal of Medicine claims a gene-variant makes children more likely to eat junk foods. And in an experiment, kids with the gene consumed 100 calories more per meal. This can lead to over-consumption and weight-gain. However, since this trait does not affect metabolism, researchers insist the behavior can be worked on; HealthDay News reports.

We saw a similar situation yesterday, with research suggesting parents’ lifestyle can override children’s genetic risk of obesity. Not mention, parents’ exercise habits can rub off on their kids too!

Obesity Risk: Family Lifestyle Equal to Genes

New research in the American Journal of Sociology claims to be the first study to illustrate that the link between parents and children’s bodyweight is social as well as genetic. Scientists determined parents’ weight did contribute to a child’s likelihood of becoming obese, but lifestyle choices, like physical activity and meals, also played an important role, specifically in teens; Reuters investigates.

Actually, I think Dr. Fuhrman beat these guys to the punch. “Setting an example supported by both parents is the most important and most effective way for your children to develop a healthy attitude toward food,” he explains. Not mention, a previous report shows when families reconnect at mealtime, children become more likely to eating healthy as adults and less likely to pick up bad habits.
 

Prince Charles Says Educate Kids about Food

Speaking at an event for better school food, Prince Charles blamed junk food for kids’ bad behavior and disconnect with nature:

"Over the last 40 years it would appear we have created a whole generation, the parents of the children you teach, whose understanding of where food comes from and how it is produced is severely limited. And it is causing real harm.

 

"It is about rescuing today's generation of over-industrialized children, about instilling in them a life-long appreciation of food and the way it is produced and reconnecting them with nature," he to told The Daily Mail.

Actually, despite his absent-minded reputation, Prince Charles is staunch advocate for both healthier food and a greener environment.

Via CalorieLab.

Wine in the Sippy Cup!

Editor’s Note: Someone from Dr. Fuhrman’s member center couldn’t believe her eyes when she saw a young child being served alcohol at Thanksgiving dinner. Dr. Fuhrman responds.

  • Member

"My nephew is 22 months old. And at dinner his uncle poured red wine into his cup for him to drink. It was a decent-sized serving. The child's mother is very lazy about nutrition and didn't care at all if her son drank wine. He drank it all and became very flushed in the cheeks and was obviously feeling the effects, based on his behavior. They thought this was funny and harmless.

I know this is a no-brainer, but they think that such small amounts are no big deal. I want to be able to say convincingly that yes, a little bit can hurt! I didn't see anything about this in your book, which I assume is because it's so painfully obvious and shouldn’t needed to be covered."

  • Dr. Fuhrman

"It is a crime to serve alcohol to a young child and is considered child abuse. This is not funny because many children each year are admitted to the hospital in a coma from one drink. Their small bodies and underdeveloped livers do not metabolize alcohol well and respiratory depression, hypoglycemia, unconsciousness and death can ensue. One in five admissions for childhood alcohol consumption report significant brain damage that could have permanent negative effects.

Parents need to be vigilant at parties. They need to keep an eye on their young children so they don't inadvertently pick up an alcoholic drink, thinking it is soda, which is bad enough. Adults who give alcohol, marijuana and other drugs to children should be reported. When this occurs the child is usually removed from the home and placed in protective custody.

Print this out and give it to the people who witnessed this. You are not helping anyone by letting this happen in front of you and the whole lot of you could have spent the night in jail if anyone anonymously called the police. I would have knocked the cup out of the toddler's hand. Maybe you should invite me over at your family's next get together."

Exercise Soothes the Savage Kids

According to a new study in Pediatric Exercise Science not only does exercise help obese kids get fit, but being active reduces anger and aggressiveness. Researchers believe exercise puts kids in a better mood and gives them a sense of self-control; Reuters reports.

Everyone should exercise, especially kids. Previous studies show teenagers in particular, skimp on the fitness. So, inspire them! The NFL has its Play 60 campaign, music makes working out more fun and if parents exercise, kids are likely to follow.

Don't Stuff Kids with Milk and Meat! --UPDATE--

According to new research in the Journal of Pediatrics feeding children lots of meat and dairy products build stronger and healthier bones in adolescence. Claiming children eating 2 servings of dairy and 4 or more servings of meat a day had denser bones as teens; Reuters reports.

Bad idea! Kids already eat too much milk and meat. Over time, children, specifically girls, eating a lot meat and dairy products go through puberty sooner, increasing their risk of breast cancer later in life. Not to mention dairy is linked to heart disease and meat to prostate cancer.

Getting plenty of vitamin D is important to bone health. So is exercising. Also, calcium is not restricted to cow juice. Plant foods like flaxseed and quinoa and leafy greens like bok choy, turnip greens, collard greens, kale and romaine lettuce are packed with calcium. Phooey to milk!

UPDATE: Dr. Fuhrman got fired up over this study. His thoughts:

This article must have been interpreted by the animal food industry. The facts are as follows.

It did not show denser or healthier bones in children eating more meat, milk and cheese; it showed kids who eat more animal products are bigger with larger BMI’s. If you are bigger your body’s mass of muscle, bone and fat are bigger too, everything enlarges. So they had bigger bones, not denser or healthier bones, but that we already knew. This is bad, not good; researchers have well established that kids who eat more animal products get bigger and die younger.

Our population is getting bigger, maturing earlier, aging earlier, getting sick sooner and dying younger. Size does not equate with health. A recent study tracking over one million girls for 25 years showed those who were taller and heavier had drastically increased risk of ovarian cancer. And breast cancer is linked to increased size, early maturity and early puberty too. The same heightened cancer risks have been shown for males. Those with the highest body mass have dramatically increased risk of early life death. In fact, an important study showed football players in the largest BMI category (linebackers) had six times greater risk of early life death that those in the lower category.

Overeating animal products in childhood is the main reason for our world’s explosion in cancer incidence in this century. The mantra should be, “Eat to get bigger, die younger.” I discuss more studies in my book Disease-Proof Your Child. Understanding these scientific studies is a must read for every person in America. It is the only way we will ever win the war on cancer.