Dec 8, 2017
Medical X-Press – Staff Writer
It may be tempting to let your kids stay up late playing games on their smartphones, but using digital devices before bed may contribute to sleep and nutrition problems in children, according to Penn State College of Medicine researchers. After surveying parents about their kids’ technology and sleep habits, researchers found that using technology before bed was associated with less sleep, poorer sleep quality, more fatigue in the morning and —in the children that watched TV or used their cell phones before bed—higher body mass indexes (BMI). (more)
Dec 7, 2017
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette – Jill Daly
As we dive deeper into the holidays, even children are challenged to watch their intake of sweet and salty snacks, second helpings and cookies and candy. It’s not a good time to ignore current trends in child obesity, according to a study published recently in the New England Journal of Medicine. It predicted that if things don’t change, more than 57 percent of today’s children will be obese when they are 35. (more)
Dec 7, 2017
Cape Cod News – Staff Writer
There are numerous benefits of exercise for children. Young people who exercise regularly are less apt tobe overweight, which lowers their risk of diabetes and heart disease later in life. They alsoperform betterin school and on tests. New researchnow shows that inactive teens also have weaker bones than those who are physically active, putting them at greater risk for fractures and even osteoporosis down the road. (more)
Dec 6, 2017
Net Doctor – Claire Lavelle
Ever wonder what healthy meals or snacks the experts give to their children? Wonder no more…Amanda Ursell is a nutritionist with a postgraduate diploma in dietetics. She is mum to Coco, eight, and Freddie, six. Overall, my attitude is…’If I can put a home-cooked dinner on the table, we’re doing OK. My mum always did it and I try to do it as much as I can. Cooking for the children and making sure we eat together at night is really important to me.’ (more)
Dec 6, 2017
The Roanoke Times – Staff Writer
When kids wheeze, gasp and cough because of asthma, not only are they contending with a potentially life-threatening lack of air, they also may find that they’re restricted from many of the everyday pleasures of running, playing and just being a kid. Today, about 6.2 million children younger than 18 have asthma — about one of every 12. It’s the No. 1 reason for missed school days (in the U.S., in 2013, that total was 13.8 million) and asthma is the third-ranking cause of hospitalization among children younger than 15. (more)
