I had the joy this week of visiting the Perspectives Charter School in Chicago and chatting with their students and staff. This low-income public school has many things going right. They have exceptionally high graduation standards, nevertheless 100 percent of the senior class are graduating from high school, in a school district where the average [...]

When my wife and I were born, American teenage girls, aged 12 to 17, weighed an average of 118 pounds. Some weighed more and some weighed less. Today, the average has swollen to 130 pounds. And teenage boys have packed on even more weight, going from a healthy 125 pound average up to 141 in [...]

One of the benefits of vaginal birth is the gift of Mom.s beneficial bacteria to the baby. Normally, these quickly take up residence in the newborn.s gut. Cesarean sections can be life-saving interventions, but the sterile environment they require can change or delay beneficial bacteria making their home in the baby.s intestinal tract. Perhaps this [...]

The heavier kids are during the toddler, preschool, and school years, the greatest the chance they have of developing cancer as young adults, according to a study published in the November 1, 2004 International Journal of Cancer. Researchers in the Boyd Orr Study of Diet and Health in Pre-War Britain measured the heights and weights [...]

The timing of clamping and cutting the umbilical cord can make a difference in babies. health . especially for babies born early. Clamping too late can lead to blood thickening, lung problems, and can interfere with important efforts to help get the baby breathing.On the other hand, clamping too early can deprive the baby of [...]

Air fresheners and aerosol sprays can lead to sicker babies, sicker moms, and moms who are depressed, according to an October 19, 2004 announcement from the University of Bristol. This is the latest news from the .Children of the 90s. study (The Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children — ALSPAC, where 14,000 children have [...]

High blood pressure, which used to be a disease of middle age, is becoming more common in children. Once a child has high blood pressure, unless there are significant lifestyle changes, the high blood pressure continues into adulthood. This leads to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and early adult death, even if the blood [...]

High blood pressure, high blood glucose, high triglycerides, low HDL, and/or increased waist size are all important heart disease risk factors, typically associated with middle age. Get ready for your jaw to drop. About 2/3 of U.S. teens already have at least one of these risk factors, according to research at Children.s Hospital Boston published [...]

It.s too soon to say for sure, but early signs suggest that this year may be a mild flu season in the United States . despite the fear frenzy the flu vaccine shortage has fueled. Here.s the first clue: the flu season that is just ending in the Southern Hemisphere has been a mild one. [...]

Having babies sleep on their backs has successfully reduced the rate of SIDS, but has also been accompanied by reports of an increase in the number of babies diagnosed with flattening of the back of the head. Is this increase real? Or are people just paying more attention to head shape? And does it go [...]

About 1 in 12 women who are pregnant develop an important combination of swelling, elevated blood pressure, and protein in the urine that we call preeclampsia. The unborn baby.s symptoms are not as easy to detect, but are at least as important. Preeclampsia is a serious health issue for both babies and mothers. Its cause [...]

There is a simple way to protect your children from the arsenic commonly found in playgrounds. Wait a minute! There.s arsenic in playgrounds?!? The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has banned wood treated with chromated copper arsenic (CCA) from being installed in playgrounds and homes. This ban took effect on January 1, 2004, but [...]

Kids in America simply do not eat enough whole grains for optimal health and development. Most parents would love for them to eat more, but kids often balk at the taste. They average eating less than one serving a day of whole grains, even though the most conservative recommendations suggest that kids get at least [...]