Cross-posted at MotherTalkers
by Stacey
A new pill coming out next week will allow parents to treat their child’s aches and pains without administering any actual medication. According this article in the NY Times, the chewable placebo pill is made of sugar and will be cherry-flavored. It is called Obecalp, for placebo spelled backward, and will be […]

by Stacey
No one’s kid is perfect. Most of us struggle at some point in the day with our kids’ behavior, at times skillfully getting them to do what we want and other times using threats and bludgeons (okay not really). But some parents struggle more than others. This article in the Washington Post looks at […]

by Stacey
It’s been two weeks since Heath Ledger’s body was found in his Manhattan apartment and it seems that the cause of death was accidental overdose. According to this article in Newsweek, the 28-year-old Australian-born actor and star of “Brokeback Mountain” died from a lethal combination of prescription medications used to treat anxiety, insomnia […]

by Stacey
A new study shows infants metabolize the mercury used as a preservative in vaccines much more quickly than doctors had previously thought. The research will be published this Monday in the Journal Pediatrics. The study casts even more doubt on the link between vaccines and autism, says this article in the LA Times.
Researchers had […]

by Stacey
Earlier this month the Food and Drug Administration officially warned parents not to give over-the-counter cold medicines to children under age two. The agency is also considering banning the drugs for children six and under.
That’s great considering the evidence shows the meds don’t work and could actually be harmful for kids. But when your […]

by Stacey
Here we go. According to this article in the NY Times, a study published today in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology says that too much caffeine during pregnancy may increase the risk of miscarriage, prompting the study authors to suggest that pregnant women consider reducing or eliminating their caffeine intake altogether. […]

by Stacey
Two new studies shed some positive light on irksome behavior problems in young children. According to this article in the NY Times, one study showed that kindergartners who are identified as troubled do as well academically as their peers in elementary school. The other study found that children with attention deficit disorders suffer primarily […]

by Stacey
Sorry to be late on this story. On Wednesday the Consumer Product Safety Commission recalled 4.2 million Aqua Dots, distrubuted by Spin Master of Toronto, Canada. According to this article in the NY Times, if ingested the beads release a chemical related to GBH, otherwise known as the banned date rape drug.
The toy is […]

by Stacey
Lots of good stuff from the November issue of the Journal Pediatrics.
Let’s start with the babies. One new study called Are We Overprescribing Antireflux Medications for Infants With Regurgitation? shows that babies who are treated with drugs for gastroesophageal reflux disease, or GERD, may not actually need the medication. According to the study abstract, […]

by Stacey
Although it was news to parents, pediatricians have known for years that cough and cold medicines for kids were a waste of time and money. According to this article in the Washington Post, some doctors even learned about it in medical school.
“When I was trained as a pediatrician, it was just accepted that these […]