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Category: children

Published on Leave a comment on Reduce the Risk of Food Allergies By Having Pet Dogs or Cats

A number of studies in the past decade found that exposure to furry pets (e.g., cats, dogs) in  the first year of a child's life is important for preventing later allergies (animal, food, pollen). A recent large study from Japan found that exposure to pet cats and dogs during pregnancy (developing fetus) and the first year of life confirms that furry pet exposure is important in reducing the risk of food allergies until at least 3 years of age.

While pet dogs kept inside had a protective effect, pet dogs kept outside did not. Also, the type of pet was important. Indoor pet dog exposure reduced the number of children with egg, milk, and nut allergies, while cat exposure was associated with fewer egg, wheat, and soybean allergies. However, these beneficial results did not apply to pet hamsters, birds, and turtles.

Why is this happening? It's thought that early in life exposure to furry pets (dander, microbes) helps train the developing immune system. Their gut microbes also have differences. By the way, other studies found that exposing a child in the first year of life to potential problem foods (e.g., peanut butter, eggs) reduces the incidence of that specific food allergy.

From Science Daily: Living with pet cats or dogs is associated with fewer food allergies in young children, study finds

In an analysis of over 65,000 infants from Japan, children exposed to pet cats or indoor dogs during fetal development or early infancy tended to have fewer food allergies compared to other children, according to a study published March 29, 2023 in the open-access journal PLOS ONE by Hisao Okabe from the Fukushima Regional Center for the Japan Environment and Children's Study, Japan, and colleagues. ...continue reading "Reduce the Risk of Food Allergies By Having Pet Dogs or Cats"

Published on Leave a comment on An Organic Diet Rapidly Lowers Glyphosate Levels In the Body

Most people don't realize how quickly many pesticide levels decrease in our bodies after switching to eating organic foods. Studies find significantly lower levels in a few weeks for many pesticides, but in the case of glyphosate - it's within days!

This is significant because each year more health harms are being linked with glyphosate exposure, such as cancer, shorter pregnancies, disruption of the gut microbiome, cancer, kidney toxicity, and liver inflammation.

Glyphosate (found in Roundup) is the most widely used herbicide (weed killer) in the world. Millions of pounds are used each year in the US, typically for weed control in outdoor areas, as well as on genetically modified crops (e.g., corn, soybeans, canola), and frequently right before harvest on conventional crops (e.g., wheat, oats, barley).

Food is the primary source of glyphosate exposure. Many non-organic foods (especially wheat, oats, barley, soybeans, legumes) contain glyphosate residues. Glyphosate is even found in breakfast cereals Organic food does not contain glyphosate  - it's use is not allowed in organic food production.

Researchers first tested the urine of people eating a totally non-organic diet, and then when eating an all organic diet. There was a 70% reduction in glyphosate and its metabolite AMPA within 3 days. Children had significantly higher levels of glyphosate and AMPA than adults in their urine in both the non-organic and organic phases of the study.

Bottom line: Eat as many organic foods as possible. And don't use glyphosate (Roundup) on your property.

From Environmental Health News: Organic diets quickly reduce the amount of glyphosate in people’s bodies

Eating an organic diet rapidly and significantly reduces exposure to glyphosate—the world's most widely-used weed killer, which has been linked to cancer, hormone disruption and other harmful impacts, according to a new study. ...continue reading "An Organic Diet Rapidly Lowers Glyphosate Levels In the Body"

Published on Leave a comment on A Commonly Used Pesticide, Children, and Liver Inflammation

Millions of pounds of pesticides are used each year in the US for all sorts of reasons - crops, lawns, inside homes, aerial spraying, etc. But what many people don't realize is that the pesticides get into us and they have harmful effects on us. Pesticides can be absorbed through the skin, ingested (from food and water), or inhaled.

One pesticide that we're being exposed to in increasingly larger amounts each year is glyphosate, commonly known as Roundup. Food is the main way glyphosate gets into us, and so we are exposed to it almost daily. And yes, it is in almost all of us. It's used for weed control in outdoor areas, as well as on genetically modified crops (e.g., corn, soybeans), and frequently right before harvest on conventional crops (e.g., wheat, oats, barley).

Recently researchers at the UC Berkeley School of Public Health found that glyphosate exposure in childhood is linked to liver inflammation, fatty liver disease, and metabolic syndrome in early adulthood. These conditions can lead to diabetes, heart disease, and strokes.

There is increasing evidence of harms from glyphosate (e.g., shorter pregnancies, disruption of the gut microbiome, cancer, kidney toxicity).

What to do to lower exposure to glyphosate? Eat organic foods whenever possible. Levels in the body will go down within a week. Organic farmers and food producers are not allowed to use glyphosate.

From Environmental Health News: Kids’ glyphosate exposure linked to liver disease and metabolic syndrome

Over the last decade, Dr. Charles Limbach noticed something strange in his family medicine practice in East Salinas, California.

Kids between 5 and 15 years old showed elevated levels of liver enzymes, a sign of liver inflammation. Limbach ordered a panel of medical tests on each patient and repeatedly saw the same result: fatty liver disease. ...continue reading "A Commonly Used Pesticide, Children, and Liver Inflammation"

Published on Leave a comment on Reading to Infants Helps With Language Development

Study after study shows that reading to young children is beneficial in several ways, and now another study can be added to the list. Positive effects of reading at least 1 book a day to a baby starting at 2 weeks of age can be seen in the baby's language by 9 months of age.

Reading aloud to your child increases the child's vocabulary and speech, but it is also a great way to bond with your child.

The researchers point out that many studies find that: "Ultimately, the age at which parents begin reading to their children correlates with language development and academic achievement."

Each parent in the study was given 20 popular young children's books to read to their baby. A few were definitely above an infant's comprehension level (e.g., Owl Babies by Waddell), while others could be considered by many as first books (e.g., the board book Everywhere Babies).

Science Daily: Daily, consistent parental reading in the first year of life improves infants' language scores

Daily reading improved language development in infants 12 months and younger, according to a recent study by researchers at the Marshall University Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine. ...continue reading "Reading to Infants Helps With Language Development"

Published on Leave a comment on Six Physicians Swallowed Lego Heads Study

Some research studies are funny. Really funny, as in WTF - did they actually do this? I recently read an entertaining article about one such study (done a few years ago) by six physicians who conducted the study on themselves. Each swallowed a small plastic Lego head and then checked their feces (poo!) to see how long it took to be excreted!

They found that the Lego heads actually passed through the gastrointestinal system quite rapidly and without any problems. (But one never found the Lego piece because he didn't thoroughly check!) The researchers (all pediatric health care professionals in either the UK or Australia) had wonderful descriptions of their results - using such terms as Stool Hardness and Transit (SHAT) and the Found and Retrieved Time (FART).

And yes, it actually has real life relevance. The results were reassuring because children swallow small plastic objects all the time, and the study showed they can pass through the system quickly. In this study the average was less than 2 days (1.7 days) for the Lego head to be excreted.

[NOTE: These results do not apply to children swallowing small (button & lithium coin) batteries - that is an emergency situation requiring immediate medical help!]

The writer Sabrina Imbler at the site Defector wrote an entertaining account of the researchers and their study. Excerpt from the article: An Oral History Of The Time Six Doctors Swallowed Lego Heads To See How Long They’d Take To Poo

In 2018, a question burned in the minds of six pediatric healthcare professionals: How long does it take for a small ingested object to pass through a child's digestive system? Unwilling to ask actual children to experimentally swallow a foreign object, these skilled workers volunteered their own gastrointestinal tracts for science, and published a paper detailing their experiment in the Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health, which went viral in a way that papers published in the Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health usually do not. ...continue reading "Six Physicians Swallowed Lego Heads Study"

Published on Leave a comment on Study Finds That Youngest Children In Class May Just Be Immature and Don’t Need ADHD Drugs

Age at when children first start kindergarten is controversial, with many parents choosing to keep children (especially boys) home an additional year. There is also concern that so many children are diagnosed with ADHD and given prescription medications for it from a young age.

The results of a recent large study suggest that we absolutely should be rethinking when children start school, we should be more flexible about it, and not be so quick to diagnose ADHD in young children. Instead of just looking at a child's age, assess a child's school readiness.

The study found that the youngest children in a class are more likely to be prescribed ADHD medications, which may be unnecessary. It's not ADHD (characterized by concentration difficulties, hyperactivity and impulsivity), it's just immaturity. The youngest children are immature compared to the older children in a class.

Thus the prescriptions for "behavior problems" may be totally unnecessary. These children are overmedicated! The study also found that if the youngest in the class were born prematurely, then it's like a double whammy against them.

By the way, in the United States, one additional problem is that kindergarten has become more like first grade (lots of worksheets and sitting still for long periods). And many schools have eliminated recess totally - time when children can move, play, and get rid of excess energy.

From Medical Xpress: Study suggests the youngest children in class are being overmedicated for ADHD

Christine Strand Bachmann has led a study that includes all Norwegian children born between 1989 and 1998, a total of 488,000 people. ...continue reading "Study Finds That Youngest Children In Class May Just Be Immature and Don’t Need ADHD Drugs"

Published on Leave a comment on Leave Your Shoes At The Door

It has been known for years that wearing your shoes indoors means that everything that is on the ground outdoors will be tracked into the home. Pesticides, heavy metals, lead, animal feces, and everything else out there.

Babies crawling around the floor (and also putting things into the mouth) get an extra heavy dose of "contaminants" that were tracked in. We all absorb contaminants through our skin, ingest (the mouth), or breathe them in.

All these contaminants become part of our indoor air quality. Our indoor air is not just the outside contaminants that made their way in, but there is also shedding of skin and cloth fibers from us and pets, as well as outgassing and breakdown (the dust) of whatever is in the home. We can't get rid of all contaminants, but we can really lower our exposure to them by not wearing our shoes indoors.

Bottom line: Take your shoes off at the door.

A nice discussion of this issue is in an article written by Professors M.P. Taylor and G. Filippelli earlier this year. Some excerpts from The Conversation: Wearing shoes in the house is just plain gross. The verdict from scientists who study indoor contaminants

You probably clean your shoes if you step in something muddy or disgusting (please pick up after your dog!). But when you get home, do you always de-shoe at the door?  ...continue reading "Leave Your Shoes At The Door"

Published on Leave a comment on Commonly Used Fungicide Detected In Pregnant Women and Children
Credit: Wikipedia

Another study with concerning results for children and pregnant women has been published. This time researchers found a commonly used fungicide in a majority of children and all pregnant women studied. Some children had chronic exposure. A small study, but still...

The fungicide is azoxystrobin, and is commonly used on crops (e.g., cereals, grapevines, potatoes, fruits, nuts, and vegetable crops), lawns, and in mildew and mold-resistant wallboard used in home construction. The fungicide migrates out of the wallboard (sheetrock) and is found in house dust. Thus, humans can have chronic exposure to it.

And yes, this fungicide has worrisome health effects in animal studies - for example, toxic to embryos, neurotoxicity, brain inflammation. Studies in pregnant mice found that the fungicide went from the mother to the developing babies by crossing the placenta and then entered the developing brain. Much is unknown and studies need to be done!

The problem is that in the USA chemicals are easily approved by the government for use, and it is up to consumers and researchers later to prove harm. But typically that is not enough to get any changes and the chemicals in question keep on being produced and used and causing harm.

What to do? Eat organically grown food. The fungicide is not allowed on organic crops. Don't use pesticides on your lawn. If renovating or constructing a home - avoid mold and mildew-resistant wallboard brands.

From Medical Xpress: Scientists detect common fungicide in pregnant women and children

For the first time, UNC-Chapel Hill researchers have measured the concentration of a biomarker of the commonly used fungicide azoxystrobin (AZ) in the urine of pregnant women and children ranging from 40–84 months of age. They also documented maternal transfer of AZ to mouse embryos and weaning-age mice.  ...continue reading "Commonly Used Fungicide Detected In Pregnant Women and Children"

Published on Leave a comment on Early Exposure to Foods Reduces Risk of Developing Food Allergies

Well, it looks like the medical advice for avoiding food allergies in children has come full circle. For decades health professionals said for babies to avoid eating problem foods (e.g., eggs, dairy, peanuts) if parents have food allergies. But..it turned out that following this advice did not prevent food allergies.

Results of studies in the past decade changed medical views regarding food allergies. Now the advice is: Early exposure (in the first year of life) to foods such as eggs, milk, peanut butter, and wheat is preventive - don't avoid.

A recent well done Scandinavian study confirmed that this advice is good for all young children, not just those with a family history of food allergies. Starting at 3 months of age, infants who regularly ate tiny amounts of foods (wheat, eggs, cow's milk, peanuts) had a lower chance of food allergies by 3 years of age.

Only .9% of these children developed food allergies, while 2.3% to 3% of children not getting early exposure to foods developed egg, dairy, or peanut allergies.

Also, in this study some infants had their skin rubbed with skin emollients, bath additives and facial cream from 2 weeks to 8 months, 4 times per week, and more of them developed food allergies - whether also avoiding foods or not. [My comment: Why would anyone think that would help with food allergies? It sounds irritating! And it perhaps/probably messed with their skin microbiome.]

New advice: Infants should have early exposure to potentially problem foods, starting as early as 3 months, to lower their risk of developing food allergies. Delaying the introduction of these foods actually increases the risk of food allergies. (By the way, the same advice also holds true for avoiding pet allergies - exposure to furry pets in the first year of life is important.)

From Medical Xpress: Early food introduction can reduce risk of food allergy in children

Infants who were given a taste of peanut, milk, wheat and egg from the age of three months had a lower risk of developing a food allergy at the age of three years than controls, reports a study by researchers from Karolinska Institutet in Sweden and the University of Oslo in Norway published in The Lancet. ...continue reading "Early Exposure to Foods Reduces Risk of Developing Food Allergies"

Published on Leave a comment on CDC Finds The Pesticide Glyphosate In Most Children

We all get exposed to pesticides to varying degrees - whether from our water, foods we eat, inhaling them, or absorbing them through our skin (e.g., walking or playing on pesticide treated lawns). Unfortunately, studies show our exposure to the pesticide glyphosate (found in Roundup) is increasing each year.

The CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) does biomonitoring of persons in the US to see what chemicals we are being exposed to by measuring levels in the blood and urine of both adults and children. They recently released the finding that about 80% of us have glyphosate residues. Even worse, about 87 percent of the 650 children they tested had detectable levels of glyphosate in their urine.

Glyphosate is the most widely used herbicide (it kills vegetation) in the US and the world. Nearly 300 million pounds of the pesticide are applied each year in the United States, with greater than 88.6 pounds per square mile in the US midwest (according to the USGS). Glyphosate residues have been found in all sorts of foods, honey and grain cereals.

What is it doing to us? It has been linked to a number of human health effects, such as cancer, endocrine (hormone) disruption, liver and kidney damage, preterm birth, and even having a negative effect on our gut microbiome - by killing off certain important species of gut microbes. There is much we still don't know about chronic exposure to low levels of the pesticide.

A 2017 study following adults over the age of 50 from 1993 to 2016, residing in Southern California, found that the percentage of adults with glyphosate residues in urine went from 12% to 70% during that time. And now the CDC reports an even higher rate. Much of this increase is due to genetically modified crops (crops that are Roundup resistant) and also to the increase in "preharvest" applications on regular crops.

What can you do? Eat as much organically grown food as possible. This is because organic farmers are NOT allowed to use glyphosate. And don't use Roundup or other glyphosate products on your property.

What EWG (Environmental Working Group) has to say about glyphosate: CDC finds toxic weedkiller in 87 percent of children tested

From Medical Xpress: Weed killer glyphosate found in most Americans' urine

More than 80% of Americans have a widely used herbicide lurking in their urine, a new government study suggests. ...continue reading "CDC Finds The Pesticide Glyphosate In Most Children"