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Children's Health

Paternity Kits Available Over The Counter

Consumers with a pressing need to validate the paternity of a child can now buy a DNA Collection Kit offered by a Utah-based genetics company called Identigene. Available over the counter at Rite-Aid stores in 30 states. You pay $22.99 for the kit and another $119 processing fee for the results. The kit has swabs to collect cell samples from the inner cheek of the child and the "alleged" father and consent forms. You get the results in the mail... read more

Posted by Phil Daigle on April 3, 2008 4:08 PM
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Saline Nasal Wash Beats Commercial Cold and Sinus Products

If you have a child, you know all too well how often they have upper-respiratory tract and sinus infections. According to recently published studies, commercially available sinus and cold medications are ineffective at best and in some cases even dangerous for use by children. For treatment of cold symptoms, try using a nasal wash solution made from processed seawater. It can also prevent respiratory infection from coming back. During the study, 390 children were tested over a period of 6... read more

Posted by Phil Daigle on January 24, 2008 11:38 AM
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Popular Infant Cough and Cold Medicines Pulled from Market

Some infant (children younger than two years old) cough and cold medicines are being taken off the market because of their potential for misuse (overdose), meaning they are not dangerous if taken as directed. Here's a list of the branded cough and cold medicines that are being voluntarily withdrawn: Dimetapp Decongestant Plus Cough Infant Dimetapp Decongestant Infant Drops Little Colds Decongestant Plus Cough Little Colds Multi-Symptom Cold Formula PEDIACARE Infant Drops Decongestant (containing pseudoephedrine) PEDIACARE Infant Drops Decongestant & Cough... read more

Posted by Phil Daigle on October 12, 2007 2:39 PM
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Best Children's Hospitals 2007

U.S.News Magazine has just published their expanded and improved 2007 list of the best Children's Hospitals in the United States. Parents now have better tools with these new rankings of pediatric hospitals. It can come down to life vs. death. The best hospitals have greater ability to treat kids successfully and send them home. Click here for the list... read more

Posted by Phil Daigle on August 29, 2007 10:30 AM
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Texas Makes It Easier for Low income Families to Get Childrens' Health Insurance

Children's Health Insurance Programs (CHIP) are state programs supported by federal funds that provide the children (usually up to age 19) of families that fall within published low-income guidelines with health insurance coverage at little or no cost to the child's family. CHIP website One of the main complaints of families who want to apply is the complex paperwork and long administrative delays. Some even believe that states deliberately increase the red tape to save money. The state of Texas... read more

Posted by Phil Daigle on June 20, 2007 11:10 AM
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Peanut Allergy Testing Imprecise

Thousands of parents believe their kids have peanut allergies and because the allergic reactions can be very serious, they place suffocating limitations on their kids. Some of these families are worrying unnecessarily. A study* of 84 children who tested positive for peanut allergy on the skin-prick-test showed that a substantial number were found not to be allergic to peanuts when they ate peanuts under medical supervision. The study claimed that the skin-prick-test is not precise or specific enough. Parents with... read more

Posted by Phil Daigle on May 21, 2007 7:52 PM
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Asthma in Kids is Out of Control

Kids with chronic asthma symptoms should use corticosteroid inhalers daily. Yet Only 20% of kids with persistent asthma keep their symptoms under control. Even with inhalers, many kids had persistent symptoms, primarily because they weren't using inhalers daily. The drugs have to be used consistently. Also many of these kids had to deal with secondhand smoke and other triggers which make asthma worse even with inhalers. A majority of kids with asthma have triggers in their home. The list includes:... read more

Posted by Phil Daigle on March 16, 2007 2:05 PM
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Ear Tubes for Toddlers Usually Serve No Purpose

Hundreds of thousands of toddlers and preschoolers in the U.S. get ear tubes each year, but a landmark study published in the Jan. 18 issue of The New England Journal of Medicine. shows that a most number may not need them for the purpose of avoiding future developmental problems. Ear tubes are prescribed for fluid buildup, by itself is usually not painful, but it does affect hearing in the short term. The thinking has been that these early hearing problems... read more

Posted by Phil Daigle on January 18, 2007 3:48 PM
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Texas Considers Requiring Sixth Grade Girls to Take Gardasil

The Texas Legislature will consider two bills that would require girls entering the sixth grade to receive the human papillomavirus vaccine Gardasil - shown in clinical trials to be 100% effective in preventing infection with HPV strains 16 and 18, which together cause about 70% of cervical cancer cases. The FDA approved the vaccine in July 2006 for sale and marketing to girls and women ages nine to 26, and the CDC voted unanimously to recommend that girls ages 11... read more

Posted by Phil Daigle on January 11, 2007 1:29 PM
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