Health, features and articles | Educational Science

Apr 30, 2011

How to Avoid Raising a Bully

Parents who don't want their children to become bullies should stay positive, talk to their kids and meet their children's friends. That's according to new research presented today (May 1) at the annual meeting of the Pediatric Academic Societies in Denver. Using data from a nationally representative phone survey, researchers...

Apr 30, 2011

Brain Overgrowth in Tots Is Linked to Autism

The brains of children who have autism spectrum disorder are larger than those of other children, a difference that seems to arise before they are 2 years old, according to a new study. In 2005, researchers from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill found that 2-year-old children with...

Apr 30, 2011

Asthma Pill Works As Well As Common Inhalers, Study Finds

A rarely prescribed asthma drug is easier to use and just as effective as conventional treatment with inhalers, according to a new study. British researchers found that tablets called leukotriene receptor antagonists (LTRAs) manage asthma equally successfully as steroid inhalers and other preventer inhalers when used in addition to steroid...

Apr 30, 2011

Superwomen: Moms of Twins May Live Longer

Having two babies at a time is associated with a longer life, according to a new study. But that's not because doubling up on dirty diapers increases life span; instead, moms of twins are physically stronger in the first place. One catch: The research, published today (May 10) in the...

Apr 30, 2011

Preschoolers Already Think Thin is Beautiful

Kids as young as 4 think thin is beautiful, suggesting that media associations of thinness with beauty sink in early. The findings, published in March in the journal Body Image, aren't the first to show that kids develop opinions on body weight early. One study, published in 2010 in the...

Apr 30, 2011

The Dish: Helper Brain Cells Grown in Lab

The most common brain cell, called the astrocyte, is often overlooked in the face of its cousin, the neuron. Researchers are finally realizing their importance and have, for the first time, been able to grow them in the lab. Not a lot of attention has been paid to these cells...

Apr 30, 2011

Energy Drinks Not for Kids, Pediatricians Warn

Energy drinks — sweet drinks containing caffeine and often herbal supplements — have been drawing scrutiny over their nutritional value. Now the nation’s largest group of pediatricians is strongly recommending that they not be consumed by children. “Rigorous review and analysis of the literature reveal that caffeine and other stimulant...

Mar 31, 2011

Brain Scans Predict Alzheimer's Risk in Some Patients

Brain scans may help identify which individuals with a mild decline in their mental abilities will go on to develop Alzheimer's disease, according to a new study. The research focused on patients with mild cognitive impairment, a condition in which people experience noticeable declines in their cognitive function, including memory...

Mar 31, 2011

Exercise During Pregnancy Benefits Baby's Heart

Exercise during pregnancy benefits not just the mother's heart, but her baby's heart as well, a new study finds. The results show regular exercise during pregnancy lowers the heart rate of the fetus, and this effect persists for a month after the baby is born. A low heart rate indicates...

Mar 31, 2011

Restless Legs Syndrome Drug Receives FDA Approval

Seventy-four-year-old Marilyn Butterfield shakes her legs when she sits down for dinner. She shakes her legs when she sits down to read, and she shakes her legs in her bed when she lies down to sleep. She's that woman who is standing at the back of the movie theater to...

Mar 31, 2011

Braids and Weaves Could Cause Hair Loss

Hair grooming practices such as braids and weaves could be contributing to the development of permanent, scarring hair loss in African-American women, according to a new study. Women with advanced central hair loss with signs of scarring, also called central centrifugal cicatricial alopecia, are more likely than those without hair...

Mar 31, 2011

Weight-Loss Surgery May Improve Memory

Weight-loss surgery may help individuals not only shed pounds but improve their memory and concentration. Obese people participating in a new study were tested on their mental abilities. They showed, on average, slightly impaired memory and concentration. Twelve weeks after surgery, subjects' scores registered in the normal range. Meanwhile, the...

Mar 31, 2011

New Blood Test Could Detect Spread of Melanoma

Researchers have found seven proteins that, when at high levels in the blood, can predict the spread of a certain type of cancer to other parts of the body, according to a new study. The seven proteins — CEACAM, ICAM-1, osteopontin, MIA, GDF-15, TIMP-1 and S100B — were seen at...

Mar 31, 2011

Lack of Sunlight and Mono Infection Combine to Raise MS Risk

Little exposure to sunlight paired with an infection of the common virus mononucleosis may put people at risk for multiple sclerosis (MS), a new study suggests. The study, conducted in England, found that the amount of sunlight in a particular area combined with the number of cases of mononucleosis in...

Mar 31, 2011

Want Better Brains? Party!

Visiting friends, attending parties, and even going to church might be just as good for your brain as crossword puzzles, new research suggests. Frequent social activity may help to prevent or delay cognitive decline in old age, the study found. The researchers aimed to rule out the possibility that cognitive...