Community Magazine August 2006

 ”  66 Community Magazine Fancy Shampoo Bad for Boys Shampoos, soaps and body lotions containing lavender and tea tree oils – commonly added for their aromas and marketing cachet – may cause hormonal imbalances, a new study says. Researchers found that both oils mimicked estrogen (a gender specific growth hormone) while reducing the activity of androgens, which inhibit such activity. They advised parents to discuss any fears about herbal oils with their pediatrician. Parents who notice potentially related symptoms in their boys should also report them promptly to their physician. Flu in Children Goes Undiagnosed in Most Cases Doctors fail to diagnose the flu in the vast majority of young chil- dren, depriving them of medicines that could shorten their illness and keep them from spreading it to others, a study suggests. Flu infections were missed in four out of five preschoolers who were treated for flu symptoms at a doctor’s office or emergency room, and in about three-quarters of those who were hospitalized. If more doctors used a rapid flu test, more cases of flu could be detected and steps taken to prevent its spread, the researchers suggested. About a third of the children would have been candidates for medicines like Tamiflu, which work better to ease symptoms when g i v e n early. Fish May Calm Children Better Than Ritalin A daily dose of fish oil is better at treating hyperactivity than Ritalin research has revealed. The naturally-occurring oil – also available in capsule form – can v a s t l y improve children’s behaviour without any of the side-effects of Ritalin and related drugs. The controversial drugs can cause heart problems, dizziness and insomnia. The study showed that omega 3, a naturally occurring compound in fish, can improve the brainpower and concentration of hyperactive children. Herbal Use Linked to Drug Abuse Risk Teens who used herbal supplements in the past were more likely to have also used tobacco, alcohol and illegal drugs, a new study shows. High school students in upstate New York who said they’d tried herbals were twice as likely to have reported using tobacco, more than three times as likely to have drank alcohol, and between 4 and 14 times as likely to have taken illegal drugs (such as cocaine and steroids) than teens who had never used herbal supplements. Teens who used herbal products were 4.4 times more likely to have used LSD, PCP, ecstasy, and “magic” mushrooms, almost six times more likely to have tried cocaine, almost seven times more likely to have used methamphetamines, almost nine times more likely to have done heroin, and 14.5 times more likely to have used steroids, compared with teens who had never used herbal products. The study has not been conclusive yet, and cannot determine causes and effects. Gene For Face Blindness Identified Prosopagnosia or “face blindness” – an inability to recognize faces – was found to be a fairly common hereditary disorder that runs in families, according to a study by German researchers. The cause of the disorder is apparently a defect in a single gene. While people with HPA often have difficulty recognizing the difference between faces – except for the faces of those people who are most familiar to them, such as family members – they’re generally able to identify other facial information, such as gender, age, and emotional expres- sion. The researchers said this suggests that these characteristics and face recognition are processed independently of one another in the brain. According to the study, about one in 80 young people suffer from hereditary prosopagnosia (HPA) and of those, almost all have a direct relative who also has the disorder. High School Smoking Rate No Longer Dropping Nearly one in four high school students were smokers last year, a rate that has not budged in several years, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said recently. From 1991 to 1997, smoking among high school aged children increased from 27.5 percent to 36.4 percent, the survey said. Though the rate fell each year from 1997 until 2003, it has remained stalled at 23 percent since then. The CDC, attributed the stalled rate from 2003-2005 to several possible causes, including smaller cigarette price hikes, less money for anti-tobacco programs, increased spending on tobacco ads and promotions, and potentially less exposure to anti-smoking cam- paigns. Heavier Toys to Prevent Weight Gain? Researchers at Indiana State University in Terre Haute tried a small experi- ment to test the effects of having kids play with heavier toys. They found that children ages six to eight burned sig- nificantly more calories and had higher heart and breathing rates when they played with 3 pound weight- ed toy blocks. Obesity rates have tripled over the past 40 years in American children and adolescents, rising to 17 percent. CM To • Junior ’ s • Health