Sheesh, after sitting on some of these alarming findings all week, I am freaked out:
Childhood cancer rates are highest in Northeast, study finds. higher by like 7%, too: 179/million vs 166/million average. Must be all that liberal health care causing it. [boston.com via dana]
"One hour of second hand smoke in a car is the same as giving kids an entire pack of cigarettes." A Canadian study finds that even with running the A/C or cracking the windows, cars are smokier than "a smoky saloon." So they're going to ban smoking while driving with kids. [canada.com via dt]
Children or teeth, you can't have both, ladies. [boston.com via sara]
A British study suggests that bacteria might be a co-factor in causing SIDS. Half of SIDS autopsies researchers looked at showed dangerous levels of staph and E. coli. Here's the abstract and findings from The Lancet. [ap/yahoo via freakout correspondent sara]
Up to 40% of kids in the US are not getting enough Vitamin D. And the causes are obvious: the twin evils of breastfeeding and sunscreen. So put that kid on a formula drip and stick him in the yard. It's for his own good. [healthday/yahoo via sara, who's singlehandedly leading the AL East at this point]
A day care center in Kent, UK, is now fingerprinting parents and pickup and dropoff. Cory Doctorow's freaking out about it, but parents love it. Of course, they would, because they're soaking in the giant teapot of the British Surveillance Industrial Complex. [Americans can't gloat too much; the ultra-VIP area of my gym apparently requires a retina scan to enter, even though the only person who ever uses it is immediately recognizable as Ricky freaking Martin.] [bbc via boingboing]
I think we've seen these Daddy Dolls for kids whose dads are deployed in Iraq before, but damn. If you can't get freaked out over the impact this stupid war is having on hundreds of thousands of children and families, what can you get freaked out about? Fix these damn deployment schedules and stop losses and bring these people home pronto. And support the support they and their families need and deserve. [abc/yahoo]
Wow, that Vitamin D article contradicts itself left and right.
"However, the use of sunscreen and advice to stay out of the sun -- which is important for preventing skin cancer -- may also be reducing levels of vitamin D in people."
"There was no association between the seasons -- an indication of possible sun exposure -- and vitamin D deficiency."
"Consumption of vitamin D-fortified milk confers protection against deficiency."
"She also recommends a multivitamin containing vitamin D for older children."
"I think that more research is needed before routine vitamin D supplementation is recommended for all children,"
Blame my biologist brain, Tim, but I can't find a single contradiction in the statements you quoted.
The Vitamin D news made the Boston Globe today. (We did receive, and followed, advice from our pediatrician two years ago to give our babe Vitamin D supplements while breast-feeding). I enjoyed this line at the end of the article:
"Vitamin D deficiency is one of the most common medical conditions nationwide," said Holick, who has come under criticism for accepting funding from the tanning industry.
http://www.boston.com/news/health/articles/2008/06/09/are_babies_hurt_by_lack_of_vitamin_d/
[excellent catch -ed.]