Health Headlines - June 25

Health Tip: Prevent Food Poisoning in Children

Children under age five are especially susceptible to food poisoning because their immune systems aren't fully developed.

Help protect them with these tips from All Children's Hospital in St. Petersburg, Fla.:

* Keep hot foods hot and cold foods cold.
* Wash your hands before preparing food, in between preparing different food courses, and after you've finished making the meal.
* When grilling chicken, beef or pork, ensure that it's fully cooked by making sure there are no pink juices coming from the meat.
* Buy pasteurized fruit juices.

Scared of the Dentist? You're Not Alone

A new survey finds that women are 2.5 times more likely than men to say they fear a trip to the dentist. But Canadian researchers also suspect that many of the survey's male respondents were fibbing about the depth of their dental fears.

Study Points to Heart Disease Marker's Dark Side

Scientists have taken a small step in identifying an additional potential cause of heart disease.

Snuff, Chew Tobacco Raise Heart Death Risk

Besides raising the risk of oral cancer, smokeless tobacco -- also known as snuff, dip or chewing tobacco -- appears to boost the odds male users will die from heart disease, according to the largest study of its kind ever conducted.

Cream Relieves Children's IV Pain

Hospitalization can be a frightening and painful experience for children. But Canadian researchers report one small improvement in care: a new topical anesthetic cream that reduced pain for children during IV insertion while improving procedural success rates.

New Insomnia Drug Shows Promise

The investigational drug ramelteon reduced the time it took for people with chronic insomnia to fall asleep and also increased their total sleep time, according to the results of a Phase III study sponsored by the drug's maker, Takeda Pharmaceuticals.

Epilepsy, Bipolar Drugs Carry Birth Defect Risks

Experts are repeating their warning that the use during pregnancy of common anticonvulsants -- especially phenobarbitol and valproate -- has been linked to an increased risk of severe birth defects.

Questions Key to Rating Nursing Home Care

Asking nursing home residents the right questions may be crucial to really understanding if quality-improvement measures are working, a new study finds.

Heart Drug Approved for Blacks Raises Race Issue

The milestone approval of the first drug geared specifically to blacks has raised questions about intertwining race and biology while addressing the very real health concerns of minorities.

Even Infants Can Suffer Strokes

Parents of newborns often worry their babies may choke, or not feed well, or perhaps struggle with breathing problems.

Restoring Full Blood Flow Boosts Bypass Survival

In patients with multiple blocked arteries, restoring blood flow to all areas of the heart improves five-year survival, researchers report.

Health Tip: Don't Let the Norovirus Get You

Over the past couple of years, outbreaks of gastroenteritis or Norwalk-like viruses have afflicted hundreds of people.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says at least 50 percent of all foodborne outbreaks of gastroenteritis may be attributed to these germs, called noroviruses.

Among the 232 outbreaks of norovirus illness reported to the CDC from July 1997 to June 2000, common settings for outbreaks include restaurants (36 percent), nursing homes (23 percent), schools (13 percent), and vacation settings or cruise ships (10 percent).

Whether you're at home or traveling, you can fend off the norovirus with these tips offered by the Johns Hopkins University Health After 50 medical letter:

* Wash your hands frequently with soap and water, particularly before and after meals, and keep your hands away from your face and mouth.
* Every so often, use alcohol-based hand sanitizers.
* Don't share eating utensils or drinking glasses.
* Avoid eating uncooked food.
* If you're traveling, drink only bottled water.
* If you're planning a trip and are over 65 or have a weakened immune system, your doctor may suggest additional precautions.

Group Estimates High Toll if Flu Broke Out

More than a half-million people could die and more than 2.3 million could be hospitalized if a moderately severe strain of pandemic flu virus hits the United States, a research group said Friday.

Food Fact:
What's in a name?

An "oatmeal" or "fruit" snack may seem healthy, but names don't always tell the real tale. Oatmeal cookies, for example, don't have enough oatmeal to be nutritionally significant, but the high fat totals should get your attention. Similarly, a fruit roll-up has very little real fruit. For kids' snacks, you can't go wrong with real whole fruit, whole-grain cereal (check the ingredients) and low-fat dairy.

Fitness Tip of the day:
Gotta move...

Fitting extra activity into your day is effortless when you make a few key choices. Take three examples: 1) Instead of sitting at a movie for two hours, go bowling. 2) Leave your car home and walk to public transportation. 3) Hide the remote control and get up every time you want to change channels.

FAQ of the day:
Is whole milk bad for me?

Switching from whole dairy to reduced-fat varieties makes a big step toward slashing fat, saturated fat and calories. In an FDA study of 15,000 Americans, women who drank milk averaged 65 grams of fat a day, while skim drinkers took in only 51. Male drinkers of whole milk took in 85 grams, the skim drinkers 74. That's more than 100 calories saved each day. Those who switched to low-fat milk had significant fat savings, too. It wasn't all about the milk: The skim and low-fat milk drinkers tended to eat less red meat, and more fruits and vegetables.