New drug may silence the peanut allergy
May 18, 2009 by admin
Filed under Health News
A new study finds that a botanical drug could provide the key to new treatments for peanut allergies. The findings are published online in The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.
Lead author Xiu-Min Li, MD, Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Director of Center for Chinese Herbal Therapy for Allergy and Asthma at Mount Sinai School of Medicine and colleagues found Food Allergy Herbal Formula (FAHF-2) produced long-term protection following treatment against peanut-induced anaphylaxis in mice. FAHF-2 treatment protected peanut allergic mice from anaphylaxis for more than 36 weeks after treatment was discontinued. This is one-quarter of the mouse lifespan. These findings update previous research done by Dr. Li and her colleagues, where the same drug was shown to be effective for preventing anaphylactic reactions for up to four weeks following treatment.
“Food allergy is a serious and sometimes fatal condition for which there is no cure,” said Dr. Li. “Approximately 80% of fatal or near-fatal anaphylaxis cases are due to peanut allergy in this country. There is an urgent need for effective therapies to prevent and treat those who suffer from food allergies and FAHF-2 could prove to be a major advancement in this field.”
FAHF-2 has received investigational new drug approval of the Food and Drug Administration and currently human clinical trials are being conducted at Mount Sinai to evaluate the safety and early efficacy of FAHF-2 on multiple food allergies including peanut, tree nut, fish and shellfish. “This study reinforces previous studies showing that this botanical drug has the potential to be developed into the first available and effective treatment for patients with peanut allergies and other food allergies,” said study co-author Hugh Sampson, MD, Professor of Pediatrics at Mount Sinai School of Medicine. Dr. Sampson is also Director of the Jaffe Food Allergy Institute and Dean for Translational Biomedical Science at The Mount Sinai Medical Center.
About The Mount Sinai Medical Center
The Mount Sinai Medical Center encompasses The Mount Sinai Hospital and Mount Sinai School of Medicine. The Mount Sinai Hospital is one of the nation’s oldest, largest and most-respected voluntary hospitals. Founded in 1852, Mount Sinai today is a 1,171-bed tertiary-care teaching facility that is internationally acclaimed for excellence in clinical care. Last year, nearly 50,000 people were treated at Mount Sinai as inpatients, and there were nearly 450,000 outpatient visits to the Medical Center.
Mount Sinai School of Medicine is internationally recognized as a leader in groundbreaking clinical and basic-science research, as well as having an innovative approach to medical education. With a faculty of more than 3,400 in 38 clinical and basic science departments and centers, Mount Sinai ranks among the top 20 medical schools in receipt of National Institute of Health (NIH) grants.
1 out of 3 children overweight in U.S. or at risk
May 18, 2009 by admin
Filed under Health News
Obesity has become the most common chronic health condition of childhood. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 1 out of 3 children in the United States, ages 2 to 19, is overweight or at risk of becoming overweight. In an effort to learn more about how physicians can help young people lose weight, researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine Weight and Wellness Clinic are launching two major studies involving kids, teens and their families.
“Extra pounds can lead to lifelong health problems, such as type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease,” explained Kerri Boutelle, PhD, Associate Professor of Pediatrics and Psychiatry, and Director, Behavioral Services at the Weight and Wellness Clinic. “Both of these studies are geared to youths and their parents. Parents are the key to the child’s success and we teach them the skills needed to motivate their children. Both studies are a team approach.”
Boutelle and her colleagues are conducting two studies:
Who Can Participate?
The GSH study is looking for:
The Teen-ROC study is recruiting:
“We live in a world where high-calorie, high-fat foods are available everywhere and our lives are more sedentary than ever. Our aim is to provide families the support they need to tackle and win in this food-oriented environment.”
For more information, please email kidsweight@ucsd.edu or call (858)205-8219.
The Weight and Wellness Clinic, Department of Pediatrics, UC San Diego School of Medicine is a multidisciplinary patient team caring for the management of child and adolescent obesity. The clinic is dedicated to reducing the health burden of obesity in children and through focusing on reasonable, achievable goals. Patients are screened for individual physical, nutritional, psychosocial needs and expectations, and experts tailor a safe treatment for the patient and family.
A mother’s guide to nursing
May 18, 2009 by admin
Filed under Health News
From the minute my daughter was born, I asked the nurses to wake me up every time she wanted to nurse. I wanted to breastfeed and I thought it would be easy.
Three days later, I was singing a different tune and so was my daughter. I eyed the can of formula that was sent home with us … and gave in. I just couldn’t resist.
She stopped crying, I stopped crying, but the guilt of bottle feeding her lingers to this day. Now the mother of two, who successfully nursed her second child, I know that breastfeeding is natural, but it takes patience and practice.
With the help of a small army of mother’s helpers–from pediatricians to nutritionists–everything you wanted to know about nursing begins right now.
Human milk is unarguably the best food for babies, according to the US Department of Health and Human Services. It contains the right amount of nutrients in the right proportions for a growing baby. Breast milk is different at the beginning and end of a feeding. It also comes in a variety of flavors that hinges on the mother’s diet.
“Breast milk is more than just calories, proteins, fat and carbohydrates. There are other nutrients that are not just ‘extras,’ implying that a baby can do without them. They are needed for optimal nutrition during infancy. Breast milk is the nutritional model for artificial baby milk, but no formula company can match it,” says Karen Gibson, a registered dietitian in the Department of Pediatrics at The University of Texas Medical School at Houston and director of the UT WIC (Women, Infants and Children) Program.
Breast milk ingredients:
* Lactoferrin helps the baby’s body absorb iron and protects the stomach from harmful bacteria.
* Lipases assist in the digestion of fats
* Special growth factors and hormones contribute to baby’s growth and development
Premature infants who are fed breast milk also thrive more than those fed formula, according to a study published in the October 2007 issue of Pediatrics, the journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics. The premature infant study involved 773 US babies born extremely underweight–less than 2.2 lbs. between 1999 and 2002.
The study found that babies in the group given breast milk received higher scores on a test measuring their overall intelligence at 30 months of age, with the highest scores showing up among children who had received the most breast milk as infants.
Premature infants are usually fed through a feeding tube, since most will have trouble nursing from their mother.
“When companies imply that formula is ’second’ to breast milk, they are leaving a lot up to the consumer to assume. Formula is really a distant second in providing the complete nutrient profile that breast milk does,” says Gibson.
Human milk is a baby’s first immunization. It provides antibodies which protect the baby from many common respiratory and intestinal diseases, and also contains living immune cells. Breast milk contains immune components such as growth factors, cytokines, and antimicrobial compounds.
“Although controversial, breast milk may also provide protection against some forms of allergies,” says Susan Pacheco, MD, pediatric immunologist and assistant professor in the Department of Pediatrics at UT Medical School.
“The same applies to atopic or allergic diseases, such as asthma,” says Pacheco. Researchers are still examining breast milk closely, to determine all possible benefits.
Destiny Wright had her heart set on breastfeeding when she had her first son. She didn’t even buy any bottles. “While I was pregnant, my doctor told me that I may have trouble nursing, but didn’t explain why. I wasn’t told that having flat nipples would affect my ability to nurse my son,” says Wright.
“When he was born in Colorado, the nurses didn’t help me. Every time I asked a question, they treated me like I should know the answers already. It broke my heart. I tried as long as I could to nurse him, but gave up when the pediatrician said he was losing weight at his one-month check-up,” says Wright.
When Wright found out she was pregnant with her second child, she began doing research and turned to The University of Texas WIC Program for help. Wright says they gave her free breast shields when she was about five months pregnant. The devices helped draw out her nipples, so she could better nurse her baby.
Donovan was born four months later at Memorial Hermann Northwest. Wright’s experience according to her: unbelievable! “They were so pro-nursing there. I started freaking out thinking he wasn’t getting enough milk, but they calmed me down and told me to relax,” Wright says.
Nurse Dana Havard was particularly helpful, teaching Wright good positioning and eventually calling in a lactation consultant to Wright’s room. “When I really began to feel him nursing well, Dana was as excited as I was. She was invaluable and I will never forget her help,” Wright remembers happily.
Donovan is now a thriving 3-month-old, breastfed exclusively. Wright credits the hospital and the UT WIC Program for providing invaluable instruction and support. “Women need a support system, and I could not have asked for better help. I would tell all mothers if it is their first, second or third attempt at breastfeeding, don’t give up. There is help, but if you decide you can’t do it, don’t feel bad either,” Wright says.
Why do women stop breastfeeding? (How much time do you have?) Breastfeeding means it is all you, all the time. A newborn baby can nurse every two to three hours, day and night. If you want a little help from Dad, you still have to pump the milk for him, which takes time, patience and an extra set of hands to care for the baby while you’re pumping. It also takes equipment. And, if you’re in the same home with a baby who is crying for milk, your body will most likely respond, causing a mess. (In fact, if you’re in a grocery store and hear someone else’s baby crying … same mess.)
Bottle-fed babies also tend to be satisfied longer between feedings because the proteins in infant formula are harder to digest. They may only eat every three hours.
Nursing can also cause fatigue, anxiety and frustration while you are learning. And, like everything else, there are also some possible side effects:
Engorgement usually happens a few days after you have your baby. Once-soft breasts can become as hard as a table top–too turgid, in fact, to drain. Your milk usually comes in on about day three. Your baby may not be able to empty your breasts, so they can become quite painful. The problem can be eased by pumping a little milk.
Cracked nipples can also cause pain. It usually occurs from incorrect positioning of the baby’s mouth or tongue in combination with strong sucking. Certain ointments help soothe the area, and breast shields can protect the nipple, allowing you to nurse while you heal.
Mastitis is the term for breast infection. Moms with cracked and bleeding nipples are at increased risk because they have an open door for bacteria to enter the breast tissue. This produces a hot, red, painful area on the breast and the mother may run a fever. Mastitis can be treated with antibiotics. The mother can continue to nurse and is encouraged to do so. The antibiotics prescribed are not harmful to the baby, and emptying the infected breast helps keep the milk flowing. The milk in the infected breast is still healthy.
The learning curve is already hard enough with one baby, so how about two or more? It can be little tricky, but it can be done. It’s best that you contact a board- certified lactation consultant before you have your babies, so they can show you the various nursing positions when juggling more than one infant. There are also specially made nursing pillows for twins. The pillow helps you position both of your babies at your breasts.
Once a nursing pattern is established, do not worry about having enough milk for two babies. It’s called supply and demand. In most cases, your body will produce enough milk to go around.
If you are having trouble juggling your new bundles of joy, try expressing milk so Dad, or someone else, can feed one of them.
If your babies were premature, breast milk can go a long way in giving their immune systems a boost, in gaining weight and developing at a good pace.
What is good for baby is also good for mom. Breastfeeding is the next natural physiological step after pregnancy. Pregnancy morphs your body in countless ways; breastfeeding helps return it to its pre-pregnancy state.
Through the small uterine contractions that nursing creates, breastfeeding can help your uterus return to its normal size more quickly and slow down your post-partum bleeding.
Nursing mothers also tend to lose their “pregnancy weight.” Milk production burns between 200 and 500 calories a day. You would have to ride a bicycle for at least an hour to achieve the same loss.
Mothers who breastfeed for at least six months throughout their lifetime have a decreased risk of breast, ovarian and uterine cancers, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
More women are continuing to try breastfeeding, but the percentage of mothers who breastfeed exclusively is far short of the national objectives. “The increase in mothers choosing to initiate breastfeeding is good news because it provides health benefits for women and decreases the risk of some early childhood diseases among infants,” says William H. Dietz, MD, PhD, director of the CDC’s Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity.
Nearly 74 percent of women who gave birth in 2004 initiated breastfeeding, up from 70.9 percent for infants born in 2000, and nearly achieving the national objective of 75 percent. However, the rates for exclusive breastfeeding were not nearly as good. Among infants born in 2004, the rate of exclusive breastfeeding through age 3 months was 30.5 percent. These statistics show that a high percentage of women who leave the hospital breastfeeding, will stop in the first few weeks.
In recent years, states are beginning to show support for nursing mothers by passing legislation to protect them. In 1995, legislation was passed in Texas to stand behind mothers who breastfeed in public.
The language of House Bill 359 includes: “A mother is entitled to breastfeed her baby in any location where she is authorized to be; allows worksites to use the designation of ‘mother-friendly’ if they develop worksite policies supporting breastfeeding; state agencies that administer maternal/child health program provide information that encourages breastfeeding; create worksite breastfeeding support policies for all state employees.”
At present, states and the federal government have not made it easy for nursing mothers to return to work and continue breastfeeding. Most workplaces do not have areas set aside for women to pump their milk.
Before you go on maternity leave, or before you return to work after your baby is born, get organized. Talk with your employer about having a private place, with a lock, where you can pump your breasts. Remember, that unless you have a battery-operated pump, you will need a room that has an electrical outlet.
You will also need to talk with your employer about allowing you at least two times a day to pump. You will need about 20 minutes to empty your breasts if you have a double pump, possibly more if you have a single pump. Here’s a checklist of possible supplies:
* Breast pump, plus electrical adaptor if needed. Extra batteries if you are using a battery-powered pump
* A small cooler, plus an ice pack, if a refrigerator is not available. (If you have a long drive home, it may be best to have a cooler, to ensure the milk remains at the same temperature.)
* Milk storage containers
* Breast pads to prevent milk from leaking through your bra onto your clothes
* Clothing that makes it easy for you to pump your breasts, including nursing bras
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that children be breastfed for at least the first year of life. But, even a few months of breastfeeding can provide benefits for you and your child. Giving them a head start on good nutrition will be just the first of many gifts you will share with them through the years.
The We generation
May 18, 2009 by admin
Filed under Health News
No one told them to do anything. But when David Shepherd and Travis Price heard how a Grade 9 student was treated on the first day of school for wearing a pink shirt, they sprang into action.
The then-Grade 12 students from Cambridge in Nova Scotia’s Annapolis Valley went to a nearby discount store and bought 50 pink shirts to distribute to their friends to wear to school the next day. They emailed classmates to get on board with an anti-bullying cause they dubbed a “sea of pink.”
That wave of pink turned into a tsunami: hundreds of students showed up to Central Kings Rural High School wearing pink duds. And now pink is the official colour of a Nova Scotia-wide Stand Up Against Bullying Day, held on the second Thursday of September.
Michael Ungar, a social worker, family therapist and professor with Dalhousie University’s School of Social Work, calls the two teens “we thinkers.” In his new book We Generation (McClelland & Stewart), he says we-thinkers like David and Travis can help their parents’ generation “rethink some of our own me-thinking ways.”
“They thought enough about a fellow student’s feelings that they did something and they mobilized quickly,” says Dr. Ungar. His other books include Too Safe for their Own Good: How Risk and Responsibility Help Teens Thrive and Playing at Being Bad: The Hidden Resilience of Troubled Teens. “What they did says a lot.”
The father of two teenagers, Dr. Ungar defines the “we generation” as young people who have the capacity to make a contribution and who are connected with their communities. “Connected” here doesn’t mean “MSN-chatting, online-gaming, text-messaging and YouTube-surfing” young people; instead it means old-fashioned, flesh-and-blood connections that help children to grow up caring and acting compassionately towards others.
Chapter by chapter, Dr. Ungar illustrates how parents can nurture we-thinking in their children, for example, by lavishing them with physical affection, by noticing the good things they do, by giving them responsibility and making them accountable for their own mistakes. Other people can help too; we-thinking is demonstrated by the teacher who lets students plan and orchestrate fundraising for their own school trip or the hockey coach who has a pat on the back and a word of encouragement for each of his (or her) players.
But if today’s students are part of the we generation, who’s the me generation?
“The me thinkers are my generation and discovering that was the shock,” says Dr. Ungar. “I mean, are we really that self-centred?”
Yes, he concludes, noting “we’re the ones who built the suburbs, who built our houses 45 minutes from where we work, who built 2,500 square-feet houses so our children can have their own bathrooms. We’re the ones who are all over the coach who doesn’t play our kids enough, or the teacher who dares to criticize …”
“We’re the ones who bought Hummers.”
In his book, Dr. Ungar shows that it can be hard for parents to hand over responsibility to their kids; sometimes it’s easier to do everything for them. He tells an amusing anecdote of showing up for his son’s soccer practice for a parents meeting and being told how important their support was for the team’s success. Except, in this case, support somehow came to mean hanging up the nets, ensuring uniforms were washed and filling up water bottles before each game.
“It was like the March of the Penguins,” he says with a laugh. “We’re huddling in a circle braced against the wind, as if guarding the eggs–our kids, these elite players–at our feet … and I thought, wait a minute here, why can’t we put our children in charge? Why are we taking all the responsibilities away from our kids?”
Five healthy and affordable family eating tips
May 18, 2009 by admin
Filed under Health News
With a new year often comes a new resolution to eat better and make healthier choices. But as the economy continues to struggle, many parents are left wondering how to provide healthy food options while shopping on a budget. Although nutrient-dense foods, such as fruits, vegetables and whole grains, are often more costly than less healthful options, there are ways families can pull the purse strings tighter without compromising on nutrition.
“Even though many families will be shopping on a budget in the new year, nutrition doesn’t necessarily have to come in second place to price,” said Robert Murray, MD, director of the Center for Healthy Weight and Nutrition at Nationwide Children’s Hospital. “Parents need to look at what they’re paying for and determine if there are less costly ways to achieve the same nutritional benefits.”
According to Dr. Murray, also a faculty member at The Ohio State University College of Medicine, there are five food fads to be aware of in 2009 so that parents can make smart food – and money – choices.
The fresh versus frozen debate
When it comes to fruits and vegetables, don’t assume fresh is best. Buying food in bulk, either frozen or canned, can save a lot of money. In recent years, preservation and freezing methods have dramatically improved, thus preserving the nutritional quality of the frozen fruits and vegetables. Regardless of how they are consumed – frozen or otherwise – fruits and vegetables provide many nutritional benefits.
Dr. Murray suggests taking advantage of grocery store sales and stocking up on frozen goods. Parents can also consider freezing their own fruits and vegetables when they are in-season and plentiful.
What’s “organic” worth?
When a food item is certified organic, it refers to the methods used to grow or produce the food. Contrary to the beliefs of many, organic foods offer no additional nutritional benefit compared to their non-organic counterparts, but do cost more.
“Concerns about hormones, antibiotics or pesticides have driven many to choose organic foods,” explained Dr. Murray. “But don’t be fooled into thinking that because something is labeled organic that it is any healthier.”
Designer fruits and vegetables
In recent years, exotic and often heavily-marketed fruits, like pomegranate and açai berries, have become increasingly popular. While these fruits are rich in antioxidants and vitamins, they also come with a hefty price tag.
“These fruits do have many health benefits, but many of the same benefits can be found in other more common fruits for a much cheaper price,” said Dr. Murray.
Instead of paying high prices for these fad foods, Dr. Murray recommends other dark, ruby-skinned fruits like blueberries, plums or blackberries that are easier on the wallet.
Fortified beverages
Be careful of drinks that are fortified with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Not only do they cost more, they often have more calories than you think. Some pack as many calories as a regular soda, and from a nutrition standpoint, it makes more sense to eat foods that are naturally rich in vitamins and minerals.
Sports drinks, rich in electrolytes, may be a good choice for serious athletes who participate in intense physical activity for extended periods of time, but for most children and adults, these drinks are also unnecessary.
Paying for prepackaged
Prepackaged, grab-and-go options offer convenience and portion control but can cost more. For some busy families, the time saved by purchasing these items, especially prepackaged fruits and vegetables, may be worth the additional expense. This is particularly true if the convenience of these items encourages families to make more nutritious choices.
For families looking for a cheaper option, Dr. Murray suggests purchasing bulk items and individually packaging them at home for an easy, on-the-go grab. Plan snacks ahead of time and be sure to combine food groups to maximize nutritional value. For example, combine whole grain crackers and low-fat cheese in plastic storage bags; or peel and cut carrots into snack-sized pieces and place in containers with a couple tablespoons of peanut butter. Be sure to pay attention to portion size in order to avoid serving up too much of a good thing.
Television before two has no effect on children
May 18, 2009 by admin
Filed under Health News, News For Parents
A longitudinal study of infants from birth to age 3 showed TV viewing before the age of 2 does not improve a child’s language and visual motor skills, according to research conducted at Children’s Hospital Boston and Harvard Medical School. The findings, published in the March issue of Pediatrics, reaffirm current guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) that recommend no television under the age of 2, and suggest that maternal, child, and household characteristics are more influential in a child’s cognitive development.
“Contrary to marketing claims and some parents’ perception that television viewing is beneficial to children’s brain development, no evidence of such benefit was found,” says Marie Evans Schmidt, PhD, lead author of the study.
The study analyzed data of 872 children from Project Viva, a prospective cohort study of mothers and their children. In-person visits with both mothers and infants were performed immediately after birth, at 6 months, and 3 years of age while mothers completed mail-in questionnaires regarding their child’s TV viewing habits when they were 1 and 2 years old. It was conducted by researchers in the Center on Media and Child Health at Children’s and the Department of Ambulatory Care and Prevention at Harvard Medical School and Harvard Pilgrim Health Care.
The study is the first to investigate the long term associations between infant TV viewing from birth to 2 years old and both language and visual-motor skill test scores at 3 years of age. These were calculated using the Peabody Picture Vocabulary Test III (PPVT III) and Wide-Range Assessment of Visual Motor Abilities (WRAVMA) test. The PPVT measures receptive vocabulary and is correlated with IQ, while WRAVMA tests for visual motor, visual spatial, and fine motor skills.
The researchers controlled for sociodemographic and environmental factors known to contribute to an infants’ cognitive development, including mother’s age, education, household income, marital status, parity, and postpartum depression, and the child’s gender, race, birth weight, body mass index, and sleep habits. Using linear regression models, the researchers equalized the influences of each of these factors and calculated the independent effects of TV viewing on the cognitive development of infants. Once these influences were factored out, associations in the raw data between increased infant TV viewing and poorer cognitive outcomes disappeared.
“In this study, TV viewing in itself did not have measurable effects on cognition,” adds Schmidt. “TV viewing is perhaps best viewed as a marker for a host of other environmental and familial influences, which may themselves be detrimental to cognitive development.”
While the study showed that increased infant TV exposure is of no benefit to cognitive development, it was also found to be of no detriment. The overall effects of increased TV viewing time were neutral. TV and video content was not measured, however, only the amount of time exposed. The researchers acknowledge follow-up studies need to be done, and they are quick to warn parents and pediatricians that the body of research evidence suggests TV viewing under the age of 2 does more harm than good.
“TV exposure in infants has been associated with increased risk of obesity, attention problems, and decreased sleep quality,” adds Michael Rich, MD, MPH, the pediatrician who directs the Center on Media and Child Health and contributing author on this study and the current AAP Guidelines. “Parents need to understand that infants and toddlers do not learn or benefit in any way from viewing TV at an early age.”
The Center on Media and Child Health (CMCH) is an interdisciplinary center of excellence in research, clinical intervention, and education on the effects of media on the physical, mental, and social health of children. CMCH makes research and tips for parents and teachers available at: www.cmch.tv.
Children’s Hospital Boston is home to the world’s largest research enterprise based at a pediatric medical center, where its discoveries have benefited both children and adults since 1869. More than 500 scientists, including eight members of the National Academy of Sciences, 11 members of the Institute of Medicine and 13 members of the Howard Hughes Medical Institute comprise Children’s research community. Founded as a 20-bed hospital for children, Children’s Hospital Boston today is a 397-bed comprehensive center for pediatric and adolescent health care grounded in the values of excellence in patient care and sensitivity to the complex needs and diversity of children and families. Children’s also is the primary pediatric teaching affiliate of Harvard Medical School.
Youth Sports Not Just Girls Fun
May 15, 2009 by admin
Filed under Features, Health News
Jackson NJ Online – Early on as the parent of girl who was very interested in sports, I realized there were mild differences in people’s opinions on girls sports vs. boys sports. In general, boy sports were always given more social importance, baseball, football and hockey while the traditional girl sports were back seat novelties to the general community, softball, gymnastics, cheer. Even when you look at youth and scholastic soccer, the boys teams are given prominence, usually.
I sometimes remember back in high school, when the Toms River North Girls field hockey team won the state championship, the headline in the Ocean County Observer for the day highlighted the Toms River South vs. Toms River North regular season football game and the girls championship was given a sidebar mention. For me, it was alright at the time. I was a boy. I played football. Football was more important than field hockey at any cost.
Today, I received a study and excerpt from a book at GoKidsNJ that discussed this phenomena and social misunderstanding in a study presented by sports sociologist Michael Messner, a professor of sociology and gender studies at USC.
In his book he writes:
As a shared belief system, soft essentialism embraces participation by girls in team sports, Messner said, but it also justifies pushing girls toward softball even though they are legally entitled to play baseball – and often creates an inhospitable environment for female coaches in both baseball and soccer.
source: http://www.gokidsnj.com/youth-sports-gender-lines-still-clearly-drawn-what-to-do-in-nj/2009/05/
Early this spring, my daughter, a Yankees baseball fan asked about playing baseball. So naturally, I investigated the girls softball options within Jackson, thinking it would be better for her to play with the girls than to be one of a couple, if not, the only girl on a little league baseball team.
I was ready to sign her up for the municipal softball program until I found out that low registrations will probably turn it into an instructional league when I thought to check the Jackson Little League. I remember a couple girls playing when I played in the Toms River Little League and wanted to see if it was still allowed. Again, I’m told my mindset was normal and it is clearly dissected in Mr. Messner’s new book.
Eventually, the choice was clear, she was to play baseball, the game she enjoys watching and getting excited over on television and not softball, a baseball substitute crafted for girls only. She deserved it. She cheers for Jackson Pop Warner, is enrolled in a U.S. figure skating program, plays all-girl soccer and gymanastics, clearly fulfilling her young female sports obligations. Why not deviate from social expectations just a little?
Messner writes: However, individuals’ often unexamined beliefs about gender function to create a very skewed gender division in youth sports. And these continued divisions in youth sports reinforce an “unfinished feminist revolution” in families and workplaces, Messner argued.
The Jackson Little League so far has been great for her as she learns to play with the boys and be one of the boys, if only for just a few weeks out of the year. There are about 10 or so girls playing t-ball in the Jackson Little League and it’s always exciting for her when she plays “the other girls” and as a parent, you can see that special unspoken bond these girls have on the field.
At games, some parents don’t even realize girls are allowed in little league. At one game, I remember some guy at the game exclaiming “wow, they let girls play too? I didn’t know that”, obviously shocked to see the long hair from under the helmet. After she hit the ball pretty hard, his opinion was changed as he yelled “We got our new cleanup hitter!”.
So the reason I bring this article and study to Jackson is that if you are the parent of a young girl who enjoys watching the Yankees, Mets or Phillies with you, why not give her the chance to play the game and consider little league baseball before you throw her into a softball recreation league?
If this topic is of interest to you, you can also read more of Mr. Messner’s expanded findings at http://www.momsteam.com/team-parents/the-secrets-of-successful-women-coaches or check out his new book on the subject: It’s All for the Kids: Gender, Families, and Youth Sports.
For more stories like this and news from Ocean County, visit Jackson NJ Online
Youth sports gender lines still clearly drawn
May 15, 2009 by admin
Filed under Health News
Kids’ organized sports allow even liberal communities to have it both ways – embracing aspects of gender progress while clutching comfortable stereotypes – sports sociologist Michael Messner finds in his new book.
“It’s All for the Kids: Gender, Families and Youth Sports,” published by the University of California Press, documents persistent gender divisions in the Little League and American Youth Soccer Organization (AYSO) teams of South Pasadena, Calif., a progressive and affluent suburb of Los Angeles.
The plainest segregation occurs in coaching, said Messner, whose experiences as a parent of soccer and baseball-playing boys provided the impetus for the book.
Messner’s oldest son had a female soccer coach in his first year of AYSO league play. That turned out to be an anomaly.
“I started noticing as the years were going by that there weren’t any more women coaches,” Messner said. “The women coaches coached almost exclusively the very youngest kids (of either gender).”
On the other hand, the crucial “team parent” in soccer – the team’s chief operating officer – was better known as “team mom.”
These phenomena intrigued Messner, particularly when compared to the inroads made by girls into organized sports over the past 30 years.
“How is it in this day and age that we have division of labor between women and men set up so clearly?” he asked.
In his book, Messner attributes the gender segregation to what he calls “soft essentialism”: an often unspoken belief that girls and boys deserve equal opportunities but are naturally different.
Messner believes most differences actually result from years of socialization. His observations of coaches show how youth sport amplifies these differences and makes them appear to be natural.
As a shared belief system, soft essentialism embraces participation by girls in team sports, Messner said, but it also justifies pushing girls toward softball even though they are legally entitled to play baseball – and often creates an inhospitable environment for female coaches in both baseball and soccer.
In the book, Messner describes a progression of coaching styles for different ages of youngsters: from the “Teddy Bear,” to the “Crossing Guard,” to the “Drill Sargeant,” to the “CEO.”
The styles evolve toward what he called a “narrowing conception of masculinity.”
He added that coaches of young children rely mainly on “kid knowledge,” while coaches of older children need to develop specialized “sport knowledge.”
Messner found that an over-emphasis on “sport knowledge” imposes a heavy and narrow gender bias, driving away not only women but many male “Teddy Bear” coaches.
“There’s something about sports, that because it has directly to do with the body, and with physicality, historically there have been these masculine meanings attached to it,” Messner said.
In particular, he added, “There’s really this sense … that men own baseball.”
“A lot of the women I talked to really wanted to (coach),” he said. “I think they’re being informally discouraged from doing that.”
Messner predicted women will make inroads into coaching, and he cited data showing a slow increase in the percentage of female AYSO coaches.
“There’s no overt discrimination against women,” he added. “There’s no bad guy in this story.”
However, individuals’ often unexamined beliefs about gender function to create a very skewed gender division in youth sports. And these continued divisions in youth sports reinforce an “unfinished feminist revolution” in families and workplaces, Messner argued.
A professor of sociology and gender studies in the USC College, Messner studies masculinity and sports.
His previous book, “Taking the Field: Women, Men and Sports” (Minnesota Press, 2002), discussed gender inequities, men’s violence, financial interests and the cultural imagery of televised sports.
In both books, he argues that gender equity in sports is healthy for boys as well as girls, as it prepares boys for a world where they will need to work respectfully with female colleagues and bosses.
(Messner expands on his findings at http://www.momsteam.com/team-parents/the-secrets-of-successful-women-coaches)
Fruity alcoholic beverages show links to underage drinking
May 15, 2009 by admin
Filed under Health News
Opening a tall cool beverage during the ball game or at a backyard cookout on a hot day is what families do. This summer, will your child be opening a soft drink or a hard one? Flavored alcoholic beverages – or alcopops – are becoming more popular, especially among young people, and it’s raising people’s concerns about underage drinking.
According to a report released today, 52 percent of adults believe definitely or probably that alcopops encourage underage drinking. The report also finds that because these often fruity, fizzy, pop-like drinks can be easily confused with non-alcoholic beverages, 92 percent of adults strongly support the use of warning labels on alcopops. Most adults also support greater restrictions on advertising that focuses on youth.
“Alcopops are sweet drinks made to taste like cola or soda pop or punch or lemonade,” says Matthew Davis, M.D., director of the C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health. “Typically, alcopops have between 5- and 8-percent alcohol content, which is a little bit more than most beers, and they’re marketed to look like familiar drinks to kids.”
What many people may not know is that most alcopops contain distilled alcohol – such as vodka or whiskey – but are classified in most states as “malt beverages” similar to beer. This designation allows alcopops to be marketed more widely, including online and in magazines, and sold in a greater number of retail locations.
“We also found in this poll that about 75-percent of adults in the United States are concerned underage drinking is a problem,” Davis says. “Underage drinking in the U.S. is pretty common. About 20-percent of 8th graders and 40-percent of 12th graders drink. Those numbers are actually lower than in the mid-’90’s but they’re still high when you consider the problems that can come from underage drinking.”
Problems may include legal risks associated with underage drinking, driving while under the influence, impaired judgment, poor decision-making when out drinking with friends, and developing a drinking habit while young, Davis says.
The National Poll on Children’s Health also finds, among adults:
“There is a lot of action in state legislatures regarding alcopops or flavored alcoholic beverages,” Davis says. “Many states are considering legislation and some have enacted legislation to limit advertising and otherwise change how alcopops are presented to the public.”
Resource for parents:
For parents who are worried about their kids getting involved with alcohol, Davis suggests parents contact the Partnership for a Drug Free America, www.drugfree.org. The Web site provides information, including suggestions about how to engage their kids in conversations about alcohol use and how to try and bring kids in for appropriate therapy and support.
Methodology:
For its report, the National Poll on Children’s Health used data from a national online survey conducted in January 2009 in collaboration with Knowledge Networks, Inc. The survey was administered to a random sample of 2,100 adults, ages 21 and older, who are a part of Knowledge Network’s online KnowledgePanel®. The sample was subsequently weighted to reflect U.S. population figures from the U.S. Census Bureau. About three-fourths of the sample included households with children. The margin of sampling error is plus or minus 2 to 4 percentage points, depending on the question.
To learn more about Knowledge Networks, visit www.knowledgenetworks.com.
Purpose/Funding:
The C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health – funded by the Department of Pediatrics and Communicable Diseases and part of the CHEAR Unit at the U-M Health System – is designed to measure major health care issues and trends for U.S. children.
Physical activities may improve child attention
May 15, 2009 by admin
Filed under Health News
As school districts across the nation revamped curricula to meet requirements of the federal “No Child Left Behind” Act, opportunities for children to be physically active during the school day diminished significantly.
Future mandates, however, might be better served by taking into account findings from a University of Illinois study suggesting the academic benefits of physical education classes, recess periods and after-school exercise programs. The research, led by Charles Hillman, a professor of kinesiology and community health and the director of the Neurocognitive Kinesiology Laboratory at Illinois, suggests that physical activity may increase students’ cognitive control – or ability to pay attention – and also result in better performance on academic achievement tests.
“The goal of the study was to see if a single acute bout of moderate
exercise – walking – was beneficial for cognitive function in a period of time afterward,” Hillman said. “This question has been asked before by our lab and others, in young adults and older adults, but it’s never been asked in children. That’s why it’s an important question.”
For each of three testing criteria, researchers noted a positive outcome linking physical activity, attention and academic achievement.
Study participants were 9-year-olds (eight girls, 12 boys) who performed a series of stimulus-discrimination tests known as flanker tasks, to assess their inhibitory control.
On one day, students were tested following a 20-minute resting period; on another day, after a 20-minute session walking on a treadmill. Students were shown congruent and incongruent stimuli on a screen and asked to push a button to respond to incongruencies. During the testing, students were outfitted with an electrode cap to measure electroencephalographic (EEG) activity.
“What we found is that following the acute bout of walking, children performed better on the flanker task,” Hillman said. “They had a higher rate of accuracy, especially when the task was more difficult. Along with that behavioral effect, we also found that there were changes in their event-related brain potentials (ERPs) – in these neuroelectric signals that are a covert measure of attentional resource allocation.”
One aspect of the neuroelectric activity of particular interest to researchers is a measure referred to as the P3 potential. Hillman said the amplitude of the potential relates to the allocation of attentional resources.
“What we found in this particular study is, following acute bouts of walking, children had a larger P3 amplitude, suggesting that they are better able to allocate attentional resources, and this effect is greater in the more difficult conditions of the flanker test, suggesting that when the environment is more noisy – visual noise in this case – kids are better able to gate out that noise and selectively attend to the correct stimulus and act upon it.”
In an effort to see how performance on such tests relates to actual classroom learning, researchers next administered an academic achievement test. The test measured performance in three areas: reading, spelling and math.
Again, the researchers noted better test results following exercise.
“And when we assessed it, the effect was largest in reading comprehension,” Hillman said. In fact, he said, “If you go by the guidelines set forth by the Wide Range Achievement Test, the increase in reading comprehension following exercise equated to approximately a full grade level.
“Thus, the exercise effect on achievement is not statistically significant, but a meaningful difference.”
Hillman said he’s not sure why the students’ performance on the spelling and math portions of the test didn’t show as much of an improvement as did reading comprehension, but suspects it may be related to design of the experiment. Students were tested on reading comprehension first, leading him to speculate that too much time may have elapsed between the physical activity and the testing period for those subjects.
“Future attempts will definitely look at the timing,” he said. Subsequent testing also will introduce other forms of physical-activity testing.
“Treadmills are great,” Hillman said. “But kids don’t walk on treadmills, so it’s not an externally valid form of exercise for most children. We currently have an ongoing project that is looking at treadmill walking at the same intensity relative to a Wii Fit game – which is a way in which kids really do exercise.”
Still, given the preliminary study’s positive outcomes on the flanker task, ERP data and academic testing, study co-author Darla Castelli believes these early findings could be used to inform useful curricular changes.
“Modifications are very easy to integrate,” Castelli said. For example, she recommends that schools make outside playground facilities accessible before and after school.
“If this is not feasible because of safety issues, then a school-wide assembly containing a brief bout of physical activity is a possible way to begin each day,” she said. “Some schools are using the Intranet or internal TV channels to broadcast physical activity sessions that can be completed in each classroom.”
Among Castelli’s other recommendations for school personnel interested in integrating physical activity into the curriculum:
An example of how physical movement could be introduced into an actual lesson would be “when reading poetry (about nature or the change of seasons), students could act like falling leaves,” she said.
The U. of I. study appears in the current issue of the journal Neuroscience. Along with Castelli and Hillman, co-authors are U. of I. psychology professor Art Kramer and kinesiology and community health graduate student Mathew Pontifex and undergraduate Lauren Raine.