Temporary Fever May Occur When Kids Under 2 Get 2 Shots at Once

Young children who receive flu and pneumococcal vaccines at the same time are at increased risk for temporary fever, a new study reports.

While parents should be told about this risk, the benefits of the vaccines outweigh the risks of fever, the researchers said.

The study included 530 children, aged 6 months to 23 months, who were followed for a week after receiving flu and pneumococcal vaccines either separately or at the same time. The annual flu shot is recommended for healthy people over 6 months of age, and the pneumococcal vaccine is recommended for children younger than 5 years old, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Nearly 38 percent of the children who received the vaccines at the same time had a fever of 100.4 degrees Fahrenheit or higher on the day of or the day after vaccination, compared with 9.5 percent of those who received the pneumococcal vaccine only and 7.5 percent of those who received the flu vaccine only, the investigators found.

For every 100 children, there were an additional 20 to 23 cases of temperatures of 100.4 F or higher in those who received the vaccines together, compared to those who received only one of the vaccines, the findings showed. There were also 15 additional cases per 100 of temperatures of 102.2 F or higher among children who were given the vaccines at the same time, compared to those who received the flu vaccine alone, but not compared to those who received the pneumococcal vaccine alone.

Rates of fever among the different groups of children did not differ in the two to seven days after vaccination, according to the study published online Jan. 6 in the journal JAMA Pediatrics.

“While our data suggest that giving children the influenza and pneumococcal vaccines together at the same visit increases the risk of fever, compared with getting only one of the vaccines at the visit, these findings should be viewed in context of the benefit of vaccines to prevent serious illness in young children, as well as the recognized need to increase vaccination rates overall,” study first author Dr. Melissa Stockwell, an assistant professor of pediatrics and population and family health at Columbia University, said in a university news release.

“Parents should be made aware that their child might develop a fever following simultaneous influenza and pneumococcal vaccinations, but that the benefits of these vaccines outweigh the risk of fever and, in most cases, the fever will be brief,” Stockwell said.

“For the small group of children who must avoid fever, these findings provide important information for clinicians and parents,” she added in the news release.

Study co-author Dr. Philip LaRussa, a professor of pediatrics at Columbia and specialist in pediatric infectious diseases at New York-Presbyterian/Columbia, pointed out that “these findings are a first step; the next step is to figure out if there are any measurable biological markers, such as findings in a blood sample, that are associated with increased risk of fever after vaccination.”

Source: web md

Early `water breaking` linked to premature births

A high presence of bacteria at the site where fetal membranes rupture may be the key to understanding why some pregnant women experience their “water breaking” prematurely, researchers at Duke Medicine report.

bacterial presence is associated with thinning of the fetal membranes. More research is needed to understand whether bacterial presence is a cause or consequence of fetal membrane weakening.

“Complications of preterm births can have long-term health effects for both mothers and children,” said study author Amy P. Murtha, M.D., associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Duke University School of Medicine. “Our research focuses on why the fetal membranes, or water sac, break early in some women, with the overall goal of better understanding the mechanisms of preterm membrane rupture.”

Composed of two fetal cell layers, the amnion and chorion, fetal membranes play an important role in maintaining pregnancy through gestation. Nearly one-third of all early deliveries are associated with the water breaking in what’s known as preterm premature rupture of membranes, or PPROM.

Previous research from Murtha and her colleagues demonstrated that the chorion has more cell death when infection is present, and that this cell layer may be thinner in women who experience PPROM. Among PPROM patients with infection in the fetal membranes (chorioamnionitis), the cell death within the chorion layer was highest, suggesting that infection may play a role in causing PPROM.

In the current study, the researchers prospectively examined chorion membrane samples to identify a pattern of bacterial presence and association with chorion thinning. They collected membrane samples from a total of 48 women—including PPROM, preterm and term patients—after they gave birth. The researchers measured chorion thinning and bacterial presence in membrane samples collected from both near and far from the rupture site.

In all women, the chorion membrane was thinner at the rupture site than at the distant site. However, chorion thinning was greatest among PPROM patients and was not isolated to the rupture site, as the researchers observed a global chorion thinning even distant from where the membrane ruptured.

The researchers then looked to see if bacteria were present in the membranes and whether bacteria levels correlated with the thinning of the cell layers in the membranes. Interestingly, bacteria were present in all fetal membranes, refuting the traditional understanding that fetal membranes are sterile environments. The amount of bacteria present at the rupture site was higher, which the researchers were not surprised to find.

Among PPROM subjects, bacteria counts were highest compared to all other groups at both the rupture site and distant from the rupture site. Among all subjects, bacterial counts were inversely correlated with chorion thinning: the more bacteria present, the thinner the chorion.

It is unknown if this is a causal relationship, but the link between high bacterial presence at the membrane rupture site provides insight into possible mechanisms behind PPROM.

“We still know little about changes occurring within the fetal membrane in the presence of bacteria, but our data suggest the chorion and its thinning may be the battleground for these changes,” Murtha said.

The researchers are now working to identify the bacteria to determine if specific bacteria are found in PPROM patients. By identifying specific bacteria, the researchers can learn more about the role of bacterial presence, which could eventually lead to preventive treatments.

“For instance, if we think that certain bacteria are associated with premature rupturing of the membranes, we can screen for this bacteria early in pregnancy. We then might be able to treat affected women with antibiotics and reduce their risk for PPROM,” Murtha said. “Our research is several steps away from this, but it gives us opportunities to explore potential targeted therapeutic interventions, which we lack in obstetrics.”

Source: Medical Express

Five reasons why you should eat spinach

Spinach the green leafy vegetable which is the source of Popeye`s strength, is a winter super food packed with immense nutrients.

Here are a few health benefits of spinach:

A rich source of dietary fibre, spinach aids digestion, prevents constipation, maintains low blood sugar and curbs

overeating thus aiding weight loss.

Flavonoids — a phytonutrient abundant in spinach offers protection against stomach, skin and aggressive prostate cancer.

An excellent source of antioxidant nutrients – vitamin C, vitamin E, beta-carotene, manganese, zinc and selenium – it helps decrease risk of several blood vessel-related problems, including atherosclerosis, osteoporosis and high blood pressure.

Antioxidants lutein and zeaxanthin in spinach protect the eye from cataracts and age-related macular degeneration.

Vitamin K abundant in spinach is important for maintaining the strength and density of the bones. Vitamin K1 helps prevent excessive activation of osteoclasts, the cells that break down bone.

Source: Zee news

New surgical ‘smart patch’ for shoulder injury to be tested

An innovative ‘surgical patch’ that promotes rapid regrowth of tendon tissue could transform the success of shoulder repair operations.

The patch will be used by surgeons to repair torn tendon tissue, and patient trials are expected to begin this year.

Made from a new material developed by a team of surgeons, engineers and biochemists in Oxford, the ‘smart patch’ promotes rapid regrowth of damaged tissue ensuring the injury heals more quickly and more successfully.

The project is a collaboration between the University of Oxford and Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust, and is funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Oxford Biomedical Research Unit and the Medical Research Council.

Andy Carr, an Oxford University Hospitals surgeon and Nuffield Professor of Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of Oxford, led the development of the patch. It has been designed to repair damage to the rotator cuff, the group of tendons and muscles that controls movement of the shoulder.

More than 10,000 rotator cuff repairs are performed in the UK each year (more than 300,000 are performed in the US), and the group’s own research has shown that between 25% and 50% will fail to heal properly.

‘Around a third of the population will suffer from shoulder pain due to tendon disease at some time in their life, making it the third most common musculoskeletal complaint,’ said Professor Carr of the Nuffield Department of Orthopaedics, Rheumatology and Musculoskeletal Sciences at Oxford University.

‘This type of injury will not kill you but it can seriously affect your quality of life. Patients are often in a lot of pain, with severely restricted movement. In some cases it can affect your livelihood and in older people it can affect independence. This will become more and more of a problem as the population ages and the retirement age is increased.’

Professor Carr said the failure rate of surgery was due to the fact that the body was failing to repair properly after surgery. To improve the outcomes of surgery, the team have designed a material that mimics the normal environment that cells require in order to mount a successful repair.

He added: ‘The key to the new patch is creating a composite of two material layers. One layer is a very fine “nanoscale” synthetic mesh that is recognised by cells and which promotes growth of new tissue. Our patch provides the physical cues needed for normal growth and development.

‘However, because this fine mesh is relatively flimsy, a second woven layer of thicker strands is bonded to it to provide strength. This stronger layer means the scaffold can be sutured in position by a surgeon. It also protects the repair during the six to eight weeks required for tissue healing.’

new shoulder

 

An additional and important feature is that the scaffold degrades and is absorbed by the body after three to six months, leavin

g no foreign material in the long term.

With an expected price tag of less that £1,500, the new patch could offer effective treatment at a fraction of the cost of alternatives such as the use of stem cells or growth factors. Given the increasing number of operations being carried out, this will be a significant consideration.

Professor Carr said: ‘One of the great strengths here in Oxford is having clinicians, engineers, biochemists and other specialists working together across the partnership between the University of Oxford and Oxford University Hospitals NHS Trust. This multidisciplinary approach means that when unsolved clinical problems are identified we can investigate the cause, then develop a solution, before returning to clinic to test if it helps patients. It’s a bedside to bench and back again journey.’

Patient trials of the new patch are set to begin next year. Professor Carr added: ‘If successful, the patch has the potential to be adapted for use in other tissue repair operations such as heart surgery, hernia repair, bladder repair and the treatment of early arthritis.’

Source: University of Oxford

Parents’ attitude linked to kids’ chronic pain

Adolescents whose parents suffer from chronic pain may be more likely to develop ongoing pain too – especially if the parent tends to ‘catastrophize’ pain, according to new research.

“Children are careful observers of everything that we do as parents, and how we respond to our pain and to their pain is no different,” said Anna Wilson, a psychologist at Oregon Health & Science University who led the study.

Sometimes acting worried or repeatedly asking how a child is feeling can lead them to worry that the problem they are having is serious, even if it isn’t, Wilson said.

“Unfortunately, we know from many research studies that this (misplaced) worry tends to make pain worse,” she told Reuters Health.

In the study, 178 kids between the ages of 11 and 14 were recruited through their schools. They filled out questionnaires asking about ongoing physical issues such as backaches, stomach pain and headaches, as well as how much the pain interfered with their everyday lives. The adolescents’ parents answered similar questions about their own pain.

Both kids and parents also filled out surveys focused on how they coped with the child’s pain, such as whether parent or child felt helpless about the condition or blew the pain out of proportion.

About one-fourth of adolescents and two-thirds of parents in the study reported having chronic pain, and parental pain was significantly linked to the likelihood of that parent’s child having pain.

Having a parent with pain and having a parent who magnified the significance of pain boosted the risk that a child would also put more emphasis on the pain’s importance, the team reports in the Journal of Pediatric Psychology.

The take-home point, according to Wilson, is that the most helpful way to approach ongoing pain in a child – such as repeated headaches or muscle aches – probably differs from the way a parent might act when the child has a short-term illness like stomach flu or a sprained ankle.

For that reason, it can be helpful for parents with chronic pain to seek outside help to pinpoint their own strengths, and to assist their kids in developing healthy ways to cope with pain and discomfort.

“Being a parent is hard; pain just makes it harder,” Wilson said.

“If you are a parent who has chronic pain and you are worried about how it might be impacting your child, talk with your own doctor, a pain psychologist or your child’s doctor,” she said.

Source: Reuters

Nutritionist discusses benefits of ‘eating in color’

It’s a brand new year, and we all want to get a jump on eating healthy. But sometimes we focus too much on counting grams of fiber or protein, or we focus in on specific nutrients. An easier (and definitely more fun) approach is to simply add more color to your meals and snacks.

In Eating in Color: Delicious, Healthy Recipes for Your and Your Family, I share recipes and tips for bringing more color to your table in a fun, stress-free way. The book highlights the entire spectrum and inspires you to add health-boosting fruits, veggies and whole grains to your diet by adding as many colors to your plate as possible. Fruits and vegetables contain compounds that reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke, some cancers, chronic respiratory diseases, diabetes and obesity. Most of us don’t get enough fruits, veggies or whole grains, so adding a couple of extra servings a day will go a long way to making us all healthier.

Here’s a guide to “Eating in Color” and the benefits that each color family provides.

Reds

This bold and beautiful family of fruits and vegetables is certainly physically attractive, but it also boasts a wide range of heart-healthy nutrients. Many members of the red family contain high levels of the antioxidant vitamin C, potassium and fiber. Vitamin C helps fight damage caused by free radicals throughout the body. Potassium is essential for maintaining normal blood pressure and keeps your heart beating regularly. And soluble fiber, found in many red fruits, helps lower “bad” LDL cholesterol.

Foods to try: pomegranates, raspberries, strawberries, watermelon, radishes, tomatoes, beets, red peppers, radicchio, rhubarb, cherries, cranberries, red apples, red onions

Oranges

The orange family ranges from delicate apricots to sturdy winter squash, but one thing they all have in common is a very special nutrient: beta-carotene. Beta-carotene is converted to vitamin A in the body and is needed for skin and eye cell growth. It’s also vital for a healthy immune and reproductive system.

Foods to try: pumpkins, orange peppers, sweet potatoes, butternut squash, mangos, oranges, apricots, peaches, cantaloupe, carrots

Yellows

The yellow family ranges from fragrant Meyer lemons to earthy yellow beets and is a little tough to categorize. This sunny group finds common ground in its wealth of antioxidant-rich compounds, which help fight chronic diseases including cancer and heart disease.

Foods to try: yellow beets, star fruit, yellow figs, lemons, yellow bell peppers

Greens

Green is Mother Nature’s favorite color. She uses it to color everything from leafy herbs to creamy avocados to refreshing cucumber. Most members of the green family are super slimming, with less than 50 calories per cup, so it makes sense to load up your plate with them. They also offer up antioxidants for longevity-boosting benefits. And many greens are a great vegetarian and vegan source of iron, as well as the B-vitamin folate, which is essential for a healthy pregnancy.

Foods to try: arugula, kiwi fruit, avocado, broccoli, spinach, cucumbers, zucchini, kale, fennel, Brussels sprouts, asparagus, edamame, mustard greens, sugar snap peas, herbs, lime, watercress

Blues, Indigos and Violets

It’s good to have the blues. This family of foods delivers high amounts of anthocyanins – a type of antioxidant that fights inflammation and may help reduce the risk of heart disease and cancer. And certain members of this gorgeous crew may also help keep your memory sharp and boost brainpower.

Foods to try: purple cabbage, blueberries, blackberries, eggplant, plums, prunes, figs, eggplant, purple potatoes, grapes, purple carrots

Blacks and Tans

This group may not be colorful in the traditional sense, but they still bring a lot to the table. Rich in fiber and antioxidants, these whole grains, legumes, fruits, fungi and seeds add big flavor and texture to meals and reduce your risk of diabetes and heart disease. Also, it includes everyone’s favorite – chocolate.

Foods to try: coconut, mushrooms, olives, chocolate, chia seeds, hemp seeds, barley, flax seeds, quinoa, black rice, freekeh, black beans

 

As Schools Boost Access to EpiPens, Do Teachers Know How to Use Them?

Dr. Dave Stukus, a pediatric allergist at Nationwide Children’s Hospital says anyone with severe allergies knows that an epinephrine auto-injector can be the difference between life and death. With approximately two and a half million epinephrine auto-injectors (such as EpiPens and Auvi-Qs) in circulation, my colleagues and I at Nationwide Children’s Hospital want to ensure that people know how to administer them appropriately — you could save a life.

A new law signed by President Barack Obama on Nov. 13 last year provides states with financial incentives to pass laws that allow schools to stock epinephrine, and to treat children who do not have a prescription for the drug. As a result, more people will be administering auto-injectors for the first time.

It is not hard to use one, you just need to take action quickly. In fact, the most common reason associated with death from severe allergies is waiting too long to administer epinephrine.

The good news is that instructions are written and pictured on each auto-injector. One type of auto-injector even gives verbal instructions.

Here’s what you will need to know to correctly use an auto-injector:

1. Prepare the device

Pull off the safety cap. Make a fist around the syringe so the tip is pointing down. But there’s a warning: DO NOT PUT YOUR THUMB ON THE ORANGE TIP. The needle comes out of the orange tip.

2. Inject the medicine

While you do not need to apply excessive force, you will swing your arm a bit to inject the contents of an auto-injector (you need to provide enough force that the needle deploys from the auto-injector tip and delivers its contents directly into thigh muscle). First, hold the orange tip near the patient’s outer thigh to position the device at a 90-degree angle (needle-tip straight down), then swing the auto-injector against the patient’s outer thigh and press firmly against it until you hear a click. Hold the auto-injector against the thigh for 10 seconds. Then, remove the auto-injector from the thigh and massage the injection site for 10 seconds. You can leave the patient’s pants on if necessary; the device will work right through them.? [8 Strange Signs You’re Having an Allergic Reaction ]

expert voices, op-edPin It If you’re a topical expert — researcher, business leader, author or innovator — and would like to contribute an op-ed piece, email us here.

3. Get emergency medical help

Always call 9-1-1 after using epinephrine. The medicine may start to wear off or the reaction may come back. You can repeat the dose in 5 minutes if the child is not improving. Give the used epinephrine injector to a health care provider and ask for a refill right away if needed.

A few other things to note: Inhalers, such as albuterol and antihistamines (such as Benadryl), are not enough to treat severe allergic reactions. They can be given after epinephrine is used, if available. When in doubt, give epinephrine!

Do not store an auto-injector in a refrigerator or a hot car. It should be kept at room temperature. The liquid medicine in the pen should be clear. If it is discolored or has floating specks, get a new pen.

Source: live science

Meyer Lemon and Ginger for sore throat

There is a lot going on in this lovely infusion, with the tart lemon and pungent ginger. Turmeric contributes beautiful color, along with its nutritional benefits – it has been shown to have powerful anti-inflammatory and antioxidant attributes — and the tiny pinch of cayenne packs a small punch. If you feel a sore throat coming on I highly recommend this tea

4 slices Meyer lemon

1 tablespoon minced ginger

2 cloves

1/8 teaspoon turmeric

2 1/2 cups boiling water

2 to 3 teaspoons honey (to taste)

Pinch of cayenne

Place the lemon slices, ginger, cloves, and turmeric in a large measuring cup or teapot and pour on the boiling water. Stir in the honey, cover and let steep for 30 minutes. Strain and reheat if desired but do not boil. Just before serving add a tiny pinch of cayenne.

Yield: Serves 2

Advance preparation: You can keep this in the refrigerator for a day. Reheat but do not boil.

Nutritional information per serving (Note: Nutritional values refer only to the honey used in the infusion as the amount of nutrients absorbed from the other ingredients is difficult to measure): 21 calories; 0 grams fat; 0 grams saturated fat; 0 grams polyunsaturated fat; 0 grams monounsaturated fat; 0 milligrams cholesterol; 6 grams carbohydrates; 0 grams dietary fiber; 1 milligram sodium; 0 grams protein

Source: New york times

Teen fitness is linked to reduced risk of myocardial infarction

If teenage boys were asked to choose between exercising and playing computer games, the majority would choose computer games. But new research suggests adolescent boys should be more physically active, as low fitness levels may increase their risk of having a heart attack later in life.

This is according to a study published in the European Heart Journal.

A research team from Sweden, led by Prof. Peter Nordström, of Umeå University, analyzed data of 743,498 men. All men were a part of the Swedish armed forces between 1969 and 1984, and underwent a medical examination when they were 18-years-old.

The medical examination involved measuring the participants’ blood pressure, weight, height and muscle strength.

It also measured their aerobic fitness through a cycle test. Cycling resistance was increased by 25 watts a minute until the participants’ were too exhausted to carry on. Their maximum wattage was used for the study.

The research team divided the participants’ results into five groups, ranging from the lowest levels of aerobic fitness to the highest.

All men were followed for an average of 34 years until either the date of death, the date of their first heart attack, or until January 1 2011.

During the follow-up period, there were 7,575 incidences of myocardial infarctions – the equivalent to approximately 1,222 heart attacks per 100,000 men.

High aerobic fitness linked to lower heart attack risk
On comparing aerobic fitness with the participants’ risk of heart attack, the researchers found that men in the lowest aerobic fitness group were 2.1 times more likely to suffer a heart attack later in life compared with men in the highest aerobic fitness group.

The results also revealed that for every 15% increase in aerobic fitness, the men were 18% less likely to have a heart attack. This was after taking factors such as body mass index (BMI) and socioeconomic background into consideration.

Furthermore, the investigators found that men who carried out regular cardiovascular training in late adolescence reduced their risk of heart attack later in life by 35%.

Results dependent on BMI
To analyze how BMI and aerobic fitness combined had an impact on the participants’ risk of heart attack, the researchers separated the men into four groups in line with the World Health Organization’s definitions of BMI.

These were:

Underweight/lean (BMI less than 18.5kg/m2)
Normal weight (BMI between 18.5-25kg/m2)
Overweight (BMI between 25-30kg/m2)
Obese (BMI over 30kg/m2)
Results revealed that the fittest obese men had almost double the risk of heart attack compared with men who were lean but the most unfit. Furthermore, the fittest obese men had almost four times the risk of heart attack compared with the fittest lean men.

Commenting on their findings, Prof. Nordström says:

“Our findings suggest that high aerobic fitness in late adolescence may reduce the risk of heart attack later in life.

However, being very fit does not appear to fully compensate for being overweight or obese in respect to this risk. Our study suggests that it’s more important not to be overweight or obese than to be fit, but that it’s even better to be both fit and a normal weight.”

He notes that further research is needed to determine how these findings are clinically relevant, “but given the strong association that we have found,” he adds, “the low cost and easy accessibility of cardiovascular training, and the role of heart disease as a major cause of illness and death worldwide, these results are important with respect to public health.”

Source: Medical news today

Mediterranean diet linked to lower risk of Type 2 diabetes

Even without weight loss, adhering to a diet rich in fresh produce, chicken, fish and olive oil is 40% more effective in heading off the development of Type 2 diabetes than following a low-fat diet, a new study has found.

The research suggests that for the nation’s 78 million obese adults, a diet that minimizes red meat and sweets but incorporates plant-based fats may be a sustainable way to improve health — even if permanent weight reduction proves elusive.

The findings add to mounting research that suggests a traditional Mediterranean diet may be easier to adhere to and more likely to improve health than more restrictive regimens.
Compared with those on a low-fat diet, trial participants whose Mediterranean-style diet was supplemented with a daily dose of tree nuts — almonds, walnuts and hazelnuts — were 18% less likely to develop Type 2 diabetes. The researchers called that a positive trend but acknowledged that the difference fell short of demonstrating beyond doubt the superiority of such a diet over a standard low-fat diet.

Published Monday in the Annals of Internal Medicine, the latest entry in the diet fray followed for more than four years a group of 3,541 older Spaniards who were at high risk of developing cardiovascular disease. They were a subgroup of a larger clinical trial that demonstrated the effectiveness of the Mediterranean diet in reducing the risk of heart attacks and strokes.

Source: latimes