Bodies and Brains: January 2013

Job Jeopardy

As many as a third of parents with young children say they worry about their job security and paychecks when they miss work to care for a sick child, according to a poll conducted by the University of Michigan’s C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital. Nearly half the parents said they missed work during the past year to stay with a child who was too sick to attend child care.

Heavy Issue

Wondering about your child’s weight? Ask her pediatrician to track her body mass index (BMI) percentile which will compare her with peers. A BMI is a number calculated from a child's height and weight and is used to identify possible weight issues. The Center for Disease Control and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend the use of BMI starting at age 2. A healthy percentile is 5–85.

Natural Strength

A recent study by the University of Tennessee revealed that children are more active and use their imagination more when in playgrounds designed around natural elements like logs and flowers. They played twice as long as those at traditional playgrounds and performed more aerobic and strengthening activities.

Gut Reaction

Common antibiotics like penicillin and tetracyclines may increase children’s risk of developing irritable bowel disease (IBD), says a study published in the October issue of Pediatrics. The medications kill the anaerobic bacteria that reside in the gut, leading to IBD. The risk was highest when antibiotics were given during the first year of life.

Senior Sitters

The number of grandparents acting as caregivers for their grandchildren has grown nearly 20% since 2000, but an American Community Survey found nearly half did not know about the American Academy of Pediatrics’ warnings against bumper pads and stuffed animals in cribs. Almost 25% were unaware that kids under 2 should be placed in rear-facing car seats.

Character Appeal

School children are more likely to choose healthy foods like apples when they are decorated with colorful stickers, says scientists at Cornell University. In one study, kids ages 8 to 11 were 20% more likely to select apples at lunch time when the fruit was rocking a sticker of Elmo.