In my book, God’s Design for the Highly Healthy Teen, I discuss the disturbing phenomena of young girls having their periods at younger and younger ages. Researchers have postulated all sorts of reasons for the, but now a study suggests that girls who eat a lot of meat during childhood tend to start their periods [...]

Eating a Mediterranean-style diet can help heart patients stay healthy, new research from Greece shows. The Mediterranean diet, which I recommend in my book, 10 Essentials of Happy, Healthy People, involves eating lots of fruits and vegetables, nuts, vegetable and olive oils, no-fat dairy products, legumes, whole grains, and fish, and has been shown to [...]

In my book, Alternative Medicine: The options, the claims, the evidence, how to choose wisely, I have a chapter discussing acupuncture in which we conclude:

Despite its limited effectiveness, acupuncture’s low
cost and relative safety can make it a viable option

Despite its limited effectiveness, acupuncture’s low
cost and relative safety can make it a viable option
for [...]

Indoor tanning increases the risk for melanoma and should be avoided, according to investigators of a new case–control study from the state of Minnesota.
The study provides “strong evidence” that indoor tanning is a risk factor for melanoma, said lead author DeAnn Lazovich, PhD, associate professor of epidemiology and community health in the School of Public [...]

USA Today reports that “people who have ever used tanning machines were…more likely to develop melanoma than others, according to a study” published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention.
The Time “Wellness” blog reported that investigators “began with more than 2,000 individuals, half of whom had documented cases of melanoma, and half whom did not, and [...]

It’s an unfortunate fact of life. If your children go to school or camp, they will each almost certainly end up with at least one case of head lice during their childhood years. So, here is a great article about treatment options that I found in the New York Times:
Between six million and 12 million [...]

I don’t have any medical updates this week from Craig and Tonya DeLisi about their unborn child Anastasha. Those of you following their journey know that Anastasha has been diagnosed, via ultrasound, with anencephaly. There is no cure or treatment for anencephaly. Most anencephalic children do not survive birth. If the infant is not stillborn, then [...]

For years I’ve told parents in my practice that kitchen teaspoons and tablespoons are highly inaccurate in dispensing medicine to kids. I have always recommended using an inexpensive oral syringe for dosing pediatric medications. Now comes study warning that using these kitchen spoons to dispense medicine to children can cause dangerous overdoses. Researchers from Greece [...]

The use, abuse, and prescription of medical marijuana is a concern of most primary care physicians and a topic we are not infrequently asked about. As a writer and teacher of healthcare professionals, I am often asked to address the topic. So, I have an evidence-based chapter on marijuana in my book, Alternative Medicine: The Christian [...]

The use, abuse, and prescription of medical marijuana is, no doubt, an evolving landscape. I have a chapter on medical marijuana in my book, Alternative Medicine: The Christian Handbook (endorsed by the Christian Medical Association). Now, here’s an excellent update to that chapter by Matthew J. Seamon, PharmD, JD, which was published in MedScape:
Background
Marijuana has [...]

In several of my past blogs, including two earlier this week (Low immunization rates linked to epidemic spread of whooping cough and Parents who refuse vaccines put other people’s children in harm’s way), I’ve warned of the potential dangers, including death, that can occur among unvaccinated children. Now, we’re learning that children are beginning to die [...]

In a past blog of mine (Partnership Between Family Physicians and Coca-Cola Poses Ethical Problem) I wrote, “What does my national academy of family physicians, the AAFP (American Academy of Family Physicians), and Coca-Cola have in common? The common sense answer should be, ‘Nothing.’ The actual answer is, ‘$500,000.’ Ouch!”
Now, the family medicine professor I [...]

With summer upon us, it’s time to stock up on sunscreen for the season. To help navigate the vast selection crowding store shelves and to ensure you’re getting the best protection against, sunburn and skin cancer, Consumer Reports Health has released its list of top-rated sunscreens. And, here are the details from a report on [...]

If you’re heading outside this summer, bring sunscreen. But with so many choices on the shelves, how can you choose which one is best for you and your family? Here’s a great report adapted from ABC News that will help:
Sunscreen spray has become the most user-friendly these days, but many still cling to their lotions. ”It’s [...]

On the NBC Nightly News (May 25, 2010), NBC medical correspondent Nancy Snyderman, MD, discussed sunscreen use, disputing a charge made by an environmental group that sunscreens containing vitamin A may increase the chance of developing skin cancer.
After pointing out that the study to which the group referred was performed on mice, Dr. Snyderman stated, [...]

Even as summer temperatures soar, Americans are turning a cold shoulder to sunscreen, according to a poll released recently. According to a report in Reuters Health: Only one-fifth of Americans wear sunscreen before going outside most days during the summer and just under one-third apply it even a few days during the season, according to the [...]

For quite some time, I’d warned parents that not vaccinating their children is not only potentially harmful (or fatal) to their children, but also the children in your neighborhood or your children’s school.
Now, an op-ed in the Los Angeles Times backs up my contention. Pamela Nguyen, of UCLA’s Mattel Children’s Hospital, points out that, according [...]

I hope you’re not getting too tired of all the vaccine-related blogs of today and Monday. Not to worry, on Friday I’ll post several blogs for adults and parents about sunscreens. Anyway, the Los Angeles Times is reporting, “Children who receive a single vaccine that protects against measles, mumps, rubella, and chicken pox appear to have [...]

Barb, my wife, reported to me that friends who are expecting a baby very soon, have informed those who may be visiting or caring for the baby, including grandparents, be immunized against whooping cough (pertussis). Barb asked me, “Is that reasonable?”
“Absolutely,” I replied. I believe it is the parents’ responsibility to provide a bubble of [...]

Thanks to Dr. Steiner and Kate for thoughtful and encouraging comments on Part 2 of Anastasha’s story. You can find their comments here. I’m hoping others of you will comment as Dr. DeLisi shares more in the future. I admire his courage in opening this painful door into his, Tonya’s, and their children’s lives. I [...]