Adam Spanier, assistant professor of pediatrics and public health sciences at Penn State College of Medicine, has been appointed to the Children's Health Protection Advisory Committee for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The committee advises the EPA on regulations, research, science, technical, outreach, communication and economic issues related to the environmental precipitants of health in children. (more)
Berks County children and families now have increased access to pediatric specialty care through the growing partnership between St. Joseph Regional Health Network and Penn State Hershey Medical Center and Health System. (more)
Like seat belts, routine childhood immunizations are a time-tested intervention for protecting children from harm. To go to public school, kids are required to be appropriately immunized for various infectious diseases. The reasoning behind this is that children who are not fully immunized are at greater risk for both acquiring dangerous diseases and passing them onto others. Of course, the people most at risk from such diseases are those who will have the most trouble fighting off infections: the very young, the very old, and individuals who have underlying medical problems. In this day and age, this turns out to be a lot of people. Vaccinating everybody who can be vaccinated protects everyone by preventing disease and minimizing its spread. (more)
Yes, the dog days of summer are upon us...for most families that signals the longstanding tradition of back to school preparation. It's time to begin the search for the perfect backpack and notebook, shop for new clothing and shoes, get a haircut and maybe even sneak in a trip to the dentist. Regrettably, few parents think to schedule an eye exam for their child prior to the beginning of school. (more)
Many people do not realize that arthritis affects children of all ages. Juvenile Arthritis causes pain, stiffness and inflammation of one or more joints in children 16 years of age or less. Nearly 300,000 children in the United States are affected by some type of Juvenile Arthritis. To educate the public more about rheumatic illnesses in children, July has been declared National Juvenile Arthritis Awareness Month. (more)
Kids don't just call a friend to say "hi" anymore. Today, they often log on to social media (SM) sites, such as Facebook or Twitter, to touch base with others. These venues let children and teens set up a profile page and communicate with the kid next door or the cousin on another continent. But navigating through SM sites may raise problems for trusting and inexperienced youngsters. To encourage sensible use of these sites, a Penn State Hershey assistant professor of pediatrics offers some tips. (more)
Five major injury hazards to children -- motor vehicles, drowning, burns, falls and poison -- can be found in the backyard during the summer. Riding mowers, inflatable pools, home playground equipment, and even natural vegetation and sunlight require a few simple precautions. Safety guidelines that apply to public recreation activities and equipment also apply to those activities in your own backyard. (more)
When cold weather sets in, it's time for warm clothes to be set out. But knowing how to dress your son or daughter for outdoor play is just one part of winter safety. It also is important to know when to bring children in or not let them out at all, says the latest edition of The Medical Minute, a service of the Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center. (more)
Each year, more than 3.5 million children under the age of 15 are treated for sports injuries nationwide. Roughly half of these injuries are sustained in solo activities, but approximately one out of four participants in youth soccer, football or baseball has been injured at least once, according to the latest edition of The Medical Minute, a service of the Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center. (more)
Are you aware of the many forms an eating disorder can take? In our program at the Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center an emaciated 10-year-old cried over a ham sandwich which she was certain contained 4,000 calories. A woman in her 40s, who after gastric bypass surgery swung from obesity to emaciation, still struggles with her relationship to food. A young man tried to get healthy through diet and exercise, but got so caught up in the process that his weight plummeted and his mood crashed. Experts discuss the prevalence, causes, risks and an need for education about eating disorders in this week's edition of The Medical Minute, a service of the Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center. (more)
