Dr. Howard Smith Reports

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/OSjfU5mXNbI

Studies prove that oral exposure to peanut protein can tame deadly peanut allergies.   The FDA just approved a drug therapy program, Palforzia, to do just that.  

A Stanford University study now shows that peanut reactivity will return unless therapeutic peanut exposures continue.   The researchers studied 120 peanut-allergic participants. 

After nearly 3.5 months of ever increasing peanut protein, all were successfully desensitized and could safely consume the equivalent of 200 peanuts.  Stopping the 200 peanut treatments completely or continuing with daily exposures of only 15 peanuts a day failed to maintain peanut non-reactivity.

This result suggests that any desensitization program, including Palforzia, will require continuation of therapy for an extended period.  It would be dangerous to stop. 

R Sharon Chinthrajah, MD ,Natasha Purington, MS, Sandra Andorf, PhD, etal.  Sustained outcomes in oral immunotherapy for peanut allergy (POISED study): a large, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 2 study.  The Lancet.  Published:September 12, 2019DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(19)31793-3

#Peanutallergy #oralimmmunotherapy

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/OSjfU5mXNbI

Studies prove that oral exposure to peanut protein can tame deadly peanut allergies.   The FDA just approved a drug therapy program, Palforzia, to do just that.  

A Stanford University study now shows that peanut reactivity will return unless therapeutic peanut exposures continue.   The researchers studied 120 peanut-allergic participants. 

After nearly 3.5 months of ever increasing peanut protein, all were successfully desensitized and could safely consume the equivalent of 200 peanuts.  Stopping the 200 peanut treatments completely or continuing with daily exposures of only 15 peanuts a day failed to maintain peanut non-reactivity.

This result suggests that any desensitization program, including Palforzia, will require continuation of therapy for an extended period.  It would be dangerous to stop. 

R Sharon Chinthrajah, MD ,Natasha Purington, MS, Sandra Andorf, PhD, etal.  Sustained outcomes in oral immunotherapy for peanut allergy (POISED study): a large, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase 2 study.  The Lancet.  Published:September 12, 2019DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(19)31793-3

#Peanutallergy #oralimmmunotherapy

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/UUTcZc0Izxs

The harder you think, the more sleep you require.  Neuroscientists at University College London report this finding after studying sleeping patterns in zebrafish.  These marine animals are a good model since, like humans, require a daily sleep session to rejuvenate their brains.

Experimental animals were driven to continuous brain activity by drugs such as caffeine or by forced, non-stop, swimming.  When an opportunity for them to rest occurred, they demonstrated a greater need for sleep.

Now that school and work are back in full swing, we all must be certain to permit our brains sufficient time for a recharge.  That necessary rejuvenation only comes from restful, deep, and uninterrupted sleep.

Sabine Reichert, Oriol Pavón Arocas, Jason Rihel. The Neuropeptide Galanin Is Required for Homeostatic Rebound Sleep following Increased Neuronal Activity. Neuron, 2019; DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2019.08.010

#Thought #sleep

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/UUTcZc0Izxs

The harder you think, the more sleep you require.  Neuroscientists at University College London report this finding after studying sleeping patterns in zebrafish.  These marine animals are a good model since, like humans, require a daily sleep session to rejuvenate their brains.

Experimental animals were driven to continuous brain activity by drugs such as caffeine or by forced, non-stop, swimming.  When an opportunity for them to rest occurred, they demonstrated a greater need for sleep.

Now that school and work are back in full swing, we all must be certain to permit our brains sufficient time for a recharge.  That necessary rejuvenation only comes from restful, deep, and uninterrupted sleep.

Sabine Reichert, Oriol Pavón Arocas, Jason Rihel. The Neuropeptide Galanin Is Required for Homeostatic Rebound Sleep following Increased Neuronal Activity. Neuron, 2019; DOI: 10.1016/j.neuron.2019.08.010

#Thought #sleep

Vidcast:  ttps://youtu.be/YZQ4NNpfZ1Y

After my years as a camp counselor, raising 4 kids, and caring for children and their parents as a pediatric otolaryngologist for 40 years, here are my go-to principles for effective parenting.

ONE. Consistency.  Establish reasonable boundaries that create security.  Offer praise and rewards for remaining within them.  Use a carrot versus a stick.  Announce consequences for violations.  Say what you’ll do and do what you say.

TWO: TWO: Responsibility.  Allow progressive decision-making within limited choice boundaries even for infants and toddlers.  Child refuses food.  You say, “Do you want apples or peaches?” Have a balky, uncooperative teen?  “Do you want garbage or yard duty?”

THREE: Distraction.   When the inevitable poor behaviors and disagreements arise, distract using redirection to a different activity or location and…..

FOUR: Humor.  Laughter and smiles are powerful parenting tools.  Don’t be afraid to clown around and show love in a offbeat ways.

#parenting #consistency #responsibility #distraction #humor

Vidcast:  ttps://youtu.be/YZQ4NNpfZ1Y

After my years as a camp counselor, raising 4 kids, and caring for children and their parents as a pediatric otolaryngologist for 40 years, here are my go-to principles for effective parenting.

ONE. Consistency.  Establish reasonable boundaries that create security.  Offer praise and rewards for remaining within them.  Use a carrot versus a stick.  Announce consequences for violations.  Say what you’ll do and do what you say.

TWO: TWO: Responsibility.  Allow progressive decision-making within limited choice boundaries even for infants and toddlers.  Child refuses food.  You say, “Do you want apples or peaches?” Have a balky, uncooperative teen?  “Do you want garbage or yard duty?”

THREE: Distraction.   When the inevitable poor behaviors and disagreements arise, distract using redirection to a different activity or location and…..

FOUR: Humor.  Laughter and smiles are powerful parenting tools.  Don’t be afraid to clown around and show love in a offbeat ways.

#parenting #consistency #responsibility #distraction #humor

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/X36J-0nZ-rk

The common child discipline, the good old time out, is safe and effective.  University of Michigan pediatric psychologists report this conclusion after studying a large group of children in Early Had State Research study at 3 points in their early development: around 3, 4 and 10 years of age.

Despite the statements found on 30% of parental advice websites, time outs are recommended by the Academy of Pediatrics and not associated with anxiety, depression, aggressive behavior, or loss of self-control.  

Time outs are part of my 4 commandments of good parenting that I’ll review in another report.

Rachel M. Knight, Jeremy Albright, Lindsay Deling, Dawn Dore-Stites, Amy K. Drayton. Longitudinal Relationship Between Time-Out and Child Emotional and Behavioral Functioning. Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics, 2019; 1 DOI: 10.1097/DBP.0000000000000725

#Timeouts #parenting #discipline

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/X36J-0nZ-rk

The common child discipline, the good old time out, is safe and effective.  University of Michigan pediatric psychologists report this conclusion after studying a large group of children in Early Had State Research study at 3 points in their early development: around 3, 4 and 10 years of age.

Despite the statements found on 30% of parental advice websites, time outs are recommended by the Academy of Pediatrics and not associated with anxiety, depression, aggressive behavior, or loss of self-control.  

Time outs are part of my 4 commandments of good parenting that I’ll review in another report.

Rachel M. Knight, Jeremy Albright, Lindsay Deling, Dawn Dore-Stites, Amy K. Drayton. Longitudinal Relationship Between Time-Out and Child Emotional and Behavioral Functioning. Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics, 2019; 1 DOI: 10.1097/DBP.0000000000000725

#Timeouts #parenting #discipline

Vidcast:  https://youtu.be/LXahZTaYegs

Your child is more likely to suffer a head injury biking or skate boarding than playing team sports like soccer, rugby, or basketball.  So says a Australian-New Zealand study of  20,000 plus kids presenting to emergency departments with head injuries.

Bike riding, skateboarding, and golf are 20 times more likely than rugby to produce a head injury.  Of the team sports, surprisingly only baseball and softball were the most dangerous accounting for 8% of the total head injuries.

Only you can instill your children with a 6th sense of impending danger.  Encourage them to play safely and use headgear.

Nitaa Eapen, Gavin A Davis, Meredith L Borland, Natalie Phillips, Ed Oakley, Stephen Hearps, Amit Kochar, Sarah Dalton, John Cheek, Jeremy Furyk, Mark D Lyttle, Silvia Bressan, Louise Crowe, Stuart Dalziel, Emma Tavender, Franz E Babl. Clinically important sport‐related traumatic brain injuries in children. Medical Journal of Australia, 2019; DOI: 10.5694/mja2.50311

#headtrauma #teamsports #recreationalsports

Vidcast:  ttps://youtu.be/4O6kaDUCs-4

Children born even as little as 3 weeks prematurely during the summer months may be inappropriately placed a grade ahead.   Then they go through their elementary education at a profound disadvantage and are twice as likely to underperform.  

The researchers at Britain’s University of Leeds do not recommend arbitrarily holding back a premie. Instead they suggest special educational services for such kids when they stumble and require them.  

I suggest that, for educational placement purposes, the child’s date of birth be considered to be their expected due date, the date on which they should have been born.  Then, again, if the child needs help, it may be provided.

University of Leeds. "Early education setback for summer premature births." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 13 August 2019. to be published in the Archives of Disease in Childhood.

#Premies #schoolplacement #duedate