Nutrition

What every family needs to know about vitamin D

Estimates are that 40% to 60% of adolescents use nutritional supplements for a variety of reasons. According to Cora Collette Breuner, MD, MPH, FAAP, associate professor of pediatrics, University of Washington in Seattle, billions of dollars are spent each year by adolescents on these substances, who may hope to improve athletic performance, alleviate fatigue, improve appearance, and gain or lose weight.

The second of a four-part series on nutritional interventionsexamines evidence of a salicylate-elimination diet for ADHD.

Early attention to maternal diet and infant nutrition may help prevent allergy and food intolerance in high-risk infants who are unable to be completely breastfed, according to recent data and speakers at a dinner symposium Sunday evening. Speakers Peyton Eggleston, MD, professor of pediatrics at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine; Mark Boguniewicz, MD, National Jewish Medical and Research Center and University of Colorado School of Medicine; and John A. Kerner, MD, Stanford University School of Medicine, discussed the rising prevalence of allergic disease worldwide and the key factors shaping the trend, the progression of atopic disease in genetically predisposed children, the factors associated with risk of developing allergic disease, and the evidence for a role of diet in preventing allergic disease in young children.

The first article of a four-part series on nutritional interventions examines evidence on the use, safety and efficacy of low-carbohydrate dieting for weight loss and intractable epilespy.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently approved Adderall XR (an extended-release formulation of mixed salts of amphetamine) as a once-daily treatment for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder in adolescents 13 to 17 years old. That action bridges an "indication gap" between earlier approval of the product for patients 6 to 12 years old and for older (18 years) adolescents and adults.

Breast is best but success isn't a given. These guidelines help you encourage mothers to breastfeed and give them the support they need to do well--without short-changing reimbursement.

With dietary vitamins having potent immunomodulating effects in vitro and in animal models, investigators were led to examine whether vitamin supplementation during infancy affects the risk of asthma and allergic disease in early childhood.

After years of neglect, this method of managing hard-to-control seizures is being used more often by pediatric neurologists.

Finding an acceptable alternative to breast milk has proved to be a complicated quest that continues today.

Does supplementing infant formula with long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids have an effect on visual acuity, growth, and cognitive development?

Here is a look at problems that may arise when switching from gavage feedings to breast feedings, the use of fortified human milk, discharge planning needs, and the requirements of infants at risk of feeding problems.

When a newborn or his mother is too ill for him to nurse, the pediatrician can do much to help her pump properly, maintain her milk supply, initiate breastfeeding, and more.

Parents are turning to herbs and dietary supplements to treat problems their children have falling and staying asleep. Do these products work? Are they risky?

Dissuade mothers from switching formulas unnecessarily and help them avoid disappointment by knowing how formulas differ and what constitutes genuine intolerance.

Parents increasingly are turning to alternative therapies to manage their child's ADHD. This review of the pharmacology an toxicology of the most popular herbs and dietary supplements for treating ADHD and what the literature shows about their efficacy should help you advise parents.

As more mothers breastfeed, and for a longer time, pediatricians and their staffs are being called on to answer a wide variety of questions. These lactation experts show you how to respond to worries ranging from babies with too many or too few bowel movements to concerns about engorged breasts.