kids

A new report by the Centers for Disease Control explains, at least partly, why the numbers of children being diagnosed with ADHD have skyrocketed in recent years: many of these youngsters (1 in 5, actually) have been improperly diagnosed.
The number of children diagnosed with ADHD jumped 42% from 2004 to 2011. As of 2011, an astonishing 6.4 million tykes were diagnosed with the disorder and placed in therapy, fed powerful mind-altering drugs, or both.

Scientists from the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry have published a damning study for pesticide manufacturers It shows a correlation between parental exposure to toxic pesticides and an increased chance of offspring developing brain cancer. Specifically, parents exposed to the toxic stew up to 2 years before giving birth are more likely to see their offspring develop brain cancer. In fact, the chances double.

Republican presidential candidate Carly Fiorina on Friday defended parents’ right to choose whether to vaccinate their children.
At a town hall event in Iowa, a mother of five said that “parental rights for choice and my religious rights for choice are being challenged, and so I want to know what stance you would take to protect both life and my parental rights to make those choices.” Fiorina responded by saying parents should be able to decide against vaccinating their children if doing so conflicts with their religious beliefs.

Antipsychotic drugs are being prescribed to an ever-increasing number of adolescents and young adults, and many of them are being prescribed for off-label purposes. But these over-prescriptions are putting youngsters at risk, though we’re slow as a society to change our med-heavy ways.
These powerful medications are being prescribed to young people with attention-deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), a condition the drugs are not approved to treat.

http://www.123rf.com/photo_11183804_tired-student-sleeping-in-a-classro…
Here’s a research finding that many people will wish had been discovered when they were children: kids go to school too early in the morning and therefore are often too tired to pay attention and learn.

A recently published study in the journal Pediatrics adds more credence to experts’ warnings that the overuse of antibiotics is making people sick, including the littlest of patients. Researchers now say that antibiotics increase children’s risk of developing juvenile arthritis, a painful and chronic disease. [1]

On Thursday, the FDA approved the powerful painkiller OxyContin for use in children ages 11 to 16 who have severe, long-term pain.
The extended-release opioid has been used for years to treat constant pain in adults, but it is one of the few prescription painkillers approved for children. The only other known opioid drug approved for use in children is Duragesic, or the fentanyl patch. [1]

Mothers of small children ask me about natural health all the time. It happens in the line at my favorite natural grocer, or after a yoga class. Sometimes I receive questions through email or through a friend of a friend. It’s a universal desire for parents to give their children the best start possible, but our medical system is not set up to do that at all. In fact, in 6 key ways, it is harming our children and damaging their prospects for future health. Here’s how:

A line of parents assembled at the SB277 Senate Committee Hearing in California last week running out of the courthouse, into the hall, and out into the parking lot. The group was comprised of concerned citizens who don’t want forced vaccinations for their children.
Some parents carried posters stating “One Size Does Not Fit All” in reference to forced vaccines whereupon parents would no longer have a ‘personal belief’ exemption to refuse vaccinations for their children.

Prime Minister Tony Abbott and Social Services Minister Scott Morrison of Australia just announced a shocking and historic reform affecting parents who are concerned about vaccinating their children. Those who refuse to vaccinate their kids will be denied as much as $15,000 in childcare rebates and welfare under new rules by the Federal Government.