Research

All Articles in the Category ‘Research’

Do Sports Derail Children’s Healthy Eating Habits?

A new study says “yes.”

University of Minnesota researchers interviewed the parents of 60 youth basketball players and found that the young athletes commonly had sweets, such as candy, ice cream and doughnuts; pizza; hot dogs; salty snacks, including chips, nachos and cheese puff and soda and sports drinks.

The parents also reported frequent visits to fast-food restaurants when their children were playing sports.

And, even though the parents agreed that these foods and beverages are unhealthy, they said rushing to practices and games made them rely more on these types of products due to their convenience. Read full post »

Social Networks Serve as Source for Parents

As a medical resident, Dr. Ben Wilfond remembers working with a family whose baby had trisomy 21 (down syndrome).  He was with the physician when she first talked with the family about their new baby.  “She walked in, introduced herself, and the next thing she said was, ‘Congratulations on your baby,'” Wilfond said. The remark took him by surprise.  “As a resident, I could see the problems this child was having and I knew some of what was ahead for this family.  But the doctor did not deprive them of their celebration, and she chose not to focus on the fact that the child had a disability.”

This situation isn’t always the norm. Dr. Wilfond is a co-author of a new study published in Pediatrics that found parents with children with trisomy 13 and 18 have challenging encounters with health providers.  Children born with trisomy 13 and 18 have low survival rates and survivors have significant disabilities.  They have traditionally been treated with palliative care.  Read full post »

Cystic Fibrosis Researcher Christens Petroleum Barge that Bears her Name

Physicians and researchers can get any number of awards over the course of a career.  Landing a Nobel Prize is the tops, of course.  But Bonnie Ramsey, MD, received a different sort of honor this week.  She christened a petroleum barge in Portland that bears her name.  Dr. Ramsey is quite excited about the honor, even if it doesn’t seem very medically mainstream.   

Barge christening by Dr. Bonnie Ramsey“It’s a unique award,” she said.  “It’s not the sort of thing most people get, to have something that huge be named after you,” she said, with a smile.  Barges can measure more than 400 feet long, bigger than a football field.  A barge of this size carries more than 3.5 million gallons in fuel, too.

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