Online book helps children understand the effects of stroke

An illustration from “When Grandpa Comes Home: A Story About Stroke,” an online book that teaches children how to cope when a relative suffers a strokeSpeedy treatment is essential to saving lives and preventing brain damage during a stroke. But the rapid pace of events also can leave patients and family members confused about what has happened and what to expect. That’s especially true for children whose parents or grandparents have a stroke. Now an online book is available to teach children about strokes.

Online book helps children understand the effects of stroke

An illustration from “When Grandpa Comes Home: A Story About Stroke,” an online book that teaches children how to cope when a relative suffers a strokeSpeedy treatment is essential to saving lives and preventing brain damage during a stroke. But the rapid pace of events also can leave patients and family members confused about what has happened and what to expect. That’s especially true for children whose parents or grandparents have a stroke. Now an online book is available to teach children about strokes at www.strokecenter.org/patients. More…

Pediatric neurosurgeons recommend banning children from ATVs

Neurosurgeons at St. Louis Children’s Hospital and the School of Medicine are renewing calls for a ban on the use of all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) by children under age 16 after a review of injuries caused by the vehicles. Researchers studied all cases seen at the hospital over a 10-year span, identifying 185 patients admitted as a result of ATV-related accidents.

Reversing malnutrition a spoonful at a time

Patricia Wolff examines a young patient in her pediatric clinic in Cap Haitien, Haiti.Swollen bellies, orange hair, listlessness and dull eyes — these are the traits of child malnutrition in Haiti, the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere and where roughly one of every three children is chronically malnourished. To try to change that statistic, Patricia Wolff, associate clinical professor of pediatrics, founded Meds & Food for Kids in 2004.

Reversing malnutrition a spoonful at a time

Patricia Wolff examines a young patient in her pediatric clinic in Cap Haitien, Haiti.Swollen bellies, orange hair, listlessness and dull eyes — these are the traits of child malnutrition in Haiti, the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere and where roughly one of every three children is chronically malnourished. To try to change that statistic, Patricia A. Wolff, M.D., associate clinical professor of pediatrics at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, founded Meds & Food for Kids (MFK) in 2004.

Adult and child brains perform tasks differently

As our brains mature, the red regions are used more frequently, and the blue areas are used less.Children activate different and more regions of their brains than adults when they perform word tasks, according to investigators at the School of Medicine. Reporting in the journal Cerebral Cortex, the researchers say those changes in regional brain activity from childhood to adulthood may reflect the more efficient use of our brains as we mature.

Adult and child brains perform tasks differently

As our brains mature, we tend to use the red regions more frequently for these certain tasks, using the regions represented in blue less.Children activate different and more regions of their brains than adults when they perform word tasks, according to investigators at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. Reporting in the journal Cerebral Cortex, the researchers say those changes in regional brain activity from childhood to adulthood may reflect the more efficient use of our brains as we mature.

Tips for controlling children’s candy consumption

Nutritionist offers tips on controlling Halloween candy consumption.Halloween is just around the corner, and most kids can’t wait. When else can you dress up in funny — or frightening — costumes, go door to door, and collect all the free candy you can fit in your bag? And with many kids opting to carry pillowcases instead of cutely decorated trick or treat sacks, that’s a lot of candy! While Halloween is a kid’s dream, it can be a nightmare for parents who struggle all year to get their children to eat enough fruits and vegetables and avoid excessive sugars and saturated fat. So how can parents keep their kids from gobbling down all that they bring home from a night of trick or treating — and from eating it all in one sitting? A registered dietician at Washington University in St. Louis offers some helpful tips.