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News and AlertsDon't Treat Ear Infections with TonsillectomiesRecurrent ear infections should not be treated by performing tonsillectomies, according to a new study. Researchers at the Children's Hospital in Pittsburgh found that adenoidectomy and adenotonsillectomy had such limited and short-term effectiveness in reducing new middle ear infections in children that they recommended initial nonsurgical treatment.Published in the Sept. 8 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), the study examined 461 children aged 3 to 15 years with persistent or recurrent otitis media (inflammation of the middle ear) who were enrolled at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh between April 1980 and April 1994. "Given that we found both operations to have limited efficacy and in view of their not inconsiderable risks, morbidity and costs, we believe that neither operation ordinarily should be considered as an initial intervention in such children," the researchers stated. "Instead we believe that nonsurgical management should be attempted first, with tube placement to be considered later as the preferred first surgical recourse if the burden of illness becomes intolerable, and with adenoidectomy reserved for those who develop recurrent otitis media after tubal extrusion." For more on the study, visit the JAMA Web site. Head Injuries In Soccer Linked to Lower Test Scores Repeated head injuries from participating in amateur soccer has been associated with lower scores on tests used to measure performance in memory and planning functions, according to a new study. In the study of 33 amateur soccer players with the performance of 27 control athletes (middle-distance runners and middle-distance swimmers), 39 percent of the soccer players in the study had scores that indicated an impaired performance over planning abilities, compared with 13 percent of the control athletes. On tests that measured memory, 27 percent of the soccer players had scores that indicated an impaired performance compared with 7 percent of the control athletes. "These findings suggest that participation in amateur soccer may be associated with mild [chronic traumatic brain injury], as evidenced by impairment in cognitive functioning based on tests of memory and planning," according to the authors. Concussions occurred relatively frequently among the amateur soccer players studied. Of these soccer players, nine (27 percent) had one soccer-related concussion during their playing career and seven players (23 percent) had two to five concussions during their playing career. For more on the study, visit the JAMA Web site. Grandparents Never Use Child Safety Seats One out of five grandparents said they never use a child safety seat when their grandchildren (eight years of age or younger) are passengers in their car, according to an independent nationwide poll commissioned by automaker Nissan North America, Inc. Child safety awareness is more than just a parent issue. In fact, 40 percent of grandparents polled reported that their grandchildren rode in their vehicle an average of three or more times per month. Child safety seats, properly installed, can reduce the risk of fatalities in motor vehicle collisions by 69 percent for infants, and 47 percent for toddlers, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). "Many advances have been made in the car seat safety arena since grandparents, and even their grown children, were little," said Stephanie Tombrello, executive director of SafetyBeltSafe U.S.A. "That's why it's more important than ever for grandparents to be properly informed on child seat safety, in order to help safeguard today's children in the car." For more information, visit Nissan North America, Inc. Simple Test Spots Early Signs Of Heart Disease Women may now have a powerful new weapon in the war against heart disease, says researchers at the University of Pittsburgh. A study has shown that a non-invasive test called electron beam computed tomography (EBCT) can predict heart problems in middle-aged women who lack any clinical signs of disease and who have no standard risk factors. The study suggests that more women should receive the test regardless of their perceived risk of heart disease. "Heart disease is the number one killer of women, but it doesn't happen overnight," said Lewis Kuller, M.D., Dr. P.H. "With this technology, we can now find arterial problems much earlier in women so that they can take the necessary steps to avoid life-threatening complications later on." Among the findings in the study:
For more information, visit the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Web site. ADHD May Be Overdiagnosed, Study Says Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder may be overdiagnosed, says a new study. The drug used to treat the condition may be overprescribed, as well. There have been reports of heavy Ritalin use in various communities around the country, but until this latest study it was only speculation. Nearly 6 percent of the school-age population in the United States has been diagnosed with ADHD. Approximately 90 percent of patients with ADHD take the drug Ritalin. For more information, visit American Journal of Public Health. Consumer AlertsPrecious Moments® Tender Tails® stuffed toys come with pom-poms that can detach, posing a choking hazard to young children. Enesco Corp., of Itasca, Ill., is recalling 472,000 of these toys. Consumers should immediately cut off the pom-poms from these stuffed toys and return the pom-poms along with their name, address and phone number to Enesco to receive a free Tender Tails® Hippo toy. For more information, visit their web site, or email them at ttpompoms@enesco.com. For more information about recalls, visit CPSC's web site at http://www.cpsc.gov.
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