Sugar, Spice, and Lifelong Asthma

Boys are more likely to have asthma than girls--but they are also more likely to grow out of it. And, according to a study of 1,000+ asthmatic children, boys have fewer asthma attacks after puberty hits than girls do. Says the lead researcher: "Especially intriguing is that the differences in gender begin at the time of transition into early puberty."

BPA Safe, Says FDA

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has just come out and said that bisphenol-A (BPA) in food containers (such as plastic baby bottles) is safe. Recall that a few months ago another federal agency said that BPA just might be harmful to human development. Huh. Clearly there needs to be more discussion. Accordingly, FDA is planning a public meeting on September 16.

A Meta-Note, Plus Goodbye to Needles

My excellent vacation gave me some much-needed time to think about goals. Since I've got some big things coming down the pike in the next few months, I've decided to reduce my posting from daily to once or twice weekly, at least on a temporary basis. I might experiment with digest-style or just keep going as I've been, with one story per post as the focus. Stay tuned!
So, on to the news of the day. Every parent who has ever had to hold their little one during a shot at the doctor's office will appreciate this one: Scientists are hard at work devising medical tests that will operate on a drop of saliva rather than a vial of blood. It's hard to say when pediatricians might be able to start using these--taking advances from the lab to the clinic is not a quick process--but one scientist in the field says "the technology is advancing so rapidly."