Pediatricians Issue New Flu Shot Recommendations

for Kids
Children ages 6 months and older should receive the flu vaccine by an
injection this flu season, and should not get the nasal flu spray because it doesn't
provide enough protection again the virus, according to new recommendations
from the American Academy of Pediatrics.
Research conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
found that the nasal spray version of the flu vaccine did not protect
children against certain strains of the flu virus that were among most prominent
strains during the past three flu seasons, the researchers said. For example,
studies showed that, among children ages 2 to 17 who had received the nasal
spray version of the flu vaccine, the vaccine was only 3 percent effective during
the 2015-2016 flu season, whereas the injected vaccine was 63 percent
effective.
"New research shows that the flu shot provided significantly better protection in
recent flu seasons compared with the nasal spray vaccine,” Dr. Henry H.
Bernstein, a pediatrician at Northwell Health in New Hyde Park, New York,
who co-authored a policy statement on the new recommendations, said in a
press release. "We want to provide children with the best protection possible
against flu, and these recent studies show the flu shot is likely to provide a
higher level of protection."

The flu shot remains the best available means of preventing flu, the
researchers said in the policy statement, published today (Sept. 6) in the journal
Pediatrics. [6 Flu Vaccine Myths]
Special efforts should be made to vaccinate children with certain medical
conditions such as asthma or diabetes, because these conditions increase the risk
of developing complications if children get the flu, the researchers said.
Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding are also encouraged to get the
flu shot, the researchers said. Pregnant women have a high risk of complications
from the flu, and they can safely receive the flu shot at any point during
pregnancy, the researchers said. Getting the shot during pregnancy also provides
protection for infants during the first 6 months of life, the researchers said.
"Pregnant women can help protect themselves and their unborn children
by getting the vaccine," Dr. Wendy Sue Swanson, a pediatrician at Seattle
Children's Hospital, who co-authored the policy statement, said in a press
release. "Because the flu virus is common and unpredictable, it can cause
serious complications even in healthy children."
Doctors should start offering flu vaccine to their patients no later than October
because receiving the shot early in the flu season is expected to provide
protection against the virus for the entire season, the researchers said. And
because flu outbreaks can also occur later in the season, doctors should continue
offering the vaccine to patients until June 30 of next year, the researchers said.
"The influenza vaccine is an essential, every-year vaccine for infants
beginning at [age] 6 months, children and teens," Swanson said. "Protecting
children from influenza with the vaccine, early in the respiratory season, is the
best protection pediatricians and parents can provide." [5 Dangerous Vaccine
Myths]
Bernstein said he hopes that this season, when the intranasal vaccine will
not be available, both children and adults will receive flu shots. The flu causes
hundreds of thousands of hospitalizations and thousands of deaths every year,
he noted.  "We need to do whatever we can to protect as many people as we can
to reduce morbidity and mortality," he told Live Science.
 Why a 4-Day Workweek May Not Be Good for Your
Health

Many employers and employees love the thought of a four-day workweek.

Supposedly, a four-day work schedule allows workers extra time to pursue leisure
activities and family togetherness. Spurred on by visions of spending more time at
the beach, many people are now encouraging businesses to adopt this kind of work plan.
There are many purported advantages. Some authorities say that a four-day work
schedule facilitates the ability to provide child care and assistance for the elderly.

Proponents of such "compressed" work schedules — those in which

employees work longer hours for fewer days of the week — point to gains in
productivity that result from decreased overhead costs, such as not having to keep the
lights on when nobody is working. Additional cost savings can be obtained from
reducing total weekly commuting time.
A variety of businesses have tested the four-day concept, including Amazon,
Google, Deloitte and a host of smaller firms. Amazon announced in late August that it
is experimenting with an even shorter workweek of 30 hours for select employees,
who would earn 75 percent of their full-time salary, should they choose to opt in.
Many of the pilot programs have shown promising results.  Statistics from the
Society for Human Resource Management indicate that 31 percent of employees were
in a compressed workweek schedule as of 2015. That's the case, however, for only 5
percent of large companies.
This is an issue in which I have considerable experience. I have been
studying the health effects of long working hours for nearly 30 years.  All the studies
point to the potential dangers that can occur as the result of the additional risks
created when work demands exceed a particular threshold. Most of the studies I
have performed suggest that the dangers are most pronounced when people
regularly work more than 12 hours per day or 60 hours per week.
 FDA Bans Antibacterial Chemicals in Soaps

Companies can no longer market hand soaps containing several common

antibacterial compounds, the Food and Drug Administration announced today.

The FDA instituted the soap ban, which includes the widely used
antibacterial chemicals triclosan and triclocarban, citing questions about the
antibacterials' safety for long-term use. In addition, there is no evidence these
chemicals add any benefit to people's heath beyond those of regular soap, the
agency said.

"Consumers may think antibacterial washes are more effective at

preventing the spread of germs, but we have no scientific evidence that they are
any better than plain soap and water," Dr. Janet Woodcock, the director of the
FDA's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER), said in a
statementtoday (Sept. 2). "In fact, some data suggests that antibacterial
ingredients may do more harm than good over the long term."
 How to Help Shy Kids Without Harming Them
A stroll through the research literature on shyness can be a little alarming
to the parent of a wallflower. Studies have linked behavioral inhibition in
children — a trait referring not only to shyness but also to extreme caution
about new situations — with an increased chance of developing anxiety
disorderslater. And research suggests that the parental urge to protect a cautious
kid may make matters worse.
But psychologists and child development specialists have also come up with
ways to support shy kids. The key, said Sandee McClowry, a psychologist at
New York University, is to nudge children out of their comfort zones without
trying to change their fundamental natures. "That acceptance of the child is a
huge, huge thing," McClowry told Live Science.

Preventing problems

For kids with extreme shyness, the American Psychological Association

recommends looking for professional help. A therapist can help children (or even
adults) come up with strategies for managing their anxieties or choosing activities
that fit their temperament.

It's easy to want to protect a kid who struggles in new situations, but
researchers advise against going too far. In one study that followed kids from age 3
to 6, kids who were behaviorally inhibited at age 3 where more likely to remain
behaviorally inhibited at age 6 if their caregivers were overprotective, according to
the findings published in August in the Journal of Research in Personality. 

"Parents who overprotect these kids do a lot of harm," McClowry said. The
goal, she said, is for parents to strike a balance. One thing that may help is learning
to "scaffold" a child's experiences. In education, scaffolding refers to providing more
support in the beginning and then gradually allowing students to become more
independent. Scaffolding strategies can help inhibited kids break out of their shell.
"You take very, very small, incremental steps and provide a lot of reinforcement,"
McClowry said. For example, if a kid wants to go to sleep-away camp but is afraid of
spending the night away from home, parents might start by having other kids over for
a sleepover at their own house, and then move up to a night away at grandma's.
Parents should pay attention to the child's comfort level throughout this scaffolding
process, and be accepting if the kid hits a limit. Especially with older children,
parents can talk through the process, McClowry said: How did the child feel, what
helped them feel better, what did they wish they'd done afterwards?

Where do you fit on this spectrum of shy to outgoing?

Researchers have also found that parenting that is warm and responsive to a
child's needs helps break the link between shyness and potential mental health
problems. A 2014 study found that shyness in kids was linked to an increased risk of
later anxiety only for children who did not have a secure attachment to their caregivers.
Secure attachment refers to a nurturing relationship in which kids feel free to explore
but also know they can return to their caregivers for reassurance.
 Human Ancestor 'Lucy' May Have Died After Falling
from Tree

"Lucy," the iconic 3.18-million-year-old early human, literally dropped

dead, according to new research that determined she died of injuries sustained
after falling from a tall tree.
Since Lucy's species Australopithecus afarensis existed within a
transitional period when our primate ancestors evolved from a more tree-
dwelling lifestyle to a terrestrial one, the new findings — published in the
journal Nature — indicate that adaptations that made it easier for our ancestors
to walk on two legs on land compromised their ability to climb trees safely and
efficiently. This may have predisposed them to falls from heights, as what may
have happened to unfortunate Lucy, whose broken fossilized bones tell nearly
the whole story.
"Today these fractures are often seen in automobile accidents, but also an
impact following a fall from height," lead author John Kappelman, a professor
of anthropology atThe University of Texas at Austin, told Discovery News.
"Since there were no cars in Lucy's time, we suggest that a fall is the mostly
likely way that this subset of fractures formed, just as seen in modern patients
today under natural conditions."

Experts contacted by Discovery News were all intrigued by the new

study. Osbjorn Pearson, an associate professor in the University of New
Mexico's Department of Anthropology, said, "The evidence was literally right
under the noses of many anthropologists for the last three and a half decades,"
referring to the time since 1982 that researchers have known of Lucy's remains.

Pearson agrees that Lucy probably nested in trees at night to escape

predators, and could have foraged in them every so often, especially to get
fruits. He thinks her adaptations for walking on the ground likely meant that "A.
afarensis would have been more efficient at bipedal walking than chimpanzees,
but perhaps less energetically efficient than modern humans."

John Fleagle, a distinguished professor at Stony Brook University's

Department of Anatomical Sciences, said that the new research agrees that the
fractures on Lucy's "humerus and other bones show the same pattern that
doctors see in people who fall from heights and land on their arms."
 Long ago, a king and queen had a baby daughter named
Rapunzel. What her devoted parents didn’t know was that Rapunzel’s
golden hair contained magical healing powers. A selfish old woman
named Mother Gothel knew of the magic in Rapunzel’s hair and
wanted it to keep herself young. So she kidnapped the baby and raised
her in a tower deep in the woods, never telling her that she was a
princess. As Rapunzel’s hair grew and grew, she loved gazing out the
tower window at the lights that floated in the night sky every year on
her birthday. She longed to leave the tower and see them up close, but
Mother Gothel refused. Meanwhile, a young thief named Flynn Rider
had stolen something special from the King’s castle, and the royal
guards were after him. Suddenly, he saw the perfect hiding place—a
tower!
When Flynn Rider climbed into the tower, Rapunzel knocked
him out with a frying pan. Then she secretly inspected the satchel he
carried. Inside, Rapunzel found a sparkling gold object. It was so
familiar. Flynn Rider awoke and found himself tied to a chair with
Rapunzel's long, golden hair. Rapunzel pointed to her painting of the
floating lights. Tomorrow was her eighteenth birthday. If Flynn took
her to see the lights, she’d return his satchel. After Flynn agreed to
help, Rapunzel used her hair to climb down from the tower. She'd
never been outside before! But when her feet touched the grass,
Rapunzel nearly burst with excitement, exclaiming, “Woo-hoo!”
Rapunzel and Flynn enjoyed their adventure, but they were being
chased! Mother Gothel was looking for them. The royal guards were
after Flynn, and so were his angry partners in crime. They wanted the
crown! Days passed, and Rapunzel and Flynn managed to escape their
pursuers. One morning, Rapunzel saw a breathtaking sight: a beautiful
kingdom with a castle sitting high above. She headed straight to it! In
the town, Rapunzel was drawn to a painting of the King, the Queen,
and their baby, who was known as the lost princess. The child had
golden hair and green eyes... just like her! Flynn rowed Rapunzel out
to view the floating lights, which were actually lanterns! Flynn gave
Rapunzel her own lantern to send into the night, and she returned the
crown. Then the couple gazed into each other's eyes. They were
falling in love.
 Later, Flynn and Rapunzel were separated. Mother Gothel told
Rapunzel that Flynn had only wanted the crown. But she realized
Mother Gothel was lying! Rapunzel now knew that she was the lost
princess! Suddenly, Flynn arrived to rescue Rapunzel! But Mother
Gothel hurt him badly. She wanted Rapunzel to stay with her forever.
If she did, she’d allow Rapunzel to heal Flynn. But before Rapunzel
could act, Flynn cut off her hair, which lost its magic. Without the
magic, Mother Gothel quickly aged and turned to dust. Rapunzel was
now free, but Flynn was dying. “You were my new dream,” he
whispered. One of Rapunzel’s tears fell on Flynn and began to glow...
and healed him! Flynn brought Rapunzel back to the castle. The King
and Queen rushed to embrace their lost princess. That night, the entire
kingdom celebrated her return by launching hundreds of lanterns—the
lights that had guided her home.