Summer

Around the World in Good Health

It's summer travel season, and the checklists are out. Swimsuit. Shorts. Sunscreen. Such a quick list may work for a weekend getaway, but with more students and families hopscotching the globe, it's often necessary to pack more serious travel precautions, too... [More]

Be Smart About Body Art

Tattooing and body piercing have served as symbols for rites of passage, status, love or simply artistic expression for thousands of years. In the last decade, their popularity has soared, particularly with young people. Before committing to body art, a few precautions can prevent today's cool idea from turning into tomorrow's regret... [More]

Hello Celiac Disease, Goodbye Gluten

Until recently, "celiac disease" was far from a household phrase. These days, it's not uncommon to hear about it in conversations at the office or the gym. The National Institutes of Health estimate that one in 133 people in this country have some form of this disease. Celiac disease results from an intolerance to a protein called gluten found in wheat, rye and barley... [More]

Should my child do schoolwork over the summer to avoid "brain drain?"

Summer is a time for kids to wind down from over-scheduling and recharge their minds. Your children may envision the next three months sleeping until noon, playing video games and watching TV. Is it truly in their best interest to file away pencil and paper until fall? Research suggests the answer is no... [More]

Essential Iron

Cartoon fans remember Popeye chugging down cans of spinach, growing big and strong on the iron-rich vegetable. Researchers are discovering that iron is even more vital than once thought, an essential early building block for the most peewee Popeyes. It's so vital, in fact, that dips in an infant's iron supply during the first year to 18 months of life can cause irreversible deficits in cognitive development... [More]