Engines idling in New York despite law. Passing laws is one thing; enforcing them is another. Enter New York City's idling rule, meant to improve the city's air quality by prohibiting drivers from running their engines when they're not moving. CNN 2012-02-07T09:00-05:00
Study: Children most vulnerable to second-hand smoke. A new study by the Centers for Disease Control may be the incentive smokers need to quit. The report reminds people of the harms of second-hand smoke, and says children can be the most vulnerable. Tampa Bay WFTS TV 2012-02-07T09:00-05:00
Childhood obesity linked to phthalate exposure. Overweight children tend to have higher levels of certain phthalate metabolites in their urine, according to a year-long study of minority children in New York City. Researchers found that a 10-fold increase in MEP concentrations was associated with subsequent increases in body mass index and waist size. Environmental Health News 2012-02-07T09:00-05:00
Many kids still exposed to secondhand smoke in cars. A new government study reports that while fewer kids and teens are getting exposed to secondhand smoke while riding in the car, rates of exposure are still high enough to warrant concern. Reuters 2012-02-06T09:00-05:00
Diabetes quadruples birth defects risk, say researchers. The risk of birth defects increases four-fold if the pregnant mother has diabetes, researchers say. The study, published in the journal Diabetologia, analysed data from more than 400,000 pregnancies in the north-east of England. The risk of defects such as congenital heart disease and spina bifida were increased. BBC 2012-02-06T09:00-05:00
Climate in DC doesn't favor clean-air rules. In February 1998, the Governor's Air Quality Strategies Task Force delivered a thick report recommending actions that could reduce air pollution in metropolitan Phoenix. Since then, almost nothing has happened to address the threat of traffic-related pollution sources along major roads and freeways or to help children or adults with respiratory illnesses aggravated by air pollution. Phoenix Arizona Republic 2012-02-05T09:00-05:00
Parents urge more tests as twitches spread at New York school. State health officials have added three more names to a growing list of students in this working-class town who are experiencing mysterious tics and twitching, while authorities on Saturday sought to assure parents the community's high school is safe. Reuters 2012-02-05T09:00-05:00
N.Y. town still baffled by teens' mysterious tics. In the tiny New York town of LeRoy, one thing is for sure; since October, 16 people suddenly have developed uncontrollable twitching and verbal tics. Three months later, they -- and the rest of the town -- are still wondering why. CNN 2012-02-04T09:00-05:00
High levels of mercury found in Minnesota's North Shore babies. One in 10 babies along Minnesota's North Shore are born with unhealthy levels of mercury in their bodies, according to a new report on contamination around Lake Superior, the first to look for the pollutant in the blood of U.S. infants. Minneapolis Star Tribune 2012-02-03T09:00-05:00
Could an infection cause Tourette's-like symptoms in teenage girls? Over the weekend Erin Brockovich made the news yet again as she and her nonprofit team descended on the village of Le Roy, N.Y., determined to test for environmental toxins that might be giving the town's teenagers symptoms of Tourette's syndrome. Scientific American 2012-02-03T09:00-05:00
UN declares Somali famine over but warns of risks. The United Nations said Friday that Somalia's famine is over, but the world body's Food and Agricultural Organization warned that continued assistance is needed to stop the region from slipping back. Associated Press 2012-02-03T09:00-05:00
Asbestos leaves burning questions for parents. Asbestos found in a dust sample collected at a Brampton elementary school has some parents in the community deeply worried about the health and safety of their children. Brampton Guardian 2012-02-03T09:00-05:00
Some say toxic spill links to sickness. Friday morning the search continues for answers about what's causing tourettes-like symptoms in at least 12 girls from LeRoy. Some say it's a stress related illness, but now there's more speculation that a decades old chemical spill might be connected to the medical mystery. Buffalo WIVB 2012-02-03T09:00-05:00
EPA taking second look at LeRoy testing. Environmental officials are back in Genesee County, taking a second look after a mysterious illness created a wave of questions in LeRoy. Buffalo WIVB 2012-02-03T09:00-05:00
Watsonville tap water will not have fluoride. A decade-long battle between state health officials who wanted fluoride in Watsonville's drinking water to improve oral health, and Watsonville city leaders who opposed it, ended Thursday. Monterey KSBW TV 2012-02-03T09:00-05:00
Obesogens: An environmental link to obesity. Many remain wedded to poor diet and lack of exercise as the sole causes of obesity. However, researchers are gathering convincing evidence of chemical “obesogens”—dietary, pharmaceutical, and industrial compounds that may alter metabolic processes and predispose some people to gain weight. Environmental Health Perspectives 2012-02-02T09:00-05:00
General anesthesia in infancy linked to higher risk of ADHD. Infants who undergo surgical procedures requiring general anesthesia in their first two years of life may be at increased risk of developing attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) as they grow older. Health.com 2012-02-02T09:00-05:00
Mysterious tics in teen girls: What is mass psychogenic illness? Mass psychogenic illness is thought to be triggered by stress or emotional distress, in response, for example, to reports of a chemical exposure, toxin or virus. The condition may sound unlikely, but it is real, and it has in the past caused significant problems for emergency services. Time Magazine 2012-02-02T09:00-05:00
Scientists declare war on sugar in food. Like alcohol and tobacco, sugar is a toxic, addictive substance that should be highly regulated with taxes, laws on where and to whom it can be advertised, and even age-restricted sales, says a team of University of California, San Francisco scientists. San Francisco Chronicle 2012-02-02T09:00-05:00
Can anesthesia raise the risk of ADHD? Any surgery involves risks, but the hazards for the youngest patients going under the knife may be more lasting than doctors had thought. Time Magazine 2012-02-02T09:00-05:00