A study of 14 nurses who completed a children's neuroscience course found evidence of improved knowledge and increased ability to care for neurology patients. Although the direct impact of continuing education on patient care is difficult to assess, participants' assessment of their learning and its potential to affect patient care is a valid…

Recommends keeping body defenses strong, and keeping all surfaces clean and some surfaces sanitary. Urges using federally mandated precautions for blood spills, avoiding germ-trapping artificial or long fingernails and jewelry, practicing good hand washing, and organizing the environment to avoid contamination. Includes table relating child care…

Introduces a special section of five articles that highlight new collaborative research opportunities for developmental psychologists and other biomedical researchers. Such research has focused on the transition from fetus to newborn, evaluation of early toxin exposure, and the behavioral phenotype associated with genetic syndromes. (MDM)

Reviews techniques for handwashing, diapering, helping a child use the toilet, cleaning and disinfecting surfaces, dealing with illness, and preventing disease during swim season. Summarizes how to take a child's temperature and emphasizes the need to wash hands even when using gloves. (DLH)

Describes the development, over many years, of a unified code of ethics designed to represent the professional needs of various health education professionals working in the field. The code of ethics for the health education profession is included. It focuses on responsibility to: the public; the profession; employers; health education delivery:…

Discusses the lack of agreement among experts on the best way to deal with infant and toddler sleep problems. Includes discussion of the "family bed" and the science of sleep, acknowledging that each child is different and families must find a solution that works best for them. (HTH)

Strength training can be fun, safe, and appropriate for young girls and women and is an important component of any fitness program when combined with appropriate cardiovascular and flexibility activities. Concerns and misconceptions regarding girls' strength training are discussed, presenting general principles of strength training for children…

Examined children's appraisals of marital conflict as mediators of conflict and children's adjustment, health, and physiological reactivity. Found that higher self-blame and perceived threat were vulnerability factors for children's internalizing behaviors, health problems, and higher cardiovascular reactivity. Higher perceived threat was a…

This 1930 paper discusses important considerations in selecting school physicians, cautioning that unwise appointments include elderly doctors who are no longer in practice, doctors who are more interested in money than health, and doctors with poor interpersonal skills. The paper recommends hiring well-educated, tactful, punctual, honest, and…

Providing sun-safe environments, schedules, and activities; teaching and modeling sun-safe behaviors; and implementing a sun-safe school policy are ways that schools can help protect children from sun overexposure and lay the foundation for a healthy lifestyle at an early age. This article presents the SunWise program and examples of classroom…

Mercury tends to vaporize when exposed to air. The warmer the air, the more quickly it vaporizes. Although swallowing mercury can be a problem, the greater risk results from inhalation and skin absorption. Symptoms and health-related problems can result within hours of exposure. Spilled mercury settles in cracks and absorbent material such as…

Iodine deficiency, the leading preventable cause of intellectual impairment in the world (World Health Organization, 1999), has reappeared in Australia. Recently, we identified the re-emergence of iodine deficiency in Sydney (Gunton, Hams, Fiegert & McElduff, 1999). This has been confirmed locally (Li, Ma, Boyages & Eastman, 2001) and…

Consistent with the intent of the original school-lunch program, created by Congress in 1946 to provide "nutritious agricultural commodities" to children, the major purpose of today's school-lunch program is to ensure that children, especially those from poor and low-income families, have nutritious food at school. Even as contentious and partisan…

Some students with disabilities find that skilled companion dogs can help them achieve their goals, but schools do not always welcome the animals. Legal experts say that the law is generally on the side of people with disabilities who require assistance animals, but that the issues can become more complicated in the public schools. Guidelines ask…

Critical to resolving the problem of health disparities among Latinos is examining the needs within ethnic subpopulations. This paper focused on the unique challenges encountered by one ethnic subpopulation -- Latinos of Mexican descent living in colonias. Findings reaffirm the importance of looking within ethnic subpopulations to understand the…