News of Interest for Late-in-Life Moms January 7, 2008

Childhood pneumonia can be treated at home
The World Health Organization (WHO) said treating severe pneumonia in children at home with antiobiotics works just as well as treating them with IV antiobiotics in a hospital.
Researchers studied more than 2,000 Pakistani children ages 3 to 5 and recommended that their findings change how WHO treats severe childhood pneumonia. Pneumonia is one of the world's leading child killers, particularly in South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa.

Lack of sleep tied to childhood obesity
Research published in the journal Sleep indicates that children who don't get enough sleep may be more prone to obesity.

Menopausel hot flashes worse for heavier women
The higher a woman's percentage of body fat at menopause, the more likely she is to experience symptoms such as hot flashes and night sweats, a new study shows. Researchers studied 1,776 women going through menopause. Based on their findings, they believe weight loss -- especially loss of fat -- may help women going through menopause to reduce hot flashes and night sweats.

High dairy consumption in childhood linked with cancer risk
Children who consume high levels of diary products may have a greater risk of developing colorectal cancer in adulthood, study findings suggest. The study involved nearly 5,000 individuals who were followed for an average of 65 years. Participants who grew up in families reporting the highest levels of dairy consumption--almost 2 cups per day--had close to three-times the risk of colorectal cancer compared with those from families reporting the lowest intake, researchers reported.
The level of milk consumption in the high-diary group was similar to the estimated average daily intake of children in the United States.

Panel OKs alternative to getting tubes tied
An advisory panel to the Food and Drug Administration recommended the approval of a new method for sterilizing women, providing them another option to tubal ligation. About 700,000 women in the U.S. elect to have their tubes tied each year.
The alternative procedure recommended takes about 15 minutes to complete and involves using radio signals to create a lesion inside the fallopian tube. A catheter delivers a soft material smaller than a grain of rice into the tube. Healthy tissue then grows on and around the material to create a permanent blockage. Patients are typically able to return to work within a day.