Nutrition

Patients often want to make big changes to improve their health. However, there often is a disconnect between wanting to make a change and the ability to carry the change through and make it a habit.

The popularity of gluten-free diets continues to grow as people increasingly turn to diet as a way to manage copious symptoms from gastrointestinal disturbances, which can range from headaches to skin rashes, behavioral problems, and psychological difficulties.

Both mode of delivery and feeding method are significantly associated with intestinal microbial community composition, according to a study in 102 full-term infants, whose gut microbiota investigators analyzed using stool samples taken at the age of 6 weeks.

Although sweeping changes to school lunch programs a few years ago were-and still are-contested, a new study reveals that the new lunch standards have resulted in better nutrition delivered through less calories.

Results of a recently published study show higher intake of food-based vitamin D by expectant mothers reduces the risk of childhood allergic rhinitis.

Breastfeeding mothers can supply enough vitamin D in their milk to satisfy their infants’ requirements by taking 6400 IU of vitamin D each day, a 6-month randomized trial among mothers of exclusively breastfed babies showed.

Breastfeeding may not make smarter babies, according to a new report from the UK, but CDC says it still makes healthier babies overall and hospitals have more work to do in order to provide optimal support for nursing mothers.

Malnutrition among pediatric patients is an ongoing problem that is often underdiagnosed. A new report examines alternate methods for recognizing malnutrition beyond anthropometric percentiles.

Although nearly 80% of mothers initiate breastfeeding, only 50% of mothers are still breastfeeding at 6 weeks, and less than 15% are exclusively breastfeeding at 6 months.

Low vitamin D levels can play a role in sudden, unexplained deaths.

A study conducted in 264 3- to 4-year-old children who were attending daycare in China found that those who drank an experimental follow-up formula (FUF) had fewer and shorter episodes of acute respiratory infection (ARI) than children who consumed an unfortified cow’s milk-based beverage.

Children who eat a diet similar to the Mediterranean diet are 15% less likely to be overweight or obese than children who don’t, researchers reported at the 2014 European Congress on Obesity.

Using guidelines issued by the Institute of Medicine (IOM), about 1 in every 10 US children is at risk of vitamin D inadequacy and about 1 in 20 is at risk of deficiency, according to a new report. These figures are drastically lower than previous estimates.

The interim final rule on infant formula quality and nutrition announced recently by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will set standards going forward.

There is growing evidence that nutrition may play a role in managing symptoms of autism in some children. Here is a look at the current research supporting these nutritional interventions.

Only 12% of uninsured parents take breastfeeding classes, according to a new poll.

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently published an interim final rule, revising its infant formula regulations to help ensure the quality of these manufactured foods.

Compared with whites, blacks consistently have lower levels of total vitamin D (25-hydroxyvitamin D) and elevated levels of parathyroid hormone (considered a sensitive marker of vitamin D deficiency), often leading to a diagnosis of vitamin D deficiency.

Girls approaching puberty may need to avoid a diet high in saturated animal fats to reduce their chances of developing breast cancer later in life.

Does vitamin D reduce acute otitis episodes in children who are prone to them?

Although vitamin D insufficiency is associated with anemia in healthy US children, threshold levels vary with race, a new study finds.

A new clinical report from the American Academy of Pediatrics Committee on Drugs says that many medicines are safe to use for breastfeeding mothers, but it cautions that the risk for babies of exposure to any drug through breast milk must be evaluated for both the importance of the medication to the mother and the benefits of breastfeeding for the infant.

Preliminary data from a randomized, double-blind trial reveal that giving preterm babies daily supplementation of 800 international units (IU) of vitamin D reduces vitamin insufficiency that may lead to softening and weakening of their bones.

Children with allergies who are treated with food elimination diets are at risk for impaired nutrition and growth compared with their peers, says new research presented at the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma, and Immunology meeting last week in San Antonio, Texas.

Functional foods for post-partum mothers include galactagogues to enhance breast feeding and teas to soothe colic.