Antibiotics linked to asthma
Children who are given antibiotics as babies have a higher risk of developing asthma by the age of seven, even if the drugs were given for ailments other than respiratory tract infections, according to a Canadian study of more than 13,000 children. The reason for the link isn't clear. But the risk was also higher for those who were given antibiotics and didn't have a dog in the home. The presence of a dog exposes a baby to germs, which appears to help trigger its immune system sooner, Reuters reports.
Joking apart, breast is best
Laughter is the best medicine - for breastfed babies, at least. Infants whose mothers were shown a Charlie Chaplin movie while feeding had 'markedly reduced reactions' to dust mites and other allergens than those whose mothers were shown boring footage of weather by researchers at Osaka's Moriguchi-Keijinkai Hospital. The key may be melatonin, a hormone associated with relaxation that's typically low in people with eczema. The breastmilk of the laughing mothers had higher melatonin levels, AFP reports.
Don't stress about Alzheimer's
And a sunny disposition may also help ward off the mild cognitive impairment (MCI) that often precedes Alzheimer's. Research by the Rush Alzheimer's Disease Centre in Chicago of more than 1,200 people shows that those prone to worry, anxiety or depression are more likely to develop MCI, healthday.com reports. 'Among healthy elderly people ... chronic distress predicted the development of MCI,' says team leader Robert Wilson. Those who most often experienced negative emotions were more than 40 per cent more likely to suffer MCI.
Oolong goodbye to obesity