Sept. 21st, 2016
Weekly Chatter
Sleep Paralysis, Nightmares & Night Terrors
Sleep paralysis occurs when someone is awake but they have no control over their body and might possibly even see things that aren't there because their brain still thinks it's in REM sleep. The phenomenon occurs more frequently in young adults, a sect of the population most commonly known for sleeping and waking at irregular times and interacting with technology like laptops and cell phones in bed, two factors that can increase the liklihood of experiencing sleep paralysis.

Fairly common in early childhood, nightmares and night terrors are also linked to irregular sleep habits and engaging with media before bed, especially media that isn't age appropriate. During a nightmare, a child is in REM sleep and will probably wake up frightened and crying. A night terror, however, is the partial arousal from very deep, non-dreaming sleep so the wild behaviors like thrashing, screaming and moaning that occur during the night terror will disappear when the child wakes up without any recollection of the night's events.

Healthy sleep habits are imperative to a child's emotional and physical well-being. For more information on helping your child cope with nightmares, check out the following resources.
Asthma Update: Food Allergies Linked to Asthma
Researchers have found a link between food allergies and raised asthma risk. In the study, subjects with an established diagnosis of at least one food allergy, were 35% more likely to develop asthma and the risk increased for those with more than one food allergy. Peanut, milk and egg allergies significantly predisposed children to asthma.

According to the CDC, about 9% of US children suffer from asthma. While there is no known primary cause of asthma, the FDA lists several known triggers for the disease including tobacco smoke, roaches, pollen, air pollutants, obesity, living in crowded housing and a family history of asthma. For at-risk infants with a genetic susceptibility to the disease, a recent study found that breast-feeding may reduce their asthmatic symptoms.

For helpful resources and information to share with your patients, check out the following ACPeds patient information handouts
Do Disney Princesses Perpetuate Stereotypes? #WeeklyBlogPost
Although the Disney princess movies are typically safe for children new research suggests that watching these movies can lead to more female gender-stereotypical behavior, both negatively affecting girls' body esteem and confidence in math and science.

Click here for the research and helpful advice for parents and please, leave a comment! 

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