In Brief

By Lisa McLaughlin

UNSETTLED SLEEPERS Kids who snore are nearly twice as likely to have attention and hyperactivity problems while they are awake as children who are sound sleepers. Researchers at the University of Michigan studied 866 children and found that 22% of the habitual snorers had high hyperactivity scores, compared with only 12% of the non-snorers. The link was even more pronounced when boys under 8 were studied: 30% of those snorers were hyperactive, as opposed to 9% of those who did not snore often.

OBESE KIDS Mothers who worry about their children gaining weight could actually make the problem worse. According to a study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, the more a mother worries that her child will become obese the fatter a child tends to be. But when a mom allows her child to eat everything on the plate, the child's typical total fat mass is lower. Researchers surmise that controlling feeding strategies interfere with kids' ability to self-regulate their food intake.

NEEDLE RELIEF In a study coordinated by Australia's Adelaide University, researchers and doctors found acupuncture to be an effective treatment for morning sickness. A trial of almost 600 women showed that one 20-min. session per week for one month significantly reduced the symptoms of nausea and vomiting.

--By Lisa McLaughlin