Infant car seats have saved countless young lives, but those same seats are also responsible for injuring thousands of youngsters when improperly used outside a vehicle, a new study found.

More than 43,000 infants in the United States required emergency room care between 2003 and 2007 after falling in car seats that were improperly placed on tables, counters and other elevated surfaces. Accidents were even reported after seats rolled over on soft surfaces, such as beds and sofas, the study discovered.

“In our hospital, we saw some fractures caused by these falls, and decided it was probably a wider problem,” said study author Dr. Shital Parikh, a pediatric orthopaedist at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center. “These injuries are not common compared with some other causes, but they are significant enough to take notice.”

Parikh was to present the research Monday at the American Academy of Pediatrics’ annual meeting in Washington, D.C.

Accidents occur when unrestrained babies, especially those older than 2 months, rock and fidget inside an unattended seat, causing the device to tip over or fall, said Dr. Peter Richel, chief of pediatrics at Northern Westchester Hospital Center, in Mount Kisco, N.Y.

According to Parikh, the most common injuries during the five-year period were to the head, followed by fractures and dislocations. Three babies died.

The study comes two months after another study advised parents to remove their children from infant car seats after a car trip because the seats can compress the chest and lower levels of oxygen.

However, experts all agree that car seats are critical inside a vehicle to protect children from injury in a collision, just like seatbelt restraints protect adults.

In Parikh’s study, 62 percent of the accidents involved infants younger than 4 months old. About half the accidents occurred at home, and 8 percent of the infants had to be hospitalized, said Parikh, who based his findings on data from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

“Babies older than 2 months are capable of real movement,” said Richel, who was not part of the study. “We as physicians and health-care providers have to be aware of these kinds of accidents when we advise parents.”

To prevent harm, Richel and Parikh recommended that car seats be used only in cars and only when the infants are properly restrained.

“The best thing is for babies to come out [of the car seat] when you come home,” Richel said. “Barring any danger to the child, such as an aggressive dog, put the car seat directly on the floor.”

Parikh also recommended that car-seat manufacturers do a better job of informing consumers about the danger of misusing their products, including offering explicit printed instructions. Car seat companies should also strive to engineer more stable seats, he added.

In related news, researchers confirmed earlier reports that booster seats significantly reduce the risk of crash injury in children ages 4 through 8.

According to the study, reported online Monday in the journal Pediatrics, children in belt-positioning booster seats were 45 percent less likely to sustain injuries than similarly aged children in standard vehicle seat belts. Booster seats with and without backs provided similar protection.

Remember calcium: A study from the National Institutes of Health found that women who got 1,300 milligrams of calcium per day lowered their risk for colon cancer by 28%. Dairy products (including yogurt and cheese) and calcium-fortified orange juice are good sources.

Ease up on alcohol: A study from the United Kingdom revealed that just one drink a day (wine, beer, or liquor) increases your risk of getting breast cancer by 12%, and the risk rises with every additional drink.

Slash the fat: Researchers at Purdue University say a high-fat diet might make cancer spread. An easy way to lower your fat intake: Use cooking sprays instead of oils when preparing food (you end up using less).

The University of Michigan Health System lists these warning signs that your new baby may be in pain:

• A more insistent cry that lasts longer than usual, or a cry that’s higher in pitch.
• Silence doesn’t always mean baby is fine. Very sick or premature babies may not have the energy to cry.
• Making unusual faces, such as wrinkling the brow, squeezing eyes closed, getting deep creases around the nose, grimacing or holding the mouth open.
• Stiff or tense posture, with limbs completely stretched out or pulled tight into the body. Babies may also wiggle or squirm, or be “floppy” as if they’ve lost muscle tone.
• Fussiness or irritability that can’t be soothed or comforted.
• Not eating or not sleeping.

Source : Yahoo Health

What’s Going On In Your 30s
Luckily, your skin is in good shape, so you don’t have to waste a second worrying about deep wrinkles. However, you might notice fine lines and age spots, says Anne Chapas, MD, a 35-year-old dermatologist in New York City.

Also, “women in their 30s may have redness from sun damage or flushed skin caused by rosacea,” a skin condition that often appears for the first time in your 30s, she notes. Another occasional issue? Under-eye circles. (Blame genetics or the stress and sleepless nights this decade often brings.)

What You Can Do…Your morning routine
After cleansing, hydrate and protect your skin with a lightweight lotion that has sunscreen. If you have any unwanted rosiness, look for one that also contains feverfew. “It’s a natural ingredient that reduces redness,” Dr. Chapas says. On mornings when dark under-eye circles are a problem, apply a cream that has caffeine, which helps shrink capillaries so discoloration is less noticeable.

Your evening routine
Now is the time to start using a night cream that treats fine lines and your first age spots. Look for one with ingredients like arginine, an amino acid that helps fade spots, and retinol, which “helps build collagen and reduce fine lines,” according to Dr. Chapas. If you still get occasional breakouts, Dr. Chapas says a prescription-strength retinoid like Retin-A is a good idea because it treats pimples and signs of aging.

The premise of the Sonoma Diet is based on the eating habits and foods of the Mediterranean. It “emphasizes eating a generous variety of foods that boost your vitality, protect your heart, and improve your overall health.” You eat wholesome, fresh food that is easy to find and prepare, rather than nutrition bars, protein drinks, and frozen prepared meals.

The recipes revolve around ten “power foods,” most of which are common in Mediterranean cooking: whole grains, almonds, bell peppers, tomatoes, broccoli, grapes, spinach, blueberries, strawberries and olive oil. The diet is managed in three phases, or “waves.”

Wave 1 is the kickstart to the diet and lasts for 10 days. Wave 2 is the eating plan you’ll stay with until you reach your target weight. Once you reach your target weight, the third wave or maintenance phase begins.

For More information on The Sonoma Diet

Intestinal gas is made up of oxygen, nitrogen, hydrogen, carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulfide, ammonia, and methane. The foul smell usually is caused by small traces of gases such as hydrogen sulfide, ammonia, and methane.

Gas that forms after eating meat and eggs tends to smell bad, while gas derived from fruits and vegetables usually does not have an odor.

What causes gas?

Common causes of gas include:

• Swallowed air. If swallowed air is not burped up, it passes through the digestive tract and is released through the anus as flatus. Excessive air swallowing may cause hiccups
• Foods and beverages. The amount of gas that different foods cause varies from person to person.
• Constipation. This can cause bloating but generally does not increase gas.
• Medicines or nutritional supplements. Both prescription and non-prescription medicines, as well as dietary supplements, can cause bloating and gas as side effects.
• A medical condition, such as a bowel obstruction or Crohn’s disease.
• Changes in hormone levels. It is common for women to have bloating right before their periods because their bodies retain fluid.

Can I treat or prevent gas?

You may be able to prevent gas by changing your eating and drinking habits. Occasionally gas is a symptom of a medical condition that requires treatment.
Examples of gas-producing foods are:

• Vegetables such as artichokes, asparagus, broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, cucumbers, green peppers, onions, peas, radishes, and raw potatoes.
• Beans and other legumes.
• Fruits such as apricots, bananas, melons, peaches, pears, prunes, and raw apples.
• Wheat and wheat bran.
• Eggs.
• Carbonated drinks, fruit drinks, beer, and red wine.
• Fried and fatty foods.
• Sugar and sugar substitutes.
• Milk and other dairy products, especially in people who have trouble digesting lactose, the main sugar found in milk.
• Packaged foods that contain lactose, such as breads, cereal, and salad dressing.

Dietary supplements such as Beano may help to prevent gas.

Some people get relief from gas from products containing simethicone, a medication that dissolves gas bubbles. Nonprescription medications with simethicone include Gas-X and Mylicon.

One expert stated that merely performing 10-minute exercise bouts for at least 30 minutes a day would work on lowering fats in the blood as opposed to no exercise at all. Not enough hours in the day to exercise no longer holds as a valid excuse as these short 10-minute bursts of exercise have proven to help prevent cardiovascular disease.

Experts also noted that taking a leisurely stroll around the block wouldn’t qualify as meeting this cardiovascular benefit. Instead, they suggested walking at a moderate pace or taking a light jog. The negative cardiovascular consequences of eating a high-fat meal happens when there is an abnormally high increase in fat, a condition known as postprandial lipemia, which has been linked to increasing the risk of heart disease.

Researchers tested the effects of short-term exercise in a study on 18 men and women who didn’t follow a daily exercise routine. The participants were given a high-fat meal consisting of a milk shake with heavy whipping cream on three separate occasions for the next few weeks.

The duration of exercise before meals were divided into three categories:

• The participants exercised continuously for 30 minutes
• The participants exercised for 30 minutes in three 10-minute increments
• The participants didn’t exercise at all

Before and several times after each meal measurements of triglycerides and other blood fats were taken.

Overall, total cholesterol levels remained the same, however it did appear that triglyceride levels were less pronounced after a bout of exercise as opposed to no exercise at all. This led researchers to believe that exercise did have a positive influence on keeping triglyceride levels from rising after a high-fat meal.

This study, the largest ever conducted on post-menopausal women, revealed that multivitamins may contribute virtually nothing to reducing risk of common cancers, cardiovascular disease, and overall mortality. Darn!

The message? Please make sure that your diet is a healthy one and that you are taking care of yourself through exercising, following a low-fat diet, and avoiding cigarettes and alcohol. And know that science is now telling us that a multivitamin pill isn’t a magic bullet and is no substitute for living a healthy lifestyle.

Additional research is being conducted to better understand how the body biologically and physiologically processes and metabolizes vitamins and minerals. That will be interesting to read about.

People are spending a lot of money each year on multivitamins. It’s probably time to rethink that purchase and spend that money on a membership to a local gym or on more fresh fruits and veggies.

There can be many ways to relax your body and mind out of your stressed life and you may not even need to spend bucks to do that. Stretching your body with different pose and different ways can help you shed that rigidity of your body.
Listening to a calm song before you sleep can also help you put your mind at rest and energize you for the next day.

Sharing a quality time with your family members each day after dinnertime with some favorite indoor games may also add new refreshment to your life.Visiting new places every weekend near to your place will also amuse you and help you explore your neighborhood.

There is no best exercise for your mind than meditation and learning how to stop your thoughts and emotions will help you combat your stressful life.

Ayurveda promotes that if your immune system is strong, you would not be affected even if you are exposed to such deadly viruses. Your strong immune system will protect you from those viruses. Point is how to maintain that immunity.

Ginger and Tulsi (Basil)
Use them raw and they can be an excellent way to protect yourself boosting your immunity. Ginger has been known to fight different flu, cold and fever conditions. It not only is good for inflammation but also protects you from any infection that bothers you. Basil is an antiseptic and anti-bacterial herb.

Ginger and Tulsi ( Basil )Tea:

To a cup of water add freshly sliced Ginger Root pieces or dry ginger powder. Add 5 to 7 fresh Basil leaves and bring it to boil, add sugar.

Have this spiced tea once a day and it would work magic.

Garlic:
The powerful natural antibiotic – Garlic has this unusual property due to its obnoxious smell to repel off bacteria and viruses. Have some sliced Garlic clove, may be stir fry a little bit before you eat.
Amla (Indian Gooseberry) : Embilica Officanales

One of the greatest fruits known to boost immune systems. It’s a very common ingredient in Chyavanaprash. This fruit can help a lot in this situation in boosting our health. A spoonful of Chyavanaprash might do the magic in giving you the protection that might be needed to fight this virus.

Camphor:
Have you ever been aware of this herb before ? It’s not to be taken internally. Fumigate your house, office and surroundings with Camphor. It has a property of keeping different air borne diseases away.
Neem :

The Neem tree has many medicinal uses. The chemical compounds present in Neem have anti-inflammatory, antiarthritic, antipyretic, hypoglycaemic , antifungal, spermicidal, antimalarial, antibacterial and Diuretic properties.  Flower, leaves, bark and seeds of Neem are used in home remedies and in preparation of medicines. Bark of Neem acts as antipyretic and helps to reduce fever.