All Sauce from Weekly Gravy:

Most parents want to help their kids do well in school, and for dads the answer may be found in something simple and fun. A new study from the United Kingdom finds that kids do better in elementary school when their fathers regularly spend time interacting with them through reading, playing, telling stories, drawing or singing. Researchers at Leeds University Business School found that when dads regularly interacted with their 3-year-old children in these ways, the kids did better in school at age 5. When they were involved with their kids at age 5, those children had improved scores in key assessments at age 7. While dads had an impact on educational achievement, moms had more impact on kids’ emotional and social behaviors, the study found. Even just 10 minutes of time each day makes a difference, according to the study, which looked at thousands of two-parent households. Dr. Michael Yogman, a pediatrician at Cambridge Health Alliance in Massachusetts, chalked up the benefits to the double-dose of parenting in having two parents interacting with the children, the trusted relationship and something specific to dads themselves. Yogman, who was not involved in this research, was lead author of an American Academy of Pediatrics clinical report called the Power of Play. “I think fathers also provide complementary and non-redundant play experience with children, so that their interactions…  read on >  read on >

Ashley Haugen’s 13-month-old daughter, Kipley, woke up projectile vomiting in their Texas home one morning in July 2017. The Haugens took her to the doctor after it became apparent she wasn’t keeping anything down. After not responding to medication, Kipley was whisked to a nearby children’s hospital for emergency surgery. “I remember [the surgeon] showing us the picture of the material that he pulled out of Kipley’s small intestine,” Haugen recalls. “He was like, ‘I found this inside her small intestine, do you know what this is?’ And we recognized it immediately as the birthday gift that we had gotten for Abigail,” their 6-year-old daughter. The obstruction was a water bead — a tiny, super-absorbent pellet of gel that expands into a soft, slippery, squishy ball when soaked in water. Water beads are sold as toys and “sensory aids” for children, but regulators and consumer advocates are putting out an alert that the beads pose a health hazard to children. Kids can easily ingest the beads, which can cause choking or intestinal blockage as they absorb water from the body. Some kids have inserted the beads into their noses or ears, suffering damage as the gel expands, experts said. In some cases, beads have even wound up in children’s lungs. Some of the colorful beads start as tiny as a candy sprinkle and then grow…  read on >  read on >

“Talk therapy” may help people with fibromyalgia manage their chronic pain — and alter the brain’s pain-processing circuitry along the way, a new study shows. Researchers found that after eight sessions of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), patients with fibromyalgia felt less burdened by their pain and other symptoms in daily life. And that was related, in part, to changes in areas of the brain related to self-awareness and pain processing. Experts stressed that the findings do not mean that people’s fibromyalgia symptoms are “all in their head.” But they are, at their root, in the brain. “All pain is in the brain, and CBT can help your brain feel less pain,” said Robert Edwards, a senior researcher on the study and a clinical psychologist at Mass General Brigham in Boston. Fibromyalgia is a chronic disorder that causes pain and tenderness throughout the body, as well as other problems like fatigue, trouble sleeping and “brain fog.” “It’s not just pain. It’s a panoply of symptoms,” said Dr. Lenore Brancato, a rheumatologist at NYU Langone Health in New York City. Because of that, she said, people with fibromyalgia typically need multiple therapies, including medications to relieve pain and improve sleep, physical therapy, and “mind-body” practices like tai chi and mindfulness meditation. CBT, Brancato said, is another important tool. “People can become so consumed by their pain that…  read on >  read on >

Weight-loss surgery can deliver a host of health benefits, but new research reveals an unexpected one: Getting the surgery was associated with a 40% lower risk of blood cancers. Being overweight or obese is a risk factor for several types of cancer, and women with obesity have a higher risk of cancer than men do. In the study, researchers used data from the Swedish Obese Subjects (SOS) study at the University of Gothenburg and the Cancer Registry at the National Board of Health and Welfare to study more than 2,000 people who had bariatric (weight-loss) surgery and then compare them to more than 2,000 other people who were also obese but didn’t have the surgery. During the follow-up period, 34 of the patients in the surgery group developed blood cancer and also had significant weight loss. In the control group, 51 people developed blood cancer but remained obese. Most of the blood cancers seen in the study were lymphomas. When these were studied separately, there was a 55% reduction in the risk of lymphoma in the group that had undergone bariatric surgery. Women with high blood sugar (“glucose”) at the start of the study seemed to benefit the most from bariatric surgery, the investigators found. The findings were published online recently in The Lancet Healthy Longevity. “The benefit of the surgery is linked to baseline…  read on >  read on >

Having safer neighborhoods, where families feel less stress, can help prevent child abuse, according to new research that supports this long-suspected theory. When parents feel higher levels of stress or hopelessness about their surroundings, they may have a harder time caring for their children, the study confirms. “To get the best outcomes for kids and to elicit the best parenting, families need a safe, stable, stimulating environment, both at home and in the surrounding community,” said study co-author Katherine Marcal, an assistant professor of social work at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, N.J. “But if you live in a neighborhood where you can’t go outside, can’t go to a park or can’t walk down the sidewalk because there are drug dealers or trash, then families are cooped up in stressful conditions,” she said in a university news release. “This stress can make maltreatment more likely to occur.” For the study, the researchers used data from a study that included information about children born in large U.S. cities between 1998 and 2000. The investigators compared neighborhood conditions when children were age 3 and maltreatment at age 5. Mothers reported on how often they encountered drug activity, gang violence and other dangers in their community. Outsiders recorded physical qualities, including vacant buildings, abandoned cars, trash and signs of physical deterioration. Perceptions of neighborhood disorder from both groups…  read on >  read on >

Ginger supplements may help those with certain autoimmune diseases, such as lupus and rheumatoid arthritis, control inflammation. New research has added evidence to support the impact of ginger on white blood cell function, particularly a type of cell called a neutrophil. The researchers were particularly interested in neutrophil extracellular trap (NET) formation, also called NETosis, and its role in controlling inflammation. When healthy people take ginger, the study found, their neutrophils are more resistant to NETosis. NETs are microscopic spider web-like structures. They propel inflammation and clotting, which contribute to many autoimmune diseases, including lupus and rheumatoid arthritis. “There are a lot of diseases where neutrophils are abnormally overactive,” senior co-author Dr. Kristen Demoruelle, associate professor of medicine at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, said in a university news release. “We found that ginger can help to restrain NETosis, and this is important because it is a natural supplement that may be helpful to treat inflammation and symptoms for people with several different autoimmune diseases.” A clinical trial with healthy volunteers showed that a week of daily intake of 20 mg of gingerols boosted a chemical inside the neutrophil called cAMP. These high levels of cAMP then inhibited NETosis’ response to the disease. “Our research, for the first time, provides evidence for the biological mechanism that underlies ginger’s apparent anti-inflammatory properties in people,”…  read on >  read on >

Piercings can be a fun way to express yourself, but they can also cause complications — particularly in areas that aren’t the earlobes — and need proper care. “The first step to caring for your piercing is choosing a qualified piercer,” said Dr. Steven Daveluy, an associate professor and program director at Wayne State Dermatology in Michigan. “Select an experienced piercer in a licensed studio. Then, properly care for your new piercing afterward to prevent problems, such as an infection or your piercing closing.” Daveluy and the American Academy of Dermatology offer these recommendations that people can follow to help ensure piercing success. Leave your jewelry in. Don’t remove your new piercing for six weeks or more, even at night. The piercing can close if you remove the jewelry too early. Keep the piercing clean. Always wash your hands so you can prevent infection of newly pierced areas. Use a mild, fragrance-free cleanser and water at least once a day. Thoroughly rinse away soap. Avoid getting water in your ear. Don’t clean your piercing with hydrogen peroxide or antibacterial soaps, which can damage healing skin. Apply petroleum jelly around each piercing to keep it moist and help with healing. Using petroleum jelly from a squeeze tube instead of a jar can help prevent transferring germs. Pay attention to what your piercing looks like. If it’s…  read on >  read on >

Obesity is on the rise across the United States. In 22 states, 35% of adults or more were obese last year, new data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention show. Just 10 years ago, there were no states that had obesity rates at or above 35%. “Our updated maps send a clear message that additional support for obesity prevention and treatment is an urgent priority,” said Dr. Karen Hacker, director of CDC’s National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. The 22 states with an adult obesity prevalence at or above 35% are Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia and Wisconsin. That’s up from 19 states in 2021. The CDC said the 2022 maps underscore the need to ensure that all people have access to healthy foods, safe places for physical activity and stigma-free obesity prevention and treatment programs. It also called for access to proven medications and weight-loss surgery. “Obesity is a disease caused by many factors, including eating patterns, physical activity levels, sleep routines, genetics and certain medications,” Hacker said in a CDC news release. “This means that there is no one size fits all approach. However, we know the key strategies that work include addressing the underlying social determinants…  read on >  read on >

Kraft Heinz said it is recalling over 83,000 packs of its Kraft Singles American processed cheese slices because of a packaging defect in the plastic that wraps the cheese slices. A temporary issue developed on one of the wrapping machines, making it possible for a thin strip of individual film to stay on the cheese slice after the wrapper is removed. Having this film on the cheese could be unpleasant, the company said, and may cause gagging or be a choking hazard, according to a recall notice posted on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration website. Kraft Heinz discovered the problem after getting several consumer complaints about it. This included six complaints of customers saying they choked or gagged on the product. Still, no injuries or serious health issues have been reported. The company said it has fixed the machine with the issue and has inspected all other processing machines. Consumers should not eat the affected slices and should instead return them to the store where they were purchased for an exchange or refund. Contact Kraft Heinz from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. ET, Monday through Friday, at 1-800-280-8252 to check on whether the cheese slices you purchased are part of the recall and to receive reimbursement. The recalled cheese packages are labeled 16 oz. Kraft Singles American Pasteurized Prepared Cheese Product with an individual…  read on >  read on >

While the start of the school year can give kids and teens the chance to reconnect with friends and enjoy school sports and activities, it can also trigger stressors that send many to the emergency room for mental health woes, a new report shows. Among children aged 5 to 17, emergency department visits for depression, suicidal thoughts, stress and substance abuse increased significantly in the fall and remained high through the spring, the report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found. “The academic school year is a time when parents and caregivers, educators, health care providers and others who regularly interact with children and adolescents can be aware of mental health concerns in children and adolescents, and be ready to respond appropriately,” a CDC spokesperson said. “Placing priority on programs and activities that protect emotional well-being like physical activity, nutrition, sleep, social, community or faith-based support, and inclusive school and community environments, may improve mental health among children and adolescents, and reduce mental health crises that require a trip to the emergency department,” the spokesperson added. The factors that contribute to the increase in mental issues — like social media, peer pressure or home life — weren’t addressed in the research, the spokesperson noted. For the study, published Sept. 22 in the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, researchers used data from…  read on >  read on >