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Preschoolers may spend more time on smartphones or tablets than their parents realize, and some use apps intended for teens and adults, researchers report. A new study tracked mobile device use among 350 children aged 3 to 5 over nine months and compared their findings with parents’ estimates of their use. Preschoolers with their own smartphones or tablets averaged two hours of screen time a day. Nearly three-quarters of their parents underestimated it. More than half of kids used devices for an hour or more, including 15% who spent at least four hours a day on mobile devices. Thirty-four percent of kids in the new study had their own digital device, according to the findings published recently in the journal Pediatrics. Kids in the study used between one and 85 apps. The most commonly used apps included YouTube, YouTube Kids, browsers, and streaming services such as Netflix. However, some apps related to gambling, violent games and general audience games without restrictions on the data they collect or share with third-party advertisers. “We found that most parents miscalculated their children’s time on mobile devices,” said lead author Dr. Jenny Radesky, a behavioral pediatrician at Michigan Medicine’s C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital in Ann Arbor. “They may also not be aware of what content is being shared or what apps are being marketed to children while they’re using… read on >

(HealthDay News) — The drug Tagrisso could offer hope to patients battling a form of lung cancer that typically hits people with little or no history of smoking, a new trial finds. Taken after surgery to remove the lung tumor, Tagrisso (osimertinib) greatly extended the average survival of people battling a non-metastatic form of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), which makes up the vast majority of lung cancers. The NSCLC tumors that were the focus of the new trial were characterized by the presence of an epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutation on cells. This subset of tumors “are present in roughly 10% of Caucasian patients, with much higher estimates of other patient populations, such as Asian patients,” said Dr. Kevin Sullivan, a lung cancer specialist who wasn’t involved in the new trial. “Most patients with these mutations are non-smokers or former very light smokers,” noted Sullivan, who works in the division of medical oncology at Northwell Health Cancer Institute in Lake Success, N.Y. Typically, he said, patients diagnosed with these tumors get surgery followed by standard chemotherapy — if the cancer hasn’t already spread beyond the lung. That standard follow-up chemotherapy “provides a small but significant survival benefit — meaning, it improves the cure rate,” Sullivan explained. And if the cancer comes back, which it often does, it can prove incurable. The new study,… read on >

Michigan prepared to lift its stay-at-home order on Tuesday — one of the last states to do so. But in New York, Gov. Andrew Cuomo warned that protests rampant in numerous American cities could trigger a second wave of COVID-19 infections. “Protest, just be smart about it,” Cuomo said. New York plans to reopen all of the state, including New York City, on June 8. State public health officials urged protesters to wear face coverings, use hand sanitizer, maintain social distancing and get tested for the coronavirus, The New York Times reported. At the same time, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer lifted a stay-at-home order for the state’s 10 million residents, saying that groups of 100 people or less would be allowed to gather outdoors, the Times reported. Restaurants are also allowed to reopen, though tables must be at least six feet apart. And Louisiana’s governor said the state would begin easing its social distancing restrictions on Friday, allowing venues including churches, malls, bars and theaters to increase capacity to 50 percent. But the mayor of New Orleans quickly tweeted that New Orleans would not be following the state’s lead. But as the number of U.S. coronavirus cases passed 1.8 million on Tuesday, a new poll shows that a majority of Americans still think it’s more important to control the virus’ spread than to restart the… read on >

Getting too little or too much sleep may worsen asthma in adults, a new study finds. Researchers asked nearly 1,400 adults, 20 and older, with self-reported asthma about their sleep habits. About one-quarter said they slept five hours or less a night (short sleepers), 66% slept six to eight hours a night (normal sleepers), and 8% slept nine or more hours a night (long sleepers). Short sleepers were more likely to be younger and nonwhite, while long sleepers were more likely to be older, female and smokers, according to the study published recently in the Annals of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. “Disturbed sleep in an asthma patient can be a red flag indicating their asthma isn’t well-controlled,” said Dr. Gailen Marshall, an allergist and journal editor-in-chief. The study warns that “consequences can be expected when sleep patterns are chronically inadequate,” Marshall said in a journal news release. Compared to normal sleepers, short sleepers had: a higher risk of an asthma attack, dry cough and an overnight hospitalization during the past year; significantly worse health-related quality of life, including poor physical and mental health and inactivity due to poor health; and more frequent general healthcare use during the past year. Compared to normal sleepers, long sleepers were more likely to have some activity limitation due to wheezing, but no other significant differences. “Previous research revealed that… read on >

If anxiety and fear about COVID-19 are keeping you awake, rest assured: Adopting a few easy-to-follow habits will help you get a good night’s sleep. “Now more than ever, we need to get good sleep,” said Dr. Amy Guralnick, a pulmonologist at Loyola Medicine in Chicago. “Sleep can help our immune system function at its best. Getting a good night’s sleep also helps us to think clearly and to problem-solve better.” And, she added, too little sleep can lead to depression, anxiety and other mental health conditions. So what can you do to get more — and better — Zzzzzzz’s? Make a sleep schedule and follow a routine, Guralnick advised. “Having a daily, fixed wake up time is the most important part of the schedule,” she said. In the hours before bedtime, avoid viewing any technology with a backlight, she suggested. That includes a phone, tablet or a computer. Here’s why: “Your brain thinks that the light coming from those is daylight and it will suppress the release of a hormone called melatonin which helps put you to sleep,” Guralnick explained. If you suffer from stress or anxiety, consider writing down your worries in a journal. But set it aside before bedtime, she said. Your bed should be used only for sleep and intimacy. “The bed is not for eating or working or reading or… read on >

(HealthDay News) — Safety concerns over a malaria drug that President Donald Trump has touted as a coronavirus treatment prompted the World Health Organization on Monday to remove the medication from a global trial of potential COVID-19 therapies. Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the international health agency’s director-general, said the WHO decided to take a “pause” in testing hydroxychloroquine after a study published last week in The Lancet medical journal found people who took the drug were more likely to die, The New York Times reported. Several other studies have found the medication has no benefit and could possibly harm COVID-19 patients. Still, Trump said on Sunday he had just finished taking a two-week course of the malaria drug to guard against COVID-19 infection after two White House staffers tested positive for the coronavirus. On Tuesday, pharmaceutical giant Merck jumped into the fight against the coronavirus, announcing two separate efforts to develop a vaccine and a partnership to develop a promising antiviral drug that can be taken as a pill, the Times reported. Meanwhile, hopes for another drug being tested against coronavirus infection dimmed on Friday, after a major, new study found the drug on its own won’t be enough to significantly curb cases and deaths. The study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, found that, “given high mortality [of patients] despite the use… read on >

(HealthDay News) — A jump in coronavirus cases is being seen in nearly a dozen U.S. states, at least half of which reopened early, as the country’s coronavirus case count neared 1.7 million on Wednesday. Though the overall national trend has been staying steady or dropping, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and Tennessee are some of the states seeing upticks, The New York Times reported. All five states were among the first to loosen social distancing restrictions. To some degree, the increase in cases may be due to increased testing, but it also suggests that the virus’s spread in this country is nowhere near over, the Times reported. In a sign that the mental health toll of the coronavirus pandemic is also on the rise, new Census Bureau data shows that nearly a third of Americans are showing signs of clinical anxiety or depression, the Washington Post reported Tuesday. Meanwhile, safety concerns over a malaria drug that President Donald Trump has touted as a coronavirus treatment prompted the World Health Organization on Monday to remove the medication from a global trial of potential COVID-19 therapies. Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the international health agency’s director-general, said the WHO decided to take a “pause” in testing hydroxychloroquine after a study published last week in The Lancet medical journal found people who took the drug were more likely… read on >

Mindfulness training may help counter the thinking and emotional difficulties caused by multiple sclerosis. In a small test study, people with multiple sclerosis (MS) who had four weeks of mindfulness training emerged with better emotional control and faster thinking. Multiple sclerosis is a disease in which the immune system attacks the brain, spinal cord and optic nerves. This interferes with communication in the brain and between the brain and body, leading to worsening mental and physical problems. An estimated one million people in the United States are affected. “Emotional upheaval is part and parcel of living with multiple sclerosis — there’s no cure, per se,” said Nicholas Larocca, a National Multiple Sclerosis Society consultant. “You can look at someone who has mild multiple sclerosis. They can have cognitive problems much more than physical problems,” he added. In a pilot study, Ohio State University researchers tested 47 women and 14 men with MS on emotional control, mental speed and short-term memory. For four weeks, the study participants were divided into three groups. One group received mindfulness training; a second received computerized “adaptive cognitive” training aimed at focusing their attention; and a control group received no training until the study ended. Mindfulness training teaches people to stay focused in the present, helping them look at problems objectively and accept without judgment, said study leader Ruchika Prakash, director… read on >

Though the physical health risks posed by COVID-19 are at the top of everyone’s mind, experts warn the pandemic is also exacting a massive toll on mental health. So finds new research emerging on the mental health effects in China, where infection peaks and lockdowns have preceded the American experience by several months. For example, one recent study in the journal Psychiatry Research surveyed more than 7,200 Chinese men and women during the country’s February lockdown. More than a third were found to be suffering from COVID-related “generalized anxiety disorder,” while about a fifth struggled with signs of depression. Just over 18% reported sleeping difficulties. The good news? Experts say there are effective coping strategies for those who feel they’re sinking under the weight of the coronavirus crisis. “First I think it is important that we acknowledge for ourselves that feeling overwhelmed, fearful or stressed in the current circumstance is quite understandable,” said Danielle King, assistant professor of industrial and organizational psychology at Rice University in Houston. “Rather than avoiding having those feelings, I believe it is beneficial for us to acknowledge them, give ourselves grace, and find ways to also experience some positive emotions in the midst of these difficulties,” she said. Consciously doing that, said King, helps people accept that there are some things “that are not within our control.” And it also… read on >

Lots of TV time, no PE classes, and a fridge full of food: It’s a recipe for weight gain for kids under “stay at home” rules. But there are ways parents can help them stay healthy, says registered dietitian Audrey Koltun. “During quarantine, we hear we should try to stay healthy, not overeat, and exercise, but it is easier said than done,” said Koltun, who’s also a diabetes care and education specialist at Cohen Children’s Medical Center in New Hyde Park, N.Y. When it comes to kids’ diets, having to stay at home might have some advantages, she noted. “Many people are cooking much more than they ever did,” Koltun said, and “this allows more control over caloric intake and possibly healthier options.” Children just don’t have the same access to fast food or fattening snacks. “The kids that go out to get an 800-calorie smoothie, a 400-calorie iced coffee, or a 500-calorie slice of pizza are not having this now — or not as much,” Koltun said. But if chips, cookies and other snacks crowd kitchen cupboards, the battle against weight gain can easily be lost, the nutritionist stressed. “Your kids can only eat what you buy, so if you are buying a year’s worth of snacks, they will eat them all day and night,” she said. While chowing down on unhealthy snacks might… read on >