Paralyzed Woman Walks Again After Umbilical Cord Stem Cell Therapy
Korean doctors transplanted newborn stem cells (taken from the umbilical cord of a healthy newborn) into the injured spinal cord of a 37-year-old woman, and within 3 weeks she had feeling in her legs and was able to walk with assistance. Ever since an accident 19 years ago damaged her spinal cord, she hadn't even been able to stand.

Dr. Sears comments: Newborn umbilical cord blood stem cells continue to show amazing applications in treating a variety of medical problems. Click here to read more about how you and your family can benefit from this valuable resource.

Healthy Habits for Kids Pushed in Oklahoma
TULSA, Okla. - Grants from the American Heart Association are helping give pre-kindergarten children healthy habits. In the pilot program aimed at area preschools, Head Start and day-care programs, the children are taught the importance of nutrition and physical fitness. The Oklahoma Caring Foundation, an arm of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Oklahoma, administers the Childhood Prevention Project. The foundation used research from Oklahoma State University and OSU-Tulsa to create a curriculum of nutrition and physical activity exercises at no cost to several participating centers.

Dr Sears’ comments: This is a great start! The insurance companies know that it is cost effective to prevent illness rather than treat illness. Nutrition plays a major role in preventative medicine and the best place to start is with young children. Click here to read more on how you can provide a "Smart Start" for your child.

Childhood Obesity Leads to Enlarged Heart-Study
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Obese children grow up to have bigger left ventricles in their hearts, putting them at risk for heart disease, researchers said on Monday. "Simply being obese means your heart has to work harder, even in childhood," said Shengxu Li, a medical researcher at Tulane University and co-author of the study. "The added burden of high blood pressure ... and other related health problems can actually contribute to a change in the structure of the heart," Li said. While the heart enlargement "can be stopped and even reversed with appropriate interventions," Li said, the data show a need to prevent and curb weight problems sooner in children.

Dr Sears’ comment: This study has been going on since the 1970’s and shows just how important it is to stay lean. Get your kids involved with sports, give them less “screen time”, and, next time they are begging for a fatty fast food meal… just say no! Click here to read more on The LEAN Program.

Bottle, Pacifier Can Misalign Baby Teeth
NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - Children who were bottle-fed or used pacifiers as babies are at risk of dental problems in preschool, a new study suggests. Specifically, the researchers found that babies who sucked their thumbs or a pacifier after one year of age, or drank out of a bottle in the first three months of life, were significantly more likely to have misaligned baby teeth at 3 to 5 years of age. These changes likely stem from differences in how the child sucks a bottle or pacifier and how it feeds from the breast, study author Dr. Domenico Viggiano told Reuters Health. Children who sucked on a pacifier or thumb after one year of age were also more likely to develop a posterior cross-bite. However, those who breastfed exclusively for longer than the first 3 months of life were less likely than bottle-fed children to develop the misalignment, suggesting that breastfeeding can protect kids from dental ills, the authors note.

Dr Sears’ comment: Parents are often confused about the cause of tooth problems in toddlers. Artificial nipples and pacifiers often can cause erosion or cavities, while nursing very rarely is the culprit. Click here for more on cavaties and breastfeeding. Click here for more on Pacifiers.