The number of babies being injured while in high chairs and booster seats is increasing, according to a nationwide study.

The study, published in the journal Clinical Pediatrics, found that the number of high chair injuries has increased by more than 22 percent between 2003 and 2010. Researchers reported more than 9,400 high chair-related injuries a year—or about one injury per hour—and that the accidents commonly result in head injuries, such as concussions.

The researchers said they are unsure why the number of injuries is increasing. Elevated chairs in close proximity to hard tables or counters may increase risk of an injury, as well as the chairs’ restraining systems not being used properly.

In order to prevent high-chair related injuries,scientists advised that parents take precautions, such as firmly strapping their child in their seat and making sure that the chair is not near hard or sharp objects. They also suggested that parents make sure they purchase high chairs that have been approved for safety standard, and to make sure their high chairs and boosters seats haven’t been recalled.

NEXT: First anesthesia: Dec. 11, 1844

Sourced from: Today , High chair injuries on the rise, study finds

New research from Australia has found that eating habits are affected partially by stomach nerves that follow circadian rhythms.

Scientists from the University of Adelaide used mice to analyze the relationship between stomach nerves and circadian rhythms. The findings showed that hours during the day associated with being awake correlated with minimally sensitive stomach nerves. So, more food can be consumed during these times, when more energy is required, researchers said. Alternately, times of the day associated with sleeping correlated with increased sensitivity among stomach nerves. Researchers said that this activity signals fullness and limits food intake.

The study’s findings, published in The Journal of Neuroscience, suggest that nerves in the stomach act like a clock, sending “fullness” signals to the brain throughout the day to coordinate food intake with energy requirements. Although the study was limited to mice, researchers said that at least in theory, a similar relationship between stomach nerves and circadian rhythms would exist in humans.

The researchers said they plan to conduct further studies to investigate how changes to circadian rhythms affect eating habits and how stomach nerves react to such changes.

NEXT: Baby high chair injuries on the rise

Sourced from: Medical News Today, ‘Stomach clock’ limits food intake to specific times, study suggests

Stress levels among parents may affect their children’s risk of weight gain and obesity, according to a new study published in the journal Pediatric Obesity.

The research is the first of its kind to link parental stress and weight gain in young children. In the study, researchers gave parents questionnaires to measure their psychological stress and gauge whether and to what degree they felt in control. Their children’s body mass index (BMI) was calculated annually.

The findings showed that parents who reported higher stress levels had children who gained weight at a 7 percent higher rate than children with less-stressed parents. Researchers said that this number is significant because if the weight gain continues at this rate throughout a lifetime, serious health issues and obesity may develop.

The cause for a link between parental stress and weight gain in children is unknown. It may be that when parents become stressed, they may increase the amount of unhealthy food in the household or reduce the amount of the family’s physical activity, researchers said. They also suggested that parental stress may cause children to feel stressed, which may lead to unhealthy behavior and biological changes that cause weight gain.

NEXT: (Infographic) Emotional eating

Sourced from: Science Daily, Study Finds Parental Stress Linked to Obesity in Children

Healthy diets cost individuals an average of $1.50 per day more than unhealthy meals—or approximately $550 per year—according to new research.

Researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health analyzed 27 recent studies on prices of healthy and unhealthy foods among 10 countries. Healthy foods included fruits, vegetables, nuts and fish; unhealthy foods included processed foods, meats and refined grains.

The findings showed price discrepancies among healthy versus unhealthy grains, dairy, fats and proteins. The largest differences were between healthy and unhealthy meats and proteins.

The researchers surmised that healthy diets are more expensive than unhealthy ones because most government policies are geared to producing cheap, processed foods at mass quantities. But they suggested that the higher cost may be worth it, considering the potential development chronic diseases as the result of unhealthy diets.

NEXT: First anesthesia: Dec. 11, 1844

Sourced from: Medical News Today, Healthy diet costs $550 more per year than unhealthy one

A “smart bra” that tracks wearers’ emotions may be on the market in the future, according to its inventors at Microsoft.

Recently, the scientists released a paper, titled ‘Food and Mood: Just-in-Time Support for Emotional Eating’, in which they laid out their development of the high-tech lingerie.

In the study, smart bras were worn by female participants, whose heart activity was tracked by sensors. The scientists found that the bras predicted the women’s emotional states with an approximate 75 percent accuracy rate.

With further research and development, the smart bra may also alert the wearer when she is in a frame of mind to be more likely to engage in emotional eating. The researchers said they will be working on developing real-world devices with sufficient battery life and comfort for both women and men.

NEXT: Healthy diet costs $550 more a year

Sourced from: Mashable, Microsoft Is Working on a High-Tech Bra

Emotional eating can range from eating despite a lack of hunger to an all-out binge where we lose control and use food as an escape. Here’s how to regain control.