drops of the probiotic Lactobacillus
reuteri significantly reduced minutes-
per-day of crying and fussing in breastfed
infants over a three-week treatment
period as compared with babies given a
placebo. The same benefit wasn’t found
for formula-fed infants with colic.
Why it’s important: “The microbiome—the
blend of good and bad bugs that live in
our gut—is an exciting area of research,”
explains Alex Kemper, M.D., professor
of pediatrics at Nationwide Children’s
Hospital, in Columbus, Ohio, and deputy
editor of Pediatrics. Probiotics contain
microorganisms that are the same as or
similar to the beneficial bacteria in our
intestines that crowd out illness-causing
bacteria, and they can also reduce
inf lammation. (Breastfed infants may
have different gut populations from
formula-fed babies, which could be why
they didn’t benefit equally in this review.)
While some research has suggested
that probiotics may be helpful for
everything from protecting preemies
from serious intestinal infections to
heading off eczema in older kids, other
studies have not found a clear benefit.
“We are a long way from being able to
say, ‘Take this type of probiotic for this
condition,’ ” says Dr. Kemper. “For now,
if your child needs to take an antibiotic,
talk to your doctor about choosing
one with the na rrowest spectrum
possible so you don’t kill off the good
bacteria with the bad.” If you want to
try L. reuteri for your own fussy
breastfed baby, talk to your pediatrician.
The study found no harm from the
treatment, so it may be worth a try.Spanking causes
lasting damage.The research: In a research review in
American Psychologist, a panel of top
experts concluded that spanking causes
the same psychological harm to children
as hitting, slapping, and other means
of inf licting pain. Spanking also doesn’t
improve kids’ behavior at home, and it
increases the rate of behavior problems
reported by teachers. Adults who were
spanked as children are more likely to
use drugs, have a drinking problem, and
commit suicide, compared with those
who weren’t spanked.
Why it’s important: Giving a child a slap
on the bottom when he misbehaves is
still a surprisingly common go-to. One
estimate found that 80 percent of parents
do it on occasion. “Parents can fall back
on how they were parented. They say,
‘This is what my parents did, and I turned
out okay,’ ” notes David L. Hill, M.D., a
Parents advisor and spokesperson for
the American Academy of Pediatrics
(AAP). “So I tell them, ‘I am so glad you
did! But we have a lot more informationnow about better ways to do things.’ ”
Last year, the AAP issued its most
strongly worded policy statement, saying
that spanking can cause harm and
parents should never hit a child. Try to
guide kids’ behavior in ways that build
your bond rather than fray it, advises
Dr. Hill. “Praise the behavior you do like,
especially when that thing is hard for
your child. The more you call attention to
the good stuff, the more of it you’ll see.”Marijuana lingers in
breast milk.The research: Fifty nursing moms who
regularly use marijuana donated breast-
milk samples to the Mommy’s Milk
Human Milk Research Biorepository, at
the University of California, San Diego.
Traces of THC (tetrahydrocannabinol),
the primary psychoactive component of
marijuana, were found in 63 percent
of the samples up to six full days after
the mom’s last reported use, according
to a study in Pediatrics.
Why it’s important: Now that more states
are legalizing it, moms may think of
marijuana as a relatively harmless way
for them to de-stress. Plus, some pregnant
women use it to quell morning sickness.
But THC likes to bind to fat molecules,
which are abundant in breast milk.
“Almost nothing is known about the
effects of marijuana exposure on a baby’s
growing brain,” says Dr. Kemper.
“This particular study was one of the
first to start to find evidence-based
answers.” Even though THC levels were
found to be low in the breast-milk
sa mples, marijuana still lingers in the
body, so pumping and dumping after
using weed is not a reliable strateg y.
For now, the AAP advises that you play
it safe and not use marijuana while
pregnant or breastfeeding.Peanut powder may prevent
life-threatening reactions.The research: Taking a small daily dose
of peanut-protein powder allowed
severely allergic children ages 4 to 17
to gradually build up their tolerance to
peanuts. After about 12 months of FRANCESCO CARTA FOTOGRAFO/GETTY.PARENTS 28 SEPTEMBER 2019
KIDSÑHealth