Kids' deaths rose during 2006-07 flu season in U.S.

More children have died from flu because they also had staph infections, according to a U.S. government report that urges parents to have their kids get the flu shot.

The number of deaths wasn't high -- 73 during the 2006-07 flu season -- but there was more than a fivefold increase in hard-to-treat complications.

And preliminary figures indicate deaths rose again during this past winter's flu season.

Public health officials say the numbers underscore the importance of a brand new recommendation that all children, from six months through 18, get routine flu shots.

More than half the children who died were between five and 17 years and had been healthy until they got the flu.

Pregnant mom's diet may hike asthma risk

U.S. researchers suggest a pregnant woman's diet can alter genes to raise her baby's risk of developing allergic asthma.

The researchers say the increasing use of folic acid and other dietary supplements by women may be one reason why the prevalence of asthma has nearly doubled in the past 25 years.

Their study found that pregnant mice fed diets high in supplements containing methyl-donors (folic acid, L-methionine, choline and genistein) had babies with more severe allergic airway disease than mice born to mothers that consumed diets low in methyl-containing foods.

Dental work explained in plain language, photos

For people who draw a blank when a dentist starts explaining what's going on in their mouth, there is help.

The faculty of dentistry at the University of Toronto has launched an online resource to help people learn about dental procedures.

The Dental Procedure Education System, or DPES, uses plain language, pictures and video to help patients learn about dental procedures.

The website address is dpes.dentistry.utoronto.ca. There is also a professional counterpart, DPES Pro, for dental students.

Resistance training helps with knee osteoarthritis

A new report says resistance training improves muscle strength and physical functioning while decreasing pain in many people with knee osteoarthritis.

Australian researchers, reporting in the October issue of Arthritis Care and Research, analysed previously conducted trials on knee osteoarthritis and resistance training.

The majority of these studies, they found, reported that symptoms, physical function and strength were improved with resistance training.

National study targets allergies and asthma

A national study has been launched on what environmental factors might cause allergies and asthma in children.

Lead researcher Dr. Allan Becker of the Manitoba Institute of Child Health says asthma has reached epidemic proportions and researchers don't know why. He says almost 14 per cent of children in the province under 18 years suffer from chronic respiratory illness.

-- Compiled by Florence Sicoli from Hamilton Spectator news services