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People with SARS-CoV-2 antibodies may have low risk of future infection, study finds

People who have had evidence of a prior infection with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, appear to be well protected against being reinfected with the virus, at least for a few months, according to a newly published study from the National Cancer Institute (NCI). This finding may explain why reinfection appears to be relatively rare, and it could have important public health implications, including decisions about returning to physical workplaces, school attendance, the prioritization of vaccine distribution, and other activities.

For the study, researchers at NCI, part of the National Institutes of Health, collaborated with two health care data analytics companies (HealthVerity and Aetion, Inc.) and five commercial laboratories. The findings were published on Feb. 24 in JAMA Internal Medicine.

“While cancer research and cancer care remain?the?primary?focus of NCI’s work, we were eager to lend our expertise in serological sciences to help address the global COVID-19 pandemic, at the request of Congress,” said NCI Director Norman E. “Ned” Sharpless, M.D., who was one of the coauthors on the study. “We hope that these results, in combination with those of other studies, will inform future public health efforts and help in setting policy.”

“The data from this study suggest that people who have a positive result from a commercial antibody test appear to have substantial immunity to SARS-CoV-2, which means they may be at lower risk for future infection,” said Lynne Penberthy, M.D., M.P.H., associate director of NCI’s Surveillance Research Program, who led the study. “Additional research is needed to understand how long this protection lasts, who may have limited protection, and how patient characteristics, such as comorbid conditions, may impact protection. We are nevertheless encouraged by this early finding.”

Antibody tests — also known as serology tests — detect serum antibodies, which are immune system proteins made in response to a specific foreign substance or infectious agent, such as SARS-CoV-2.

This study was launched in an effort to better understand whether, and to what degree, detectable antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 protect people from reinfection with the virus. Working with HealthVerity and Aetion, NCI aggregated and analyzed patient information collected from multiple sources, including five commercial labs (including Quest Diagnostics and Labcorp), electronic medical records, and private insurers. This was done in a way that protects the privacy of an individual’s health information and is compliant with relevant patient privacy laws.

The researchers ultimately obtained antibody test results for more than 3 million people who had a SARS-CoV-2 antibody test between Jan. 1 and Aug. 23, 2020. This represented more than 50% of the commercial SARS-CoV-2 antibody tests conducted in the United States during that time. Nearly 12% of these tests were antibody positive; most of the remaining tests were negative, and less than 1% were inconclusive.

About 11% of the seropositive individuals and 9.5% of the seronegative individuals later received a nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT) — sometimes referred to as a PCR test — for SARS-CoV-2. The research team looked at what fraction of individuals in each group subsequently had a positive NAAT result, which may indicate a new infection. The study team reviewed NAAT results at several intervals: 0-30 days, 31-60 days, 61-90 days, and >90 days because some people who have recovered from a SARS-CoV-2 infection can still shed viral material (RNA) for up to three months (although they likely do not remain infectious during that entire period).

The team found that, during each interval, between 3% and 4% of the seronegative individuals had a positive NAAT test. But among those who had originally been seropositive, the NAAT test positivity rate declined over time. When the researchers looked at test results 90 or more days after the initial antibody test (when any coronavirus detected by NAAT is likely to reflect a new infection rather than continued virus shedding from the original infection), only about 0.3% of those who had been seropositive had a positive NAAT result — about one-tenth the rate in those who had been seronegative.

Although these results support the idea that having antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 is associated with protection from future infection, the authors note important limitations to this study. In particular, the findings come from a scientific interpretation of real-world data, which are subject to biases that may be better controlled for in a clinical trial. For example, it is not known why people who had tested antibody positive went on to have a PCR test. In addition, the duration of protection is unknown; studies with longer follow-up time are needed to determine if protection wanes over time.

To continue to comprehensively address this important research question, NCI is supporting clinical studies that monitor infection rates in large populations of people whose antibody status is known. These are known as “seroprotection” studies. NCI is also sponsoring ongoing studies using real-world data to assess the longer-term effect of antibody positivity on subsequent infection rates.

This research is part of a $306 million effort that NCI has taken on at the request of Congress to develop, validate, improve, and implement serological testing and associated technologies applicable to COVID-19. Through this appropriation, NCI is working with the Department of Health and Human Services; the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, another part of NIH; and other government agencies to apply its expertise and advanced research capabilities to respond to this pandemic, including efforts to rigorously characterize the performance of serology assays.

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Eye color genetics not so simple, study finds

The genetics of human eye colour is much more complex than previously thought, according to a new study published today.

An international team of researchers led by King’s College London and Erasmus University Medical Center Rotterdam have identified 50 new genes for eye colour in the largest genetic study of its kind to date. The study, published today in Science Advances, involved the genetic analysis of almost 195,000 people across Europe and Asia.

These findings will help to improve the understanding of eye diseases such as pigmentary glaucoma and ocular albinism, where eye pigment levels play a role.

In addition, the team found that eye colour in Asians with different shades of brown is genetically similar to eye colour in Europeans ranging from dark brown to light blue.

This study builds on previous research in which scientists had identified a dozen genes linked to eye colour, believing there to be many more. Previously, scientists thought that variation in eye colour was controlled by one or two genes only, with brown eyes dominant over blue eyes.

Co-senior author Dr Pirro Hysi, King’s College London, said: “The findings are exciting because they bring us to a step closer to understanding the genes that cause one of the most striking features of the human faces, which has mystified generations throughout our history. This will improve our understanding of many diseases that we know are associated with specific pigmentation levels.”

Co-senior author Dr Manfred Kayser, Erasmus University Medical Center Rotterdam, said:

“This study delivers the genetic knowledge needed to improve eye colour prediction from DNA as already applied in anthropological and forensic studies, but with limited accuracy for the non-brown and non-blue eye colours.”

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Insulin rises before cells develop resistance, new diabetes research implies

Researchers at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, have now presented results that may change our basic view of how type 2 diabetes occurs. Their study indicates that free fatty acids (FFAs) in the blood trigger insulin release even at a normal blood-sugar level, without an overt uncompensated insulin resistance in fat cells. What is more, the researchers demonstrate the connection with obesity: the amount of FFAs largely depends on how many extra kilos of adipose tissue a person carries, but also on how the body adapt to the increased adiposity.

Worldwide, extensive research is underway to clarify exactly what happens in the body as type 2 diabetes progresses, and why obesity is such a huge risk factor for the disease. For almost 50 years, diabetes researchers have been discussing their version of the chicken-or-egg question: Which comes first — insulin resistance or elevated insulin levels? The dominant hypothesis has long been that the pancreas steps up its insulin production because the cells have already become insulin-resistant, and blood sugar then rises. However, the results now published in the journal EBioMedicine support the opposing idea: that it is the insulin that increases first.

Detailed investigations

The study indicates that high FFA levels in the blood after the overnight fast raise insulin production in the morning. FFAs have long been part of the main research equation for type 2 diabetes, but it is now proposed that they also have another role: in progression of the disease.

For the study, researchers compared metabolism in adipose (fat-storing) tissue among 27 carefully selected research subjects (nine of normal weight, nine with obesity and normal blood sugar, and nine with both obesity and progressed type 2 diabetes). For several days, they underwent extensive examinations in which they had samples taken under varying conditions. The researchers analyzed metabolism and gene expression in the participants’ subcutaneous fat, and the levels of blood sugar, insulin, and FFAs in their blood.

FFAs seem to trigger insulin production

The people with obesity but not diabetes proved to have the same, normal blood-sugar levels as the healthy individuals of normal weight.

“Interestingly, the nondiabetics with obesity had elevated levels of both free fatty acids and insulin in their blood, and those levels were similar to or higher than the levels we were able to measure in blood from the participants with both obesity and type 2 diabetes,” says Emanuel Fryk, resident doctor specializing in general medicine and doctoral student at Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, who is one of the study’s first authors.

In collaboration with researchers at Uppsala University, he observed the same pattern in a population study based on blood samples taken from 500 people after an overnight fast.

“The fact that we saw a link between free fatty acids and insulin there too suggests that the fatty acids are connected with the insulin release, and contribute to increased insulin production on an empty stomach, when blood sugar hasn’t risen,” says Fryk, who nevertheless points out that the finding needs to be confirmed with more research.

Ongoing research

Free fatty acids are found naturally in the bloodstream and, like glycerol, are a product of the body’s fat metabolism. In the subjects, the amount of glycerol released proved to be broadly the same per kilo of body fat, regardless of whether they were of normal weight, had obesity alone, or also had type 2 diabetes.

“Our hypothesis is that the free fatty acids increase in the blood because the adipose tissue can’t store the excess energy anymore. We believe, in that case, it could be an early sign of incipient type 2 diabetes. If our findings are confirmed when other research methods are used, there may be a chance that some specific fatty acids could be developed into biomarkers. But that’s a long way off,” Fryk says.

Lifestyle crucial

Diabetes is one of the most common diseases, with an estimated 500,000 people affected in Sweden. There are also a large number of undetected cases, since many with type 2 diabetes are not yet aware they are ill. Diabetics are at an increased risk for a number of serious conditions, such as cardiovascular disease (which may result in heart attacks and strokes).

“There are many factors that contribute to the progression of type 2 diabetes, but it’s our lifestyle that has, in absolute terms, the largest impact for most people. Our study provides another argument that the most important thing you can do to slow diabetes progression is to change your life style early in the progression of the disease, before blood glucose is elevated, Fryk says.

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Study of coronavirus variants predicts virus evolving to escape current vaccines

A new study of the U.K. and South Africa variants of SARS-CoV-2 predicts that current vaccines and certain monoclonal antibodies may be less effective at neutralizing these variants and that the new variants raise the specter that reinfections could be more likely.

The study was published in Nature on March 8, 2021. A preprint of the study was first posted to BioRxiv on January 26, 2021.

The study’s predictions are now being borne out with the first reported results of the Novavax vaccine, says the study’s lead author David Ho, MD. The company reported on Jan. 28 that the vaccine was nearly 90% effective in the company’s U.K. trial, but only 49.4% effective in its South Africa trial, where most cases of COVID-19 are caused by the B.1.351 variant.

“Our study and the new clinical trial data show that the virus is traveling in a direction that is causing it to escape from our current vaccines and therapies that are directed against the viral spike,” says Ho, the director of the Aaron Diamond AIDS Research Center and the Clyde’56 and Helen Wu Professor of Medicine at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons.

“If the rampant spread of the virus continues and more critical mutations accumulate, then we may be condemned to chasing after the evolving SARS-CoV-2 continually, as we have long done for influenza virus,” Ho says. “Such considerations require that we stop virus transmission as quickly as is feasible, by redoubling our mitigation measures and by expediting vaccine rollout.”

After vaccination, the immune system responds and makes antibodies that can neutralize the virus.

Ho and his team found that antibodies in blood samples taken from people inoculated with the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine were less effective at neutralizing the two variants, B.1.1.7, which emerged last September in England, and B.1.351, which emerged from South Africa in late 2020. Against the U.K. variant, neutralization dropped by roughly 2-fold, but against the South Africa variant, neutralization dropped by 6.5- to 8.5-fold.

“The approximately 2-fold loss of neutralizing activity against the U.K. variant is unlikely to have an adverse impact due to the large ‘cushion’ of residual neutralizing antibody activity,” Ho says, “and we see that reflected in the Novavax results where the vaccine was 85.6% effective against the U.K. variant.”

Data from Ho’s study about the loss in neutralizing activity against the South Africa variant are more worrisome.

“The drop in neutralizing activity against the South Africa variant is appreciable, and we’re now seeing, based on the Novavax results, that this is causing a reduction in protective efficacy,” Ho says.

The new study did not examine the more recent variant found in Brazil (B.1.1.28) but given the similar spike mutations between the Brazil and South Africa variants, Ho says the Brazil variant should behave similarly to the South Africa variant.

“We have to stop the virus from replicating and that means rolling out vaccine faster and sticking to our mitigation measures like masking and physical distancing. Stopping the spread of the virus will stop the development of further mutations,” Ho says.

The study also found that certain monoclonal antibodies used now to treat COVID patients may not work against the South Africa variant. And based on results with plasma from COVID patients who were infected earlier in the pandemic, the B.1.351 variant from South Africa has the potential to cause reinfection.

New study contains comprehensive analysis of variants

The new study conducted an extensive analysis of mutations in the two SARS-CoV-2 variants compared to other recent studies, which have reported similar findings.

The new study examined all mutations in the spike protein of the two variants. (Vaccines and monoclonal antibody treatments work by recognizing the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein.)

The researchers created SARS-CoV-2 pseudoviruses (viruses that produce the coronavirus spike protein but cannot cause infection) with the eight mutations found in the U.K. variant and the nine mutations found in the South African variant.

They then measured the sensitivity of these pseudoviruses to monoclonal antibodies developed to treat COVID patients, convalescent serum from patients who were infected earlier in the pandemic, and serum from patients who have been vaccinated with the Moderna or Pfizer vaccine.

Implications for monoclonal antibody treatments

The study measured the neutralizing activity of 18 different monoclonal antibodies — including the antibodies in two products authorized for use in the United States.

Against the U.K. variant, most antibodies were still potent, although the neutralizing activity of two antibodies in development was modestly impaired.

Against the South Africa variant, however, the neutralizing activity of four antibodies was completely or markedly abolished. Those antibodies include bamlanivimab (LY-CoV555, approved for use in the United States) that was completely inactive against the South Africa variant, and casirivimab, one of the two antibodies in an approved antibody cocktail (REGN-COV) that was 58-fold less effective at neutralizing the South Africa variant compared to the original virus. The second antibody in the cocktail, imdevimab, retained its neutralizing ability, as did the complete cocktail.

“Decisions of the use of these treatments will depend heavily on the local prevalence of the South Africa and Brazil variants,” Ho says, “highlighting the importance of viral genomic surveillance and proactive development of next-generation antibody therapeutics.”

Reinfection implications

Serum from most patients who had recovered from COVID earlier in the pandemic had 11-fold less neutralizing activity against the South Africa variant and 4-fold less neutralizing activity against the U.K. variant.

“The concern here is that reinfection might be more likely if one is confronted with these variants, particularly the South Africa one,” Ho says.

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Vegetarian and Vegan Diets Explained

The simplest definition of vegetarianism is a diet free of meat, fish, and fowl flesh. But eating habits of vegetarians cover a wide spectrum. At one end are lacto-ovo vegetarians, who avoid animal flesh but eat eggs and milk products. At the other end are vegans, who forgo eating (and often wearing) all animal-based products, including honey. Raw foodists are vegans who eat mainly raw fruits, vegetables, legumes, sprouts, and nuts.

There are also pescatarians, who eat fish and seafood; and lacto-vegetarians, who eat dairy products but not eggs. Fruitarians follow a diet that includes fruits, nuts, seeds, and other plant food. Those who follow a macrobiotic diet eat mostly grains but can also eat fish. They don’t necessarily identify as vegetarians.

Flexitarians refer to vegetarians who occasionally eat meat and fish.

Reasons for Becoming a Vegetarian

Many adherents of vegetarianism and veganism – former Beatle Paul McCartney and actor Alec Baldwin are two celebrities who happily promote the cause — regard a flesh-free diet not only as more healthful, but as a more ethical way to live. They point to the cruel practices and the high environmental cost of raising animals for food as reasons for excluding meat from the diet.

Most Americans, however, continue to eat some form of meat or fish. Five percent of people consider themselves to be vegetarians, according to a 2018 Gallup poll.

Vegetarianism and Health

Most doctors and nutritionists agree that a low-fat diet high in fruits, vegetables, and nuts can be a boon to health. There’s also research suggesting that reducing or eliminating red meat from the diet may cut your risk of heart disease.

Research also has shown that a vegan or vegetarian diet may lower your risk of getting type 2 diabetes. And a 2011 study found that vegetarians had lower triglycerides, glucose levels, blood pressure, and body mass index (BMI).

Does Being a Vegetarian Lower Cancer Risk?

It’s difficult to say whether being a vegetarian or a vegan lowers cancer risk. This is mainly because of the diversity within the vegetarian population.

Many studies of the cancer-vegetarian relationship conclude that diets rich in fiber, vitamins, minerals, isoflavones (found in soybeans, chickpeas, peanuts, and more), and carotenoids (found in carrots, sweet potatoes, broccoli, kale, spinach, tomatoes, red peppers, and more), seem to protect against disease, including cancer, when part of a health-conscious lifestyle.

An 11-year study in Germany examined colon cancer among 1,900 vegetarians. Researchers noted fewer deaths from cancers of the stomach, colon, and lung in study participants than in the general population — particularly among those who practiced some form of vegetarianism for at least 20 years. They suggested, however, that other factors, like body weight and amount of exercise, likely affected mortality rates in the vegetarians they studied.

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Is Wheatgrass Good for You?

Wheatgrass juice may look like what you’d get if you put your lawn trimmings in a blender. But fans say it can strengthen the immune system, detoxify the body, and ward off disease. Folk medicine practitioners once used wheatgrass for everything from treating constipation to easing the pain of rheumatism.

What Is Wheatgrass?
Wheatgrass is the young grass of the wheat plant, Triticum aestivum. It grows in temperate regions throughout Europe and the United States and can live indoors or outdoors. Many people grow their own wheatgrass by putting wheat seeds in water and then harvesting the leaves.

Wheatgrass is a natural source of vitamins and minerals (a few of which are antioxidants) including:

Vitamins A, E, C, K and B6
Calcium
Selenium
Magnesium
Iron

How Is Wheatgrass Used by Fans?

The leaves are tough to digest, so they’re usually crushed and squeezed to make juice. Wheatgrass leaves also can be dried and made into tablets or capsules. Some people mix wheatgrass with water and use it as an enema to cleanse the digestive system. Others eat raw wheatgrass because they believe that cooking foods destroys the natural enzymes that provide the real health kick.

Can Wheatgrass Treat What Ails You?

Wheatgrass believers use it to try and combat a number of everyday health conditions, including colds, coughs, fevers, digestive problems, and skin conditions. Wheatgrass also has been used to potentially prevent and treat more serious conditions, from cancer to AIDS. Those who swear by it say that the potent ingredient in wheatgrass is chlorophyll, the pigment that gives plants their green color. They say chlorophyll acts like hemoglobin (the protein in red blood cells that transports oxygen) and increases oxygen levels in the body. Any green plant food you have eaten over the years, such as spinach, parsley, arugula, has also been contributing chlorophyll.

Does Wheatgrass Live Up to the Claims?

Despite all the health claims, there is very little, if any, evidence that wheatgrass actually works to detoxify or prevent or cure disease. Most of what little research has been conducted focuses on the effects of wheatgrass on the digestive system. Here’s what some of those studies have found wheatgrass may do:

Improve symptoms of ulcerative colitis. A 2002 study by researchers in Israel showed that treatment with wheatgrass juice eased the symptoms of ulcerative colitis — inflammation of the colon. More research needs to be done, but it does point to possible benefits from wheatgrass.

Reduce chemotherapy side effects. Although there isn’t any scientific evidence that wheatgrass can shrink tumors or increase survival in cancer patients, a preliminary study of 60 women with breast cancer did find that wheatgrass reduced some of the harmful effects of chemotherapy without altering the effectiveness of the treatment.

What Are the Risks of Wheatgrass?

Although wheatgrass is considered safe, some people have reported side effects after using it, especially in high doses. They have ranged from mild (headaches and nausea) to more serious allergic reactions (hives and swelling of the throat). Because most people eat wheatgrass raw, there is also the rare chance that it can be contaminated with bacteria or other organisms from the soil.

Should I Use Wheatgrass?

There isn’t really any harm in trying a small amount of wheatgrass from a reputable company. Children, pregnant or nursing women, and anyone who has compromised immunity should avoid it because of the potential for bacteria.

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Why You Want Different Workouts In Your Weekly Routine, According to a Trainer

You know consistency is key when it comes to seeing results from any training program. It’s true that if you want to become a better runner, you need to run; if you want to make push-ups suck less, do more push-ups — you get the idea. The same goes if you’re regularly doing squats, kettlebell swings, or planks. You’ll get better at that exercise because you’re doing it on repeat, but that doesn’t mean you should stick to one exercise or even one method of training all. the. time.

Different workouts scheduled throughout the week add variety to your routine that keeps muscles guessing and prevents your brain from getting bored. Still, the benefits of putting a blend of workout modalities on your calendar extend beyond the idea of simply mixing it up.

To convince you to change up your training techniques, look to Ashley Joi, CPT, instructor on fitness platform Centr, which offers a six-week Fusion program that combines strength training, boxing-inspired HIIT, and power yoga. Here, Joi shares her philosophy on why varied programs like this are such a good idea, and how you can utilize the same concept (and reap the same benefits) in whatever your workout routine looks like these days. (See more: Here’s What a Perfectly Balanced Weekly Workout Schedule Looks Like)

The Fitness Benefits of Doing Different Workouts

You’ll target more muscles.
Yes, doing squats every day will strengthen your quads and glutes, and performing push-ups will target your chest and core. But by doing a mix of exercises — punches, overhead presses, donkey kicks, deadlifts, sun salutations, to name a few — you work a wider range of muscle groups, says Joi. Choosing different workouts throughout the week, from strength to yoga, means you’re not only working different large muscle groups but also smaller muscles that you wouldn’t necessarily hit with just one modality.

You move in more planes of motion.

For anyone who sits at a desk most of the day (hello, WFH life!), it’s super important to move your body in different ways so it’s not stuck in that hunched over, seated position that can lead to aches, pains, poor posture, and other injuries. Mixing up your routine means more chances to move not just up and down or front to back, but also side to side and even in rotation, says Joi. For example, boxing includes a lot of rotational exercises as you jab and cross, while HIIT can include all planes of motion, including up and down (i.e. burpees) and side-to-side (i.e. skaters). (Related: How to Set Up the Most Ergonomic Home Office Ever)

You get to know your body better.

“When you include different forms of exercise, you can figure out where you’re strongest,” says Joi. For example, Joi says she didn’t do much boxing before joining the Centr team but realized she could still throw powerful punches thanks to her regular weight training. “That self-awareness is something that people can take outside of the gym,” she says. Surprising yourself through a new workout challenge is a great way to boost confidence. (More: The Mental and Physical Benefits of Trying a New Workout)

It can also help you pinpoint any muscle imbalances or where you might have some uneven weakness. And on that note, don’t be afraid to challenge yourself in those weaker areas of fitness — say, if you need to work on your barbell skills or you don’t feel so confident in your running technique. “It’s something you can become really good at eventually,” says Joi. At the very least, you’ll learn to feel a little less awkward doing whatever it is the more you practice — you just have to start.

You get stronger, powerful, and more flexible.

One reason Centr included the mix of strength training, boxing, and yoga specifically, is the three methods each bring something different to the fitness table, says Joi. You use weights to build strength, HIIT to boost cardio and endurance, and yoga to improve mobility and flexibility. “This encompasses all the great movement practices that will allow everybody to become a better version of themselves,” says Joi. Depending on your goals, you can add heavier weights (for strength) or stretching (for improved flexibility) but having a mix of all modalities means you become an all-around better athlete. (Related: The Only 4 Exercises You Need to Be a Better Athlete)

Oh, one more thing: Don’t forget to build in rest.

Scheduling something like a yoga session or a mobility routine into your weekly fitness routine means you can account for an active recovery day, and that’s crucial if you want to keep training for the long haul and avoid injury, says Joi. Even the best-laid workout plans can lead to overtraining if your body doesn’t get ample time to rest in between workouts. People underestimate the power of sleep and hydration, so don’t forget to keep those on the schedule, too, she says.

Most importantly, tune into what your body is telling you it needs. If you have a HIIT session on the calendar, but you’re feeling wiped, swap in a yoga session or a long walk. “It comes down to personalizing your program and listening to your body,” says Joi.

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How to Handle a Temper Tantrum

You’re standing in the snack aisle of the supermarket. Lying at your feet is your toddler, who has just been informed (by you) that, no, they cannot have the Cinderella fruit snacks. Their face has turned a shade somewhere between red and purple. Their fists are pounding the floor in fury as they emit a shriek that can be heard in the farthest reaches of the parking lot. The other shoppers are gaping at this spectacle as you wish desperately for a hole to open in the floor and swallow you up.

Many a parent has been through a scenario like this, although the tantrum might have taken a slightly different form; crying, hitting, kicking, stomping, throwing things, and breath holding are all popular tantrum techniques.

Temper tantrums are exceedingly common in children, especially between ages 1 and 4 — the early part of which is sometimes called the “terrible 2s” — when kids are still learning how to communicate effectively. More than half of young children will have one or more tantrums a week as they vent their frustrations and protest their lack of control.

Although they are a normal part of the toddler repertoire, temper tantrums can be distressing to parents. When they occur infrequently, tantrums aren’t a big deal and are best ignored. It’s when they become regular or intense that parents need to look into what’s causing them and find ways to stop them.

Tantrum Triggers
Some children are more prone to tantrums, particularly kids who are intense, hyperactive, or moody, or kids who don’t adapt well to new environments. For most toddlers, tantrums are simply a way of getting out their frustration and testing limits (Will mommy buy me that toy if I scream really loud?).

The smallest things, from asking them to take a bath while they’re in the middle of watching Sesame Street to requesting that they share a favorite stuffed animal with a younger sibling, can set off young children. Any situation that involves change may spawn a tantrum. Add fatigue or hunger to the equation and children, their threshold for tolerance even lower, are even more likely to throw a tantrum.

Read more…

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The Power of Play: How Time Outside Helps Kids

For millennia, parents have told their rowdy kids to “Go out and play!” In doing so, most hadn’t a clue they were nurturing the emotional, cognitive, language, and self-regulation skills that build executive function and social aptitude in children, all while enhancing critical brain structures that support pursuing goals and ignoring distractions.

In other words, play is needed for healthy development. So says a recent report published in the journal Pediatrics, which outlines how play advances such skills even as it manages toxic stress. What’s more, playing is shown to support the formation of stable and nurturing relationships with caregivers that kids need to thrive.

While the definition of play is not clear-cut, the researchers agree that play is naturally motivated, uses active engagement, and results in joyful discovery. It’s also voluntary, fun, and spontaneous, with no extrinsic goals.

There are different types of play, says Eileen Kennedy-Moore, PhD, a child psychologist and the author of Growing Friendships: A Kids’ Guide to Making and Keeping Friends. “Some play is child-directed; it’s about exploring,” she says. “A toddler puts everything in her mouth — she’s curious about the world. Physical play is rough-and-tumble, with kids running and moving their bodies. Social play may involve a child watching another kid, playing alongside him, which becomes cooperative play with shared goals as they interact. Pretend play is when children take on adult roles. Interestingly, this happens cross-culturally at specific developmental times, primarily during the preschool years.”

Free play enables children to understand their own preferences and interests, the report states. But play guided by an adult, where the child does her own actions, better promotes learning with a specific goal in mind.
Kennedy-Moore agrees: “Adult-guided play is not about an adult lecturing, but rather modeling for children by asking questions. For example, if a parent and a child are doing a puzzle, the adult might say, ‘I notice the color yellow is running through here. Do you see a yellow piece?’ Asking questions instead of giving the answers.” This allows a child to figure it out — and succeed — independently.

Play and stress are closely linked, with high levels of play associated with low levels of cortisol. Play may be especially important for children in high-stress family situations, the report says.

4 Game Changers
Use these play tips from Kennedy-Moore in your kids’ downtime to boost social, emotional, and mental development.

Ditch the device. There’s no “right” number of hours for kids to play — but do monitor screen time, Kennedy-Moore says: “Playing a video game virtually with a friend is not the same as a game of tag, where kids negotiate the rules, cooperate, and compete to catch each other.”

Solo play is good — to a point. “Alone play can be wonderful, and it builds imagination,” Kennedy-Moore says. “For instance, kids love playing alone with Legos.” But if your child always plays solo, it can be a red flag for social isolation.

Embrace unstructured play time. “Kids say, ‘I’m bored!’ and parents leap to the rescue,” Kennedy-Moore says. “If they can resist, the child moans and groans — and, then, something wonderful happens: Kids think of something to do. It’s a life skill to follow their own curiosity, entertain themselves, and manage their emotions.”

The play’s the thing. “Play is important and valuable, in and of itself,” Kennedy-Moore says, “even if it doesn’t always encourage development every time. Play is like art — to be appreciated.”

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Allergic Reactions Spur Alerts Over Pfizer Vaccine

Health authorities in the United Kingdom say people with a history of allergic reactions should delay taking the new Pfizer-BioNTech coronavirus vaccine after two people had reactions following the rollout of the national vaccination program.

The U.K.’s Medical and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) doesn’t know yet if the vaccine caused the reactions, The Guardian reported. The two people are National Health Service employees with a history of allergies. Their identities and the nature of their reactions have not been revealed.

“As is common with new vaccines, the MHRA have advised on a precautionary basis that people with a significant history of allergic reactions do not receive this vaccination after two people with a history of significant allergic reactions responded adversely yesterday,” Stephen Powis, medical director for the NHS in England, said in a statement. “Both are recovering well.”

The world is watching how the U.K. administers its vaccine program, the first in the world to vaccinate the public with the Pfizer vaccine outside clinical trials.

U.K. health care regulators approved the Pfizer vaccine on Dec. 2 and began giving vaccinations on Tuesday — only 6 days later. The first people to be vaccinated were health care workers and people over 80.

In the United States, an FDA committee is expected to consider the Pfizer vaccine on Thursday. If approved, vaccinations could begin in the U.S. within days.

The Associated Press reported that MHRA Chief Executive June Raine told a Parliamentary committee about the allergic reactions during previously scheduled testimony on the pandemic.

“We know from the very extensive clinical trials that this wasn’t a feature” of the vaccine, she said. “But if we need to strengthen our advice, now that we have had this experience in the vulnerable populations, the groups who have been selected as a priority, we get that advice to the field immediately.”