Using Facebook Is Good for You, According to Facebook

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Is our daily (err—hourly, if we’re being honest) Facebook habit good for our health? Or does it trigger feelings of loneliness and inadequacy?

Researchers have been trying to pinpoint the effects that social networks have on our well-being for years, and a new review by Facebook itself hopes to shed more light on the subject.

Published in Communications of the ACM (the monthly magazine of the Association for Computing Machinery), the paper analyzes two previous studies to better understand how the Internet impacts our relationships and overall happiness. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the authors—Moira Burke, PhD, a data scientist at Facebook, and Robert Kraut, PhD, a professor of social psychology at Carnegie Mellon University—conclude that the effect the Internet has on our lives depends on how we use it.

RELATED: Is Facebook Messing With Your Self-Esteem? Ask Yourself These 3 Questions

The first study Burke and Kraut reviewed was done at Carniegie Mellon about 15 years ago, in the early days of the web. It found that the more time people spent using the Internet, the more depressed they became. Burke and Kraut attribute this to the fact that back then, people were mainly communicating with strangers online. (This was, after all, the golden age of anonymous chatrooms.) A few years later, when the web became mainstream and more people were online, the Carnegie Mellon researchers replicated their experiment, and discovered that the more people used the Internet to talk to their friends, the less depressed they became.

The second study Bruke and Kraut reviewed was conducted in 2015, on Facebook users. The researchers asked the participants’ to complete surveys that measured aspects of their well-being. They also logged the participants’ activity on the site—collecting data such as the number of wall posts and comments written and read, likes delivered and received, and photos viewed.

RELATED: What Your Facebook Updates Reveal About Your Personality

Like the previous study, this one indicated that using the Internet to connect with friends may be beneficial. Specifically, one-on-one Facebook interactions (such as posting to friends’ walls and commenting on their pics) resulted in increased feelings of happiness. “Satisfaction with life, positive mood, social support, and loneliness all improved 1-3% among people who received approximately 50 or more comments than average from close friends,” the authors write in a press release. (Aspects of well-being such as stress, depression, and negative mood did not change with increased activity on the site.)

Although 1 to 3% sounds like a small amount, the researchers say it’s significant. Their data suggest that a 1 to 3% change is comparable to the effect that illness has on well-being, though in the opposite direction; and roughly one-third the dip in well-being a person experiences from losing a job or getting divorced. In other words, “receiving one-on-one communication from close ties was linked to a boost in well-being that was about the same magnitude as well-being changes caused by major events in people’s lives,” Burke and Kraut write.

RELATED: How to Beat Social Media Self-Doubt

But while one-on-one communication was associated with a positive spike, more passive use of Facebook seemed to have the opposite effect: “Spending time reading about acquaintances without talking to them was linked to a small but statistically significant increase in negative mood (about 1%),” according to the authors.

If “reading about acquaintances without talking to them” can be interpreted as comparing yourself to your Facebook friends, then the paper’s findings appear to align with previous studies which have shown that social networks like Facebook and Twitter can cause feelings of inadequacy. A 2015 study from the University of North Carolina School of Medicine, for example, found that young women who felt a greater emotional connection to Facebook were more likely to suffer from poor body image. Similarly, other studies have suggested there’s a link between Facebook usage and negative feelings of self-worth: One published last year found a connection between using social networks and poor mental health in teens; another study argued that using Facebook can prolong the pain you feel after a breakup; and yet another found that generally using Facebook might contribute to an overall decline in happiness.

RELATED: How Your Friends Make You Healthier

The real takeaway from the new paper? Although “lurking” on the Facebook pages of acquaintances could have a negative effect on your well-being, treating the social network primarily as a place to connect with people you really care about might offer modest mental health benefits.

But no matter how many times you check your feed per day, make sure you don’t neglect your “real life” friendships, which offer the most impressive health perks of all: Research has shown that a close circle could help you live stay slim, sleep better, preserve your memory, even live longer. It’s possible that the 1 to 3% boost in well-being that the Facebook paper noted had less to do with the social networking giant than the therapeutic effect of good pals.

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Do Himalayan Salt Lamps Have Any Health Benefits?

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I recently stayed at a hotel where there were lamps made of salt blocks, said to relieve allergies and purify the air. Is this for real?

Not to, um, dim your hopes, but it’s doubtful. Believers claim that these glowing lamps—the body is a hunk of orangey rock salt, and there’s either a lightbulb or a candle tucked inside—emit negative ions, which bind to positively charged dust and allergens in the air and can alleviate myriad ailments. But there’s simply no good science to back any of this up.

RELATED: Your 12 Worst Allergy Mistakes

That said, salt water does have a long history of healing; for example, rinsing nasal passages with saline can help loosen mucus and reduce dryness and inflammation. But if you spring for a lamp, use it for the mood lighting, not the medicinal benefits.

Health’s medical editor, Roshini Rajapaksa, MD, is assistant professor of medicine at the NYU School of Medicine.

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Clot-Busters Might Be Useful for ‘Previously Dependent’ Stroke Patients

FRIDAY, Jan. 22, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Intravenous clot-busting treatment might benefit stroke patients who needed help with daily living before their stroke, a new study suggests.

Stroke patients who already required daily living assistance are often left out of clinical trials of clot-busting treatment, the researchers said. With little information to go on, doctors might not treat these patients with powerful clot-busting drugs when they suffer a stroke, the study authors explained in background notes.

“These findings prove that randomized-controlled [clot-busting] trials should be considered for such patients,” said study lead author Dr. Henrik Gensicke, a neurologist at University Hospital Basel in Switzerland.

This new study included more than 7,400 people in Europe who suffered an ischemic stroke (blocked blood flow to the brain) and were treated with clot-busting drugs. Nearly 7 percent of them required daily living assistance before the stroke.

During the three months after clot-busting treatment, previously dependent patients were nearly twice as likely to die as previously independent patients. But both groups had similar levels of brain bleeding and poor outcomes, the study found.

However, among patients who survived the first three months, previously dependent patients were less likely to have poor outcomes than previously independent patients, after the researchers compensated for age and stroke severity.

The study was published Jan. 21 in the journal Stroke.

“Concerns of higher complication rates … for dependent patients might be unjustified and perhaps should be set aside to allow further study,” Gensicke said in a journal news release.

Prior stroke, dementia and heart and bone diseases were the most common reasons for pre-existing dependency among patients in the study. Compared to previously independent patients, previously dependent patients were older, more often female, had more severe strokes, and were more likely to have been prescribed blood-thinning drugs.

More information

The American Academy of Family Physicians has more about stroke.

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More Patients Satisfied With Doctor Visits: Survey

FRIDAY, Jan. 22, 2016 (HealthDay News) — More Americans than ever are satisfied with their visits to the doctor, a new survey shows.

The online poll of over 3,000 people aged 18 and older found that 88 percent of those who visited a doctor’s office in the past year were satisfied with their last visit — a 5 percent increase from 2012. And 53 percent said they were very satisfied with their last doctor’s visit.

Satisfaction appeared to increase with age. Sixty-nine percent of people aged 70 and older were very satisfied, compared with 47 percent of those aged 18 to 35, according to The Harris Poll, conducted in September.

When asked if they were very satisfied with their last visit to the doctor, whites (54 percent) and blacks (57 percent) were much more likely than Hispanics (43 percent) and Asians (39 percent) to say so.

Those surveyed also identified what factors were most likely to influence their level of satisfaction.

These factors included the doctor’s overall knowledge, training and expertise (83 percent), access to overall medical history (65 percent), time spent with the doctor (58 percent), ease of making an appointment (49 percent), efficient and simple billing (45 percent), and being able to communicate by phone or email with the doctor outside of an appointment (44 percent).

Time spent waiting was a very important factor in judging how positive the visit was for 43 percent of those surveyed. Less important factors were convenience of a doctor’s office location (40 percent), amount of paperwork (32 percent), and the appearance and atmosphere of the doctor’s office (31 percent).

Since 2012, a growing number of doctor’s offices provide online communications with their patients. Twenty-five percent of survey respondents said they now have online access to their medical records, including doctor visits, prescriptions, test results and history. That’s up from 17 percent in 2012.

Email access to doctors also rose, from 12 percent of patients in 2012 to 19 percent of patients in 2015.

However, 59 percent of patients said they don’t have online access to their medical records but rate it as important. And about half said the same about being able to contact their doctor via email.

More information

The American Academy of Family Physicians offers tips for talking with your doctor.

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As Winter Storm Targets Eastern U.S., Tips for Stepping Out Safely

FRIDAY, Jan. 22, 2016 (HealthDay News) — With much of the eastern United States bracing for a major winter storm this weekend, one expert is offering advice on how to lower your risk of slipping or falling on ice or snow once you head outside.

Wear boots or shoes that provide good traction; those made of nonslip rubber or neoprene with grooved sole are best. Don’t wear shoes or boots with smooth soles or heels, said Julia Henderson-Kalb, an instructor in the Department of Occupational Science and Occupational Therapy at Saint Louis University, in Missouri.

Look ahead when you walk, try to stay on the grassy edge of snow- or ice-covered sidewalks or driveways, and use hand railings when going up and down steps, she advised. Extending your arms out to your sides can help your balance.

In cold weather, any wet, dark areas on the pavement can be slippery. “Some spots can be nearly invisible layers of ice even if they just look wet,” Henderson-Kalb said in a university news release.

When there is snow or ice on the ground, bend slightly and walk flat-footed.

“Put your center of gravity directly over your feet as much as possible. Take short steps or shuffle. It also helps to stop occasionally to break momentum,” Henderson-Kalb said.

Take your time when walking and factor that into your plans.

“Allowing more time lets you focus on safety and to be aware of the surroundings, both of which are important to avoid falling in winter weather,” Henderson-Kalb said. “Walking more slowly will also help your reaction time to changes in traction.”

She added that wearing sunglasses during the day can help you see better and avoid hazards in your path. But make sure your glasses don’t block your vision.

More information

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more about winter outdoor safety.

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‘Standing Desks’ in Classrooms May Kickstart Kids’ Activity

By Maureen Salamon
HealthDay Reporter

FRIDAY, Jan. 22, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Parents who worry that too much sitting might harm their children’s health may have a new ally: “standing desks” in the classroom.

A new research review reports that use of the desks at school helped kids get more active.

The researchers also found that standing desk use was tentatively linked to better classroom behavior and greater energy expenditure among children, although the results were mixed — stemming from varied studies.

“There’s a lot of research out there about integrating standing desks into the workplace that generally found favorable impacts on reduced sitting time and increasing standing time,” said study author Karl Minges, a doctoral candidate at the Yale School of Nursing in Orange, Conn.

“In the student population … it seemed to be a natural fit,” said Minges. “Our research adds to that evidence, showing schools can be a good place to introduce interventions to improve students’ health as well as their minds.”

The review was published online Jan. 22 in the journal Pediatrics.

Minges and his colleagues reviewed eight international studies. The studies included schoolchildren aged 5 to 18. Desk designs included both adjustable sit-to-stand desks, which permitted the use of a stool, and standing desks, which didn’t have a stool.

While the eight study designs varied greatly, half showed that sitting time among students using the standing desks decreased about one hour each day. Two studies showed a significant increase — up to nearly 31 percent — in the proportion of time children spent standing each school day.

Other results indicated children using standing desks logged more than one hour a day less of television viewing and computer use, reported far more time spent “walking around,” and had more frequent bouts of activity compared to children using traditional desks.

“One study said that more than 32 additional calories per hour were burned [using standing desks], which would be the equivalent of 225 additional calories per school day, similar to [total calories burned while] roller skating or skateboarding after school,” Minges said.

Decreasing sedentary time among children is a widespread goal for health promotion and obesity prevention efforts in children and adolescents, the study authors said.

In the United States, obesity rates among children aged 6 to 11 grew from 7 percent in 1980 to nearly 18 percent in 2012. In Americans aged 12 to 19, obesity rates increased from 5 percent to 21 percent in the same time period, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Experts noted that the review’s findings weren’t surprising, but said more research is needed to pinpoint actual health benefits to children from using standing desks.

“It shows promise, but it’s too early to say that this type of intervention would have a major public health impact,” said Dr. David Paul, chair of pediatrics at Christiana Care Health System in Wilmington, Del.

“It’s a compelling idea and a compelling intervention,” Paul said. “But we’re going to have to wait until larger studies are undertaken to see if there’s an impact on decreasing obesity and type 2 diabetes, the things we’d want to see.”

James Sallis is a professor of family medicine and public health, and director of active living research at the University of California, San Diego. Sallis said he hopes the research will spur school officials to invest in some standing desks and observe how students respond.

“This really seems like it could be an affordable intervention that could have real benefits for children, so I’d encourage schools to at least try it out,” said Sallis.

More information

Let’s Move has more ideas on increasing activity in children.

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6 People Explain What It’s Really Like to Live With MS

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Jamie-Lynn Sigler is finally opening up about a private battle she’s been facing for the past 15 years—living with multiple sclerosis.

In a new interview with People, the Sopranos actress explained that she wasn’t ready to speak out about her condition until now: “You’d think after all these years somebody would be settled with something like this, but it’s still hard to accept.”

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a disease in which the body’s immune system attacks myelin, the protective sheath around nerve cells that helps send messages to the brain and other parts of the body. Common signs of the disease include trouble walking and maintaining balance, fatigue, sensations of numbness or tingling, and vision problems. But depending on which nerves are affected and the level of damage, symptoms can vary widely from person to person, and may not surface right away or progress steadily.

Sigler, 34, told the magazine that she was initially diagnosed at age 20 and went symptom-free “for quite some time.” It was during the last decade that the newlywed and new mom began to struggle with the often unpredictable effects of the disease. “I can’t walk for a long period of time without resting. I cannot run,” she said. “Stairs? I can do them but they’re not the easiest. When I walk, I have to think about every single step, which is annoying and frustrating.”

Because no two cases are alike, and MS can be so tricky to understand, we reached out to several individuals who are living with the disease, and asked them what they wished other people knew about it. Here are their stories.

RELATED: 4 Celebrities With Multiple Sclerosis

“Even when we’re in periods of remission, we are struggling psychologically on a daily basis.” — Meagan Freeman, 41, family nurse practitioner

It was a “strange” transition from caregiver to patient for Freeman, who says she has managed to find a way to play both roles in the six years since her diagnosis: “I have drastically changed my diet, tried to reduce stress as much as possible, and I have learned that I need to say ‘no’ sometimes in order to remain healthy.”

One thing that has surprised her is how people tend to think of MS patients in two ways: “Either complete and total disability, or a perfectly normal person with a minor illness,” says Freeman, who now blogs for the Multiple Sclerosis Association Of America (MSAA). The reality is that some people can become seriously disabled during flare-ups, but remain relatively functional at other times, she explains.

Fear of the future, however, is something they all share, she says: “It is inescapable with an incurable disease.” To escape the worry, she tries to live by the mantra It could always be worse. “There is always something to be grateful for,” she says, “no matter how small.”

“I don’t think of myself as a woman with MS most of the time.” — Liz Sagaser, 35, publishing and campaign strategist for a nonprofit organization

“I am not in denial,” says Sagaser, who was diagnosed on Nov. 13, 2007, her father’s birthday. “But overall, MS hasn’t stolen my function, and I feel hopeful because of this.”

At the time of her diagnosis, she had been married to her husband for eight years, two of which they’d spent trying to get pregnant. “The community neurologist who diagnosed me wanted me to start on a disease-modifying drug therapy right away, but I wasn’t going to set aside our plans to have a family.”

Now a mom of two, Sagaser has been on the same disease-modifying medication for five and a half years, and has not gone through a clinical relapse.

“I experience neuropathy in my hands and feet, fatigue, word recall issues, and sometimes long-term memory lapses,” she says. “But I consider people who seem to have a more virulent form of the disease, and whose health seems to decline more rapidly and noticeably than my own, and I’m grateful that my legs work, my arms work, my hands work. and my mental faculties are intact.”

RELATED: Could You Have MS? 16 Multiple Sclerosis Symptoms

“I never imagined I would be 40 years old and living at home with my parents.” — Christina Aivazoglou, 40, former personal trainer

Aivazoglou remembers when her days were spent at the gym training clients—no wheelchair, no leg brace. Now, with little mobility in the left side of her body, she requires help from an aid and her mom to eat, wash, style her hair, and more. “Although I am very lucky to have them, it sucks,” she admits.

Although she has tried many drugs that failed her, Aivazoglou continues to experiment with different options. In addition to disease-modifying therapy medications, she takes a sleeping pill and uses medical marijuana to help prevent muscle spasms during the night.

But her biggest challenge, she says, is coming to terms with the role reversal she has experienced with her daughter, who is now 10 years old. “I want to be able to drive my daughter to dance, spot her while she does a gymnastics move,” says Aivazoglou. “Instead my daughter is helping take care of me, calling 911 when I fall.”

“It’s all trial and error in figuring out how our bodies can best cope.” — Stacie Prada, 45, county treasurer

The first signs of fatigue and numbness eight years ago didn’t phase Prada. “I just thought each time I was exhausted that I was fighting a cold, stressed, or working hard and needed to rest,” she says. “I assumed all would be fine, and I even ran a 12K race with fatigue and a numb body.”

On the morning of her son’s graduation, Prada finally saw a specialist. “The neurologist acted as though it was no big deal to tell me I had MS, gave me information on four disease-modifying medications to review to decide which one to take, suggested I sign up for Bike MS, and gave me [a] book,” she remembers. “I was dumbfounded.”

Today her fatigue is near-constant. “I diligently monitor my energy level, and I take it seriously when it dips to the point of feeling like regular living is like trying to walk through water.”

Her new attitude isn’t to “fight” or “battle” the disease. “That [language] never resonated with me,” says Prada, who also blogs for the MSAA. “Constantly fighting seemed exhausting to me when I was already experiencing extreme fatigue. Thinking of my body as a buddy that is doing the best she can made me feel like I had some control. It made me feel like I could help my body continue to do as much as possible for as long as possible.”

RELATED: 7 Alternative Treatments for MS

“A lot of people don’t talk about it, but it does take a toll on your sex life.” — Michelle Tolson, 41, PR executive and dance teacher

Tolson is the first to admit that MS can shift the physical and emotional dynamics between partners. “Sometimes when you have a flare-up, you just don’t want to be touched. You have tingling and numbness in your legs and in your arms and just being brushed by somebody may feel awful,” she explains.

Joining separate support groups helped Tolson and her husband by allowing them to vent about her condition without taking any frustration out on each other: “I don’t try to pretend what it’s like being in his shoes, because I don’t know what it’s like to be worried all the time that the person you love is going to get worse.”

Tolson’s main concern is “staying as great as I am right now,” she says. The former Rockette was back on stage two years ago for an alumni performance, and she’s been teaching dance on the weekends ever since retiring from Radio City in 2002.

RELATED: 12 Surprising Factors That Up Your Risk of MS

“It can be possible to feel completely great.” — Daryl Bryant, 38, founder of a digital marketing agency and author of MS: Living Symptom Free

Fourteen years ago, Bryant began to experience vision loss and eye pain, which “felt like someone was squeezing my eyeball with a wrench,” he says. He saw an eye specialist but was told that everything was fine.

Another year passed before Bryant visited a neurologist who informed him that he had optic neuritis, inflammation of the bundle of nerve fibers that transmits visual information from the eye to the brain. For many people, it is the first indication of MS.

“I was left in shock. All I remember is walking away thinking, MS is the disease that puts you in a wheelchair,” he says.

Bryant went through a difficult relapse in 2007 that landed him in the hospital. “Every time I stood up I would fall to the side. I felt extreme tingling throughout my body, and I couldn’t stop throwing up. I went to rehab and pretty much had to learn how to walk again.”

Following that scare, he began studying any information he could find on the disease. Today, Bryant has found success with an MS medication and adjustments to his lifestyle that allow him to manage his symptoms. “I eat a Paleo diet. I get up every day at 4:30 to go to the gym. I’ve run triathlons. I’m living,” he says. “So far, there’s no wheelchair in sight.”

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Beyoncé’s Lead Dancer on What It Takes to Keep Up With Bey

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Ever wondered what it would be like to dance alongside Beyoncé? No one knows better than Ashley Everett, who dropped out of Julliard at 17 to join Bey’s back-up team. Over the last nine years, the stunning redhead has worked her way up to lead dancer and captain. Oh, and she also stars in the VH1 scripted series Hit the Floor—about a fictional NBA dance team—which started its third season this week. We got to chat with Ashley about her best therapy, those famous curls, and the trick to staying body confident.

So what’s it really like to perform with Beyoncé?

Obviously it’s amazing, otherwise I wouldn’t have stuck around for so long! She’s really an incredible person and an insane artist, plus her work ethic is out of this world. I just love learning from her and being inspired by her.

RELATED: 5 Exercises From Beyoncé’s Instagram Workout Video

What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned?

To always continue to push myself. She’s never comfortable or like “I’m on top,” she’s always trying to outdo herself. Like how she dropped a whole album with no promos and shot secret videos for every one of them, best believe she’s going to outdo that. I think that’s incredible and I just feel like if we all do that, we’ll all succeed somehow, some way.

Of all of the shows and videos you’ve done together, do you have a favorite?

I will say that the Single Ladies video was definitely a turning point in dance and the music industry. We got a lot of recognition and praise from it. So that’s a favorite for me. I also really love the Heaven video I did on her last album, because I got to do more than just dance. I played her best friend and we got to act and do a lot of fun stuff while we shot. We made a lot of great memories.

You play a dancer named Peyton on Hit the Floor. Is filming a TV series more or less stressful than your usual routine?

The days are still pretty long. Our call times were around 6 am and we wouldn’t wrap until 7 pm. Sometimes we’d learn three or four dances a day, and then shoot more than one dance a day. You definitely had to be on your toes at all times.

What do you love most about dancing?

Dancing is so therapeutic for me. It gives me the opportunity to express myself the same way a musician does through song, or an artist does through painting. It’s my language. I speak through movement. I lose myself on stage and it’s when I feel the most confident. Kind of like second nature.

RELATED: 15 Beyoncé Songs That Will Make You Want to Work Out

What’s the one song that when you hear it, you just have to dance?

I don’t have a specific song, but pretty much anything up-tempo!

Aside from dancing, how else do you like to work out?

When I’m really in the flow of rehearsals that’s usually the only workout I have time for. Other than that, I’ve gotten into CrossFit, which is fun because it changes everyday. And it works with your own bodyweight, which I love. Then I hike and stuff on my own free time. Beyoncé has the best body in the world, so I’m trying to keep up with her and not look crazy.

You are known for your signature red hair. How do you keep it looking so bright and healthy?

To keep it healthy, I use DevaCurl Decadence conditioner. When I get out of the shower and my hair’s still wet, I use MoroccanOil Intense Curl Cream. It’s a really thick lotion and it keeps all the moisture that my hair can hold in. I also use Ouidad gel to keep my curls from looking frizzy, and raw coconut oil whenever I feel like it’s getting dry.

RELATED: 15 Hair Products for a Shinier, Healthier Mane

What’s your secret to body confidence, even when you’re rocking the skimpiest costume?

I have my days when I feel horrible, but I still have to put on heels and a leotard and go on stage pretending like I’m the hottest thing in the world. Sometimes the other dancers and I will do small group workouts like crunches and squats backstage, and that will make us feel better right before the show. At some point you just have to fake it till you make it.

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Rate of Severe Stomach Birth Defect Doubled Over Two Decades: CDC

By Steven Reinberg
HealthDay Reporter

THURSDAY, Jan. 21, 2016 (HealthDay News) — A birth defect involving the stomach called gastroschisis has been increasing among U.S. infants for decades and more than doubled over 18 years, federal health officials report.

Babies with gastroschisis have a hole in the stomach wall at birth through which the intestines, and sometimes other organs such as the liver, protrude. The condition requires immediate surgery. Most babies do well after the operation, experts from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said.

“We don’t know why gastroschisis is increasing,” said Suzanne Gilboa, team leader and an epidemiologist in the CDC’s National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities.

Despite the increase, the disorder is still rare. About 2,000 babies in the United States are born each year with gastroschisis, the CDC said.

What causes the condition isn’t known, Gilboa said. However, some possible risk factors have been identified. These include smoking, illegal drug use, alcohol use, and being underweight before getting pregnant. “But we don’t know if these are the explanation for what we are seeing,” Gilboa said.

The report was published in the Jan. 22 issue of the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

“The concerning part of this is the inexorable rise in gastroschisis going back to the 1970s,” said Dr. Edward McCabe, senior vice president and chief medical officer at the March of Dimes.

More research is needed, he said. “When you see something rising as fast as this is in all population groups, and in all ages, it tells you something serious is going on. We need to try and figure out what it is so we can prevent the rise,” McCabe said.

Surgery returns the protruding organs into the baby’s body and seals the stomach wall. Even after surgery, however, babies can have problems eating or digesting food. In some cases, the condition can be life-threatening, Gilboa said.

Gastroschisis is a surgical emergency, McCabe said. “Babies still die from infection after surgery,” he added.

For the study, CDC researchers collected data from 14 states. They compared the prevalence of gastroschisis among babies born to mothers of different ages from 1995 to 2005 with those born between 2006 and 2012.

Gastroschisis was most common among mothers younger than 20 and in babies born to young black women, the report found. From 1995 to 2012, a 263 percent increase in gastroschisis occurred among babies born to black mothers 20 or younger, the research showed.

The increase in gastroschisis among teen mothers is not due to an increase in the number of births in teen mothers. Teen births actually declined over the same period, the report said. Between 1995 and 2012, the incidence of gastroschisis increased among mothers of all ages and racial and ethnic groups.

Gilboa said more research is needed “to figure out why this increase is happening. Planning and preparing for pregnancy is really important — things like having a healthy diet and weight, and not smoking or drinking, avoiding drug use and sexually transmitted diseases are all really important.”

McCabe agreed. “Women need good preconception and prenatal care, especially if these lifestyle issues are involved,” he said. “Women need to plan their pregnancy and go into it in the best condition they can.”

More information

For more about gastroschisis, visit the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

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Excess Weight Linked to Blood Clot Risk in Kids

THURSDAY, Jan. 21, 2016 (HealthDay News) — Obese children and teens may have an increased risk for blood clots in their veins, called venous thromboembolism (VTE), a new study suggests.

“This is important because the incidence of pediatric VTE has increased dramatically over the last 20 years, and childhood obesity remains highly prevalent in the United States,” lead study author Dr. Elizabeth Halvorson, assistant professor of pediatrics at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem, N.C., said in a hospital news release.

While the study found a connection between obesity in youngsters and blood clots, the research wasn’t designed to prove a cause-and-effect relationship.

“Our study presents data from a single institution with a relatively small sample size,” Halvorson pointed out. “But it does demonstrate an association between obesity and VTE in children, which should be explored further in larger future studies,” she added.

Obesity is a known risk factor for blood clots in adults, but previous research in youngsters has produced mixed findings. Untreated, blood clots can cause both immediate and long-term health problems.

In the current study, researchers reviewed the medical charts of 88 children. The kids were between the ages of 2 and 18. All had been diagnosed with blood clots in their veins between 2000 and 2012.

More than 37 percent of the patients were obese, the study authors found. Most of the children also had other known risk factors for blood clots, the researchers said.

After adjusting for other risk factors, such as bloodstream infection and time spent in an intensive care unit, the investigators still found a small but statistically significant association between obesity and blood clots in children and teens.

The study was published in the January issue of the journal Hospital Pediatrics.

More information

The American Society of Hematology has more about blood clots.

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