Time to Reopen the Jiffy Jar?

The latest issue of the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology has posted an article that appears to have people buzzing about peanut allergies. Researchers have found that peanut allergies were 10 times higher in Jewish children in the UK than in Israel, where the majority of children consume peanuts by 9 months of age. Since peanut allergy has been on the rise in the US, I wonder if our guidelines have been leading us down the proverbial primrose path… only additional research will tell.

Today’s the last day for the American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2008 Conference in New Orleans, but you can still read abstracts and news releases online. The news includes an interesting study regarding the vascular aging of children with increased BMI, one more reason for parents to monitor their children’s eating and exercise habits.

And while I’m thinking about it, congratulations to Nancy Brown, the first woman to serve as CEO of the American Heart Association.

As a side note, I took noticed a device clearance late last month for a new company, Elixir Corporation. The device, the Abc Syringe Infusion Pump, is aimed at the pediatric market and was developed by the folks from Medfusion, an infusion pump company that dominated the market in the 1990’s. The company is young enough that they don’t have a web site, but I’ve called and asked for additional information and will update the blog if the technology looks compelling.