Month: January 2013

Recess is just as important as class time for kids, says the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). And the AAP says that children are not getting enough recess. The professional group issued a policy statement in the journal Pediatrics. It recommended against using recess time for academics. It also did not recommend taking away recess time as punishment. Recess is important for physical activity. It’s also a time when children can choose their own activities, learn to communicate better and have fun. The AAP said that structured recess has some advantages. In structured recess, children are involved in organized activities. But this does not allow for free choice or relaxation time. ABC News wrote about the statement December 31.

If you use your phone to send and receive text messages, you’ve seen your share of gibberish, often due to the auto correct feature. It can turn “Meet you at the theater around noon” into “Newt you anyone heater around Jon.” Doctors in Boston have found what they believe to be the first instance where an odd text message was used to help diagnose a stroke. A man received a garbled message from his wife. But this wasn’t just a line or two. This was a whole conversation that didn’t make sense. He was alarmed enough to get her to an emergency room where she was diagnosed with a stroke. ABC News wrote about the incident, which was reported online in this week’s Archives of Neurology.

Marijuana is legal in two U.S. states, so it must be safe, right? That may be the message teens are hearing. A survey from the National Institute on Drug Abuse finds the use of pot is up among high school students while the perceived risk of smoking it is down. Researchers worry this could lead to a greater increase in its use in the future. Meanwhile, a Dutch study says marijuana use may be linked to psychotic symptoms later in life. Reuters Health wrote about the study and medwireNews covered the survey.