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THURSDAY, Oct. 21, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- Though most U.S. dentists say non-opioid painkillers effectively manage dental pain, nearly half still prescribe potentially addictive opioid painkillers, a new survey reveals.In all, 84% of the 269 respondents said NSAID-acetaminophen combos are as effective as opioids or even more so, but 43% also said they regularly prescribe opioid medications.The findings were published Oct. 21 in the Journal of the American Dental Association."These results suggest that dentists are familiar with the evidence about the effectiveness of NSAID-acetaminophen medications, but their self-reported prescribing patterns demonstrate a disconnect," said first author Matthew Heron, who conducted the study as an undergraduate at Georgetown University's School of...

THURSDAY, Oct. 21, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- Slings and other popular "baby-wearing" products have sent thousands of U.S. infants to the emergency room in the past decade, a new study finds.Researchers estimate that between 2011 and 2020, more than 14,000 infants nationwide ended up in an ER because of an injury related to a baby sling or other carrier. In more than half of cases, the baby fell out of the carrier.The most common injury was a traumatic brain injury -- which includes concussions and more serious head trauma. And while most babies with those injuries were able to go home after being seen in the ER, about 21% had to be hospitalized.Baby slings are ubiquitous these days, and no one is trying to scare parents away from them, said lead researcher Dr. Samantha Rowe.The products...

THURSDAY, Oct. 21, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- A new study may allay concerns that strenuous exercise could up the risk for developing amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), an incurable neurological disease.No evidence of rising ALS risk was seen among adults who routinely work up a sweat by playing team sports or engaging in heavy gym workouts. Nor was increased ALS risk associated with less intense leisure activities, such as running, biking or walking.But investigators did observe that strenuous physical activity on the job was linked to higher ALS risk. "Heavy exercise at work was associated with a double risk [for] developing ALS," said study lead author Dr. Angela Rosenbohm. She is head of neurological rehabilitation at University Hospital Ulm in Germany.The team stressed that their...

THURSDAY, Oct. 21, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- When a pregnant woman is infected with COVID-19, the sex of the fetus may influence immune system activity, researchers say.The new study included 68 mothers-to-be. Thirty-eight developed COVID-19 during their third trimester, while 30 remained virus-free. In both groups, half of the fetuses were male and half were female.In the infected women, male placentas had significantly higher levels of certain genes and proteins associated with increased immune activity compared to female placentas, the investigators found.While this increased immune activity may provide male fetuses with better protection against coronavirus infection, the resulting inflammation could pose risks to the fetus while in the womb and to the child after birth, explained...