News Stories - Page 417

Head lice make children scratch their heads. Getting rid of them can make parents want to pull their hair out.

Head lice affect more than 12 million people a year. Most are children, parents or school staff. To help cut down on their numbers, University of Georgia entomologists are working to educate school systems on the best way to control the head-scratching pests.

Children and teens are always looking for role models. Fashion magazines, athletes, movie stars, popular kids at school and even you are influencing the standards they set for their appearance and behavior.

Without a tax-free holiday for school shopping in 2010, it is more important than ever for parents to shop smart this year.

School gardens are full of berries, lettuce and radishes. But what they grow best is knowledge.

Only a small percentage of pesticide applicators in Georgia are actually trained to do the job correctly. Some of these untrained applicators spray pesticides in schools, parks, athletic fields and roadways.

A recent report in the journal Pediatrics suggests a possible link between organophosphate pesticides and increased risk of children developing attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder. The report has some parents wondering if they should stay away from the produce aisle in the grocery store. University of Georgia experts say to learn the facts, thoroughly clean all produce and feed healthful fruits and vegetables to children.

Georgia’s summer will likely be warmer and drier than normal through at least early August. Temperatures and rainfall in late summer and early fall will depend on the number and tracks of tropical weather systems.

A University of Georgia scientist has discovered a connection between HIV incidence in Sub-Saharan Africa countries and the amount of corn people consume there.