THURSDAY, Oct. 7, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- A pair of special headphones plus a free app might help kids with hearing difficulty due to "glue ear," a new, small study suggests.Glue ear is slang for a condition called otitis media with effusion (OME), where thick fluid builds up in the middle ear. It's very common in young children but strikes older kids as well, and often occurs after a cold or sore throat. Usually, the fluid goes away on its own in four to six weeks.Sometimes, though, the buildup persists for months and may impair hearing -- which can be a big problem for young children developing their language skills, and for older kids in school.The standard way to manage those cases is by surgically implanting a tiny tube in the opening of the eardrum to drain the fluid from behind...

THURSDAY, Oct. 7, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- Parents frazzled by their little ones' finicky food choices often sigh in exasperation, thinking: "They'll grow out of it by college."Maybe not, suggests a new study from Bowling Green State University in Ohio. Some young people continue their picky eating into early adulthood, often restricting their diets to 10 foods or even fewer.Such a limited diet can mean they're not getting the fiber and vegetables they need, which could be a health issue. But the study also suggests picky eaters also may be experiencing other challenges such as social phobias, including around eating. Social phobia is the fear of being judged by others during everyday activities, often resulting in fear or embarrassment."If someone's a picky eater but they couldn't...

THURSDAY, Oct. 7, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- Pfizer Inc. announced Thursday that it has asked the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for emergency approval for its coronavirus vaccine to be given to children between the ages of 5 and 11."We're committed to working with the FDA with the ultimate goal of helping protect children against this serious public health threat," the company said in a tweet announcing the FDA filing.Meanwhile, the FDA has already scheduled an Oct. 26 meeting to consider Pfizer's request, with a ruling expected between Halloween and Thanksgiving, the New York Times reported.Pfizer has proposed giving children one-third of the adult dosage, which may require adding more diluent to each injection or using a different vial or syringe, the Times reported. Vaccine doses...

THURSDAY, Oct. 7, 2021 (American Heart Association News) -- Heart surgery can be tough. It can be stressful. And while it can lead families on a path they might not have chosen, sometimes that path guides them smack dab into a purpose.That's what happened to Ariel Hernandez and her family.When she was barely 2 years old, Ariel had a lifesaving operation. It was a groundbreaking procedure that her heart surgeons learned in Brazil, and news of it spread widely. A year later, Ariel has been part of television interviews with her cardiologist, Dr. James Hill, in Sacramento, California.Even before surgery, Ariel, who also has Down syndrome, was modeling for major retailers, which she loves, said her mom, Kristal Hernandez. It's a way "to tell her own story, and to put a face and personality...