Dr. Howard Smith Oncall

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/drhowardsmithreports/reel/DHWmcgnMxf3/Two-thirds of children wearing peanut skin patches were safely desensitized to this common kid allergen.  Pediatric allergists at the University of Colorado followed 298 children 4 to 11 years of age in their phase 3 study of so-called epicutaneous  immunotherapy.The Viaskin Peanut Patch delivers 250 ug of peanut protein, and over 90% of the children were able to wear the patch for the entire 5 year study period.  The children’s level of tolerance to a stiff peanut protein challenge of 1000 ug rose gradually as they wore the patch.  After one year, one-third of the children tolerated this challenge but that figure tripled by the study’s completion.The Viaskin Patch still awaits FDA approval, but it represents a non-invasive, readily tolerated option to the oral route for peanut desensitization. https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/epicutaneous-immunotherapy-future-peanut-allergy-treatment-2025a10005s3#peanut #allergy #patch #desensitiza

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/reel/DHJpEFNOP0m/These slot car kits contain loose, high-powered magnets that pose ingestion hazards to children. When ingested, the magnets attract each other in the gastrointestinal tract leading to intestinal perforations, blockages, infections, and even death. Fully assembled models are not affected by this recall.About 55,000 kits were sold nationwide at Hobby Lobby, SlotsnStuff, NitroHobbies Inc., Hercules Distributors, RC Superstore, and at other hobby retailers, as well as online at autoworldstore.com, protinkertoys.com, and hobbylobby.com from July 2023 through February 2024.Keep these slot car kits away from your kids.   Contact Round 2  a 1-888-770-7120 or via the email deluxepitkit@realtimeresults.net to obtain a pre-paid return label and receive a full refund. Use these same contact routes for additional information about the recall.https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2025/Round-2-Recalls-Auto-World-Unassembled-Deluxe-Pit-Kit-Slot-Cars-Due-to-Ingestion-Hazard-Violatio

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/drhowardsmithreports/reel/DHJlClKPqCS/Those with sulfite allergies or sensitivities could develop serious or life-threatening reactions after consuming this product.These recalled lily flowers were sold at retail outlets nationwide.Those with a sulfite allergy should not consume this product and return it to the place of purchase for a full refund.For more information. About this recall, phone U.S. Trading Company at 1510-781-1818.https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/us-trading-company-hayward-ca-recalling-joy-luck-brand-lily-flowers-because-it-may-contain#joyluck #lilyflowers #sulfites #allergy #recall

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/reel/DHJkgQBtiUS/These powders are all contaminated with toxic levels of lead and arsenic. Exposure to these contaminants can pose serious health risks, including developmental defects, kidney dysfunction, and increased cancer risk. Affected products are batch numbers BJ 04, GD 04, VK 04, and RY 04, all with a manufacturing date of July 2022.These herbal supplements were sold in New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and California through various retailers.Do not consume these products and return them to the place of purchase for a full refund.  For more information, contact New York Wholesale Group at 1-800-516-7606.https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/new-york-wholesale-group-recalls-zaarah-herbals-rasayan-churan-zaarah-herbals-gurmar-powder-zaarah#zarabherbals #lead #arsenic #poison #recall

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/drhowardsmithreports/reel/DHJj3B6xxdN/This hot pot sauce contains undeclared peanut, soy, sesame, and wheat allergens. Those with with allergies or sensitivities to these ingredients risk serious or life-threatening reactions if they consume the product. Also affected are those with celiac disease.  Affected are lot numbers 2023/12/20, 2024/1/31, 2024/4/15, and 2024/10/18.This product was sold in California at 99 Ranch Market, Hawaii Supermarket, and Great Wall Supermarket.Return this hot pot sauce to the place of purchase for a full refund. For more information, contact Liaoning Cheng Da USA Inc. at 1-626-285-2887.https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/liaoning-cheng-da-usa-inc-san-gabriel-california-recalling-hot-pot-sauce-because-it-may-contain#Wangzhihe #hotpot #sauce #peanut #soy #wheat #celiac #allergy #recall

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/reel/DHJjQ95sLD6/This stroller fan’s housing permits children’s probing fingers to reach the blades creating laceration injuries.  Affected is model number 25138, lot number N8K10X.About 33,600 stroller fans were sold at Baby Express, Burlington Coat Factory, Target, and Unique Photo stores, as well as online at Amazon.com and us.nuby.com. The affected fans were sold between May 2024 and June 2024.Remove these portable fans from your baby’s stroller.  Contact Luv n’ care at 1-800-588-6227 or email via customers@nuby.com to obtain a free replacement.https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2025/Luv-n-care-Recalls-Nuby-Stroller-Fans-Due-to-Laceration-Injury-Hazard#nuby #stroller #fans #housing #lacerations #recall

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/drhowardsmithreports/reel/DHJilqOPBfL/The transceiver’ s power switch is defective and the radio powers down unexpectedly. This prevents the locating of avalanche victims with obvious dire consequences. About 1,660 transceivers were sold in the United States, and an additional 206 were sold in Canada at Liberty Mountain, REI, specialty outdoor stores, and online at Black Diamond’s website, Backcountry.com, and Evo.com from May 2021 through February 2025.Stop depending on these defective transceivers and contact Black Diamond at 1-866-306-0865, or via the email 2025reconltrecall@bdel.com for a full refund, a replacement, or a free repair. No proof of purchase is required, and prepaid shipping labels will be provided.https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2025/Black-Diamond-Equipment-Recalls-BD-Recon-LT-Avalanche-Transceivers-Due-to-Risk-of-Loss-of-Emergency-Communications-Risk-of-Serious-Injury-or-Death#bd #blackdiamond #transceiver #avalanche #power #injury #recall

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/reel/DHJhzBVMLB3/These reagent bottles fail to meet child-resistant packaging requirements under the Poison Prevention Packaging Act (PPPA). The bottles contain sulfuric acid and create a risk of severe chemical burns to the skin and eyes and, if swallowed, internal corrosive burns.About 10,000 units were sold nationwide in pool and aquarium stores and online at taylortechnologies.com and other websites from August 2022 through August 2024. The recalled bottles were included in Taylor Phosphate Test Kits #K-1106 but were also sold separately.Immediately stop using these recalled Phosphate Reagent #1 bottles and store them away from children. Contact Taylor Water Technologies at 1-800-837-8548 for proper disposal instructions and a free replacement bottle. Only unexpired bottles are eligible for replacement.https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2025/Taylor-Water-Technologies-Recalls-Phosphate-Reagent-Bottles-Sold-with-Test-Kits-Due-to-Risk-of-Severe-Chemical-Burns-Violation-of-Federa

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/drhowardsmithreports/reel/DHJhKT3twe_/Lolanta Children’s Bathrobes violate federal flammability regulations for children’s sleepwear creating a serious burn hazard and risk of injury or death to children.About 5,100 bathrobes were sold exclusively on Amazon.com from November 2021 through November 2024.Stop permitting your children to wear these recalled bathrobes. To receive a refund, cut the garment in half, take a photo of the destroyed item, and email it to business@lolanta.com.  For more information, visit lolanta.com and click on the “Product Recall” link or contact the company via email at business@lolanta.com.https://www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2025/Lolanta-Childrens-Bathrobes-Recalled-Due-to-Burn-Hazard-and-Violation-of-Flammability-Regulations-Sold-Exclusively-on-Amazon-com-by-Nanchang-Zhongcangjishi-E-commerce#lolanta #bathrobes #children #flammability #burns #recall

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/reel/DHD3ybgMZCK/If you live in an area with more high-heat days, with a heat index above 90°F, you are likely to experience faster biological aging than if you reside in a cooler region.  In fact, you are likely to age an extra 14 months over a six-year period.This study from the University of Southern California just published in Science measured epigenetic changes in 3,686 subjects 56 years old and older.  DNA methylation patterns were used to estimate biological aging.  The data suggests that extreme heat may speed up aging in older adults at the molecular level.Older adults are vulnerable to heat-driven body damage because ineffective sweating makes it harder for their bodies to cool down.  This latest information suggests that traditional warm weather retirement destinations that now clock many days of extreme heat may be unhealthy.https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/sciadv.adr0616#heat #aging 

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/reel/DHD28nmuKit/So say neurologists at Harvard’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital.  In a mouse model, they show that a nasal spray containing an anti-CD3 monoclonal antibody significantly reduces brain inflammation and speeds recovery after a traumatic brain injury (TBI). This antibody, sprayed into the nasal cavities, activates regulatory T cells, Tregs, that then travel to the brain and release IL-10 that in turn reduces microglial-medial inflammation there.This anti-CD3 nasal spray must still prove its effectiveness in humans.  If so,  it will become a treatment for the TBI that follows concussions, motor vehicle accidents, and other sports-related head trauma.https://www.nature.com/articles/s41593-025-01877-7#traumaticbraininjury #tbi #sports #cd3 #treg #il10 #mva #nasalspray

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/drhowardsmithreports/reel/DHD2SrsvrnU/University of South Carolina neurologists just reported to the International Stroke Conference that that regular flossing lowers the risk of certain strokes.  Their study followed 6,278 participants for more than 25 years.Those who flossed at least once weekly had a 21% lower incidence of ischemic stroke and a 44% lower risk of stroke associated with atrial fibrillation.  The flossing prevents gum disease and reduces plaque buildup that both increase the level of inflammation in brain blood vessels but also in the heart leading to atrial fibrillation.There is growing evidence that oral health is closely linked to heart health.  Regular flossing as well as brushing are habits that have major health benefits.  The study looked at once a week, but we all should be flossing as well as brushing after every meal.https://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/regular-flossing-tied-reduced-ischemic-stroke-risk-2025a10002t7?ecd=a2a#flossing #stroke #perio

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/reel/DHD1deAvsDU/A clinical trial just published in the International Journal of Pediatric Otolaryngology found that children who ate ice cream after surgery had better pain control compared to those who didn’t.   The study group included 48 children undergoing this common childhood surgery.The data showed that, at 6, 12, and 18 hours post-op, children consuming ice cream reported significantly less pain, required less pain medication, and were able to resume oral intake sooner.  The ice cream did not trigger an increase in post-operative complications.  Children recovering from a tonsillectomy do need some non-narcotic pain medications.  Cold, sweet ice cream does help the medicine go down.https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0165587625000412#tonsillectomy #icecream #pain  #analgesics 

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/drhowardsmithreports/reel/DHD0mJEujL2/A shocking 60% of commercial baby foods on the shelves of US grocery stores fail to meet accepted international nutritional guidelines set by the World Health Organization.  This wakeup call comes from the researchers at Australias’s George Institute for Global Health and North Carolina’s Gillings Global School of Public Health.The investigators analyzed 651 products.  Not only were the majority of these foods nutritionally deficient, especially the snack-sized packages, but also not one of the products met the standards set for factual promotion.  Every product had at least one prohibited claim on its package, and some products displayed as many as 11 bogus claims.All of these baby foods are sold in the top 10 grocery/supermarket chains across the United States and are widely accessible to parents and other caregivers.  This study underscores the urgent need for improved regulations on infant and toddler food labeling and nutritional c

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/reel/DHDz1lkRXs9/The vaccine against the human papilloma virus, Gardasil, was first recommended for teens and those younger than 45 in 2006.  Since then, this vaccine has been instrumental in cutting the incidence of cervical pre-cancerous lesions by 80% according to a just-published CDC analysis.   Since the vaccine’s introduction, vaccination rates have steadily increased resulting in that dramatic 80% decline in the most dangerous pre-cancerous cervical lesions, so-called carcinoma-in-situ or CIS.  This data confirms the effectiveness of Gardasil to curb the tide of the devastating cervical cancer.  Though vaccination rates have risen, the latest data shows that only 61% of teens 13-15 years have received the vaccine.  Since sexually-active teens can spread the infection, Gardasil is also recommended for teen boys but only 57% of them have been vaccinated.This lifesaving vaccine should be universally adopted.  All teens should receive a 3 shot Gardasil course at 13 years

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/drhowardsmithreports/reel/DHDzLeQstGx/Nothing worse than a cold sore, a fever blister, blossoming on your lip the day of your big event. Nearly all of us become infected with the herpes virus early in life during almost unnoticeable infections, but what makes the virus bloom.Now University of Virginia microbiologists have identified the key to herpes simplex virus-1 (HSV-1) reactivation.  What awakens this sleeping villain is the viral protein UL12.5.  It appears and triggers herpes reanimation just before it also turns on an antiviral immune response.  The latter apparently comes too little too late.Now that UL12.5 is identified as the reactivation trigger, it becomes a target for therapy for preventing those embarrassing outbreaks. This same mechanism that triggers oral herpes may also underlie the reactivation of genital herpes.  Since latent herpes infections in both parts of the body are lifelong infections, stopping reactivation could have major implications for milli

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/reel/DHDygk-shuL/Immunotherapy has been a resounding success for melanoma skin cancer and small cell lung cancer.  Not so for ovarian cancer.  Cancer immunologists at the University of Virginia have now discovered what underlies this failure.Their research discovered that flagellin protein from gut bacteria blocks the effectiveness of the checkpoint inhibitors that power most current immunotherapy.  This bacterial flagellin inhibits immune cell communication helping tumors flourish rather than die. Using a mouse model and blocking flagellin action restored immunotherapeutic effectiveness with 80% of treated animals enjoying long-term tumor control. If this approach is effective for human ovarian cancer patients, coupling flagellin blocking with checkpoint immunotherapy may be a winning therapeutic strategy …..someday soon.https://newsroom.uvahealth.com/2025/02/11/ovarian-cancer-discovery-could-turn-ailed-treatment-into-lifesaver/https://aacrjournals.org/cancerimmunolres/art

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/drhowardsmithreports/reel/DHDxzayvjCg/Treating acute and chronic lung disease like influenza, CoVid, and emphysema is challenging since may therapeutic agents fail to reach the deep and peripheral portions of the lungs.  RNA innovators at the University of Pennsylvania report the development of new mRNA therapy that can do just that.  Housed in a lipid nanoparticle, the mRNA infused directly to the lungs instructs the distant pulmonary tissues to produce proteins that repair damage from CoVid, influenza, and RSV infections. It can also be employed in the battle against lung cancer.This novel approach could yield more targeted treatments for not only pulmonary disease but also other damaged organs. It can also be employed in the battle against lung cancer.https://www.pennmedicine.org/news/news-releases/2025/february/new-mrna-therapy-could-repair-damaged-lungshttps://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-025-56448-y#mRNA #pneumonia #emphysema #CoVid #influenza #rsv 

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/reel/DHDxDQMuX1-/The different organs in our bodies age at different rates. When certain of our vital organs are older than our years would predict, the risk of serious illness escalates. British and Finnish investigators studied blood samples from 6235 middle-aged adults and tracked their health over a 20 year arc. Accelerated aging in the heart, liver, and brain was was associated with life-limiting heart failure, liver failure, and lung cancer. More rapid aging in one of these vital organs was linked to a higher risk of multi-organ failure.So what can you do to stop that aging.  Eating a healthy diet and exercising protects your heart.  Avoiding toxins like alcohol and recreational drugs protects your liver and your brain.  Avoiding head trauma in during sports also keeps your brain processing in an optimal fashion.https://www.thelancet.com/journals/landig/article/PIIS2589-7500(25)00006-8/fulltext#aging #organs #heart #liver 

Vidcast:  https://www.instagram.com/drhowardsmithreports/reel/DHDwCTEPLKc/Neurologists at Canada’s University of Ottawa, alarmed at the discovery of microplastic and nanoplastic particles in brains of those suffering from dementia, now offer concrete suggestions about how all of us can reduce this threat.  They report that drinking filtered tap water rather than bottled water can reduce your microplastic intake by as much as 90%. Other studies have reported that that Americans who drink bottled water ingest a whopping 90,000 microplastic particles per year.  Compare that figure to just 4,000 such particles for those who drink filtered tap water.Besides those plastic water bottles, there are other sources of this plastic blizzard that you can avoid. Plastic containers and plastic tea bags release millions of microplastic particles when you heat them. Instead use glass and metal containers, steep your tea in paper teabags or metal tea strainers,  processed foods, and use HEPA air filters in your home to trap ai