Avoiding staph infections

Staph infections, or skin infections caused by staphylococcus bacteria, are among the most common infections found in hospitals—especially among those who experience extended hospital stays or have weak immune systems. But you don’t have to be hospitalized to be at risk. Skin infections from mild to severe can occur in any setting where cuts and abrasions, or skin-to-skin contact, are common. (Think contact sports or on the playground with kids, for example.)

The Mayo Clinic has these suggestions for staying infection-free:

Wash your hands regularly or carry hand sanitizer.

Avoid sharing personal items, such as towels, clothing or athletic equipment.

Keep wounds covered with sterile, dry bandages.

Shower immediately after exercising.

Wash towels, sheets and other linens in hot water when you have a cut or sore.

When treating an infection, use antibiotics exactly as directed by your doctor, closely adhering to prescribed dosages.

Nurturing teen drivers

When it comes to monitoring teenagers behind the wheel, a strict but supportive parenting style seems to be the most effective at nurturing safe young drivers. In a report published in the October issue of “Pediatrics,” the official journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics, researchers analyzed data from the 2006 National Young Driver Survey and found that kids with authoritative parents were generally safer drivers. Compared with teens with uninvolved parents, they reported half the crash risk, were 71 percent less likely to drive when intoxicated, used seat belts nearly twice as often, and were less likely to speed or talk on a cell phone while driving.

Authoritarian parenting, which the report defined as being strict but with less emotional support than authoritative parenting, encouraged teens to follow rules reinforced by laws, such as seat belt use and speeding. But in some cases, teens construed their parents as being too controlling. Parental monitoring of safe driving behavior was more effective when coupled with warm, active support, the report found.