Health Bites

Flu connection

Babies exposed to the flu virus in utero have a larger risk of developing schizophrenia, according to a study in the Archives of General Psychiatry. Contact with the flu in the first half of pregnancy tripled a baby's chance for the mental disease.

Double disorder

People who suffer eating disorders often abuse alcohol, but a new study finds that the eating disorder usually occurs before drinking sets in. Women driven by impulsive behavior and perfectionism have higher odds of developing both problems.

A short story

Children who are unusually short or tall have no more social adjustment problems than kids of average height, according to a study from the State University of New York at Buffalo. The research, published in the journal Pediatrics, finds short and tall youngsters have the same number of friends as their classmates.

He snoozes, she loses

Half of U.K. dads continue to doze or pretend to sleep while their babies cry, according to a survey. Lack of support makes 6 in 10 new mothers feel bitter toward their partners.

Fat fights Alzheimer's

More good news for "good" cholesterol: A Harvard School of Public Health study suggests HDL cholesterol -- the healthy fat raised by fish, olive oil and soy -- may fend off Alzheimer's disease by scrubbing LDL, or "bad" cholesterol, away from the vascular system. A diet high in HDL-rich foods is linked to a 50-percent-lower risk of developing Alzheimer's among older women. Elizabeth Devore, the researcher who led the study, believes the results will likely hold up for men. HDL is also boosted by aerobic exercise, weight loss and moderate alcohol consumption.

The case for germs

Children who go to day care or preschool for at least a year develop Hodgkin's disease, or cancer of the lymph nodes, about 36 percent less than other kids, according to a Harvard study. Researchers believe exposure to common childhood infections -- rampant in day care, as parents can attest -- prime a child's developing immune system to rally against disease. Previous studies have found Hodgkin's lymphoma is linked to high socioeconomic status, fewer siblings and smaller households.

A mighty mineral

Although exercise is the most potent weapon against diabetes, several studies have found that the mineral chromium may improve diabetes control. Chromium is required by the body to make glucose tolerance factor, which helps insulin move energy from the blood into the body's cells. Best sources include mushrooms, whole grains and liver.

Rental breakdown

Choosing which movie to rent can be aggravating, something most of us confront only as we walk into the video store. Enter whattorent.com, a Website that uses personality traits and current mood to recommend tonight's feature presentation. The catch is you must return to the site and rate the movies, supposedly refining the algorithm and yielding more accurate recommendations in the future.

Women: Tough breaks

women just can't win, it seems.

According to new research, women who succeed at hypothetical jobs considered "men's work" -- including marketing, financial planning and managing an airplane manufacturing plant -- are rated less deserving of a promotion or salary increase than men who have excelled at the same job. The study, which examined the attitudes of working men and women, appeared in the Journal of Applied Psychology. While success in traditionally male professions has long been known to cost women social approval, Madeline Heilman, a professor of psychology at New York University and author of the study, says the mere recognition that a woman has succeeded at a "male task" causes people to label her as hostile, selfish and quarrelsome compared to male workers.