MADISON, Wis.?The human body is composed of about 70 percent water. Take that as a hint.

Water is at the top of the list of things you should be drinking plenty of, says Dr. Kristina Penniston, a clinical nutritionist with the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health (SMPH).

Penniston, who works primarily with kidney specialists, says what you choose to drink, and in what quantity, has a huge impact on the health of your kidneys and other parts of your body. Every day, the average American guzzles several quarts of liquid --everything from good old H20 to drinks like coffee, soda, juice and alcohol.

Water is best, but you don't necessarily have to heed the old saw that suggests you drink a full eight glasses a day.

"Our need for fluids varies so much, and there's really no one-size-fits-all amount," says Penniston. "Everything depends on what you're doing?are you sweating during physical activity or are you sitting at a desk being sedentary?"

If you're looking to avoid kidney stones?and given the pain they can cause, you should be?both lemonade and orange juice both contain a citrate that helps prevent the buildup of calcium oxylate, the substance that forms kidney stones.

That's a good thing. But there's also a drawback: both beverages are laden with sugar and calories.

"We don't drink eight ounces of pure lemon juice, which is what actually provides the protection," says Penniston. "We dilute it with water and sugar, and that changes the equation of how healthy it is fairly significantly."

Cranberry juice has its share of sugar, too, but some recent research suggests it also has something else: a substance that may inhibit the strains of e.coli bacteria that can cause painful urinary-tract infections.

"We know that you can show in a test tube that the infectious bacteria are kept in check by cranberry juice," says Dr. Dr. Sarah McAchran, an urologist and assistant professor of urology at UW. "The question is, when you drink the juice, does the protective element excrete into the urine and the urinary tract?"

Grapefruit juice is packed with vitamins and minerals. But if you're on certain types of antidepressants, or using statins to control cholesterol, you need to avoid it, because it interferes with the body's ability to metabolize the drugs. In some cases, the interaction speeds up the body's response to certain drugs, creating a dangerous and life-threatening situation.

Then there's soda, the favorite beverage of many--if not most-- Americans. In fact, the United States is responsible for more than a third of the world's total soda consumption every year. Penniston suggests we should choose another option?or at least cut way back.

"I would really ask people to wake up to the fact that the amounts of high-fructose corn syrup found in most types of sodas are associated with all sorts of troublesome health issues, from obesity and kidney stones to gout and insulin resistance," she says.

Diet sodas don't lead to obesity, but they aren't necessarily much better. A 2009 Brigham and Women's Hospital study suggested that women who consume more than two diet sodas a day may be doubling their risk of kidney-function decline.

Vegetable juice drinks seem like a no-brainer?after all, aren't all those great vitamins in things like tomato juice cocktails wonderful for us? Well, yes. But the huge amounts of sodium that accompany some of them aren't.

"The kidneys actually mirror the heart in several ways," says Dr. Stephen Nakada, head of the division of urology at UW Hospital and Clinics. "And that includes the fact that too much sodium isn't good for either of them. High levels of sodium contribute to kidney stones, and are a risk factor for high blood pressure and heart attacks."

Sports drinks are also loaded with sodium, which makes them an odd choice for those who drink them while sitting in their cubicles rather than after a 10K run.

"It's good to remember that these drinks were formulated for elite athletes who need to replace fluids lost to sweat," notes Penniston. "The rest of us probably shouldn't drink them unless we need them." Opting for the low-sugar and low-sodium versions of these drinks is another possibility.

The bigger issue with many of these drinks, says Dr. Nakada, is actually the size of the bottles. In recent years, both soda and sports-drink bottles seem to have been put on some kind of steroid regimen?20 and 24-ounces bottles have edged out 12 and 16-ounce servings. Some companies have also begun to offer smaller-size serving options, but big bottles still dominate the shelves.

"If you're smart, you're staying away from large drinks," says Dr. Nakada. "Whatever drink you're talking about, the bottom line is you should try to avoid excesses, and simplification is best."

Dr. Penniston agrees. "The key to all of this is that your beverage intake should be diverse, and it should center on moderation. You don't want to have too much of any type of drink."

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MADISON, Wis. - Feb 25, 2010 - Whooping cough is becoming more common in infants - and a big part of the solution is for women to get a booster vaccination before they become pregnant or right after they give birth.

Also known as pertussis, whooping cough is a contagious bacterial disease of the upper respiratory system. It can lead to uncontrollable coughing and breathing difficulties and can cause permanent disability and even death in infants.

Dr. Jim Conway, an infectious disease specialist and associate professor of pediatrics at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, says that, until they can be vaccinated, infants are totally dependent on the antibodies they get from their mother during pregnancy.

"The baby's primary protection for the first couple of months of life is what they get from mom," Conway says. "So, it is important for moms to get vaccinated, so they can give some immunity to the baby."

But Conway says this rule doesn't apply only to the mother.

"Anyone who has contact with infants should also receive the vaccination so that they don't expose the infant," he says.  "The mother is one part of it, and should receive vaccine either before pregnancy or immediately after delivering.  In addition, all family members should get it."

Dr. Greg DeMuri, also an infectious-disease specialist and associate professor at UW, says there have been greater efforts to get new moms immunized.

"Many women who have given birth have not had a pertussis booster since kindergarten," he says. "Some hospitals are implementing vaccination programs on their labor and delivery units."

The booster vaccine not only protects against whooping cough, but also against tetanus and diphtheria. Infants get their first immunizations in three doses, beginning at two months of age. After that first series, children should receive shots between 15 and 18 months; four to six years; and when they reach age 11 or 12.

Immunizations don't end at childhood, and adults should check with their physicians during routine visits and annual physicals to see if they are due for booster shots to guard against tetanus, an infection often connected to puncture wounds from rusty nails, fish hooks, or open wounds infected by dirt. If left untreated, tetanus may cause muscle contractions and other complications requiring hospitalization.

"Tetanus is a soil microbe, so as long as there is soil, there will be tetanus, and people will be at risk of tetanus contaminating a wound," says DeMuri. "It's completely preventable by vaccination. Adolescents and adults should receive regular boosters every 10 years."

Conway says about 30 to 40 cases are diagnosed annually, and most of them are in the western part of the country and involve people over 40 years old.

"They stop paying attention to their health, think they are super human and don't need the vaccine," he says. "Also, it's not routine practice to administer these vaccines in other countries, and some immigrants may not be protected. Older adults who get tetanus usually survive, but it's an unpleasant condition in which all of your muscles are spasmodic."

Conway says people who get puncture wounds or infected lacerations should get a shot as soon as possible if they are not sure of their vaccination history. However, a product called tetanus immunoglobulin can be given to patients who wait too long and put themselves at greater risk.

"If someone stepped on a nail three or four days ago, and they haven't had a tetanus booster for more than 10 years, tetanus immunoglobulin can provide instant immunity and the antibodies needed to fight off tetanus," he says.

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