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Advice of pediatrician key motivator in baby's sleep position

The advice of a pediatrician to place infants on their backs to sleep appears to be the single most important motivator in getting parents to follow these recommendations and a key reason that the rate of sudden death syndrome (SIDS) has plummeted since the "Back to Sleep" campaign was launched in 1994, says a UT Southwestern researcher.

13 Dec 2009

Children's Healthcare of Atlanta receives $5 million multi-year gift to care for low-income children

Kaiser Permanente of Georgia today announced a $5 million multi-year gift to Children's Healthcare of Atlanta with the goal of improving access to care for low-income children.

12 Dec 2009

State Medicaid programs face cuts, backlog of applications

The Associated Press reports Minnesota Democratic lawmakers said Thursday that they hope to save health coverage for 35,000 low-income adults after state funding runs out in March. "Republican Gov. Tim Pawlenty's administration already plans to switch patients into another subsidized program, MinnesotaCare.

12 Dec 2009

Kaiser Permanente: Women of Chinese and Korean heritage may develop diabetes during pregnancy

More than 10 percent of women of Chinese and Korean heritage may be at risk for developing diabetes during pregnancy, according to a Kaiser Permanente study of 16,000 women in Hawaii that appears in the December issue of the Ethnicity and Disease journal.

11 Dec 2009

About 47M infected, 10,000 dead from H1N1 in U.S., CDC says

U.S. health officials on Thursday announced nearly 10,000 people in the U.S. had died from H1N1 (swine flu) since the virus was first reported in April, the New York Times reports.

11 Dec 2009

"Gift a bed net" initiative to prevent malaria

Along with the joy of the holiday season comes the usual pressure for families. There are cards to send, cookies to bake, and gifts to wrap. However, one thing most American families don't have to worry this Christmas is finding enough money to protect their children from a life-threatening illness. That's not the case for families like Rachell Chuya and her five children in Zambia.

11 Dec 2009

Pfizer's Prevenar 13 granted European marketing authorization

The European Commission has granted Pfizer Inc. a European marketing authorization for its pneumococcal conjugate vaccine, Prevenar 13 (Pneumococcal Polysaccharide Conjugate Vaccine [13-valent, adsorbed]). Prevenar 13 is indicated for active immunization for the prevention of invasive disease, pneumonia, and acute otitis media caused by 13 Streptococcus pneumoniae serotypes in infants and children from 6 weeks to 5 years of age. Invasive pneumococcal disease includes sepsis, meningitis, bacteremia, bacteremic pneumonia, and empyema.

11 Dec 2009

Study results of health risks with synthetic turf and crumb rubber announced

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced today the results of a scoping study of the health risks from inhalation, ingestion, and dermal contact with synthetic turf and crumb rubber.

11 Dec 2009

Road traffic injuries, a leading cause of death and disability worldwide

20 mph traffic speed zones reduce casualties by 41.9% with the greatest reduction in child casualties, according to research published today in the British Medical Journal.

11 Dec 2009

NAA protests against abusive restraint and seclusion in schools

Today the National Autism Association announced its support of H.R. 4247, the Preventing Harmful Restraint and Seclusion in Schools Act, introduced Wednesday by Congressman George Miller (D-CA) and Congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA). The federal bill is a much-anticipated solution to the issues of unregulated restraint and seclusion in schools.

11 Dec 2009

President Obama can still keep up his promise by establishing a well-resourced Global Fund for Education

Today is International Human Rights Day, commemorating the 61st anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights which states (in Article 26): "Everyone has the right to education [and] education shall be free, at least in the elementary and fundamental stages."

11 Dec 2009

Study may help in treating sex differentiation disorders in children

Is it a boy or a girl? Expecting parents may be accustomed to this question, but contrary to what they may think, the answer doesn't depend solely on their child's sex chromosomes.

11 Dec 2009

NCKUH and NHRI sponsor virology lab in Vietnam Children’s Hospital

A Virology Lab in Children’s Hospital No. 1 (CH1), Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, sponsored by National Cheng Kung University Hospital (NCKUH) and National Health Research Institutes (NHRI) in Taiwan was launched on November 11th, 2009.

11 Dec 2009

GAA calls on Obama to fund for PEPFAR

International Human Rights Day -- At his Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech in Oslo, Norway, this morning, President Barack Obama emphasized the importance of health and access to medicines for all people as a prerequisite to security. The President said:

11 Dec 2009

Pertinent questions about H1N1 Influenza answered by NERAC

Municipalities in Massachusetts should assume that the H1N1 Influenza is now present in their communities, schools, and work places, and should take appropriate precautions to prevent the spread of this virus as well as the seasonal flu.

11 Dec 2009

Nutritionists offer tips for families to make and keep healthier New Year's resolutions

What's the most important New Year's resolution for parents this year? Keeping their kids healthy! With increased attention to juvenile obesity and related health problems, finding ways to improve lifestyle behaviors is emerging as a top priority for many parents nationwide.

11 Dec 2009

Tips for storing and cleaning medication storage areas

As Americans look forward to the coming year and begin considering their New Year's resolutions, the American Pharmacists Association (APhA) is encouraging the public to resolve to clean out their medicine cabinets -- a task that pharmacists recommend be conducted at least once a year.

11 Dec 2009

Store brand infant formulas nutritionally equivalent to name-brand products

On October 1, changes were made to the federal WIC program that provides nutritional support to low-income women, infants and children. The goal of the new food package is to encourage breastfeeding because mother's milk is best for babies. Mothers who breastfeed will no longer receive any infant formula under the new program. Mothers who choose to formula feed may receive up to 26% fewer infant formula vouchers than were afforded in previous years.

11 Dec 2009

Four new H1N1 influenza vaccination clinics scheduled by Macomb County Health Department

Four new H1N1 influenza vaccination clinics have been scheduled by the Macomb County Health Department. Everyone over 6 months of age can receive the vaccine at these clinics. They are free of charge and will take place Dec. 14, 17, 19 and 21 at Bethesda Christian Church in Sterling Heights.

11 Dec 2009

NIH launches a $37 million program to reduce obesity

The National Institutes of Health is launching a $37 million program that will use findings from basic research on human behavior to develop more effective interventions to reduce obesity.

11 Dec 2009