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Afghan President Hamid Karzai meets WHO chief on polio eradication

Days after Afghanistan vaccinated more than 7 million children against polio, the world's top health official and Afghan President Hamid Karzai pledged to capitalize swiftly on the country's remarkable progress towards eradicating the disease.

2 May 2007

Early dental visits decrease kid's tooth decay

The American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry (AAPD), the recognized leader in children's oral health, continues to emphasize that the way to decrease children's tooth decay is by visiting a dentist early on.

2 May 2007

Traditional African medicines may hold potential for treating high blood pressure

Medicinal plants are an integral part of African culture, one of the oldest and most diverse in the world.

2 May 2007

Oregon children's insurance expansion fails to obtain three-fifths majority in legislature

The Oregon House on Thursday voted 32-24 in favor of a plan to expand health coverage to all children in the state by increasing the state cigarette tax by 84.5 cents per pack, but the proposal failed to win approval because a three-fifths majority is required to pass a tax increase, the Oregonian reports.

1 May 2007

Abstinence-only sex ed 'foolish,' 'indefensible' method of reducing teen pregnancies, STIs

Relying on abstinence-only sex education as the "primary tool to reduce teenage pregnancies" and sexually transmitted infections, as "favored by the Bush administration and conservatives in Congress, looks increasingly foolish and indefensible," a New York Times editorial says.

1 May 2007

HHS should enforce federal law that abstinence education programs teach 'medically accurate' information

American Civil Liberties Union on behalf of the Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States and Advocates for Youth on Thursday sent a letter to HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt saying that the agency should enforce a federal law that states abstinence education must include "medically accurate" information about condom effectiveness, the Washington Times reports (Wetzstein, Washington Times , 4/27).

1 May 2007

States increasingly expanding SCHIP coverage to middle-class families

Several states are working to raise income eligibility limits for SCHIP, despite White House opposition, AP /Long Island Newsday reports. According to a survey conducted by Georgetown University's Center for Children and Families, 18 states already have received federal approval to offer SCHIP coverage to families with annual incomes greater than 200% of the federal poverty level -- the income threshold established when SCHIP began a decade ago.

1 May 2007

Children less prone to false memories

In the 1980's, a spate of high profile child abuse convictions gave way to heightened concern about false memory reports given by children.

1 May 2007

More chronically ill children dying in intensive care

The proportion of chronically ill young children dying in intensive care after being admitted to other hospital wards has steadily risen year on year since the end of the 1990s, reveals a study in the Journal of Medical Ethics.

1 May 2007

Adolescent risk inventory can help decrease teen risk behaviors

Research shows that adolescents who engage in one form of risky behavior, like drug or alcohol use, are likely to engage in other risky behaviors like self-harm, or having unprotected sex, but often times these behaviors are not discussed during a medical or mental health exam.

1 May 2007

Review finds ways of helping children of drug and alcohol misusers

Review published in the journal Advances in Psychiatric Treatment suggests how children whose parents have drug or alcohol problems can be protected from the consequences usually associated with parental substance misuse.

1 May 2007

More people falling from ladders!

Falls from ladders can result in serious injury and affect people of all ages. The general public is at risk for ladder injuries, yet receives little, if any, instruction on ladder use and safety.

1 May 2007

Cover the uninsured week focuses on enrolling children in SCHIP

Several states have held events as part of Cover the Uninsured Week, sponsored by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

30 Apr 2007

Helping eating for kids

Two years ago, Jenny O'Dea set herself a tough challenge: to persuade her one-year old daughter, Katherine, to eat a salty, black olive. The little girl took a small bite, Jenny and her husband cheered and applauded loudly, and Katherine grinned and ate the whole thing.

30 Apr 2007

Schering-Plough announces European approval of new formulations of AERIUS (Desloratadine)

European Commission approves AERIUS Tablets (2.5 mg and 5 mg) and AERIUS Oral Solution (0.5 mg per 1ml).

30 Apr 2007

Proportion of uninsured residents in North Carolina increases

The percentage of North Carolinians under the age of 65 who lacked health insurance for a year has risen from 15.3 percent in 2000 to 17.2 percent in 2005.

30 Apr 2007

Gold nanoparticles used as a simple "litmus test" for mercury

With gold nanoparticles, DNA and some smart chemistry as their tools, scientists at Northwestern University have developed a simple "litmus test" for mercury that eventually could be used for on-the-spot environmental monitoring of bodies of water, such as rivers, streams, lakes and oceans, to evaluate their safety as food and drinking water sources.

30 Apr 2007