Children News and Research

RSS

BAT lobbied to kill off groundbreaking tobacco legislation in Uzbekistan

A paper in the British Medical Journal reveals for the first time how British American Tobacco actively undermined and eventually overturned groundbreaking legislation that would have served to protect the health of the Uzbek population.

24 Feb 2006

Effect of artificial sweeteners in weight control and energy intake

It is widely believed by the public that replacing sugars with artificial sweeteners will help reduce calorie (energy) intake and aid weight loss. As a result sales of foods and drinks sweetened with artificially sweeteners are at an all time high, as are rates of overweight and obesity.

24 Feb 2006

Dyslexic children exhibit a different pattern of brain activity while reading

Brain images of children with dyslexia taken before they received spelling instruction show that they have different patterns of neural activity than do good spellers when doing language tasks related to spelling. But after specialized treatment emphasizing the letters in words, they showed similar patterns of brain activity.

24 Feb 2006

Hand-held device brings speech to impaired

A middle-aged woman makes plans over the telephone to get together with a friend, even though she cannot talk after suffering a stroke.

24 Feb 2006

Research points to a novel approach to treating serious Strep infections

Researchers at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) School of Medicine have discovered that so-called flesh-eating "Strep" bacteria use a specific enzyme to break free of the body's immune system, a finding which could potentially lead to new treatments for serious infections in human patients.

24 Feb 2006

National survey reveals most hospitals do not require board certification of pediatricians

A survey of 200 hospitals found that nearly 80 percent do not require board certification of pediatricians at the time of initial granting of hospital privileges, although most hospitals do require board certification at some point in the pediatrician's tenure

24 Feb 2006

Scientists discover genetic profile eosinophilic esophagitis

Though many parents may never have heard of it, a severe and chronic condition called eosinophilic esophagitis (EE) is recognized by doctors as an emerging health problem for children.

24 Feb 2006

Intensive support programmes help children with rare diseases

Intensive support programmes can help parents of children with rare diseases reduce their stress levels and improve their quality of life, according to research published in the latest Journal of Advanced Nursing.

24 Feb 2006

Girls' approach to school may give them an edge in math

More women are pursuing higher education and doctoral degrees than ever before, but women still are rare in the math-oriented professions. Yet, researchers say, girls perform just as well as boys on achievement tests and tend to earn better grades in math than do boys during the earlier school years.

23 Feb 2006

We may learn best on an empty stomach!

Researchers at Yale School of Medicine have found evidence that a hormone produced in the stomach directly stimulates the higher brain functions of spatial learning and memory development.

23 Feb 2006

Discovery of mechanisms responsible for the difference in immune response between male and female mice

The differences in the male and female immune responses, which make females more prone to autoimmune disease and males more subject to infections, are established during puberty.

23 Feb 2006

Discovery of molecule that may hold key to learning and memory

Independent research teams from Harvard Medical School and Children's Hospital Boston have identified a master protein that sheds light on one of neurobiology's biggest mysteries--how neurons change as a result of individual experiences.

23 Feb 2006

Unique program to get pediatric residents to think outside the box

As part of a unique program to get pediatric residents to think outside the box, Indiana University School of Medicine pediatric residents are being taught to reach their patients outside the confines of the traditional health care system.

23 Feb 2006

Media campaigns that remind parents to talk with their children about sex are effective

Robert H. DuRant, Ph.D., and his colleagues studied a public service announcement (PSA) campaign aired recently in North Carolina that conveyed the message, "Talk to your kids about sex. Everyone else is."

23 Feb 2006

India and Malaysia breathe sigh of relief as suspects cleared of bird flu

The news that people being treated for suspected bird flu in India and Malaysia, do not in fact have the virus will come as a relief to many and calm fear that the disease has spread to humans.

22 Feb 2006

Teens think oral sex is not sex

According to a new national survey almost a quarter of sexually active Canadian teens between the ages of 14 and 17 have unprotected sex and 68 per cent have oral sex, although many are unaware that STIs can be transmitted through this particular sexual activity.

22 Feb 2006