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Botox helps children with cerebral palsy

Botox, or botulinum toxin, offers a new, non-surgical option for improving the upper extremity function of children with cerebral palsy (CP), report researchers from Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center. L. Andrew Koman, M.D., orthopedic surgeon at Brenner Children’s Hospital, and his team recently completed a study using Botox to treat muscle spasticity of the arm and hand in children with CP.

1 May 2004

Baby's first eating habits linked to mother's eating habits

Mealtime is a nightmare, the baby won’t eat what’s on his highchair, and instead he seems to grab for whatever mom and dad have on their plates. For many parents it’s a familiar and frustrating story.

1 May 2004

Family-based diabetes self-management leads to better health

When kids with diabetes approach the teenage years, their diabetes management tends to become more challenging. It’s even more difficult for economically disadvantaged kids.

1 May 2004

Insulin pumps control diabetes better than shots

Adults and older kids with diabetes who use a pump to deliver insulin have better control of their diabetes and more flexibility during mealtimes than when they relied on daily insulin shots.

1 May 2004

Bush on healthcare

The way I like to kind of try to describe health care is, on the research side, we're the best. We're coming up with more innovative ways to save lives and to treat patients.

1 May 2004

Dean of Columbia's dental school has issued a "call to action" on geriatric oral health

America's seniors suffer a disproportionate burden of oral disease while having fewer resources for appropriate care -- and these issues will be exacerbated as the elderly population grows.

1 May 2004

Breastfeeding helps against low weight infants and infection

A new study shows that human milk protects extremely low birth weight infants from developing sepsis -- an overwhelming infection and a leading cause of illness and death in these tiny babies.

1 May 2004

Immunization back on agenda as whooping cough increases

Immunization for pertussis, also known as whooping cough, began in the mid-1940s and resulted in a sharp decline of this serious illness over the next 25 years. Over the last two decades, however, as immunity has waned, pertussis has re-emerged in the United States, with the greatest increase seen in adolescents, adults and young infants.

1 May 2004

Time matters when treating fungal infections in newborns

A new UCLA study shows that ‘time matters’ when treating fungal infections in neonates and that earlier treatment can mean the difference between life and death.

1 May 2004

Males and females respond differently to brain injury

Researchers at Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh have found that males and females respond differently to brain injury and therefore, boys with brain injuries may require different life-saving treatments than girls.

1 May 2004

$9 billion cost of depression in senior citizens

A new study reveals that depression among senior citizens carries a huge unrecognized cost: many extra hours of unpaid help with everyday activities, delivered by the depressed seniors’ spouses, adult children and friends.

1 May 2004

Counseling eases the depression of people caring for a loved one with the devastating brain disease

The spouses of Alzheimer's patients often experience extraordinary psychological stress, but a new study by NYU School of Medicine researchers shows that a six-session counseling and long-term support program substantially eases the depression of people caring for a loved one with the devastating brain disease, and that the mental health benefits apparently are long lasting.

1 May 2004

British government urging doctors to dissuade unnecessary Caesarean births

Guidelines from the National Institute for Clinical Excellence say doctors should allow a woman to choose how she gives birth. They also say that women must be informed of the risks and benefits of different ways of having a baby.

1 May 2004

Ireland considers emergency helicopter medical service

The Irish Minister for Health and Children, Mr Micheál Martin, TD, and the Minister with responsibility for Health, Social Services and Public Safety, (Belfast) Ms Angela Smith, MP today, (30th April, 2004), announced the publication of a Feasibility Study on a Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS) for the island of Ireland.

30 Apr 2004

UK, skin cancer specialists to check out moles

Macmillan skin cancer nurse, Denise Hancock, and colleagues from the Dermatology Department at Southampton University Hospitals Trust are inviting members of the public to 'check out their moles' at a Mole Watch Day in Marks and Spencer in West Quay on Wednesday 12 May, from 9am-5pm.

30 Apr 2004

Children's Surgery International to help peruvian children with facial deformities

Approximately 100 Arequipa, Peru area children with facial deformities will be eligible to have those deformities surgically repaired free of charge by an elite medical team of American doctors and nurses who will be in Peru from May 5th to May 14th, 2004.

30 Apr 2004

Researchers discover gene responsible for neonatal diabetes

Researchers at Oxford University and the Peninsula Medical School in Exeter have located a gene responsible for around a third of cases of neonatal diabetes. Their findings are likely to lead to treatment of the condition by means of a tablet rather than injections, improving the quality of life of both patients and their parents.

30 Apr 2004

Scientists have discovered a genetic cause of cleft lip and palate in mice

By watching mice “dance” and comparing the DNA of the dancers to their flat-footed siblings, scientists have discovered a genetic cause of cleft lip and palate in mice, a finding that is already being used to search for a similar genetic defect in humans.

29 Apr 2004

Vaccination Week in the Americas in full swing

Reports from the countries say that the immunization campaign has reached some of the most remote areas, including border regions and indigenous communities. The reports also show that the vaccination efforts, which began April 24, are reaching the most vulnerable sectors of the population.

29 Apr 2004

Pre-diabetes is far more common in America than previously believed

"Pre-diabetes" -- a condition that raises a person's risk of developing type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and stroke -- is far more common in America than previously believed, according to a new HHS estimate released today.

29 Apr 2004