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Research makes progress in ending guesswork involved in prescribing effective ADHD medications

Children with ADHD who carry a specific type of dopamine receptor gene respond better to the drug methylphenidate than those without the genotype, according to new research from Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center.

4 May 2010

Brain changes indicative of Fragile X syndrome take place early

Brain changes associated with the most common cause of mental retardation can be seen in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans of children as young as one to three years old, according to a study by researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Stanford University.

4 May 2010

Breast-feeding may help lower risk of death from Shigella infection in developing countries: Study

Teaching parents about the importance of continued breast-feeding may help to lower the risk of death from brain disease (encephalopathy) related to Shigella infection in developing countries, reports a study in the May issue of The Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal.

4 May 2010

Nutrition assistance programs need to be made available to all eligible children, adolescents: ADA

The American Dietetic Association has published an updated position paper on nutrition assistance programs for children that reviews existing programs and their value, discusses barriers to participation and encourages more research to evaluate the programs' long-term effectiveness in helping children get and stay healthy.

4 May 2010

Empowering kids to make healthy choices can help combat obesity

Kids and teens often think they know what's best. When it comes to preventing childhood obesity, maybe we should listen to them, says Baker Harrell, executive director of ACTIVE Life, a non-profit organization that seeks to combat obesity with social activism.

4 May 2010

Literacy-related barriers affect retention in Medicaid program for children: Research

Simplifying Medicaid renewal applications may help families keep their children enrolled in the government health insurance program, resulting in better medical care, according to research to be presented Saturday, May 1 at the Pediatric Academic Societies annual meeting in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

4 May 2010

Study finds standard heel-stick test ineffective in identifying CMV infection in babies

A national study involving a UT Southwestern Medical Center neonatologist and pediatric infectious diseases specialist suggests that a screening test routinely performed in newborns is not very good at identifying cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection, a leading cause of hearing loss in children.

4 May 2010

Conservative therapies need to be recommended over routine use of OTC cough/cold products in children

Despite their widespread use by parents and caregivers, over-the-counter (OTC) cold and cough medicines have carried a warning by the FDA since 2008, and still have the potential to cause serious adverse events in infants and children. Conservative therapies, including nasal suctioning, humidification, and nasal saline, should be recommended over routine use of OTC cough/cold products in infants and children, according to a new commentary published in the May 2010 issue of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery.

4 May 2010

H1N1 positivity highest among children

More than 99 percent of specimens tested for influenza were positive for H1N1 over approximately the past 11 months, according to a report released today from Quest Diagnostics Incorporated ( DGX). The Quest Diagnostics Health Trends™ Report suggests that H1N1 "crowded out" other influenza viruses to be the dominant flu virus of the 2009-2010 flu season.

4 May 2010

Neural stem cell transplantation promising for Batten disease

Neuronal Ceroid Liposfuscinosis (NCL), often referred to as Batten disease, is a rare and fatal neurodegenerative disorder that afflicts infants and young children. NCL is caused by a deficiency of a lysosomal enzyme, and is a relatively rare disease, affecting an estimated 2 to 4 of every 100,000 babies born in the U.S. Although NCLs are classified as rare diseases, they often affect more than one child in families that carry the defective gene, and tragically, are always fatal.

4 May 2010

Darwin/Wedgwood dynasty exhibits a link between inbreeding and child mortality

Charles Darwin's worries about possible adverse effects of inbreeding in his family seem to have been justified, according to a study described in the May 2010 issue of BioScience. Darwin married his first cousin, Emma Wedgwood, and his mother, Susannah Wedgwood, was the daughter of third cousins. The study, which extended to 25 families including 176 children, found a statistical association between child mortality and the inbreeding coefficient of individuals in the Darwin/Wedgwood dynasty.

4 May 2010

CA-BSI can be reduced in children through quality improvement efforts: Study

Bloodstream infections associated with catheters can be significantly reduced through quality improvement efforts, possibly leading to better health outcomes and lives saved, decreased stays at the hospital and related costs, according to a new study.

4 May 2010

Bacteria transmitted by fleas-and potentially ticks-can be passed to babies by mother: Researcher

A North Carolina State University researcher has discovered that bacteria transmitted by fleas-and potentially ticks-can be passed to human babies by the mother, causing chronic infections and raising the possibility of bacterially induced birth defects.

4 May 2010

Maternal smoking during pregnancy increases risk of psychiatric problems in children

It is well-known that maternal smoking during pregnancy can have long-term effects on the physical health of the child, including increased risk for respiratory disease, ear infections and asthma. New research shows that prenatal smoking also can lead to psychiatric problems and increase the need for psychotropic medications in childhood and young adulthood.

4 May 2010

Older children hospitalized with pandemic H1N1 influenza in 2009: Study

Children hospitalized with pandemic H1N1 influenza in 2009 were older and more likely to have underlying medical conditions than children hospitalized with seasonal influenza during prior flu seasons, according to a study to be presented Tuesday, May 4 at the Pediatric Academic Societies annual meeting in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

4 May 2010

Disabled children at great risk of developing obesity: Deutsches Arzteblatt International

Disabled children are at great risk of developing obesity. In the current issue of Deutsches -rzteblatt International, Thomas Reinehr and his colleagues from Witten/Herdecke University describe possible ways to prevent or treat this problem (Dtsch Arztebl Int 2010; 107(15): 268-75).

4 May 2010

Hologic commences enrollment in European trial of Gestiva for prevention of recurrent preterm birth

K-V Pharmaceutical Company announced today it has been informed by Hologic, Inc. that site initiation and patient enrollment has begun at international clinical trial sites in Europe in the ongoing trial of Gestiva™ (hydroxyprogesterone caproate injection, 250 mg/1 mL), commonly referred to as "17P," for the prevention of preterm birth in women pregnant with a single baby with a history of singleton spontaneous preterm birth.

From Hologic, Inc. 4 May 2010

New breakthrough in nutritional plant breeding may save children’s eyesight

Two Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists are part of an international team that has found a way to boost the nutritional value of corn. This has the potential to reduce the number of children in developing countries who lose their eyesight, become ill or die each year because of vitamin A deficiencies.

4 May 2010

Despite FDA black box warning, prescription of Reglan for premature infants continue

Recently, researchers have observed a disturbing trend in neonatal units across the country: doctors prescribing Reglan -- also known by its generic name, metoclopramide -- to treat premature infants. This alarming development has raised serious concerns from many consumer safety advocates, particularly because the drug was never approved for use in infants.

4 May 2010

Prenatal tobacco smoke exposure can increase risk of developmental problems in African American children

Low levels of prenatal tobacco smoke exposure are associated with a higher risk of developmental problems for African American children than white children, according to new research from Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center.

4 May 2010

Child Health News

Research makes progress in ending guesswork involved in prescribing effective ADHD medications

Brain changes indicative of Fragile X syndrome take place early

Breast-feeding may help lower risk of death from Shigella infection in developing countries: Study

Nutrition assistance programs need to be made available to all eligible children, adolescents: ADA

Empowering kids to make healthy choices can help combat obesity

Literacy-related barriers affect retention in Medicaid program for children: Research

Study finds standard heel-stick test ineffective in identifying CMV infection in babies

Conservative therapies need to be recommended over routine use of OTC cough/cold products in children

H1N1 positivity highest among children

Neural stem cell transplantation promising for Batten disease

Darwin/Wedgwood dynasty exhibits a link between inbreeding and child mortality

CA-BSI can be reduced in children through quality improvement efforts: Study

Bacteria transmitted by fleas-and potentially ticks-can be passed to babies by mother: Researcher

Maternal smoking during pregnancy increases risk of psychiatric problems in children

Older children hospitalized with pandemic H1N1 influenza in 2009: Study

Disabled children at great risk of developing obesity: Deutsches Arzteblatt International

Hologic commences enrollment in European trial of Gestiva for prevention of recurrent preterm birth

New breakthrough in nutritional plant breeding may save children’s eyesight

Despite FDA black box warning, prescription of Reglan for premature infants continue

Prenatal tobacco smoke exposure can increase risk of developmental problems in African American children

Small solutions for big problems in drug discovery and delivery

Professor Nancy Ip: Pioneering New Paths in Neurodegenerative Therapy

Utilizing process Raman in optimizing cultivated meat production

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