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DNA variants in mother and fetus can increase risk of preterm labor

Researchers at the National Institutes of Health have identified DNA variants in mothers and fetuses that appear to increase the risk for preterm labor and delivery.

4 Feb 2010

UTMB: Mother's exposure to BPA increases risks of asthma in her children

For years, scientists have warned of the possible negative health effects of bisphenol A, a chemical used to make everything from plastic water bottles and food packaging to sunglasses and CDs.

4 Feb 2010

Study could lead to non-surgical alternatives for tonsillectomies

Children with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) may one day be able to have an injection or use a throat spray instead of getting their tonsils removed to cure their snoring, according to a new study from the University of Chicago, which found that a specific gene product may be responsible for the proliferation of adenotonsillar tissue that can cause pediatric OSA.

4 Feb 2010

GKAS volunteers provide free dental care for children

With an economy that might cause some parents to postpone regular dental visits for their children and tooth decay being the most prevalent chronic disease in America's children, the American Dental Association (ADA) is mobilizing dental professionals for the eighth consecutive year in a national campaign to extend necessary care to children and adolescents from low-income families.

4 Feb 2010

Despite improvements, aid delivery bottlenecks persist in Haiti

Three weeks after a major earthquake struck Haiti, challenges in getting aid to those in need persist, the Washington Post reports. "Rajiv Shah, the administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development, said the relief effort has escalated in recent days and will continue to do so.

4 Feb 2010

New vaccine to prevent malaria infection shown promise to protect young children

A new vaccine to prevent the deadly malaria infection has shown promise to protect the most vulnerable patients - young children - against the disease, according to an international team of researchers led by the University of Maryland School of Medicine's Center for Vaccine Development (CVD) and the Malaria Research and Training Center at the University of Bamako in Mali, West Africa.

4 Feb 2010

New study compares two treatment options for clubfoot - Ponseti method and surgical treatment

3 Feb 2010

New resources to support Teva Pharmaceutical Industries' Tjet injector system now available

Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. announced today the availability of new resources to support the recently introduced Tjet® injector system, a needle-free device designed to deliver Teva’s TEV-TROPIN® [somatropin (rDNA origin) for injection] brand human growth hormone (hGH) to children who have growth failure due to inadequate secretion of normal endogenous growth hormone.

3 Feb 2010

Study linking autism and vaccines is retracted by medical journal

The Lancet has formally retracted a controversial paper published 12 years ago that purported the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine causes autism.

3 Feb 2010

Decreased levels in brainstem of serotonin associated with increased risk for SIDS

Preliminary research indicates that decreased levels in the brainstem of serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine [5-HT]; a neurotransmitter involved in several brain functions) and tryptophan hydroxylase (TPH2; an enzyme involved in the synthesis of serotonin) are associated with an increased risk for sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), according to a study in the February 3 issue of JAMA.

3 Feb 2010

NCA awards over $10M for development and implementation of multi-disciplinary approach to child abuse

On January 13th, 2010, National Children's Alliance (NCA), under agreement with the United States Department of Justice Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), announced grant awards over $10 million distributed among 539 Child Advocacy Centers and Multi-Disciplinary Teams across the country.

3 Feb 2010

PATH to pay FDA $480,000 to speed creation of pneumococcal vaccine for developing world

The FDA on Monday said it's entering into a collaboration with the nonprofit group PATH "to speed creation of a pneumococcal vaccine for children in developing nations," United Press International reports (2/1).

3 Feb 2010

Kool Smiles takes initiative to support children's oral care in Massachusetts

Kool Smiles is offering free toothbrushes and educational support to day care centers affected by the recent state mandate that will require day care providers to help children brush their teeth after a meal.

2 Feb 2010

Minimally invasive living donor liver retrieval for pediatric transplant

NewYork-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital is the only medical center in the United States to offer minimally invasive liver donation for pediatric transplantation. Surgeons use a laparoscopic technique to remove a section of liver from a living donor for implantation in a pediatric patient -- typically a parent donating to their child. The innovative approach promises dramatically improved recovery for the donor.

2 Feb 2010

New approach may help in fighting Cerebral Palsy

On average, a child is diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy every hour of every day in the United States. It's a disease that can affect everything from a child's vision to their ability to walk. Therapy for these kids is tough and frustrating as this is a chronic health condition.

2 Feb 2010

Study compares common treatment options for infants born with clubfoot

Clubfoot affects one in a thousand babies born in the United States, but with proper corrective treatment and follow-up, infants born with clubfoot can have feet compatible with an active, normal lifestyle. A new study in the February 2010 issue of the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery (JBJS) compared two common treatment options for clubfoot - Ponseti method and surgical treatment.

2 Feb 2010

MEND Program: Effective treatment for pediatric obesity

Ground-breaking results from a study to evaluate the effectiveness of the MEND Program (Mind, Exercise, Nutrition, Do it!), a multi-component community-based childhood obesity intervention (www.mendcentral.org), are published today in the US journal Obesity (www.nature.com/oby/journal/v18/n1s/abs/oby2009433a.html). The results coincide with the launch of Michelle Obama's initiative to reduce childhood obesity announced in the State of the Union speech.

2 Feb 2010

Self-directed learning program may benefit parents with autistic children

Through the use of instructional DVDs, parents of children with autism can learn how to teach their child to communicate and improve their behavior, according to research published in the January 2010 issue of The Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions (published by the Hammill Institute on Disabilities and SAGE).

2 Feb 2010

Gene mutation can trigger preterm births, says study

Mutation of a gene that helps protect the body from genetic instability leads to cellular and molecular changes in the pregnant uterus that trigger premature birth, according to a study appearing online Feb. 1 in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.

2 Feb 2010

PET for children: CHOP-Penn researchers study reduction in radiation dosage

Studies have shown positron emission tomography's (PET) value as a minimally invasive, painless and safe diagnostic tool for many pediatric conditions. In a study published in the February issue of The Journal of Nuclear Medicine (JNM), researchers at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) and the University of Pennsylvania (Penn) gathered data that may provide clinicians with new formulas-specific to pediatrics-to calculate the amount of radiotracer that should be injected based on the patient's weight.

2 Feb 2010