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International Medica Foundation sponsors rotavirus vaccine trial in Ghana

More than half a million children – or 1,400 to 1,600 each day – die from rotavirus, the most common cause of severe childhood diarrhea. Almost all of these deaths occur in developing countries, where lifesaving medical care may not be affordable or available to the families with the most critical needs. In addition, income loss due to the need for parents to take care of sick children can have a very significant economic burden on families that can least afford it.

29 Sep 2009

Diabetic hypoglycemia remains a critical concern in young patients

A recent Lancet article predicted a doubling of new cases of type 1 diabetes in European children aged under 5, and a 70% rise in cases in children under 15 years - an incidence rate exceeding all previous predictions. Studies in the USA and other countries also suggest similar trends.

28 Sep 2009

AET-GPB educate Americans on the risks of childhood obesity

Aetna and Georgia Public Broadcasting (GPB) have kicked off a 12-month statewide multi-media campaign to raise awareness of the increased risks of childhood obesity.

28 Sep 2009

Child health experts to gather in Italy for Excellence in Paediatrics conference

Obesity, the flu pandemic and diabetes are just three of the hot topics that will be explored when top child health experts gather in Italy for Excellence in Paediatrics from 3 to 6 December 2009.

28 Sep 2009

Physicians should implement new measures while diagnosing prenatal Down syndrome

New prenatal tests for Down syndrome are soon to be offered to all pregnant women across the United States, yet telling an expectant couple that their child will be born with Down syndrome is a task very few physicians are trained for, claims research published in the American Journal of Medical Genetics.

28 Sep 2009

Universal bilirubin screening can reduce jaundice incidence in newborns

Screening all newborns for excessive bilirubin in the blood can significantly decrease the incidence of severe jaundice which, in extreme cases, can lead to seizures and brain damage, according to researchers at UCSF Children's Hospital and Kaiser Permanente's Division of Research in Oakland, CA.

28 Sep 2009

Researchers measure the brain activity in infants

Do infants only start to crawl once they are physically able to see danger coming? Or is it that because they are more mobile, they develop the ability to sense looming danger? According to Ruud van der Weel and Audrey van der Meer, from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Trondheim, infants' ability to see whether an object is approaching on a direct collision course, and when it is likely to collide, develops around the time they become more mobile. Their findings have just been published online in the Springer journal Naturwissenschaften.

27 Sep 2009

AETNA's nutrition program to counter childhood obesity

Aetna Better Health, formerly Aetna Medicaid and CHIP Services, today announced an eight-week nutrition and exercise program for children at the North Fort Worth Branch of the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Fort Worth. The pilot program, named ACTIVATE Kids, was created to educate children on the risks of childhood obesity.

26 Sep 2009

Intervention program helps children live healthier lives: Study

A new Iowa State University study found that a family, school and community intervention program helps children live healthier lives and could be a new tool in the fight against the nation's childhood obesity epidemic.

26 Sep 2009

Research study sheds light on mechanisms of pain alteration in infancy and adolescence

Scientists at Georgia State University have uncovered the mechanisms of how pain in infancy alters how the brain processes pain in adulthood.

26 Sep 2009

Recent releases in Global Health

A study appearing in the Journal of Infectious Diseases explores how well access to safe drinking water reduces rates of diarrhea experienced by 6-month-old infants born to HIV-infected mothers following weaning.

25 Sep 2009

Children exposed to pesticides more susceptible to chilhood leukemia

Northern California Cancer Center (NCCC) research reveals that children exposed to agricultural pesticides applied near their home may experience an increased risk of the most common form of childhood leukemia.

25 Sep 2009

Children with minimal change nephrotic syndrome can be treated with prednisone

A kidney condition that can arise in children and was until recently believed to disappear after puberty may persist into adulthood and cause significant long-term complications, according to a study appearing in an upcoming issue of the Clinical Journal of the American Society Nephrology (CJASN). The findings indicate that better treatment options are needed for children with the disorder, called minimal change nephrotic syndrome.

25 Sep 2009

Only 40% of parents will get their child vaccinated against H1N1?

The latest C.S. Mott Children's Hospital National Poll on Children's Health finds only 40 percent of parents indicate they will get their children vaccinated against H1N1 flu -- while 54 percent of parents indicate they will get their children vaccinated against seasonal flu. Among parents who do not plan to get their children vaccinated against H1N1 flu, 46 percent indicate they are not worried about their children getting H1N1 flu, while 20 percent believe H1N1 flu is not serious.

25 Sep 2009

Severe plagiocephaly in babies can lead to ear infections

The recommendation to lay babies on their backs to sleep has reduced sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), but has led to an increased number of infants with a skull deformity called deformational (or positional) plagiocephaly. Now new research suggests that infants with more severe plagiocephaly may have a higher rate of middle ear abnormalities associated with ear infections (otitis media), reports the September issue of The Journal of Craniofacial Surgery. The journal is published by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, a part of Wolters Kluwer Health, a leading provider of information and business intelligence for students, professionals, and institutions in medicine, nursing, allied health, and pharmacy.

25 Sep 2009

HSA: Cutting autism support by $3 million is not good for kids

"Government spin won't help autistic children and their families," HSA President Reid Johnson said today in response to a massive government cut in support for autistic children across British Columbia.

24 Sep 2009

Online portal for parents of children with disabilities

United Cerebral Palsy (UCP), today announced the launch of My Child Without Limits (MyChildWithoutLimits.org), UCP's pioneering initiative that provides parents of children with disabilities an online resource with critical information that also connects parents to a vital social network of parents of newly diagnosed children ages 0 to 5.

24 Sep 2009

Family dinners can make a difference in children's lives

Compared to teens who have frequent family dinners (five or more per week), those who have infrequent family dinners (fewer than three per week) are twice as likely to use tobacco or marijuana; more than one and a half times likelier to use alcohol; and twice as likely to expect to try drugs in the future, according to The Importance of Family Dinners V, a new report by The National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse (CASA) at Columbia University.

23 Sep 2009

Casa Herbalife program launched in Croatia

The Herbalife Family Foundation has established a Casa Herbalife program at the Dom Tuskanac charity (Children and Youth Home) in Zagreb, Croatia, to help support the center to provide good nutrition to children.

23 Sep 2009

Obesity can increase cancer incidence in leukemic children

Obesity is an important factor contributing to chemotherapy resistance and increasing relapse rates among children with leukemia, according to recent findings published online first in Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.

23 Sep 2009