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Respiratory syncytial virus, the most common cause of pneumonia in children

RSV is a respiratory virus that infects the lungs and breathing passages. While most healthy people recover from RSV infection, it can be severe in infants. According to the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), RSV is the most common cause of bronchiolitis (inflammation of the small airways in the lung) and pneumonia in children under 1 year of age in the nation.

3 Dec 2009

Children vaccinated against chickenpox at much lower risk of developing shingles

Vaccination to prevent chickenpox (varicella) appears to have an added benefit for children—a reduced risk of shingles (herpes zoster). That's the finding of a study in the November issue of The Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal, 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.

3 Dec 2009

Sepsis, a serious infection, remains a major threat to 'late preterm' infants

Sepsis is a serious infection that is a major cause of death in very premature infants. But sepsis is also a threat in "late preterm" infants born just a few weeks prematurely, according to a study in the December issue of The Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal. 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.

3 Dec 2009

Beta 2 adrenergic agonist drugs linked to autism-spectrum disorders

Commonly prescribed beta 2 adrenergic agonist drugs for the treatment of asthma in pregnant women as well as pre-term labor may increase the incidence of autism-spectrum disorders, psychiatric pathology, cognitive problems and poor school performance in their children, according to a new study published in the December 2009 issue of the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology.

3 Dec 2009

Beta 2 adrenergic agonist drugs can increase risk of autism-spectrum disorders in developing fetus

2 Dec 2009

Small baby guidelines can improve patient outcomes and decrease the length of hospitalization

A substantial number of premature infants born before 27 weeks gestational age encounter complicated medical problems. Although the survival rate of these infants has increased over the last two decades, the survival data for these patients is highly variable.

2 Dec 2009

Chinese SFDA approves Tianyin Pharmaceutical's Pediatric Fever and Cough Oral Liquid

Tianyin Pharmaceutical Co., Inc.,, a manufacturer and supplier of modernized traditional Chinese medicine ("TCM") based in Chengdu, China, today announced that it has received approvals from the Chinese State Food and Drug Administration (SFDA) to produce Pediatric Fever and Cough Oral Liquid in dosage form of 10 ml/tube (SFDA approval number Z20093060) and Antibacterial and Anti-inflammatory Capsules in dosage form of 0.27 gram/capsule (SFDA approval number Z20090855).

1 Dec 2009

Genetic Analysis introduces GA-map microarray test for screening of infant gut microbiota

Genetic Analysis AS, the molecular diagnostics company, has launched its GA-map™ microarray test for high throughput screening of infant gut microbiota. At the recent Sackler Colloquium on Microbes and Health in the US, the company presented data from evaluation screens that show its potential as a tool for probing the mechanisms of disease in conditions associated with the gut flora.

1 Dec 2009

Health care reform bill will disrupt dental coverage of more than 441,000 Virginia children

Health care reform legislation passed by the House of Representatives threatens unintended consequences that would disrupt dental coverage for more than 441,000 Virginia children, limit competition for dental benefits, and disrupt many dentist-patient relationships, according to George Levicki, DDS, president and CEO of Delta Dental of Virginia.

1 Dec 2009

New research shows hyperactivity in boys may interfere with night-time sleep

Hyperactive boys don't get enough sleep, which can worsen their condition according to new research. Published in the November issue of Pediatrics, the study is the first to examine a large sample of children and to study the link between lack of sleep and hyperactivity.

1 Dec 2009

Despite reservations, smoking ban has not increased children's exposure to secondhand smoke

A new study has shown that the introduction of smoke-free legislation has not led to an increase in children's exposure to secondhand smoke in their own homes.

1 Dec 2009

Tall and overweight children face increase risk of obesity in later years, says new study

Being tall and overweight, or just being tall, might be a marker in children for an increased risk of being overweight or obese in later years.

1 Dec 2009

Home visits to educate children with asthma can lead to fewer flare-ups and less frequent trips to ER

A few home visits by a health care specialist to educate children with asthma about basic strategies for earlier symptom recognition and improving medication use can lead to fewer flare-ups and less frequent trips to the ER, according to research from Johns Hopkins Children's Center published in the December issue of Pediatrics.

1 Dec 2009

Also in Global Health news: 'Positive deviance' approach to health; child malnutrition in Madagascar; Somalia's health system; weak harvests in West Africa; improving health equity

The Boston Globe examines "'positive deviance,' an approach to behavioral and social change. Instead of imposing solutions from without, the method identifies outliers in a community who, despite having no special advantages, are doing exceptionally well. By respecting local ingenuity, proponents say, the approach galvanizes community members and is often more effective and sustainable than imported blueprints."

30 Nov 2009

Centene announces new program to educate children on the importance of active and healthy lifestyle

Centene Corporation today announced the creation of a program called Kids' Club, aimed at educating its child members on a variety of health topics. Centene's health plans are reaching out directly to children with newsletters, contests and other innovative events, such as readings with the author of "The Adventures of Thumbs Up Johnnie(TM)."

30 Nov 2009

Interventions by parent mentors can effectively reduce wheezing and asthma attacks in children

UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers have found that informed adults can help families stave off complications associated with asthma. The findings, available online and in the December issue of Pediatrics, suggest that interventions by parent mentors - caregivers of asthmatic children who have received specialized topical training - can effectively reduce wheezing, asthma attacks, emergency room visits and missed adult workdays.

30 Nov 2009

Early intervention for young children with autism improves IQ, communication and social interaction

A novel early intervention program for very young children with autism - some as young as 18 months - is effective for improving IQ, language ability, and social interaction, a comprehensive new study has found.

30 Nov 2009

New study reveals current beverage can pull-tabs are still unsafe

Three decades ago, a study revealed that beverage can pull-tabs were being swallowed by children, prompting a switch by U.S. manufacturers to stay-tabs. But a study presented today at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) found that the new tabs are still potentially unsafe.

30 Nov 2009

Researchers devise new tools for typing cells from children with acute lymphatic leukemia

Researchers at Uppsala University and University Children's Hospital in Uppsala have devised powerful new tools for typing cells from children with acute lymphatic leukemia and for prediction of how children with leukemia will respond to chemotherapy.

28 Nov 2009

Dr. Gail Harrison to receive the March of Dimes Agnes Higgins Award

A nutritionist whose research was instrumental in adding fruits and vegetables to the federal Women, Infants and Children (WIC) food subsidy will receive the March of Dimes Agnes Higgins Award for outstanding achievement in the field of maternal-fetal nutrition.

27 Nov 2009

Child Health News

Respiratory syncytial virus, the most common cause of pneumonia in children

Children vaccinated against chickenpox at much lower risk of developing shingles

Sepsis, a serious infection, remains a major threat to 'late preterm' infants

Beta 2 adrenergic agonist drugs linked to autism-spectrum disorders

Beta 2 adrenergic agonist drugs can increase risk of autism-spectrum disorders in developing fetus

Small baby guidelines can improve patient outcomes and decrease the length of hospitalization

Chinese SFDA approves Tianyin Pharmaceutical's Pediatric Fever and Cough Oral Liquid

Genetic Analysis introduces GA-map microarray test for screening of infant gut microbiota

Health care reform bill will disrupt dental coverage of more than 441,000 Virginia children

New research shows hyperactivity in boys may interfere with night-time sleep

Despite reservations, smoking ban has not increased children's exposure to secondhand smoke

Tall and overweight children face increase risk of obesity in later years, says new study

Home visits to educate children with asthma can lead to fewer flare-ups and less frequent trips to ER

Also in Global Health news: 'Positive deviance' approach to health; child malnutrition in Madagascar; Somalia's health system; weak harvests in West Africa; improving health equity

Centene announces new program to educate children on the importance of active and healthy lifestyle

Interventions by parent mentors can effectively reduce wheezing and asthma attacks in children

Early intervention for young children with autism improves IQ, communication and social interaction

New study reveals current beverage can pull-tabs are still unsafe

Researchers devise new tools for typing cells from children with acute lymphatic leukemia

Dr. Gail Harrison to receive the March of Dimes Agnes Higgins Award

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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