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Power lawn mower injuries crop up with change of season

Spring is here, the sky is blue, the grass is green and it's time to give that lawn a trim. But beware: Lawn mower injuries are a seasonal threat to children and the leading cause of amputations in adolescents, say specialists from the Johns Hopkins Children's Center, Maryland's designated pediatric trauma center where the most severe injuries are treated.

9 Apr 2007

Mediterranean diet for children means fewer allergic symptoms

The benefits of a Mediterranean diet have been further enhanced with the latest research by scientists from Greece, Spain and the United Kingdom.

8 Apr 2007

Study shows beneficial effects of pneumococcal conjugate vaccines in children

Routine infant immunisation with pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV7) has caused a 39% fall in all-cause pneumonia hospital admission rates for American children aged under two years, according to an Article published in this week's edition of The Lancet.

8 Apr 2007

Newborn screening programmes for cystic fibrosis should be adopted internationally

Newborn screening for cystic fibrosis saves on treatment costs and would offset the actual costs of the screening programme.

8 Apr 2007

Weak immune response critical to disease that causes most infant hospitalizations

The most common cause of infant hospitalization in the United States, respiratory syncytial virus, infects virtually all children by age two.

7 Apr 2007

UCLA research project targeting teens who leave home and their families

When emotions swell between teenager and parent, both sides sometimes say and do things they later wish they could take back.

7 Apr 2007

New standards could cut number of malnourished children on feeding programs

The introduction of new standards to assess nutrition in children could lead to confusion and a cut in the numbers of malnourished children eligible for emergency feeding programmes, warn researchers in the British Medical Journal.

7 Apr 2007

Parents can help improve their children's habits by improving their own eating and physical activity habits

Teens who are most physically active and consume the most calories are the leanest, researchers say.

7 Apr 2007

Beneficial effects of pneumococcal conjugate vaccines in children re-emphasized

Routine infant immunization with pneumococcal conjugate vaccine (PCV7) has caused a 39 percent fall in all-cause pneumonia hospital admission rates for American children under 2, according to an article published in this week's edition of The Lancet .

7 Apr 2007

Mums who eat apples decrease likelihood of kids having asthma

Eating apples while pregnant may give new meaning to an apple a day keeping the doctor away.

7 Apr 2007

Liposuction and tummy tucks are not the answer for obese kids

In light of recent media coverage on teenagers seeking surgical options to lose weight, the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) cautions that liposuction and tummy tucks are inappropriate procedures for weight loss.

5 Apr 2007

Positive impact of parents as teachers

Today, new research was unveiled on the outcomes of Parents as Teachers participation on children's school readiness and how these effects are sustained through third grade.

5 Apr 2007

Weaker performance of siblings of children with autism spectrum disorder

Younger siblings of children with autism spectrum disorders do not perform as well on tests of social and communication development compared with siblings of children without developmental problems at ages as young as 12 months, according to a report in the April issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, a theme issue on autism spectrum disorders.

4 Apr 2007

Less children and teens taking antidepressants

The number of children and teenagers prescribed antidepressant medications appears to have decreased following public warnings about suicidal behavior potentially associated with the drugs, according to a report published in the April issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

4 Apr 2007

Year-old babies who don't respond to their names may be at risk for developmental disorders

Year-old babies who do not respond when their name is called may be more likely to be diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder or other developmental problem at age 2, making this simple test a potential early indicator for such conditions, according to a report in the April issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, a theme issue on autism spectrum disorders.

4 Apr 2007

Number of children worldwide with hearing impairment is increasing

Although newborn babies in rich countries routinely have their hearing tested, the major global health agencies, such as the World Bank and Unicef, have not prioritized funding for newborn hearing tests in poor countries, writes Dr Bolajoko Olusanya (University of Lagos, Nigeria and University College London, UK) in PLoS Medicine.

4 Apr 2007

Child maltreatment declines in the U.S.

Several forms of child maltreatment decreased from 2004 to 2005, adding to more than a decade's worth of declines, according to University of New Hampshire researchers who analyzed the latest data released Monday from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

3 Apr 2007

Harvard presents to Motion Picture Association of America on depiction of smoking in movies

Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) is releasing materials presented to the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) in a scientific briefing requested by the MPAA last February 23, 2007 in Hollywood on the health impact of youth smoking and the behavioral influence of films that depict tobacco use.

3 Apr 2007

Children who get frequent infections may have immunodeficiency

Children who get frequent infections, such as ear infections, sinusitis or pneumonia, may have a more severe condition called immunodeficiency, according to the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI).

3 Apr 2007

Millions of children living with HIV/AIDS in developing countries need immediate access to treatment

There is an immediate need for the provision of antiretroviral therapy developed for children, including smaller pills and combination therapies, as well as enhanced medical training to provide care to HIV-positive children in developing countries, according to an American Academy of Pediatrics policy statement published on Monday in the April issue of the journal Pediatrics, the AP/San Francisco Chronicle reports.

3 Apr 2007