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Junk food ads aimed at kids endangers their health

The Institute of Medicine says that the majority of food and drink advertising to children promotes unhealthy choices and can lead to poor diets.

7 Dec 2005

Prevention of childhood obesity needs to begin before a woman ever gets pregnant

A child's weight may be influenced by his mother even before he is actually born, according to new research.

7 Dec 2005

Toddlers with sleep apnea experience more respiratory disturbances when they sleep on their backs

Researchers at The University of Texas Medical School at Houston have discovered that toddlers with sleep apnea experience more respiratory disturbances when they sleep on their backs than in other positions.

7 Dec 2005

Hearing implants give best results when placed early

Investigators say that deaf children who are given cochlear implants before the age of 30 months are more able to combine what they hear and what they see than those who receive their implants when they are older.

6 Dec 2005

Backpacks damage kids' shoulders and backs

Kids today are carrying too much of a load on their backs and researchers say back pack weight should be reduced for comfort and safety.

6 Dec 2005

Children with heart defects benefit from exercise

A small but compelling pilot study indicates that many children with serious congenital heart disease, who are typically urged to restrict their activity, can improve their cardiovascular function and exercise capacity through a cardiac rehabilitation program.

5 Dec 2005

Comforting behavior in girls mistaken for movement disorder

The comforting behavior of thumb-sucking wouldn't land a 1-year-old girl in a neurologist's office, but the twisting and unusual movements of the comforting act of infantile masturbation can lead parents and physicians to believe a child is suffering from a movement disorder.

5 Dec 2005

Twins, triplets have greater chance of birth defects

Twins, triplets and other multiples have a nearly 50 percent greater chance of being born with birth defects, and boys tend to be more at risk than girls, according to two population-based studies conducted at the University of Florida.

5 Dec 2005

Go-cart injuries in children - bad!

Researchers have used diagnostic images to conduct a study of go-cart injuries in children and the results are concerning, according to findings presented at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).

30 Nov 2005

Breastfeeding may protect children against gluten intolerance

Breastfeeding may protect children against gluten intolerance otherwise known as coeliac disease, suggests research published ahead of print in the Archives of Disease in Childhood.

28 Nov 2005

Depression treatment in children - poor data

When the U.S. Food and Drug Administration declared in 2004 that certain antidepressants are linked to an increased risk of suicide in adolescents, there was surprisingly little data about how depression was being treated in young patients.

28 Nov 2005

Dining out may increase cardiovascular disease risk in children

Children who frequently eat out score worse on measures of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk than those who eat more meals at home, researchers reported at the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2005.

28 Nov 2005

Sugary drinks push Latino kids toward type 2 diabetes

Overweight Latino children who consume lots of sugar-especially in sugary drinks-show signs of beta cell decline, a precursor of type 2 diabetes, according to researchers at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California.

26 Nov 2005

Christmas is coming and toys can be dangerous

Even though toys today are safer than ever before, parents shopping for Christmas presents for their children are being warned to be aware of the hidden hazards some toys present.

24 Nov 2005

Early neglect has a physical as well as psychological effect

A team of researchers in the United States has found that children who suffer neglect in their early years are left with physical as well as psychological effects.

22 Nov 2005

Prem babies more at risk of high blood pressure

According to a new Swedish study, premature birth may create a risk for high blood pressure later in life.

22 Nov 2005

Breast-fed babies have less risk of celiac disease

A new study has concluded that breast-feeding significantly lowers the risk of a child developing celiac disease.

22 Nov 2005

Sleeping on their back causes breathing problems for babies

New research has revealed that very young children with obstructive sleep apnea who sleep on their backs appear to have more respiratory problems, as measured by increases in the respiratory disturbance index (RDI).

22 Nov 2005

Early wheezers continue to have poorer lung function as they age

Among children who exhibit asthma-like symptoms during preschool years, researchers have found that patterns of wheezing prevalence and levels of lung function are established by age 6 and do not significantly change for at least 10 years.

21 Nov 2005

Brains of babies born very prematurely do not develop as well as those who are carried to full-term

"We found that in very premature babies, a part of the brain doesn't show normal growth after birth, and in fact some parts of the brain didn't change at all from the day the babies were born until they reached what would have been a full-term birth date."

20 Nov 2005