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Interventions to improve child survival are not reaching the poorest children

In most low-income countries, coverage rates for child-survival interventions are low, and millions of children die every year from diseases for which there are effective interventions.

20 Oct 2005

Steroids and the chicken pox are a bad combination for children

Children who have been treated with steroids and are exposed to chicken pox tend to have a more severe case of the virus, according to pediatric oncologists at Brenner Children's Hospital, part of Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center.

18 Oct 2005

Acyclovir use uncertain in children with chickenpox

There seems to be little value in using acyclovir to treat children with chickenpox who are otherwise healthy.

18 Oct 2005

Abused boys may 'learn' that violence is an acceptable method of conflict resolution in the home

According to a study in the October 18 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine, a history of childhood physical abuse may be common in men from urban settings, and these men with physical abuse histories may be more likely to commit domestic violence. The study found that the childhood abuse was primarily committed by parents, with mothers being the most frequent abusers.

17 Oct 2005

Big babies run the risk of obesity later in life

There was a time, not so long ago, when mothers were proud of their bonnie babies, who appeared to gain weight easily, and it was almost thought to be a sign of a healthy, thriving babe and the result of good maternal care and attention

17 Oct 2005

Relationship between drinking early in adolescence and later negative outcomes

Alcohol experimentation in late childhood or early adolescence is a common event. An early age of first drink (AFD), however, is associated with a variety of negative outcomes.

13 Oct 2005

Study examines the relation between infant size and growth and later obesity

Large infants, and those who grow rapidly during the first two years of life, are at increased risk of obesity in childhood and adulthood, a study published online by the British Medical Journal today (14 October 2005) has found.

13 Oct 2005

Top 12 health issues facing Australian children

Alarming levels of poorer health within indigenous children and those from lower socio-economic backgrounds tops a new list of 12 major issues threatening the future health of Australia.

10 Oct 2005

Real dangers from environmental toxins most likely occur early in life

Exposure of developing fetuses and newborns to low levels of environmental toxins such as lead, mercury and dioxin, as well as nicotine and ethanol, could be behind the recent sharp rises in asthma, allergies and autoimmune disorders like lupus, says a Cornell University researcher.

10 Oct 2005

Babies should not be asleep in the same bed that their parents are sleeping in

Revised American Academy of Pediatrics' guidelines on preventing sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) recommend putting babies to sleep in their own cribs instead of in their parents' beds.

10 Oct 2005

Why kids need to wear mouthguards

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, more than 74 million students will head back to school this fall, however, according to the National Youth Sports Safety Foundation (NYSSF), many of those students end up as part of the 15 million dental injuries and five million cases of traumatically lost teeth that occur every year.

5 Oct 2005

New set of guidelines for treating the mental health needs of incarcerated youth

Although as many as 65 to75 percent of juvenile offenders have one or more psychiatric disorders, most juvenile correctional facilities do not have the resources to serve them.

5 Oct 2005

To improve the diets of British children we need to look beyond school dinners

The health of pupils eating school dinners is no worse - and in some respects may be better - than that of pupils eating meals provided from home, concludes a study published online by the British Medical Journal today.

5 Oct 2005

Half of childhood asthma hospitalizations could be prevented with improved parent-physician communication

Each year, some 196,000 children are hospitalized in the United States with asthma attacks. In addition to the severe breathing problems that the children may experience, it also costs the health care system an estimated $835 million to treat them.

4 Oct 2005

Children enrolled in fitness-oriented gym classes showed greater loss of body fat

Overweight children who took part in lifestyle-focused, fitness-oriented gym classes showed significant improvement in body composition, fitness, and insulin levels, according to a study in the October issue of Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine.

3 Oct 2005

School meals system failing needy children

New research just published by researchers at the University of Dundee demonstrates that the current system of free school meals is failing many of the most needy children.

28 Sep 2005

New centre to advance child health research

The Medical Research Council (MRC) and the Institute of Child Health (ICH) at UCL (University College London) have announced a partnership to establish a centre for research to improve the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of diseases affecting children's health, and to promote their health and well-being.

27 Sep 2005

Findings explain why abused children are often so distracted at school

Even the subtlest hints of anger or hostility in their environment sets physically abused children on prolonged 'alert', even if a conflict has nothing to do with them.

27 Sep 2005

How you interact with your children when they're just starting kindergarten helps determine their behavior by the time they finish fourth grade

The study, from researchers at Wichita State University in Kansas, found that early parent-child relationships, including warmth, good communication and parental tracking of child behavior, serve as important building blocks for later monitoring (knowing where your child is, with whom, and what he or she is doing outside the home) later in childhood.

27 Sep 2005

Stuttering is best treated early

About 5% of children begin to stutter, usually in the third and fourth years of life. The consensus is that early intervention in the preschool years is necessary, but evidence to support this is currently lacking.

26 Sep 2005