Child Health News

RSS

Liquid detergent capsules can cause serious damage to childrens eyes

According to a recently released report, during a 6-month period, doctors treated six cases of severe eye injuries in young children, caused by their squeezing capsules containing liquid washing detergent.

15 Aug 2005

Findings could lead to gene therapy cure for childhood blindness

In findings that could lead to curing some forms of congenital blindness through gene therapy, researchers at UCLA have discovered that RPE65, a gene missing in infants born with the blinding disease Leber congenital amaurosis, is also a key enzyme in the visual cycle. The identity of this enzyme has long been a mystery to scientists.

11 Aug 2005

Family-based treatments are effective for substance abuse

Family-based treatments are effective for substance abuse and conduct disorders in children and adolescents, according to a new, ten-year research review released this week. The treatment also helps reduce the behavior problems associated with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and shows promise in treating depression and anxiety.

11 Aug 2005

Childhood cancers are strongly linked to pollution from engine exhausts

The postal addresses of 22,500 children who had died of cancer in Britain between 1955 and 1980 were linked to emissions hotspots for specific chemicals.

11 Aug 2005

Study queries value of ear tube surgery for childrens' speech and language development

After conducting a study of nearly 400 children in 2001, researchers at the Children's Hospital in Pittsburgh, have come to the conclusion, that putting tubes in the eardrum to help drain a young child's middle ear infection does not guard against developmental problems later in life.

11 Aug 2005

Bill Clinton leads childhood obesity fight

Former President Bill Clinton, famous for among other things, his love of fast food, says he has firsthand experience of how unhealthy eating habits can do to a young body.

8 Aug 2005

New guidance highlights pharmacist's role in protecting vulnerable adults

Two new pieces of guidance, Child Protection and Protection of Vulnerable Adults, published by the Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain this week 6 August 2005 will help pharmacists and registered pharmacy technicians recognise and act on instances where they believe patients may be victims of abuse.

4 Aug 2005

New health campaign targets uninsured kids in the U.S.

According to the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, an estimated 45 million Americans lack health insurance, and nearly 20 percent of them are children.

3 Aug 2005

Breastfeeding babies past 12 months

Breastfeeding toddlers: it's considered a social no-no, which means very few mothers end up breastfeeding their babies past 12 months of age.

2 Aug 2005

Drug use among Indiana youth sees biggest drop in years

A new report on alcohol, tobacco and other drug use by the Indiana Prevention Resource Center at Indiana University Bloomington demonstrates a significant downward trend in youth drug use and includes the agency's first compilation of data concerning methamphetamine use and gambling by sixth- through 12th-grade students.

2 Aug 2005

Countries throughout the Americas are joining together to observe World Breastfeeding Week

...with a special focus on complementary feeding after six months of exclusive breastfeeding. The week of August 1-7 has the theme, "Breastfeeding and Family Foods: Loving and Healthy," highlighting the importance of timely, adequate, safe, and properly fed complementary foods.

2 Aug 2005

South African Department of Health celebrating World Breastfeeding Week

The South African Department of Health will be celebrating World Breastfeeding Week from the 1st August to 7th August 2005. World Breastfeeding Week (WBW) takes place annually from the 1st to 7th August and was created by World Alliance for Breastfeeding Action (WABA) in 1990.

2 Aug 2005

Evaluation of sexual abuse in children takes special skills

More than 88,000 children in the United States were confirmed victims of sexual abuse in 2002. Studies have suggested that each year approximately one percent of children experience some form of sexual abuse, resulting in the sexual victimization of 12 to 25 percent of girls and 8 to 10 percent of boys by 18 years of age.

2 Aug 2005

Teen binge drinking out of control

Apparently teenagers in the UK have one of the highest rates of binge drinking in Europe.

2 Aug 2005

Visceral obesity may be an important risk factor for insulin resistance syndrome in children

Waist circumference is associated with insulin resistance in children and may offer a simple way to identify children with risk factors for cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes, according to a study in the August issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.

1 Aug 2005

Nationwide survey reports a high rate of concern about body image in both boys and girls

A nationwide survey of more than 10,000 adolescents, published in the August issue of Pediatrics, reports a high rate of concern about body image in both boys and girls, and finds that adolescents with such concerns are much more likely to use hormones and dietary supplements to enhance their physique.

1 Aug 2005

Babies born at night have a greater risk of dying in their first month

There is strong evidence that babies born at night have a greater risk of dying in their first month of life than babies born earlier in the day, according to a new study published this month in Obstetrics & Gynecology.

1 Aug 2005

Mental-state reasoning is universal milestone in child development

On this boring Wednesday afternoon, nothing would entertain a young child more than to play a joke on the babysitter. The sitter always keeps her lunch in her purse; so when she leaves the room, the little prankster quickly hides it under the couch. When the babysitter returns, where will she look first?

28 Jul 2005

Steady upward climb in child vaccinations

According to U.S. health officials, a record high rate of 81 percent of toddlers 19 months to 3 years old are now getting vaccinated with the full recommended series.

27 Jul 2005

Illnesses associated with pesticide exposure at schools increased significantly in children from 1998 to 2002

"Exposure to pesticides in the school environment is a health risk facing children and school employees," background information in the article states. Pesticides continue to be used both on and around school property, with some schools at risk of pesticide exposure from neighboring farms. Currently, no specific federal requirements on limiting pesticide exposures at schools exist.

26 Jul 2005