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West named inaugural George G. Graham Professor in infant and child nutrition

On May 27, 2005, Keith P. West, Jr., DrPH, MPH, RD, was installed as the inaugural George G. Graham Professor in Infant and Child Nutrition at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Dr. West is a professor with the Department of International Health and its Center for Human Nutrition.

6 Jun 2005

Leading experts meet to discuss 'crisis' in child protection

Leading experts involved in the field of child abuse are gathering today at the Royal Society of Medicine - Monday 6 June - at a special conference to discuss the growing 'crisis' in child protection.

6 Jun 2005

57% of children are not read to daily by a parent or family member

According to a report released by the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services, opportunities for parents to develop their young child’s language development and eventual reading success are being missed – 57% of children are not read to daily by a parent or family member.

6 Jun 2005

Boys are more reluctant than girls to swallow Jamie Oliver-style healthy school dinners

Cancer Research UK scientists found that more boys than girls, aged 4 to 16, liked fatty and sugary foods, meat, processed meat and eggs while more girls than boys liked fruit and vegetables which can help to reduce cancer risk in later life.

6 Jun 2005

Childrens' mental development may be impaired by aircraft noise

A new study is suggesting that exposure to aircraft noise at schools located near major airports may affect the development of children's mental skills in an adverse way, and this applies especially to reading comprehension.

6 Jun 2005

Current high school start times deprive adolescents of sleep

Current high school start times deprive adolescents of sleep and force students to perform academically in the early morning, a time of day when they are at their worst, according to a study in the June issue of the journal Pediatrics.

6 Jun 2005

Educating parents and physicians could reduce overuse of antibiotics in children

The most frequent reason pediatricians prescribe antibiotics to young children is for an ear infection (acute otitis media). With increased concerns about high rates of antibiotic use and resistance, recent guidelines suggest consideration of "watchful waiting" for some ear infections to see if they resolve without antibiotics.

6 Jun 2005

Adolescents who are lethargic, cranky and forgetful may have chronic sleep deprivation

Adolescents who are lethargic, cranky and forgetful may have a common ailment: chronic sleep deprivation. But some tired teens may actually have a medical condition such as depression, insomnia, narcolepsy or sleep apnea, warns a new report in Pediatrics.

6 Jun 2005

Children 14 and younger should not sit in the front passenger seat of cars equipped with air bags

The study, "Effects of Child Age and Body Size on Serious Injury From Passenger Air Bag Presence in Motor Vehicle Crashes," will be published in the June 6 edition of the American Academy of Pediatrics' journal Pediatrics.

6 Jun 2005

One-time whooping cough vaccination at 11 years of age may potentially be cost-effective

Despite childhood vaccination rates at all-time highs, pertussis (whooping cough) has re-emerged over the past two decades, especially among adolescents, adults, and young infants. Because of this resurgence, federal health policymakers are considering a national booster vaccination program.

6 Jun 2005

Whooping cough vaccine may be introduced in New Zealand

The New Zealand's Ministry of Health has confirmed, as a whooping cough epidemic continues to sweep the country, that a new vaccine to control the spread of whooping cough may be introduced next year.

5 Jun 2005

Obese children benefit from resistance training

A supervised, progressive resistance training program significantly increased strength and resulted in favorable body composition changes in overweight and obese children.

3 Jun 2005

Aircraft noise could impair the development of reading and memory in children

Exposure to high levels of aircraft noise could impair the development of reading and memory in children, suggests a study published in this week’s issue of The Lancet.

3 Jun 2005

Children living close to high voltage overhead power lines at birth may be at an increased risk of leukaemia

The electric power system produces extremely low frequency electric and magnetic fields, and since 1979 there has been concern that these fields may be associated with cancer. In 2001, the International Agency for Research on Cancer classified extremely low frequency magnetic fields as "possibly carcinogenic" while others, such as the UK Childhood Cancer Study, dispute the risk.

3 Jun 2005

Environmental solutions to childhood obesity

National and community leaders join researchers today to sort out how a child's environment increases the risk for obesity and to identify ways the environment can be changed to address this health epidemic.

2 Jun 2005

About one-fourth of infants who are violently shaken by an abuser will die from brain damage

Three-fourths of these infants will literally have the retinas of their eyes torn away from the back of the eye wall from the force of the motion.

2 Jun 2005

Metabolic syndrome prevalent in elementary school children

The metabolic syndrome, a dangerous cluster of risk factors previously seen in adults and adolescents, is now appearing in elementary school-aged children.

2 Jun 2005

Intervention program reduces asthma in children

An asthma intervention program applied during the first year of life significantly reduced the prevalence of asthma in high risk children at 7 years of age, according to a new study featured on the online version of the Journal of Allergy & Clinical Immunology (JACI). The JACI is the peer-reviewed journal of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI).

2 Jun 2005

Day care facilities were shown to be an important source for allergen exposure

Day care facilities were shown to be an important source for allergen exposure, according to a study featured on the online version of the Journal of Allergy & Clinical Immunology (JACI). The JACI is the peer-reviewed journal of the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology (AAAAI).

2 Jun 2005

Every U.S. child and adult will be obese by 2044

Advertisements on television and in newspapers consistently hype the latest diet fads. News reports comment on the latest research about the negative effects of obesity on Americans.

2 Jun 2005