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Researchers benchmark the prevalence of vitamin A deficiency, anemia, iodine-deficiency disorders and underweight children as measures of malnutrition in developing regions

International health advocates and policymakers still have work to do to meet the nutrition goals set by the United Nations General Assembly Special Session on Children in 2002, according to a survey of nutrition needs in developing regions published by Tulane University researchers.

2 May 2005

Giving children access to drug clinical trials is crucial, clofarabine approval shows

The accelerated approval of the drug clofarabine to treat relapsed or refractory pediatric acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) demonstrates the importance of offering children rapid access to new treatments through clinical trials, according to investigators at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. Refractory or relapsed ALL is a disease that resists treatment.

2 May 2005

3 questions identify children at risk of passive smoking

Pediatricians can reliably identify children at risk for environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) exposure (secondhand smoke) by asking parents just three questions, according to an article in the May issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

2 May 2005

Concern that vaccines might cause harm most common reason why parents don't immunize

Concern that vaccines might cause harm was the most common reason given by parents who choose not to have their children vaccinated for preventable diseases, according to an article in the May issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

2 May 2005

Response of New York City public school children to 9/11

Six months after the September 11, 2001 attack on the World Trade Center, a high proportion of New York City school children had one or more probable anxiety/depressive disorders, according to an article in the May issue of Archives of General Psychiatry, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

2 May 2005

New findings from ongoing research on children in motor vehicle crashes

A new report, "Safe Seating Positions for Children", from researchers at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia in collaboration with State Farm Insurance Companies and the American Academy of Pediatrics stresses the importance of car seats and safety belts for kids.

2 May 2005

Lower vaccination rates put children at risk

A study done in part by the University of Alberta shows that children treated with complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) have lower vaccination rates than the general population, exposing them to added risk from preventable illnesses such as mumps and measles.

1 May 2005

Children do well with shorter fast before surgery

Children facing surgery can be made more comfortable with little risk by allowing them to have certain liquids up to two hours before the operation, a new review of recent studies has found.

27 Apr 2005

Breastfeeding causes nearly 40 percent of all pediatric HIV infections

Breastfeeding causes nearly 40 percent of all pediatric HIV infections, yet also prevents millions of child deaths every year by protecting infants from diarrhea and other infections. Finding ways to make breastfeeding safer for infants of HIV-infected mothers has been an urgent research priority.

27 Apr 2005

Baby gene tests safety should be checked

Experts are warning that the long-term safety of screening embryos for genetic diseases is going unchecked.

26 Apr 2005

Study shows older children can benefit from treatment of eye disorder

For decades, vision specialists believed that a condition called amblyopia, or "lazy eye," must be treated before a child turns 7 to be successful. But a new study, involving Vanderbilt Children's Hospital researchers, finds it's not too late for older children.

23 Apr 2005

Good communication skills can improve academic achievement, self-esteem, social adjustment

The most anticipated moment for many parents is the sound of a child’s first word. But what if the words are delayed, jumbled or never come at all?

23 Apr 2005

Day care in infancy protects against childhood leukaemia

Children who attend day care centres on a regular basis in the first few months of life are less likely to develop leukaemia than children who do not, finds a study published online by the BMJ.

22 Apr 2005

Adolescents not receiving health counseling

Fewer than 50 percent of adolescent medical checkups include preventive health counseling, despite the demonstrated effectiveness of doctor-delivered advice in promoting healthy behavior as well as reducing risky behavior in teens.

21 Apr 2005

Child health teacher numbers at worrying levels

Concerns over the future of children's health care in the UK are being raised as new research shows the numbers of clinical teachers in this field have dropped dramatically in recent years.

20 Apr 2005

What makes children laugh?

Children say the funniest things, but what makes them laugh? Do German and Israeli kids share the same sense of humour - or is the Simpsons the universal language of laughter?

20 Apr 2005

Free bike helmets increase use by children

Community-based programs that combine cycling safety information with distribution of free helmets increase the use of those helmets among children, according to a new review of programs involving more than 60,000 children.

19 Apr 2005

Babies who gain weight rapidly during their very first week of life may be more likely to be overweight as young adults

Researchers from The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Iowa studied 653 adults, ranging in age from 20 to 32. The subjects, all of whom were white, had been measured as newborns while participating in infant formula studies in Iowa. Those who had gained weight more rapidly during their first week were significantly more likely to be overweight decades later.

19 Apr 2005

Working mothers do not have an adverse effect on children's diets

A new study from the University of Glasgow that analyses information from over 2000 11 year old children and their parents (in 1994-5) reveals no evidence that number of parents in the household or family meals are associated with children’s diets, while maternal employment is associated with better diets.

19 Apr 2005

Children on school buses may face increased exposure to diesel pollution

Diesel particle pollution inside urban school buses may be worse than levels found in the surrounding roadway air, according to a study by scientists at the University of California. The report appears in the April 15 issue of the American Chemical Society's journal Environmental Science & Technology.

19 Apr 2005