Pediatrics News and Research

Latest Pediatrics News and Research

Study shows decline in post-surgery opioid prescriptions, but urges continued efforts

Post-surgery pain relief has shifted away from opioid-containing medications over the past seven years, but the downward trend has slowed since 2020, a new study shows.

7 Dec 2023

Liver trigger holds the key to boosting gene therapy success

Indiana University School of Medicine researchers have uncovered vital insights regarding a liver trigger that blocks an undesired immune response from gene therapy, surprisingly resulting in the activation of specific immune cells, despite the liver's typical role in suppressing immune responses.

7 Dec 2023

Novel mechanism leads to motor neuron degeneration in spinal muscular atrophy

The lab of Yongchao C. Ma, PhD, at Stanley Manne Children's Research Institute at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago uncovered a novel mechanism that leads to motor neuron degeneration in spinal muscular atrophy (SMA).

7 Dec 2023

Early treatment offers chance at medication-free remission for pediatric HIV patients

An unexpectedly high percentage of children, who were born with HIV and started treatment within 48 hours of life, exhibit biomarkers by 2 years of age that may make them eligible to test for medication-free remission, according to a multinational study published in Lancet HIV.

7 Dec 2023

Candidates clashed but avoided talk of abortion at 4th GOP primary debate

Raised voices and sharp words marked Wednesday night's fourth Republican presidential primary debate as four candidates argued about everything from their own electability to the continued front-runner status of former President Donald Trump. Abortion was never mentioned.

7 Dec 2023

PFAS exposure linked to weaker bones in young people

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), manufactured chemicals used in products such as food packaging and cosmetics, can lead to reproductive problems, increased cancer risk and other health issues.

6 Dec 2023

MU researchers unveil the immune system's secret weapon against lung cancer

As one of the most insidious diseases in the world, cancer has few treatments that work to eradicate it completely.

4 Dec 2023

Texas Children's Hospital delivers first-ever gene therapy for Rett syndrome

Texas Children's Hospital, an internationally-recognized, top-ranked children's hospital and pediatric research center affiliated with Baylor College of Medicine, is the first to deliver a novel gene therapy to treat Rett syndrome in pediatric patients.

1 Dec 2023

Scientists uncover cellular cause of heart defects in babies born to women with diabetes

When women with diabetes become pregnant, they face not only the typical challenges of pregnancy and impending parenthood, but also a scary statistic: they're five times more likely to have a baby with a congenital heart defect.

30 Nov 2023

Latest scientific findings provide new insights into heart and stroke health

More than 4,000 abstracts were presented during the American Heart Association's Scientific Sessions 2023 and Resuscitation Science Symposium 2023, held earlier this month in Philadelphia.

28 Nov 2023

RNA-based therapy shows promise for treating leukemia in animal models

Each year, about 13,000 people in Deutschland are diagnosed with leukemia, an umbrella term that encompasses various forms of blood cancer.

27 Nov 2023

Genetic vulnerability of leukemia cells uncovered

Leukemia is the most common type of cancer in children. Treatment involves intensive chemotherapy, which has severe side effects due to its non-specific mode of action.

22 Nov 2023

AI-based approach uncovers social patterns that impact child health outcomes

A team led by researchers at Weill Cornell Medicine has used an AI-based approach to uncover underlying patterns among the conditions in which people are born, grow, live, work, and age, termed social determinants of health (SDoH), and then linked each pattern to children's health outcomes.

20 Nov 2023

Micronutrient deficiencies linked to gut microbiome shifts and antibiotic resistance

University of B.C. researchers have uncovered startling connections between micronutrient deficiencies and the composition of gut microbiomes in early life that could help explain why resistance to antibiotics has been rising across the globe.

17 Nov 2023

Falk Trust awards $1.35 million to Case Western Reserve researchers for cancer and diabetic retinopathy treatments

A combined $1.35 million from the Dr. Ralph and Marian Falk Medical Research Trust was awarded to two researchers from the Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine to advance their work on finding more effective treatments - and better options - for two debilitating diseases.

17 Nov 2023

Lasting heart concerns in kids post-MIS-C: Study urges ongoing cardiac checks

Researchers evaluated the long-term cardiovascular effects in children after treatment for MIS-C, a condition linked to COVID-19. They found that regardless of initial heart injury, most children displayed persistent cardiac abnormalities, underscoring the importance of ongoing cardiac monitoring post-recovery.

16 Nov 2023

Study highlights variable use and rising costs of antivirals in treating pediatric influenza in the U.S.

The Pediatrics study analyzes trends in antiviral usage among U.S. children and adolescents with influenza, revealing significant variations in dispensing rates and costs, and low usage among children under six years, emphasizing the need for improved treatment strategies.

16 Nov 2023

Compensation is key to fixing primary care shortage

Money talks. The United States faces a serious shortage of primary care physicians for many reasons, but one, in particular, is inescapable: compensation.

16 Nov 2023

Novel robotic system accurately measures arm usage in stroke patients

Stroke is a leading cause of long-term disability worldwide. Each year more than 15 million people worldwide have strokes, and three-quarters of stroke survivors will experience impairment, weakness and paralysis in their arms and hands.

15 Nov 2023

IU researchers receive $5 million grant to improve care for adolescents with opioid use disorder

IU School of Medicine researchers are taking steps to improve the accessibility and quality of care for adolescents experiencing opioid use disorder (OUD) and other substance use disorders (SUDs), thanks to a new $5 million grant from the National Institute of Health's Helping to End Addiction Long-Term (HEAL) Initiative.

14 Nov 2023