Pediatrics News and Research

Latest Pediatrics News and Research

Positive aspects of bipolar disorder

Researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine have shown for the first time that a sample of children who either have or are at high risk for bipolar disorder score higher on a creativity index than healthy children.

14 Nov 2005

Fentanyl transdermal patch is an effective way to control pain in children

A new study says using a transdermal patch to deliver the opioid fentanyl is an effective way to control pain in children

14 Nov 2005

Findings imply that cognitive difficulties can be detected early

The rate of premature births in the United States is on the rise, with one in eight babies born before 37 weeks gestation in 2003, a 13 percent increase from 10 years ago.

14 Nov 2005

Discovery of novel form of regulation of the GLI1 gene

The Quaking gene, first described as a mutation in mice that causes rapid tremor, is thought to suppress tumor formation and protect humans from cancer.

14 Nov 2005

University of Alberta researchers pioneer gene therapy to restore alveoli and lung capillaries in damaged rat lungs

The good news is that medical advances in perinatal care have allowed us to save many more premature babies. The bad news is they're often at risk of developing bronchopulmonary dysplasia--a chronic lung disease caused by having to place the tiny infants on ventilators and oxygen-rich therapy for acute respiratory failure.

13 Nov 2005

2 million American children at risk of diabetes

According to a new study, as many as 2 million children in the U.S. aged 12 to 19 have a prediabetic condition or prediabetes, that is often linked to obesity and physical inactivity.

8 Nov 2005

Methylphenidate shows promise for hyperactivity associated with autism

Medication commonly used to treat attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may be effective for treatment of hyperactivity symptoms in children with autism and related pervasive developmental disorders, according to a study in the November issue of Archives of General Psychiatry.

7 Nov 2005

Children bottle-fed past 12 months of age may be at high risk for iron deficiency

Children bottle-fed past 12 months of age and Mexican-American children may be at high risk for iron deficiency and the problems that accompany it, according to a national study by Medical College of Wisconsin and Children's Hospital of Wisconsin researchers.

7 Nov 2005

Psychologically distressed children more likely to be involved in bullying

Bullying by elementary school children was associated with increased odds of lacking a feeling of safety while at school, having lower academic achievement, and feeling sad most days, according to an article in the November issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.

7 Nov 2005

Exposure to movie smoking accounts for smoking initiation among over one-third of U.S. adolescents

The first national study to look at the connection between smoking in movies and smoking initiation among adolescents shows that exposure to smoking in popular films is a primary risk factor in determining whether young people will start smoking.

7 Nov 2005

First study to investigate regional low birth weight rates on a national scale

Low birth weight, an important risk factor of infant mortality and childhood developmental disorders, varies more than 3-fold in regions across the U.S., according to national research conducted at Dartmouth Medical School. The study offers promise for health care experts in an area of prenatal health where progress has been elusive.

7 Nov 2005

Only 10 percent of doctors have ever heard of fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva

A new research study shows how common a medical misdiagnosis can be and how severely it can exacerbate a disease.

7 Nov 2005

Unrelated adults, usually a male boyfriend, dramatically increase the risk of inflicted injury

Young children who live in households with one or more unrelated adults are nearly 50 times as likely to die from an inflicted injury, usually being shaken or struck, as children living with two biologic parents, report researchers from the University of Missouri-Columbia and the University of Chicago in the November 2005 issue of the journal Pediatrics.

7 Nov 2005

Young hockey player injuries studied - suprising findings

Unintentional collisions and falling into the boards cause more injuries in young hockey players than the practice of body checking, researchers at the University at Buffalo have found.

3 Nov 2005

Interferon combined with ribavirin treatment is effective for children with chronic Hepatitis C virus

Nearly half of 118 children with chronic Hepatitis C virus (HCV) treated with a combination of interferon-alpha-2b and an optimized dose of ribavirin achieved sustained viral response, and side effects were generally mild.

3 Nov 2005

Top priority flu shots for children with neurological and neuromuscular disease

According to a new study children suffering from muscular dystrophy, cerebral palsy and other such conditions, have a much higher risk of severe complications from influenza, re-affirming the need for them to be vaccinated each year.

2 Nov 2005

Reagent under study as cancer vaccine may also help protect tumors

A bacterial mimic under study as a cancer vaccine because it signals the immune system to attack may also help some tumors hide, researchers have found.

1 Nov 2005

Pediatricians ignoring hearing test results

Pediatricians are not referring more than half of the children who fail hearing screenings for further tests, according to new research by a Saint Louis University physician. The study was published in the October issue of the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine.

1 Nov 2005

Discovery of signaling mechanism may help prevent metastatic melanoma

Researchers at Northwestern University have discovered a key signaling mechanism that may promote the ability of highly aggressive malignant melanoma cells to metastasize, or spread from a primary tumor to distant sites within the body.

1 Nov 2005

New vaccine that targets avian flu

Vanderbilt University Medical Center is enrolling volunteers in a study to test a new vaccine that targets avian flu, the first such vaccine against the virus.

30 Oct 2005