Pediatrics News and Research

Latest Pediatrics News and Research

Percutaneous core-needle biopsy, provides samples of tissue suitable for accurate initial diagnosis of a solid tumor

Inserting biopsy needles through the skin appears to be a safe and reliable alternative to surgery for obtaining diagnostic samples of a suspected solid tumor in children, according to results of a study by investigators at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

25 Jul 2005

Bacteria use host's immune response to their competitive advantage

Millions of bacteria live within the recesses of our noses and upper respiratory tracts, waiting for a chance to infiltrate and infect. But long before these bacteria break through our immune defenses, they must first compete against other bacterial species to colonize the mucus-lined surfaces of our noses.

24 Jul 2005

Researchers discover type of "fuel" that the heart uses can contribute to the severity of heart failures

Researchers have determined how metabolic pathways differ between healthy and failing hearts. Normally, a heart derives its energy from a balance of fatty acids and carbohydrates, specifically glucose.

21 Jul 2005

Debate on autism link to vaccines fired up again

In a relatively unusual event, federal health officials called a news conference this week in an attempt to affirm the safety of vaccines.

21 Jul 2005

Maintaining a healthy weight in children may be one good way to keep a healthy blood lipid profile and a happy heart

A study of 400 high school age children with a variety of fitness and fatness levels showed that fatter youths had unfavorable lipid profiles, including higher levels of triglycerides and higher ratios of total cholesterol to the protective HDL cholesterol or high density lipoprotein.

21 Jul 2005

Obese people are more likely than normal-weight people to injure themselves

Researchers collected health and injury data during a one-year period on more than 2,500 adults living in Colorado. More than one out of four (26 percent) of the extremely obese male participants reported personal injuries, and more than one out of five (21.7 percent) extremely obese women also reported injuries.

20 Jul 2005

Health-care officials should work collaboratively with consumer groups to develop report cards on hospital infection rates

There's a growing appetite for infection-control report cards that the public could use in selecting hospitals and that hospitals could use to lower infection rates: Thirty-nine states have introduced legislation, and six have passed laws requiring reporting of certain data. In Texas, legislators created an advisory panel in their June session to study the issue.

20 Jul 2005

Evaluating how hospitals deliver medical care standardizes practices and improves care

In recent years, American hospitals have made significant improvements on standardized, evidence-based measures of clinical performance for several medical conditions, including heart attacks, heart failure, and pneumonia.

20 Jul 2005

Study warns against global use of old asthma medicines for kids' coughs

An asthma medicine widely used around the world to stop children's coughs has no provable benefit for that purpose and may cause harm, a new review of existing studies reports.

19 Jul 2005

New way to fight antibiotic-resistant Staphylococcus infections

Researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine and Children’s Hospital and Health Center, San Diego have discovered that "Staph" bacteria use a protective golden armor to ward off the immune system, a finding with the potential to lead to new treatments for serious infections now increasingly resistant to standard antibiotics.

19 Jul 2005

1 in 166 children under age 10 are affected by autism

New statistics surrounding autism make it the number one growing developmental disability in the country. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates as many as one in 166 children under age 10 are affected by the disorder. Nearly two million people in the U.S. are living with autism.

19 Jul 2005

Gene defect linked to heart disease

Researchers at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas, have found by studying DNA from 11 members of one family, who suffered from aortic heart disease, a genetic mutation that causes a common birth defect and contributes to heart disease in adults.

19 Jul 2005

Would boosting the oxytocin (OT) hormonal system lead to longer breast-feeding?

There's little controversy about the benefits of breastfeeding infants over giving them formula. Mother's milk is the perfect food, providing exactly the correct nourishment for newborns, while protecting them from many illnesses.

19 Jul 2005

Cranberry juice common for urinary tract infections

A new study suggests that while it's fairly common for parents to give their children cranberry products to treat or prevent urinary tract infections, they usually do not discuss the treatment with their pediatrician.

19 Jul 2005

Study shows mutation in NOTCH1 gene causes aortic valve disease

By studying five generations of a Dallas family, UT Southwestern Medical Center researchers have discovered that a mutation in a key gene causes aortic valve disease, a common heart birth defect as well as a major contributor to adult heart disease.

18 Jul 2005

Cedars-Sinai dumping hundreds of low income patients

The California Nurses Association has sharply criticized state officials for establishing a dangerous precedent in approving tax-supported revenue bonds for the state's largest private hospital, Cedars-Sinai Medical Center of Los Angeles, which is dumping hundreds of its Medi-Cal patients, denying them access to available and much needed medical care.

15 Jul 2005

Growing body of evidence indicating that childhood obesity is linked to a lack of exercise

A study published by the medical journal The Lancet dealt another blow to the "food police" and the trial lawyers seeking to blame food for the nation's expanding waistline.

15 Jul 2005

ID Biomedical's flu vaccine granted fast track status

ID Biomedical Corporation announced today it has been advised by the United States Food and Drug Administration's Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER) that the Company's Influenza Virus Vaccine (Fluviral) has been granted a Fast Track designation.

13 Jul 2005

New ventricular assist device called the PediPump

A new ventricular assist device (VAD) called the PediPump has been developed specifically for use in children. A status report on this new device appears in the July issue of the journal Artificial Organs.

13 Jul 2005

Lorenzo's oil prevents onset of pediatric neurological disorder

Use of Lorenzo's Oil in young boys who have been diagnosed with but are not yet showing signs of a pediatric neurological disorder known as X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy (X-ALD) may prevent the disease from developing in the body. According to a study of male children published today in the Archives of Neurology, use of the oil prevented onset of the disease in a majority of cases.

11 Jul 2005