Pediatrics News and Research

Latest Pediatrics News and Research

Current information on the use of antidepressants in pediatric patients

The Food and Drug Administration has issued an update to provide health care providers and patients with the most current information on the use of antidepressants in pediatric patients.

21 Aug 2004

Stable home can lower the risk for problems arising from prenatal exposure to alcohol

A stable home and an early diagnosis can lower the risk for problems arising from prenatal exposure to alcohol, a new study says.

20 Aug 2004

Stem cell research may one day help cerebral palsy

Natural chemicals that assist healing may one day help transplanted adult stem cells integrate into an injured brain, helping children with cerebral palsy recover lost function, according to researchers at the Medical College of Georgia.

18 Aug 2004

Madeline Mann, the world's smallest surviving baby now 15

Medical progress of her 14-year follow up will be released in a letter published in the Aug. 19, 2004 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

18 Aug 2004

Limb-sparing technique called rotationplasty helps very young children with bone cancer

The current issue of New England Journal of Medicine illustrates a case of a five-year-old girl with Ewing’s sarcoma, a cancerous tumor, behind her left knee. Surgeons at The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia used a limb-sparing technique called rotationplasty to remove the diseased portion of bone, turn the shortened portion of the leg bone in a half-circle and reattach it, with the ankle joint functioning as a knee.

18 Aug 2004

Researchers find way to detect dangerous brain swelling in diabetic children

A rare swelling of the brain that is nonetheless the most common diabetes-related cause of death for children with the disease could be caught earlier — potentially saving lives — if practitioners learn to recognize key signs, researchers at the University of Florida report.

18 Aug 2004

Mother’s milk may not be best for preterm babies

The study by Lydia Furman, M.D., of Rainbow Babies and Children’s Hospital in Cleveland and colleagues found that other influences, such as health problems at birth and social factors like the mother’s race, marriage and education were more important in predicting any mental and motor development problems among the infants.

17 Aug 2004

2004 AIDS Vaccine Conference has announced it's forthcoming programme

The Conference will examine the entire spectrum of issues in AIDS vaccine development and deployment, including the global effort in preventative and therapeutic vaccines, immunology, pediatric and adolescent vaccines, clinical trials in emerging countries and the need for strong political and financial commitment.

17 Aug 2004

Steps families take to minimize asthma triggers in the home are either wrong or ignored

Parents of children who suffer with asthma are making many efforts to clear their homes of substances that could trigger their child's symptoms, but the steps they take aren't always the ones that could do the most good, a new University of Michigan study finds. And many don't take other steps that are known to help.

17 Aug 2004

Link between marijuana and mental health

An eminent University of Melbourne Psychiatry Professor will lead a conference detailing the latest research findings on the link between marijuana and mental health.

16 Aug 2004

Drug company fights to keep toxin in vaccines

The UK announced Saturday they will remove the mercury preservative Thimerosal from their vaccines. The news comes days after an LA Times article reported that Aventis-Pasteur, a pharmaceutical giant, is pushing to keep the toxin in U.S. vaccines.

13 Aug 2004

Boys exposed to cocaine in the womb are more likely to have behavioral problems than girls

While no specific cause of the gender-specific findings was identified, the researchers note that the study confirms animal studies that also suggest gender plays a role in the effects of cocaine exposure.

13 Aug 2004

Research provides new hope for people with fetal alcohol syndrome

New research by Professor Ann Streissguth of the University of Washington shows that people diagnosed with either fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) or fetal alcohol effect (FAE) are more likely to escape social and relationship problems if they are diagnosed early in life and raised in a stable and nurturing environment.

12 Aug 2004

Children who have severe allergic reactions when stung by bees should receive venom immunotherapy

Children who have severe allergic reactions when stung by bees, wasps and other insects should receive venom immunotherapy, or allergy shots, to reduce the chance of future life-threatening reactions if a repeat sting should occur, said an allergist at UT Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas.

11 Aug 2004

Significant number of pediatric physicians fail to diagnose Kawasaki disease

Researchers at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine report in the August 10 issue of Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal that a significant number of pediatric physicians fail to diagnose Kawasaki disease in children younger than six months and older than eight years.

11 Aug 2004

Binge drinking accounts for a substantial number of deaths each year in the United States

Binge drinking and harmful drinking, including both medium to high levels of regular alcohol consumption, account for a substantial number of deaths each year in the United States.

9 Aug 2004

Premature babies grow up to have a portion of the brain smaller than normal

Kids on a playground can be hard to tell apart. But those who were born significantly preterm may be struggling with a hidden handicap that sets them apart from their peers: specific areas of the brain that are smaller than normal, even years later.

9 Aug 2004

Emergency nursing shortage is worsening because of changing patient demographics and the aging of the emergency nurses population

As emergency departments across the country face increasing pressure from a nursing shortage and overcrowding, the nation’s emergency nurses will gather in San Diego Sept. 29 – Oct. 2, to seek opportunities to improve patient care, discuss ways to alleviate the difficult issues facing the profession, and learn about latest practices and innovations.

5 Aug 2004

Protein loss plays role in acute T-cell leukemia

The loss of a key protein (Smad3) in a pathway that helps prevent tumors from forming is specific to one form of childhood leukemia, but not to other pediatric and adult forms of leukemia, according to a new study published in the August 5, 2004, New England Journal of Medicine.

5 Aug 2004

As the saying goes “breast milk is best”

As the saying goes “breast milk is best,” and more than 85 percent of new moms who give birth at the University of Michigan Health System agree and continue to breastfeed their new bundle of joy, on average, for the first six months.

3 Aug 2004