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New details about how dendritic cells regulate fate of naive T cells

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital scientists show that the molecule serves as a bridge between the two arms of the immune system that provides a new mechanism guiding T cell differentiation.

25 Jul 2011

Two genetic variations can identify children at higher risk of radiation-induced second cancers

A genome-wide association study published in the August issue of Nature Medicine has found two tiny genetic variations that can predict which patients with Hodgkin's lymphoma are most likely to develop radiation-induced second cancers years after treatment.

25 Jul 2011

Children with ADHD may face increased risk of pedestrian injury

Children with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are at increased risk of being hit by a vehicle when crossing a street, according to new research from the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

25 Jul 2011

First high-resolution genetic maps for African American populations

UCLA life scientists and colleagues have produced one of the first high-resolution genetic maps for African American populations. A genetic map reveals the precise locations across the genome where DNA from a person's father and mother have been stitched together through a biological process called "recombination." This process results in new genetic combinations that are then passed on to the person's children.

25 Jul 2011

Eating location, food source impact daily energy intake for children

As childhood obesity rises and the American diet shifts towards increasing consumption of foods eaten or prepared outside of the home, concerns about the nutritional quality and the total consumption of such foods are also increasing.

25 Jul 2011

Nearly 720,000 children are at risk of death across the Horn of Africa

With famine now declared in two regions of Southern Somalia and malnutrition rates at emergency levels in arid and semi-arid regions across the Horn of Africa, nearly 720,000 children are at risk of death without urgent assistance.

25 Jul 2011

Tips for children with allergies or asthma

The new school year means new clothes, new classes, new teachers - and the same old misery due to sneezing and wheezing for children who have allergies or asthma. From the class hamster to dust mites residing in carpet to germs from cold and flu viruses, asthma and allergy triggers lurk throughout the classroom.

25 Jul 2011

Catholic Church apologizes for past forced adoption practices

According to the head of the healthcare arm of the Catholic Church, they are prepared to apologize to the victims of forced adoption practices dating back 50 years. The Catholic Health Australia admits that “a small number” of church-run hospitals and women's homes maintained unwanted adoption practices from the 1950s to the 1970s.

24 Jul 2011

Fluoride at recommended levels is both safe and effective for reducing decay and tooth loss

Tooth decay remains a health care problem that touches people of all ages. Many communities could benefit greatly and reduce tooth decay significantly by implementing nature's cavity fighter, fluoride.

22 Jul 2011

Prolonged viewing of mobile devices leads to visual discomfort, fatigue and headaches

Several reports indicate that prolonged viewing of mobile devices and other stereo 3D devices leads to visual discomfort, fatigue and even headaches. According to a new Journal of Vision study, the root cause may be the demand on our eyes to focus on the screen and simultaneously adjust to the distance of the content.

22 Jul 2011

Effects of refusal and delay in childhood vaccination

Alison M. Buttenheim, PhD, MBA, assistant professor at Penn Nursing answers parents' questions about childhood vaccines. Dr. Buttenheim is a public health researcher and social demographer who studies parent behavior and child health.

22 Jul 2011

U.N. increases humanitarian aid need to $4.9B for 2011

The U.N. on Wednesday said during a donor meeting in Geneva that "it needs $7.9 billion this year, $500 million more than it had originally sought, to fund relief operations in the face of spreading humanitarian crises in Africa and Asia," Reuters reports (7/20).

22 Jul 2011

Somali President issues appeal for famine assistance

Somali President Sheikh Sharif Ahmed on Wednesday "issued an urgent appeal for international aid" for famine assistance in his country during an exclusive interview with CNN at his residence in Mogadishu. "The situation is very severe. The conditions are very harsh," he said (7/21).

22 Jul 2011

Contaminated nasal spray associated with rare bacterial outbreak

Infection control researchers investigating a rare bacterial outbreak of Burholderia cepacia complex (Bcc) identified contaminated nasal spray as the root cause of the infections, leading to a national recall of the product.

22 Jul 2011

U.S. must continue long-term investment in food security

In a post on USAID's "IMPACTblog," USAID Administrator Rajiv Shah describes the U.S. response to the drought in the Horn of Africa, as well as his visit on Wednesday to the Dadaab refugee camp in Kenya.

22 Jul 2011

IRIN reports on challenges to fighting child malnutrition in Nepal

IRIN examines the "silent epidemic" of child malnutrition in Nepal, where nearly half of all children under five have stunted growth and 13 percent of children over six months and under five years old have moderate or severe acute malnutrition, a measurement known as global acute malnutrition.

22 Jul 2011

Hepatitis B immunization for health care students may fall short of current recommendations

A study in the August issue of Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology, the journal of the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA), suggests that documentation of hepatitis B vaccination for health care students may fall short of current recommendations.

22 Jul 2011

Clinton discusses clean cookstove initiative in India

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton on Wednesday "used a visit to India to highlight the damage done to women and children's health in poor countries by poor quality stoves," Agence France-Press reports.

22 Jul 2011

Social safety net programs also reduce childhood obesity

Social safety net programs that reduce psychosocial stressors for low-income families also ultimately lead to a reduction in childhood obesity, according to research by a University of Illinois economist who studies the efficacy of food assistance programs on public health.

22 Jul 2011

The Joint Commission certifies 7 disease-specific programs at Children's Medical Center

The Joint Commission has certified seven disease-specific programs at Children's Medical Center Dallas, www.childrens.com. Children's is the only pediatric hospital in the United States with more than two such designations of excellence, making the Dallas hospital a leader in health care reform.

22 Jul 2011