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Nutritional supplement may improve survival rates of babies born with heart defects

A common nutritional supplement may be part of the magic in improving the survival rates of babies born with heart defects, researchers report. Carnitine, a compound that helps transport fat inside the cell powerhouse where it can be used for energy production, is currently used for purposes ranging from weight loss to chest pain.

10 May 2013

Scientists identify new class of immune cells that suppress genital herpes

Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and University of Washington scientists have identified a class of immune cells that reside long-term in the genital skin and mucosa and are believed to be responsible for suppressing recurring outbreaks of genital herpes.

9 May 2013

Delivery services at birth center safe for low-income women and their infants

Low-income women who chose to deliver their baby at a birthing center under the care of a certified nurse-midwife had the same or better birthing experience as women under traditional care with a hospital-based obstetrician, according to a new study in Health Services Research.

9 May 2013

Vitamin C may decrease impact of smoking during pregnancy on childhood respiratory health

Pregnant women are advised not to smoke during pregnancy because it can harm the baby's lungs and lead to wheezing and asthma, among other problems. If a woman absolutely can't kick the habit, taking vitamin C during pregnancy may improve her newborn's lung function and prevent wheezing in the first year of life, according to a study to be presented Saturday, May 4, at the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) annual meeting in Washington, DC.

4 May 2013

Study examines relationship between medical interventions in childhood, increasing prevalence of later ID

A study by Jeffrey P. Brosco, M.D., Ph.D., of the University of Miami, Florida, and colleagues examines the relationship between medical interventions in early childhood and the increasing prevalence of later intellectual disability.

30 Apr 2013

Gates Foundation blog examines Global Newborn Action Plan

Noting "hundreds of global health researchers, policymakers, civil society leaders, program managers, health practitioners, and newborn champions [are gathering] in Johannesburg, South Africa, this week at the Global Newborn Health Conference to discuss how to improve the poor statistics on newborn health," Gary Darmstadt, head of the Family Health Division of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, and Cyril Engmann, a senior program officer for neonatal health at the foundation, write in the organization's "Impatient Optimists" blog, "This collective analysis and effort should ensure that all aspects of newborn health are included in this plan."

25 Apr 2013

Social media helping spur conversation surrounding global newborn health

Writing in the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation's "Impatient Optimists" blog, Jennifer James, founder of Mom Bloggers for Social Good, discusses how social media is advancing the conversation surrounding global newborn health.

23 Apr 2013

Dr. Jeffrey Maisels honored as 2013 Legends of Neonatology Hall of Fame inductee

M. Jeffrey Maisels, M.D., was honored as a 2013 Legends of Neonatology Hall of Fame inductee. He was chosen for a career spanning 47 years of clinical care and research involving management of the jaundiced newborn infant.

18 Apr 2013

Country representatives, development agencies gather in Johannesburg for global newborn health conference

"Representatives of the United Nations Children's Fund, the U.S. Agency for International Development and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation attended the world's first global newborn health conference in Johannesburg on Monday," Business Day Live reports (Magubane/Rapetswane, 4/15).

17 Apr 2013

University of Manchester team to identify ways to improve maternal, child health in East Africa

Manchester midwives are to lead a major research project to improve midwifery services for women and babies in six East African countries.

16 Apr 2013

Bioengineered kidneys transplanted into living rats produce urine

Bioengineered rat kidneys developed by Massachusetts General Hospital investigators successfully produced urine both in a laboratory apparatus and after being transplanted into living animals.

16 Apr 2013

WHO, UNICEF launch new Global Action Plan to save children from pneumonia and diarrhoea

A new Global Action Plan launched today by the WHO and UNICEF has the potential to save up to 2 million children every year from deaths caused by pneumonia and diarrhoea, some of the leading killers of children under five globally.

15 Apr 2013

Investments needed to implement interventions to save newborn lives

"Each year, three million newborns die, making up 43 percent of the world's under-five child deaths," Joy Lawn, director of global evidence and policy for Save the Children's Saving Newborn Lives, writes in an Inter Press Service opinion piece.

10 Apr 2013

Genes for blood vessel growth in retina are "switched on" by SRF protein

Normal functioning of the eye depends on a proper supply of blood to the retina. Light entering the eye passes through the cornea, the lens, and the vitreous body before reaching the retina, where it stimulates the nerves.

9 Apr 2013

Study provides detail on cellular-level effects of anesthetics on developing brain in newborn mouse

Exposure to the anesthetic agent isoflurane increases "programmed cell death" of specific types of cells in the newborn mouse brain, reports a study in the April issue of Anesthesia & Analgesia, official journal of the International Anesthesia Research Society.

9 Apr 2013

Researchers to test cyclodextrin for treating Niemann-Pick Type C disease

Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis is playing a leading role in one of the National Institutes of Health's (NIH) first clinical trials to improve treatments for rare and neglected diseases.

3 Apr 2013

Preterm birth and low birth weight are most frequent causes of infant death, study reveals

A study by University of Alabama at Birmingham researchers published April 1, 2013, in the journal Pediatrics showed that increasing numbers of premature and other low birth weight infants are the leading cause for the leveling off of infant mortality and neonatal mortality rates in the United States.

1 Apr 2013

Canadian International Development Agency eliminated, its functions merged with foreign affairs and trade department

"The Canadian International Development Agency will be eliminated and its functions merged with the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade, according to the 2013 budget, a surprise move that will more closely align development assistance with Canada's trade and foreign policy objectives," the Globe and Mail reports.

27 Mar 2013

Study investigates new way to treat necrotizing enterocolitis

Stem cells taken from amniotic fluid were used to restore gut structure and function following intestinal damage in rodents, in new research published in the journal Gut.

25 Mar 2013

Johns Hopkins undergraduates develop Cooling Cure to protect newborn from brain damage

When babies are deprived of oxygen before birth, brain damage and disorders such as cerebral palsy can occur. Extended cooling can prevent brain injuries, but this treatment is not always available in developing nations where advanced medical care is scarce.

22 Mar 2013