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Review shows lifetime substance abuse is common in street children from low-income countries

Millions of children worldwide live on the streets. A review and analysis of 50 studies on substance abuse by street children in 22 resource-constrained countries has found lifetime substance use to be both common and high, posing serious threats to their health as well as for their chances for reintegration into society.

15 Jul 2013

Risk-factor screening of high-risk children may delay or prevent chronic health conditions later in life

Mexican American children are experiencing substantial burdens of obesity, pre-diabetes, and other health problems which historically would have been expected to develop much later in life. The findings of a new study by Texas Biomed scientists in San Antonio argue for early screening and intervention to delay or avoid chronic health problems as these children age.

12 Jul 2013

Children born after assisted reproduction at no greater risk for cancer, study finds

Children born as a result of assisted reproduction are at no greater risk of cancer than children born spontaneously in the general population, according to results of one of the largest ever cohort studies of ART children.

10 Jul 2013

Researchers study existence of cross-protection between multiple strains of infectious disease

Using a unique data set spanning 40 years of dengue fever incidence in Thailand, an international team led by biostatistician Nicholas Reich at the University of Massachusetts Amherst has for the first time estimated from data that after an initial dengue infection, a person is protected from infection with other strains for between one and three years.

3 Jul 2013

New WHO guidelines recommend earlier treatment for people living with HIV

New HIV treatment guidelines by WHO recommend offering antiretroviral therapy earlier. Recent evidence indicates that earlier ART will help people with HIV to live longer, healthier lives, and substantially reduce the risk of transmitting HIV to others.

1 Jul 2013

Curing type 1 diabetes: an interview with Dr. Habib Zaghouani, MU School of Medicine

Type 1 diabetes is an attack by the immune system of the islet of Langerhans within the pancreas. Basically, the islet of Langerhans harbor beta cells, which produce insulin and when the islets are attacked, the beta cells destruct and there is no more insulin. When the insulin level goes low, blood glucose levels go high and that creates a problem.

28 Jun 2013

Weill Cornell researchers discover high burden of hypertension in sub-Saharan African country

Based on the experience of a large hospital in Tanzania, Weill Cornell Medical College researchers have discovered a "startlingly" high burden of hypertension in this sub-Saharan African country.

26 Jun 2013

Combination of better healthcare and community awareness improves maternal and newborn care

A five-year programme that mobilised communities to improve the quality of care for mothers and newborns reduced newborn mortality by 30 percent and saved at least 1,000 newborn lives in rural Malawi.

25 Jun 2013

Clinical study shows that clopidogrel not effective in infants with congenital heart diseases

One of the largest clinical trials done in infants with congenital (present at birth) heart diseases, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, shows that the increasingly common practice of using the drug clopidogrel (Plavix-) to reduce shunt-related blood flow issues is not effective in the dose studied.

21 Jun 2013

Stem cell patterns in flies offer potential applications for human biologists

A new study examining the brains of fruit flies reveals a novel stem cell mechanism that may help explain how neurons form in humans. A paper on the study by researchers at the University of Oregon appeared in the online version of the journal Nature in advance of the June 27 publication date.

20 Jun 2013

Home environment and parenting can influence child's health by shaping dietary and physical behaviors

Kids whose moms encourage them to exercise and eat well, and model those healthy behaviors themselves, are more likely to be active and healthy eaters, according to researchers at Duke Medicine.

19 Jun 2013

Lineage Therapeutics announces US launch of generic epinephrine auto-injector

Lineage Therapeutics Inc. has announced the US launch of its generic epinephrine injection, USP auto-injector, the authorized generic of Adrenaclick by Amedra Pharmaceuticals LLC, for the emergency treatment of life-threatening allergic reactions in people who are at risk for or have a history of anaphylaxis.

15 Jun 2013

Newborn babies with transient CHI at risk of developing brain damage due to low blood sugars

Researchers from The University of Manchester studying a rare and potentially lethal childhood disease - which is the clinical opposite of diabetes - have made an important discovery.

From The University of Manchester 13 Jun 2013

Communication gap between moms and providers in low-income countries puts babies at risk

Mothers in low-income countries may not understand why their babies are hospitalized after delivery, putting sick newborns at higher risk of health problems and death after being released from the hospital, a new study shows.

12 Jun 2013

Study: Low birth weight babies with smaller brain volumes tied to academic deficits

An analysis of recent data from magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of 97 adolescents who were part of study begun with very low birth weight babies born in 1982-1986 in a Cleveland neonatal intensive care unit has tied smaller brain volumes to poor academic achievement.

11 Jun 2013

Report highlights successes in improving maternal health, reducing child mortality

Rapid expansion of programs to prevent HIV transmission to babies and vaccinate children show how results can be achieved in relatively little time.

1 Jun 2013

Euro-Peristat project releases second European Perinatal Health Report

The European Perinatal Health Report released by the Euro-Peristat project is the most comprehensive report on the health and care of pregnant women and babies in Europe and brings together data from 2010 from 26 European Union member states, plus Iceland, Norway and Switzerland.

1 Jun 2013

Study: Living in poverty linked to increased risk of getting chlamydia in young adulthood

Living in a poor neighborhood as an adolescent is linked to an increased risk of getting the sexually transmitted infection chlamydia in young adulthood, according to new research.

30 May 2013

Some types of families underrepresented in European health survey

Several scientific papers with results from one of Europe's largest health surveys of young children with focus on overweight and obesity, the IDEFICS study, have been published the last years. Research at the Nordic School of Public Health NHV reveals that some types of families seem to be underrepresented in the health survey. This knowledge can prove to be valuable when the data is interpreted and can contribute to efficient actions for improved child health.

28 May 2013

Supportive spouse can help buffer the effects of father's depression on children

What effect does a father's depression have on his young son or daughter? When fathers report a high level of emotional intimacy in their marriage, their children benefit, said a University of Illinois study.

24 May 2013