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First Edition: June 25, 2012

Today's headlines are focused on analysis and speculation surrounding the Supreme Court's health law ruling, which could come as early as today.

25 Jun 2012

Study reinforces importance of educating parents and other caregivers of children with food allergy

A team of researchers from Mount Sinai School of Medicine and four other institutions have found that young children with documented or likely allergies to milk and/or eggs, whose families were instructed on how to avoid these and other foods, still experienced allergic reactions at a rate of almost once per year. Of severe cases, less than a third received epinephrine, a medication used to counter anaphylaxis, a life-threatening allergic condition.

25 Jun 2012

STARS study receives £1.7m funding to test effectiveness of TCM course

Disruptive behaviour in the classroom has an adverse effect on both teachers and pupils. It is a common source of stress for teachers and often a catalyst for leaving the profession. For pupils it may affect mental health, academic attainment and adversely impact on all children in a classroom.

25 Jun 2012

Study reveals previously unknown function of Thbd-aPC pathway in radiation mitigation

New research in Nature Medicine shows that boosting a protein pathway in the body's blood making system protects mice from otherwise fatal radiation poisoning.

25 Jun 2012

De novo somatic gene mutations likely to cause hemimegalencephaly

Hemimegalencephaly is a rare but dramatic condition in which the brain grows asymmetrically, with one hemisphere becoming massively enlarged. Though frequently diagnosed in children with severe epilepsy, the cause of hemimegalencephaly is unknown and current treatment is radical: surgical removal of some or all of the diseased half of the brain.

25 Jun 2012

GOP weekly address blasts health law

President Barack Obama advocated for his jobs package while Rep. Bill Cassidy argued against the health reform law as they stood by their parties' positions Saturday during their weekly addresses. Obama called on Congress to pass a transportation bill, expand access to college and fund infrastructure projects. Cassidy, a (Louisiana) Republican, argued that the health reform law signed by Obama in 2010 had an effect of "driving up health care costs, making it harder for small businesses to hire workers."

25 Jun 2012

Smoking of fathers before conception can damage genetic information of their offspring

As you decide what to get dad for Father's Day, you might want to consider what he gave you when you were conceived. If he smoked, your genes are likely damaged, and your odds for cancers and other diseases throughout your life could be increased. A new research report appearing online in the FASEB Journal, scientists show for the first time in humans that men who smoke before conception can damage the genetic information of their offspring.

23 Jun 2012

Medicaid highlights: Calif. readies expansion to foster youths

State Medicaid news includes discussions around the expansion of Medicaid in California both for the general public who need assistance and for youth in foster care. Additionally, Oregon is close to finalizing its waiver request with the federal government to move forward with its own reforms in the program.

23 Jun 2012

Oxytocin hormone plays an important role in Williams syndrome

The hormone oxytocin - often referred to as the "trust" hormone or "love hormone" for its role in stimulating emotional responses - plays an important role in Williams syndrome (WS), according to a study published June 12, 2012, in PLoS One.

23 Jun 2012

Research roundup: Helping the homeless transition out of the hospital

Transitioning from a hospital visit can be challenge for many patients, but the homeless face particular difficulties as they move to a shelter, or even back to the streets. Researchers in this study surveyed 98 homeless individuals in New Haven, Conn., as well as interviewed them about their experiences leaving the hospital. More than half said that their providers did not address housing or transportation, and 11 percent reported living on the streets on the night of their discharge. The authors recommend "improved assessment of housing status, communication between hospital and shelter providers, and arrangement of safe transportation" for homeless individuals.

23 Jun 2012

Parental employment may affect family food environments

In a tight economy, with fewer jobs, many people end up working harder and sacrificing more to stay employed. A new study finds that one of those sacrifices is sometimes their own and their family's nutrition.

23 Jun 2012

Alcohol during pregnancy can be harmful for the developing baby

Experts at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine disagree with a series of new studies from Denmark that suggest consumption of up to 8 alcoholic drinks a week or occasional binge drinking during pregnancy is generally safe for the developing baby.

23 Jun 2012

Poor mothers will invest more resources in daughters: Study

Poor mothers will invest more resources in daughters, who stand a greater chance of increasing their status through marriage than do sons, suggests a study in the American Journal of Physical Anthropology.

23 Jun 2012

International conference showcases breadth of research possible with zebrafish

It's clear where the black-and-white striped zebrafish got its name, but less obvious at first glance is what zebrafish has to do with biomedical research. Amazingly, it has biological similarities to humans, which are making this small freshwater fish an increasingly popular model organism for studying vertebrate development, genetics, physiology, and mechanisms of disease.

23 Jun 2012

Ten-year-old kid to participate in annual Arthritis Walk on June 23

Ten-year-old Cheyanne Campo has achieved a lofty goal, despite - and because of - a sometimes painful disease. She has raised more than $500 for the Arthritis Foundation and will be participating in the organization's annual Arthritis Walk on June 23 in Battery Park.

23 Jun 2012

Young children have higher prevalence of mental health problems: Study

A study published in the June 2012 issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry found that young children who have been investigated for maltreatment by child welfare agencies have a higher prevalence of mental health problems and that very few receive treatment for those problems.

23 Jun 2012

Cerebral damage risks vision in children born prematurely

Cerebral damage and retinopathy of prematurity are independently associated with the risk for visual impairment in 4-year-old children who were born prematurely, show Danish study results.

22 Jun 2012

North Shore-LIJ Health System acquires 15 GE low-dose CT scanners

In the interest of advancing patient safety and improving care, the North Shore-LIJ Health System today announced with GE Healthcare the $12 million purchase of 15 GE Low-Dose CT Scanners that will be installed at 10 locations throughout the New York area over the next year.

22 Jun 2012

Calif. budget cuts will move 880,000 kids to Medi-Cal managed care

Among a series of budget cuts to help California Gov. Jerry Brown close that state's budget deficit is a cut to a health care program for 880,000 low-income kids, who will be shifted to Medi-Cal after the state shutters its "Healthy Families" program.

22 Jun 2012

Parents play a major role in children's TV time

Researchers at Oregon State University have confirmed what we knew all along - children in this country are increasingly sedentary, spending too much time sitting and looking at electronic screens.

22 Jun 2012