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Boston Children's, Blue Cross reach deal to curb payments; Jackson hospital, University of Miami working on better ties

Children's Hospital Boston has agreed to a three-year contract with Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts that will not pay Children's any more money this year, offering fresh evidence that the clamor to contain health costs is having an effect. In the second and third years of the pact, the hospital will be reimbursed by Blue Cross Blue Shield at a rate neither party would specify, but both said it was below the current 3 percent rate of medical inflation.

24 Jan 2012

Studies indicate infant brains come equipped with knowledge of 'intuitive physics'

While it may appear that infants are helpless creatures that only blink, eat, cry and sleep, one University of Missouri researcher says that studies indicate infant brains come equipped with knowledge of "intuitive physics."

24 Jan 2012

Mass. Gov. again seeks health insurance payment overhaul; Iowa lawmakers review denial of health coverage to residents with HIV

Articles detail the Massachusetts state of the state address, efforts in Iowa to probe denials in the high risk pool and other legislative news.

24 Jan 2012

Kids not getting enough Vitamin D

According to Dame Sally Davies, Chief Medical Officer (CMO) for England, young children and some adults are not getting enough vitamin D. Not receiving enough of the vitamin can lead to health problems including rickets, broken bones, muscle weakness and infections including TB. Research last year suggested that a quarter of Britain's toddlers did not have enough vitamin D in their bloodstreams.

24 Jan 2012

No whooping cough deaths in California in one whole year

The news comes after the state experienced a whooping cough epidemic in 2010 when 9,000 were infected. Most vulnerable to the disease are infants too young to be fully immunized. Ten babies died after exposure from adults or older children. The last year in which no one died was 1991, when the state recorded just 249 cases of pertussis.

24 Jan 2012

Heartburn drugs ineffective in kids with asthma: Study

A drug used to treat acid reflux has often been used for hard-to-treat asthma. A new study finds that it does not help children with the breathing disease and may cause side effects.

24 Jan 2012

Latest attacks in Jonglei, South Sudan, perpetuate a pattern of extreme violence, says Médecins Sans Frontières

In the state of Jonglei in South Sudan, civilians continue to bear the brunt of inter-communal fighting. Wounded patients are still arriving at the Médecins Sans Frontières hospital in Pibor, three weeks after the violent attack on the town and outlying villages in Pibor County. Many were injured in the bush, where thousands have remained, afraid to come out of hiding. Médecins Sans Frontières medical teams are now treating serious wound infections, some several weeks old. Since re-launching emergency medical activities in Pibor on 7 January, Médecins Sans Frontières has treated 47 patients with gunshot wounds – 16 women and 8 children. A further 43 patients have so far been treated for stab wounds, beatings or wounds sustained while fleeing in the bush.

24 Jan 2012

Only 25% kids getting adequate sun protection: Study

The slogan meant to increase sun protection use – “Slip! Slop! Slap! and Wrap” may be losing its touch – especially in kids. Despite numerous efforts to encourage people to wear sunscreen, a new study shows only 1 in 4 children regularly use sunscreen. Researchers say more than half of the children in the study also reported having a sunburn in the previous summer.

24 Jan 2012

Younger breast cancer survivors face more serious mental issues

Quality of life in younger patients treated for breast cancer is seriously compromised and these women suffer from severe psychological distress, infertility, premature menopause, a decrease in physical activity and weight gain, according to a study by researchers at UCLA's Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center.

24 Jan 2012

Child abuse: Socioeconomic status has more significant impact on physician's diagnosis than race

An Indiana University School of Medicine study has determined that a patient's socioeconomic status has more influence than race on physician diagnosis of whether a child's injury was accidental or caused by abuse.

24 Jan 2012

Researchers investigate winter activity protection headgear for young children

This time of year parents in northern regions bundle up their children in preparation for winter activities. In addition to layers of warm clothing, gloves, and boots, parents often use whatever athletic headgear is available to mitigate the potential hazards of winter sports and play.

24 Jan 2012

EMR data mining reveals that women report more-intense pain than men

Women report more-intense pain than men in virtually every disease category, according to Stanford University School of Medicine investigators who mined a huge collection of electronic medical records to establish the broad gender difference to a high level of statistical significance.

24 Jan 2012

New gene therapy shows promise against X-linked retinitis pigmentosa

A new gene therapy method developed by University of Florida researchers has the potential to treat a common form of blindness that strikes both youngsters and adults.

24 Jan 2012

Study shows childhood experiences have long-term effects on health in midlife

Nurturing mothers have garnered accolades for rescuing skinned knees on the playground and coaxing their children to sleep with lullabies. Now they're gaining merit for their offspring's physical health in middle age.

24 Jan 2012

Virtual network of experts to work together to prevent preterm birth

The March of Dimes, along with its partners, are giving experts in the field of preterm birth prevention an opportunity to learn from each other and to work together to bring the nation's preterm birth rate under 10 percent and give more babies a healthy start.

24 Jan 2012

Medicaid: North Carolina's good news, bad news; Georgia considering managed care

There are cost savings associated with a nationally-recognized health care initiative for the state designed to manage better outcomes for Medicaid consumers. The networks help 1.2 million patients with treatments for chronic and special conditions, ensure they aren't overprescribed drugs and encourage them to go to a primary-care doctor

24 Jan 2012

Pakistan's polio eradication program facing challenges after increase in cases last year

IRIN examines several factors that could be contributing to an increase in polio cases in Pakistan, "despite the launch of a National Emergency Action Plan for Polio Eradication" at the beginning of 2011. In 2010, Pakistan recorded 144 cases of polio and 192 cases in 2011, the news service reports.

24 Jan 2012

PERC-led study recognized as one of Canada's top achievements in health research

You could call it paying it forward. A trip to the Emergency Department (ED) is every parent's worst nightmare. But what if the information documented as a result of your child's visit could help a child with similar symptoms a few provinces away? Terry Klassen and his research team of leading pediatric emergency physicians at Pediatric Emergency Research of Canada (PERC) have done just that and the impact of their research is today recognized as one of the Top Canadian Achievements in Health Research in 2011.

24 Jan 2012

State news: Rate hikes approved in Mass., Va. families still wait for autism coverage, health IT booming

State regulators have approved premium increases averaging 2.3 percent for health insurance covering hundreds of thousands of residents, the most modest hikes in at least a decade and a sign that years of efforts to control costs may be working. The new rates are in Massachusetts' "small group'' market, which includes tens of thousands of small businesses as well as self-employed and formerly uninsured individuals.

24 Jan 2012

Pets help women manage HIV/AIDS: Study

A spoonful of medicine goes down a lot easier if there is a dog or cat around. Having pets is helpful for women living with HIV/AIDS and managing their chronic illness, according to a new study from the Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing at Case Western Reserve University.

24 Jan 2012

Children News and Research

Boston Children's, Blue Cross reach deal to curb payments; Jackson hospital, University of Miami working on better ties

Studies indicate infant brains come equipped with knowledge of 'intuitive physics'

Mass. Gov. again seeks health insurance payment overhaul; Iowa lawmakers review denial of health coverage to residents with HIV

Kids not getting enough Vitamin D

No whooping cough deaths in California in one whole year

Heartburn drugs ineffective in kids with asthma: Study

Latest attacks in Jonglei, South Sudan, perpetuate a pattern of extreme violence, says Médecins Sans Frontières

Only 25% kids getting adequate sun protection: Study

Younger breast cancer survivors face more serious mental issues

Child abuse: Socioeconomic status has more significant impact on physician's diagnosis than race

Researchers investigate winter activity protection headgear for young children

EMR data mining reveals that women report more-intense pain than men

New gene therapy shows promise against X-linked retinitis pigmentosa

Study shows childhood experiences have long-term effects on health in midlife

Virtual network of experts to work together to prevent preterm birth

Medicaid: North Carolina's good news, bad news; Georgia considering managed care

Pakistan's polio eradication program facing challenges after increase in cases last year

PERC-led study recognized as one of Canada's top achievements in health research

State news: Rate hikes approved in Mass., Va. families still wait for autism coverage, health IT booming

Pets help women manage HIV/AIDS: Study

Bringing real-time analytics to downstream bioprocess monitoring

Designing fluidic architecture for scalable diagnostic platforms

Evaluating new approaches for rare disease genomics

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