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Australians depressed, obese, alcoholic and in denial: Survey

Reports reveal that Australians are in denial about their increasing rates of obesity and claim to be the unhappiest in the world. The findings came from an international health survey which also revealed that Australians were among the world's biggest drinkers, coming in just behind the British. The survey by health insurer BUPA showed that while 64 per cent of Australians said they were in relatively good shape, there were some worrying trends.

14 Sep 2011

Walgreens, MDA team up to offer free seasonal flu shots

Nobody likes to get stuck with a needle. But influenza - the flu - is particularly hazardous for those with neuromuscular disease, which is why the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) and Walgreens have teamed up once again to offer free seasonal flu shots now underway for people who have muscular dystrophy and related diseases.

14 Sep 2011

Suicidal teens not getting needed mental healthcare

Suicidal teens are not likely to get the mental healthcare they need. This is according to a team of researchers at Seattle Children's Research Institute, the University of Washington (UW), and Group Health Research Institute. The study, "Adolescents With Suicidal Ideation: Health Care Use and Functioning," was recently published in Academic Pediatrics.

14 Sep 2011

CFFAR awards Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder research grants

The Canadian Foundation on Fetal Alcohol Research (CFFAR) today announced its fourth round of grants awarded for the research, prevention and treatment of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder.

14 Sep 2011

Health Canada approves Afinitor for treatment of brain tumours caused by TSC in children

Families with children suffering from brain tumours caused by an uncommon genetic disorder known as Tuberous Sclerosis Complex (TSC) have new hope with Health Canada's recent conditional approval of a new therapeutic use for the drug Afinitor (everolimus). Afinitor is the first drug therapy approved in Canada for the treatment of brain tumours caused by TSC in patients three years of age and older.

14 Sep 2011

Children with more ADHD symptoms twice as likely to get hurt

Injury kills more 11-year-olds in the United States than all other causes combined, and a new study from University of Alabama at Birmingham reveals ADHD almost doubles the risk of serious injury among this age group.

14 Sep 2011

Autism Speaks introduces new tool kit to make blood draws and routine procedures less stressful

For children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), routine medical procedures such as having their blood drawn can be very difficult. Communication and social interaction deficits and reliance on fixed routines experienced by many children with ASD are the significant factors to be considered when preparing a child with ASD for a blood draw.

14 Sep 2011

Fathers and family men low on testosterone: Study

A new study shows that men who spend time with their children have lower levels of testosterone than single guys. The study shows that family men experience a biological shift that may awaken their nurturing side.

13 Sep 2011

More pediatric subspecialists entering private practice could mean fewer at academic centers

An increasing number of pediatric subspecialists are entering private practice, a trend that could mean a smaller proportion working at academic centers, conducting research, teaching or advancing specialty care, a University of Michigan study finds.

13 Sep 2011

Roundup: Ga. rejects rule to curb dental hygienists' work; Ohio high-risk pool faces higher than expected costs

The Georgia Board of Dentistry on Friday rejected a proposed rule that public health officials feared would have restricted dental hygienists' work with low-income patients. Several health groups had said the provision, if approved, would require a dentist to examine a patient before a hygienist can apply sealants, clean teeth and perform other preventive dental services in a public health setting.

13 Sep 2011

Micronutrient powder helps prevent malnutrition in children up to two years old, study review shows

In a systematic review published by the Cochrane Collaboration last week, researchers found that the micronutrient powder used in recent years to combat malnutrition, anemia and iron deficiency in children was very helpful in preventing malnutrition in children six to 24 months old, VOA News reports.

12 Sep 2011

Parents of teens underestimate own teens' substance use

The latest C.S. Mott Children's Hospital National Poll on Children's Health from the University of Michigan finds that few parents (10 percent) believe their own teens, ages 13 to 17 years old, have used alcohol in the last year and even fewer (5 percent) believe their own teens have used marijuana in the last year.

12 Sep 2011

Reducing malaria incidence could also drastically reduce deaths from bacterial infections, study says

"Reducing the incidence of malaria could also drastically reduce the number of deaths from bacterial infections among children in Africa, a study" published last week in the Lancet found, according to SciDev.Net.

12 Sep 2011

Mayo Clinic develops genome-based immunization strategy against feline AIDS

Mayo Clinic researchers have developed a genome-based immunization strategy to fight feline AIDS and illuminate ways to combat human HIV/AIDS and other diseases. The goal is to create cats with intrinsic immunity to the feline AIDS virus. The findings -- called fascinating and landmark by one reviewer -- appear in the current online issue of Nature Methods.

12 Sep 2011

ASTMH annual meeting to explore latest research on infectious diseases

The 60th Annual Meeting of the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH) -- the largest of its kind in the world -- will bring together in one place global experts who are battling a wide range of bacteria, viruses, parasites and other pathogens that each year kill or sicken hundreds of millions of people.

12 Sep 2011

JHUSON nursing research news

In a six-month, randomized controlled study of asthmatic children living with smokers reported in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, August 2011, Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing (JHUSON) professor and School of Medicine faculty member Arlene Butz, MSN, CPNP, ScD, and others found that regular use of indoor air cleaners can greatly reduce household air pollution and lower rates of children's daytime asthma symptoms.

12 Sep 2011

General anesthesia can cause cognitive impairment in children

General anesthesia administered to the developing animal brain depresses much needed neuronal activity and communication resulting in long-lasting cognitive impairment, according to an article published in the August issue of Current Opinion in Anesthesiology.

12 Sep 2011

Gates Foundation's Ananya Alliance aims to improve newborn health in India

Usha Kiran Tarigopula, deputy director in global health at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, writes about the Foundation's partnership with the state of Bihar, India through the Ananya Alliance "aimed at reducing maternal, newborn, and child mortality by 40 percent by 2015," in this "Inpatient Optimists" blog post, which is part of a series called "Global Conversations on Newborn Health in India."

12 Sep 2011

AHRQ finds decline in hospitalizations for pica eating disorder between 2007-2009

Eating disorders as the primary reason for entering the hospital declined by 23 percent from 2007 and 2009, after a steep and steady increase from 1999 to 2007, according to the latest News and Numbers from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

12 Sep 2011

New treatment strategy for dominant forms of muscular dystrophy

Investigators at The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital are studying a potential new treatment strategy for dominant forms of muscular dystrophy, thanks to preliminary funding from The Ohio State University Center for Clinical and Translational Science.

12 Sep 2011