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New VAAST software tool can identify disease-causing mutations in rare genetic disorders

Harnessing the new generation of rapid, highly accurate gene-sequencing techniques, a research team has identified the disease-causing mutation in a newly characterized rare genetic disease, by analyzing DNA from just a few individuals.

24 Jun 2011

Psychosocial stress may enhance lung-damaging effects of traffic-related pollution in children

Psychosocial stress appears to enhance the lung-damaging effects of traffic-related pollution (TRP) in children, according to new research from the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California (USC) in Los Angeles.

24 Jun 2011

Furthering progress on childhood vaccines

In a Huffington Post opinion piece, Gro Brundtland, a member of the U.N. Foundation board of directors, former WHO director general and former prime minister of Norway, discusses global progress on childhood vaccines. Brundtland discusses the upcoming launch of the U.N. Foundation's global vaccines campaign aimed at inspiring Americans "to provide children in the developing world with immunizations against deadly diseases."

24 Jun 2011

Australian chefs and food bloggers support Oxfam’s 2011 Stop Hunger Appeal with a special cookbook

Acclaimed Australian chefs and food bloggers have donated recipes to a special edition Oxfam cookbook to encourage Australians to get behind the international aid agency’s new ‘Stop Hunger’ appeal.

24 Jun 2011

Oxytocin hormone holds promise for children with Prader-Willi syndrome

Prader-Willi syndrome is a rare genetic disorder which affects one child in 25,000. Children born with this syndrome have a range of complex neurological and developmental problems which continue into adult life. These can manifest as cognitive and behavioral difficulties, weight gain, problems in controlling their temper and attendant difficulties in socialization.

24 Jun 2011

New report offers policy recommendations to combat early childhood obesity

A new national report offers policy recommendations to curb the high rates of obesity among America's youngest children.

24 Jun 2011

CBMi creates iPad app for exploring human genomic information

Navigating the human genome with software that you can view on an iPad® sounds pretty impressive, until perhaps you reflect that nature has already encoded trillions of copies of this in your chromosomes. Then again, printing that data using ink and paper would produce a mind-staggering pile of pages—so viewing it on an iPad® may be impressive after all.

24 Jun 2011

Longer looks: Prenatal care for dads; rise in bipolar diagnosis for children

Perhaps it's because mom has the burgeoning belly, but dads have largely been left out of prenatal care. That could be damaging to the family's health, contends research in a recent issue of the Journal of Advanced Nursing.

24 Jun 2011

State roundup: N.Y. and union reach deal on benefits

The state's largest public-employee union, acknowledging the pressures on government workers around the nation, agreed on Wednesday to major wage and benefits concessions in a pact to avoid sweeping layoffs. The five-year agreement ... includes a three-year wage freeze, the first furloughs ever for state workers and an increase in the amount employees must pay toward their health insurance.

24 Jun 2011

ACS designates Stanford as level-2 pediatric trauma center

Stanford's trauma center has been verified as a level-2 pediatric trauma center by the American College of Surgeons.

24 Jun 2011

Health Canada approves PURE Hard Surface disinfectant

PURE Bioscience, Inc., creator of the patented silver dihydrogen citrate (SDC) antimicrobial, today announced that Health Canada has approved PURE™ Hard Surface disinfectant for use in food premises, hospitals and health care facilities, domestic locations and institutional and industrial premises.

23 Jun 2011

FDA grants fast track designation to Synageva for SBC-102 program for Lysosomal Acid Lipase Deficiency

Synageva BioPharma Corp., a privately held biopharmaceutical company developing therapeutic products for rare disorders, announced today that their lead program, SBC-102, an enzyme replacement therapy for Lysosomal Acid Lipase (LAL) Deficiency, currently in clinical trials, has been granted fast track designation by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

23 Jun 2011

Surgery for children motivates smoking parents to try to quit

A study published in the July issue of Anesthesiology has found that parents who smoke are more likely to attempt to quit during the time of their child's surgery - but that they are not more likely to succeed. According to the study, these facts suggest that physicians could play an important role in assisting smokers with kicking the habit during this time.

23 Jun 2011

GAD vaccine DIAPREV-IT study in high-risk children continues as planned

Despite the disappointing results in trying to treat children suffering from type 1 diabetes with the GAD vaccine, the treatment has not been written off entirely. DIAPREV-IT, the study in which healthy high-risk children are vaccinated, is continuing as planned, and now with more money behind it. "I am still hopeful that the GAD vaccine will work", says Helena Elding Larsson.

23 Jun 2011

Funding vaccines in the developing world creates positive allies

Syndicated columnist and ONE senior adviser Michael Gerson, in a CNN opinion piece, reviews the documentary "Voodoo and Vaccines," which he writes "shows how government and health officials have reached out to religious leaders, and how many traditional healers are now carrying a pro-vaccination message.

23 Jun 2011

Developing new antipoverty vaccines may eliminate world's neglected diseases, says Sabin president

Despite significant advancements in increasing distribution and development of vaccines against childhood killer diseases - including pneumococcal disease, rotavirus, and Haemophilus influenzae Type B - global efforts to reduce the burden of infection from neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) has greatly lagged, argues Sabin Vaccine Institute (Sabin) President Dr. Peter Hotez in an article for the June edition of Health Affairs.

23 Jun 2011

Florida officials ask Feds for more time on Medicaid pilot program

News organizations in Florida, Colorado and Louisiana report on developments in state Medicaid issues.

23 Jun 2011

Summer safety tips to keep kids safe

Summer fun is in full swing, which coincides with an increase in bumps, bruises, scrapes and possibly worse. To keep kids safe, prevention and first-aid should be at the forefront of parents' minds this summer according to Dr. Karen Judy, Loyola University Health System pediatric safety expert and professor of pediatrics at Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine.

23 Jun 2011

Diamyd Medical to terminate US DiaPrevent Phase III study for type 1 diabetes

Diamyd Medical AB reports that the Company has decided to suspend dosing in a US Phase III study with the antigen-based therapy Diamyd and to initiate closure of the study.

23 Jun 2011

CPDC, UHN to advance use of medical isotopes for cancer treatment and diagnosis

CanProbe, a unique, not-for-profit joint venture to advance the use of medical isotopes for diagnosing and treating cancer and other serious diseases, was announced today by the Centre for Probe Development and Commercialization (CPDC) and the University Health Network.

23 Jun 2011