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Gene mutation can trigger preterm births, says study

Mutation of a gene that helps protect the body from genetic instability leads to cellular and molecular changes in the pregnant uterus that trigger premature birth, according to a study appearing online Feb. 1 in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.

2 Feb 2010

New approach may prove useful in labor anesthesia, orthopedics and more

One of the holy grails of local anesthesia is the ability to achieve a long-lasting nerve block that eliminates pain sensation while not affecting motor function. Now, researchers at Children's Hospital Boston have discovered an anesthetic approach that seems to do just that.

2 Feb 2010

Simple genetic test can help in detecting heart abnormalities

Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy (HCM) is a genetic disease that causes the heart muscle to become abnormally large. It often goes undetected and, as a result, HCM has the dubious distinction of being the leading cause of sudden death in children, young adults and athletes.

2 Feb 2010

U.S. government resumes medical evacuations from Haiti; new food voucher distribution targeting women begins

"The U.S. government said on Sunday it would resume military evacuation flights" within 12 hours for critically ill and injured Haitians who were harmed in the Jan. 12 earthquake, Reuters reports (Rosenberg/Brown, 1/31). Medical evacuations had been suspended for a few days, but the reason for the suspension "is unclear as various government authorities have provided different explanations," the Wall Street Journal reports.

2 Feb 2010

PET for children: CHOP-Penn researchers study reduction in radiation dosage

Studies have shown positron emission tomography's (PET) value as a minimally invasive, painless and safe diagnostic tool for many pediatric conditions. In a study published in the February issue of The Journal of Nuclear Medicine (JNM), researchers at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) and the University of Pennsylvania (Penn) gathered data that may provide clinicians with new formulas-specific to pediatrics-to calculate the amount of radiotracer that should be injected based on the patient's weight.

2 Feb 2010

ADA's position paper addresses nutrition aspects of health care for people with developmental disabilities

The American Dietetic Association has published an updated position paper that addresses the nutrition aspects of health care for people with developmental disabilities and special health care needs.

2 Feb 2010

FDA and PATH collaborate to advance pneumococcal vaccine development for children

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) today announced a collaboration with PATH to advance development of a vaccine to protect children against diseases caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus), especially pneumonia.

2 Feb 2010

Finger and thumb injuries account for majority of pediatric traumatic amputations

According to a new study conducted by researchers at the Center for Injury Research and Policy of The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, there were more than 950 cases of traumatic amputations among children aged 17 years and younger in the United States in 2003. Of these cases, finger and thumb amputations accounted for the majority of the injuries (64 percent).

2 Feb 2010

Obama's budget to boost Medicaid funding, broaden global health approach

President Obama's budget proposal tops $3.8 trillion, and would draw a $1.3 trillion shortfall in 2011 despite efforts to freeze and cut spending and channel an extra $100 billion to immediately attack the high unemployment rate, The Washington Post reports.

2 Feb 2010

American Diabetes Association announces 2010 schedule for free community health events

In an age of soaring health care costs and staggering diabetes prevalence, the American Diabetes Association announced today its 2010 schedule for free community health events throughout the country -- the American Diabetes Association EXPO.

2 Feb 2010

Serious liver disorder associated with use of HIV drug, FDA warns

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today announced that non-cirrhotic portal hypertension, a rare, but serious, liver disorder, has been reported in some HIV patients taking Videx/Videx EC (didanosine).

2 Feb 2010

MCADD screening is expensive but offers immense health benefits

Newborn screening for a metabolic disorder could lead to false positives -- adding stress to parents, costing money and possibly subjecting a baby to unnecessary follow-up treatment and dietary restrictions.

2 Feb 2010

Shire announces the Canadian availability of VYVANSE prodrug therapy for ADHD treatment

Canadian families managing Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) have a new treatment option. Today, Shire plc, the global specialty biopharmaceutical company, announced the Canadian availability of VYVANSE (lisdexamfetamine dimesylate capsule), the first and only prodrug therapy approved for ADHD treatment in Canada.

2 Feb 2010

More details on Obama's global health strategy expected along with budget release, Wall Street Journal reports

"The Obama administration is expected to propose in its fiscal 2011 budget Monday new funding to combat preventable and tropical diseases, malnutrition and other conditions afflicting the world's poor, as part of a strategy to broaden its approach to global health," the Wall Street Journal reports.

2 Feb 2010

Survey: Medicaid beats private insurance when it comes to prevention

Sen. Lamar Alexander - as well as other conservative lawmakers - characterized Medicaid as a "medical ghetto" during Senate floor speeches on the health overhaul debate last year, American Medical News reports. But, the 2007 National Survey of Children's Health contradicts that common perception. "Based on nearly 92,000 interviews, it found that in 36 states, children in Medicaid and CHIP were as likely or more likely than privately insured kids to have had at least one preventive health care visit over a 12-month period."

1 Feb 2010

BioBehavioral Diagnostics completes $10M Series B financing round

BioBehavioral Diagnostics (BioBDx), a privately held company which manufactures and markets the Quotient™ ADHD System, a tool that aids in the objective and accurate assessment of attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), announced today the first close of a $10 million Series B financing.

1 Feb 2010

Democrats work to restart health bill

Health care reform legislation "has a heartbeat," Roll Call reports, adding that Democrats are hoping a "breather" helps cool emotions, but that their focus will continue to be on eventually passing legislation.

1 Feb 2010

U-M study finds increased body fat in boys is associated with later onset of puberty

Increasing rates of obese and overweight children in the United States may be contributing to a later onset of puberty in boys, say researchers at the University of Michigan Health System.

1 Feb 2010

Children of Spanish-speaking Hispanic mothers spend less time in front of TV

Young children of Hispanic mothers whose dominant language is Spanish spend less time in front of the TV than children whose mothers speak mostly English, according to research led by investigators at Johns Hopkins Children's Center and published in the February issue of Archives of Pediatric & Adolescent Medicine.

1 Feb 2010

Denim blue jeans ribbon campaign: an initiative to raise awareness about children with rare diseases

Hope – It's In Our Genes.™ The Children's Rare Disease Network (http://www.crdnetwork.org) today announced the Global Genes Project (http://www.globalgenesproject.org), an initiative designed to raise awareness about the prevalence of rare diseases that afflict millions of children worldwide. Rare disease advocates organizing the campaign selected a blue jeans denim ribbon as the international symbol of hope for children suffering from life threatening and chronically debilitating rare diseases.

1 Feb 2010

Children News and Research

Gene mutation can trigger preterm births, says study

New approach may prove useful in labor anesthesia, orthopedics and more

Simple genetic test can help in detecting heart abnormalities

U.S. government resumes medical evacuations from Haiti; new food voucher distribution targeting women begins

PET for children: CHOP-Penn researchers study reduction in radiation dosage

ADA's position paper addresses nutrition aspects of health care for people with developmental disabilities

FDA and PATH collaborate to advance pneumococcal vaccine development for children

Finger and thumb injuries account for majority of pediatric traumatic amputations

Obama's budget to boost Medicaid funding, broaden global health approach

American Diabetes Association announces 2010 schedule for free community health events

Serious liver disorder associated with use of HIV drug, FDA warns

MCADD screening is expensive but offers immense health benefits

Shire announces the Canadian availability of VYVANSE prodrug therapy for ADHD treatment

More details on Obama's global health strategy expected along with budget release, Wall Street Journal reports

Survey: Medicaid beats private insurance when it comes to prevention

BioBehavioral Diagnostics completes $10M Series B financing round

Democrats work to restart health bill

U-M study finds increased body fat in boys is associated with later onset of puberty

Children of Spanish-speaking Hispanic mothers spend less time in front of TV

Denim blue jeans ribbon campaign: an initiative to raise awareness about children with rare diseases

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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