Children News and Research

RSS

Gene therapy to turn off Parkinson's

A group of Northwestern University researchers is developing a novel gene therapy aimed at selectively turning off one of the genes involved in the development of Parkinson's disease.

23 Jan 2006

Babies brainier when Mum eats fish

The benefits of giving fish oil supplements to children to improve their brainpower is being investigated by scientists at the University of Bristol.

23 Jan 2006

Ataxia gene identified

Researchers at the University of Minnesota Medical School have discovered the gene responsible for a type of ataxia, an incurable degenerative brain disease affecting movement and coordination.

23 Jan 2006

Black box warnings for two eczema creams

Food and Drug Administration officials in the U.S. have announced that two prescription creams to treat eczema will now carry strong warnings about the possible risk of skin cancer, lymphoma and other cancers.

22 Jan 2006

Indonesians deaths bring bird toll to 82

According to a senior official at the Indonesian Health Ministry, a Hong Kong laboratory has confirmed that two children from the same Indonesian family have died from the H5N1 strain of bird flu this month.

22 Jan 2006

Danger of resistance to malaria drug

The World Health Organization (WHO) has issued new guidelines concerning the use of the malaria drug Artemisinin.

22 Jan 2006

Salt water treatment for cystic fibrosis both effective and cheap

Two teams of scientists working half a world apart, have identified what they believe is a simple, effective and inexpensive treatment to reduce lung problems associated with cystic fibrosis.

19 Jan 2006

$2 billion to fight bird flu

At an international conference in Beijing almost $2 billion has been pledged to stop the spread of bird flu.

18 Jan 2006

New initiative to transform US Public Health Service Commissioned Corps

HHS Secretary Mike Leavitt today announced an initiative to transform the United States Public Health Service (USPHS) Commissioned Corps, which will enable this critical emergency response resource to address public health challenges more quickly and efficiently.

18 Jan 2006

New microRNA mechanism for regulating brain function

Non-coding regions of the genome - those that don't code for proteins - are now known to include important elements that regulate gene activity. Among those elements are microRNAs, tiny, recently discovered RNA molecules that suppress gene expression.

18 Jan 2006

Handheld Doppler ultrasound technology finds veins quickly

When medics are treating trauma patients, every second counts. Yet bruises, burns, and other physical conditions often make it difficult to locate veins and administer lifesaving drugs or solutions.

18 Jan 2006

Growth hormone helps children with sleep apnea

Growth hormone helps hundreds of children with a rare disorder that causes them to gorge on food, but for some, starting treatment can worsen a dangerous nighttime breathing problem, University of Florida researchers have found.

18 Jan 2006

Online breast cancer support groups work

Stereotypes about who will use online support groups are wrong, according to research at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The researchers found that age, income and education did not predict participation, although minorities were not as active as other users.

18 Jan 2006

Falling asleep with baby on the sofa can be fatal

Despite the fact that the number of cases of babies dying from Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) has fallen dramatically over the last two decades, it seems that the number of deaths in children while sleeping with a parent on a sofa have risen 400 percent.

18 Jan 2006

Hopes dashed for peanut allergy drug Xolair

Hopes have been dashed for a potential treatment for peanut allergies following the severe reactions suffered by two children during a clinical trial.

18 Jan 2006

Experts demand more funds to stop the spread of bird flu

At a meeting in Beijing to whip up funds for the global fight against bird flu, the European Union has raised its contribution to the fund by $20 million taking their total commitment to $120 million, but other contributions appear to be thin on the ground.

18 Jan 2006

Preparing for bird flu

When a new strain of flu infects people, the infection can spread around the world quickly. This is what could potentially happen with some new human flu viruses that come from bird flu viruses.

18 Jan 2006

First potential treatment for intracerebral hemorrhage

The first potential treatment for strokes that result from bleeding in the brain is under study at the Medical College of Georgia.

18 Jan 2006

X-linked agammaglobulinemia

Individuals who have a rare genetic immune system disorder that prevents them from making antibodies nevertheless appear to be moderately healthy and lead productive lives, according to results of a study by investigators at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

18 Jan 2006

Uptake of obesity surgery devices to rise as obese population increases

Today, obesity is considered a disease of epidemic proportions. The World Health Organisation (WHO) estimates that obesity has risen by nearly 10-40 per cent in most European countries over the past decade.

18 Jan 2006