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Cesarean births not linked to childhood asthma

The theory that whether a child born by cesarean section or in the normal way, via the birth canal, could affect his or her chances of developing asthma later in life, has been laid to rest.

27 Oct 2005

Rate of weight gain, not the degree of fatness at any one time, which is the main predictor of future problems

Research published today indicates that the risk of heart disease in adulthood is more strongly related to how quickly children gain weight between the ages of two and eleven than their actual body weight at any particular age. Scientists believe this is linked to differences in insulin processing in later life.

27 Oct 2005

Math Learning Disorder (LD) is common among school-age children

Results show that boys are more likely to have Math LD than girls. The research also indicates that although a child can have a Math LD and a reading LD, a substantial percentage of children have Math LD alone.

27 Oct 2005

Growth patterns before birth, after birth and into childhood reveal a risk of coronary heart disease later in life

The risk of developing coronary heart disease as an adult is more strongly related to childhood growth patterns than body weight at any particular point in development, according to a new study published in the Oct. 27 New England Journal of Medicine. Coronary heart disease is the leading cause of death in the United States.

27 Oct 2005

China has become the 89th country to ratify the global tobacco treaty

...the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC). Countries that ratify the treaty commit themselves to stringent tobacco control measures, including advertising restrictions, clean indoor air laws, higher tobacco taxes, and bigger warning labels on tobacco packaging.

26 Oct 2005

FDA panel says approval for new depression drugs needs to be faster

According to a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisory panel, drug makers seeking U.S. approval of new drugs to treat major depression should not be required to first provide data on how well they work long-term.

26 Oct 2005

25 years down the line, 1800 children daily infected with AIDS

The UN charity UNICEF, has launched a global campaign to highlight the impact on children of AIDS.

26 Oct 2005

Mechanisms of evolution may be associated with disease

By comparing the human genome with that of the chimpanzee, man's closest living relative, researchers have discovered that chunks of similar DNA that have been flipped in orientation and reinserted into chromosomes are hundreds of times more common in primates than previously thought.

26 Oct 2005

Kids with asthma may also be at risk for psychological problems such as depression

This study, recently published in the Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Nursing, is one of the first to examine relationships among asthma, anxiety and depression, and several aspects of social functioning in urban children.

26 Oct 2005

Preventing pneumonia in children helps prevent pneumonia in older adults

The incidence of pneumonia among older adults has decreased substantially, linked to the introduction of a pneumonia vaccine for children in 2000, according to a study in the October 26 issue of JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association.

25 Oct 2005

Little evidence exists to support the widespread use of bronchodilators to treat children and adults with cystic fibrosis

"Recurrent wheeze and breathlessness are common in people with cystic fibrosis, and bronchodilators are commonly prescribed," according to lead author Clare Halfhide, M.D., of the Royal Liverpool Children's Hospital in England. "Despite their wide-scale and often long-term use, there is limited objective evidence about their efficacy in cystic fibrosis."

25 Oct 2005

Growth hormone illegal for off-label anti-aging use

Because of 1988 and 1990 amendments to the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, off-label distribution or provision of human growth hormone to treat aging or age-associated illnesses is illegal in the United States, according to a report in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

25 Oct 2005

Can strength-training exercises reduce or prevent lymphedema symptoms in breast cancer?

In a novel research study to begin this week at the Abramson Cancer Center of the University of Pennsylvania, Kathryn Schmitz, PhD, MPH, Assistant Professor in Epidemiology, will help to determine the extent to which a slowly progressive program of strength-training exercises is safe for breast cancer survivors with and without symptoms of lymphedema.

25 Oct 2005

Comprehensive home-based environmental intervention results in decreased asthma symptoms

Through efforts to limit exposure to environmental irritants, health workers and municipalities can cut illness generally among inner-city children with asthma and also the number of clinic visits for those young patients by at least 19 percent, a new study concludes. The cost can be as low as $1,469 per affected family.

25 Oct 2005