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New study finds safety net holding together -- but future challenges are likely

A Kaiser Family Foundation study offers a detailed take on how states managed to maintain their health programs in face of the additional burdens brought by the recession (Kaiser Health News is a program of the Foundation).

13 Jan 2011

Obesity in children today may contribute to 2-5 year decline in life expectancy

For the first time in history, the next generation will not live longer, or even as long, as their parents. "Diseases such as Type II diabetes, high blood pressure, heart conditions and joint deterioration - what were once considered 'adult' diseases - are regularly being diagnosed in children, due to the prevalence of obesity," said Jessica Bartfield, MD, internal medicine and medical weight-loss specialist at Gottlieb Memorial Hospital, part of the Loyola University Health System.

13 Jan 2011

Kaiser Permanente Northwest leads nation in counseling against childhood obesity

Kaiser Permanente Northwest leads the nation among all reporting commercial health plans with top marks in counseling children for physical activity and nutrition, according to the National Committee on Quality Assurance's Quality Compass for 2010.

12 Jan 2011

Largest, national long-term study of children's health opens for Cuyahoga County

Residents of Cuyahoga County, and later Lorain County, will soon have the opportunity to contribute to the establishment of a national resource for childhood growth and development. The National Children's Study is the largest, long-term study of children's health ever conducted in the United States. It will follow 100,000 children from pre-birth to 21-years-old. The study will enroll women who are pregnant or planning to become pregnant in the next few years.

11 Jan 2011

Majority of U.S. adults strongly support innovative programs to discourage teen pregnancy

Every hour in the United States, about 40 children are born to teenage mothers. Americans consistently rate teen pregnancy as one of the top 10 biggest health problems for young people and the U.S. still has the highest teen birth rate among all industrialized countries -- despite decreases in the birth rate during the past 20 years.

7 Jan 2011

MAXIMUS signs Eligibility Support Services contract with HHSC

MAXIMUS, a leading provider of government services, announced today that it has signed the previously announced Eligibility Support Services contract with the Texas Health and Human Services Commission. The three-year base contract is valued at $315.3 million with an additional two option years.

6 Jan 2011

Maternal depression adversely affects quality of life in children with epilepsy

A study by Canadian researchers examined the prevalence of maternal depression and its impact on children newly diagnosed with epilepsy. Prevalence of depression in mothers ranged from 30%-38% within the first 24 months following a child’s epilepsy diagnosis. The mother’s depressive symptoms negatively impacted the child’s health-related quality of life, but the effects were moderated by the amount of family resources and mediated by how well the family functions and the extent of family demands. Details of this novel study appear online in Epilepsia, a journal published by Wiley-Blackwell on behalf of the International League Against Epilepsy.

5 Jan 2011

Child's epilepsy diagnosis impacts mother's mental health and family environment

5 Jan 2011

Governors take hard look at Medicaid dollars, programs

Amidst continuing state budget pressures, N.Y. Gov. Andrew Cuomo plans to reduce Medicaid spending by a hefty sum; Missouri's new governor pledges to reverse his predecessor's cuts; and in Kansas, program reforms are part of Gov. Brownback's agenda.

5 Jan 2011

Opinions: U.S. International Affairs Budget; Health impacts of climate change; Role of U.N.; Drug development, free trade

Despite challenging economic times, "[t]wo areas we cannot afford to shortchange right now ... are our national security and our economic prosperity, which is why we must continue to have a strong and effective International Affairs Budget," U.S. Global Leadership Coalition Communications Director Richard Parker writes in a FoxNews.com opinion piece.

5 Jan 2011

New U.N. commission will track donors' pledges on maternal, child health

Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete will co-chair a new "U.N. commission tasked with tracking whether $40 billion in pledges from countries and aid groups are really flowing to efforts to improve the health of mothers and young children in poor countries, and what impact the programs have," the Globe and Mail reports (Clark, 12/16).

20 Dec 2010

Harmful ingredients in toxic toys need to banned

Manufacturer recalls of toys, promotional drinking glasses, and other children's products constitute an ongoing "toxic toys crisis" that requires banning potentially harmful ingredients in these products and other changes in policy and practices. That's the conclusion of a new analysis in ACS' journal Environmental Science & Technology.

16 Dec 2010

Opinions: Kangaroo care; NTDs, Women's health

New York Times contributing writer Tina Rosen, on the newspaper's "Opinionator" blog, examines the success of a system known as kangaroo care, which has helped to improve the survival rates of premature infants by using skin-to-skin contact with mothers in place of incubators in low-resource settings. The post notes the potential value of such a strategy in poor countries "where pregnant women are unlikely to get the food and care they need," and "low birth weight babies are very common."

16 Dec 2010

Research looks at early exposure to mobile phone risk

There has been plenty of speculation that mobile phones are not good for pregnant mums but a new study sheds light on the actual connection. It finds that pregnant women who regularly use mobile phones may be more likely to have children with behavioral problems, particularly if their children start using mobile phones in their first seven years. American researchers said that the risk of behavioral problems rose by 30% if such exposure was present. Those exposed before birth and in early childhood were at 50% higher risk than those who were not exposed they said.

9 Dec 2010

California's MRMIB extends Healthy Families contract with MAXIMUS

MAXIMUS, a leading provider of government services worldwide, today announced that an extension of its Healthy Families contract was approved by the California's Managed Risk Medical Insurance Board (MRMIB) on September 15, 2010. The five-year extension will begin on January 1, 2011 and is valued at approximately $360.6 million.

8 Dec 2010

Early group daycare exposure protects kids from infections later: Study

A new study reassures parents that although young kids might get sick more often when they first start group childcare, these same kids get fewer infections later in their childhood. About one in three U.S. kids receives organized childcare before reaching kindergarten age, whether at a daycare center or a school.

7 Dec 2010

Mobile phones use during pregnancy linked to behavioural problems in kids: Study

A new study finds that pregnant mums who regularly use mobile phones may be more likely to have children with behavioral problems, especially if these kids themselves start using mobile phones in their first seven years.

7 Dec 2010

Dartmouth awarded $2M grant for new Children's Environmental Health and Disease Prevention Center

Dartmouth recently received a $2 million pilot grant to fund the new Children's Environmental Health and Disease Prevention Center at Dartmouth. The grant is jointly funded by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the National Institute for Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS). Dartmouth's is one of six emerging centers nationally that are undertaking interdisciplinary research to assist public health professionals and policy makers in combating children's diseases caused by environment pollutants.

7 Dec 2010

Texas gov. Perry backs away from Medicaid dropout threat

Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program are breaking the state's budget, but opting out of the federal programs would have a devastating effect on health care delivery in Texas, according to a state report issued Friday. The report said most of the methods for fixing Medicaid spending in Texas will require acts of Congress, not the Legislature, to give the state greater flexibility in how the programs are run and a greater share of the national Medicaid financing.

6 Dec 2010

NFID supports CDC's National Influenza Vaccination Week

The National Foundation for Infectious Diseases supports the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's annual observance of National Influenza Vaccination Week to communicate the importance and availability of influenza vaccination into the winter months and beyond. It is critical that physicians and patients, especially parents of pediatric patients, remain vigilant about flu protection this and every year.

4 Dec 2010

Children's Health News and Research

New study finds safety net holding together -- but future challenges are likely

Obesity in children today may contribute to 2-5 year decline in life expectancy

Kaiser Permanente Northwest leads nation in counseling against childhood obesity

Largest, national long-term study of children's health opens for Cuyahoga County

Majority of U.S. adults strongly support innovative programs to discourage teen pregnancy

MAXIMUS signs Eligibility Support Services contract with HHSC

Maternal depression adversely affects quality of life in children with epilepsy

Child's epilepsy diagnosis impacts mother's mental health and family environment

Governors take hard look at Medicaid dollars, programs

Opinions: U.S. International Affairs Budget; Health impacts of climate change; Role of U.N.; Drug development, free trade

New U.N. commission will track donors' pledges on maternal, child health

Harmful ingredients in toxic toys need to banned

Opinions: Kangaroo care; NTDs, Women's health

Research looks at early exposure to mobile phone risk

California's MRMIB extends Healthy Families contract with MAXIMUS

Early group daycare exposure protects kids from infections later: Study

Mobile phones use during pregnancy linked to behavioural problems in kids: Study

Dartmouth awarded $2M grant for new Children's Environmental Health and Disease Prevention Center

Texas gov. Perry backs away from Medicaid dropout threat

NFID supports CDC's National Influenza Vaccination Week

Industry Focus eBook - Forensics & toxicology (2nd edition) eBook

Advancing Neuroscience Research Through Collaboration and Patient-Centered Innovation

The impact of vibration on microscopy

How Omics Technologies Are Transforming Biological Research and Drug Discovery

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