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First Australian clinic to exclusively diagnose and treat fetal alcohol spectrum disorders

Australia will soon have its first screening and diagnostic service for children with alcohol-related birth defects. The service is being set up by The Children's Hospital at Westmead in Sydney amid concerns that thousands of Australian children are suffering from fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD). The disorders are triggered in unborn babies exposed to alcohol consumed by their mothers and are the most common, preventable cause of disabilities and brain damage in children.

21 Jun 2011

Tony Blair visits Sierra Leone, calls for increased investment, better governance

Former British Prime Minister Tony Blair called for increased investment in Sierra Leone during a trip to the country over the weekend, VOA News reports.

21 Jun 2011

Civil unrest creates serious health implications in South Sudan

BMJ reports on the health affects of civil unrest in South Sudan, which will become the world's newest country on July 9.

17 Jun 2011

HHS announces funding opportunity for national networks of community-based organizations

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) today announced a funding opportunity for national networks of community-based organizations to apply for more than $4 million in cooperative agreements.

17 Jun 2011

Ban calls for global unity to end AIDS by 2020 at U.N. meeting opening

In his opening address at the U.N. High Level Meeting on AIDS on Wednesday, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon "told presidents, ministers and diplomats from across the globe that if all partners involved in the fight unite 'as never before,'" the goal of "zero new infections, zero stigma and zero AIDS-related deaths" can be achieved, the Associated Press/Kansas City Star reports.

10 Jun 2011

Thymosin beta 4 can transform adult epicardial stem cells into functional heart muscle

RegeneRx Biopharmaceuticals, Inc. has announced that thymosin beta 4 (Tβ4) can activate a unique subpopulation of resident adult epicardial stem cells such that they recapture embryonic potential, proliferate, migrate and differentiate into functional heart muscle (cardiomyocytes), according to a research paper published online today in Nature.

9 Jun 2011

Children who experience trauma more likely to have behavior and learning problems

New research has shown that children's risk for learning and behavior problems and obesity rises in correlation to their level of trauma exposure, says the psychiatrist at the Stanford University School of Medicine and Lucile Packard Children's Hospital who oversaw the study.

9 Jun 2011

Childhood trauma linked to higher rates of mental health problems and obesity, says Stanford/Packard psychiatrist

New research has shown that children’s risk for learning and behavior problems and obesity rises in correlation to their level of trauma exposure, says the psychiatrist at the Stanford University School of Medicine and Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital who oversaw the study. The findings could encourage physicians to consider diagnosing post-traumatic stress disorder rather than attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, which has similar symptoms to PTSD but very different treatment.

8 Jun 2011

Maternal-child health disparities need to be addressed in the U.S., says expert

Despite billions of dollars spent on health care each year, the United States ranks 27th out of 33 developed countries for life expectancy at birth. Leading causes of infant mortality are complications related to pre-term birth or low birth weight-outcomes that have been linked with domestic violence.

8 Jun 2011

Viewpoints: Reps. on Medicare politics, policies, community pharmacies; Reflections on AIDS

The [Ryan] privatization proposal overlooks the fact that when it comes to rising health costs, Medicare is part of the solution, not the problem. ... Together with health care reform, Medicare can be the driver of innovation due to its sheer market share.

6 Jun 2011

Nonmenstruating female athletes have abnormal bone structure: Study

Young female athletes who have stopped menstruating have a weakening in the quality of their bone structure that may predispose them to breaking a bone, despite getting plenty of weight-bearing exercise, a new study finds. The results will be presented Sunday at The Endocrine Society's 93rd Annual Meeting in Boston.

6 Jun 2011

Ross River Fever vaccine trials begin

Australian researchers are working on a new vaccine that could protect against mosquito-borne Ross River Fever. They are conducting the world-first trial of the vaccine with positive results reported so far.

5 Jun 2011

AHRQ: States see improvements in health care quality, but disparities persist

States are seeing improvements in health care quality, but disparities for their minority and low- income residents persist, according to the 2010 State Snapshots, released today by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality.

3 Jun 2011

State roundup: Colo. Gov. Vetoes cost sharing bill for children's health plan

Gov. John Hickenlooper issued his first veto Tuesday, nixing a measure that would have required certain parents whose children are enrolled in a state health care plan to pay higher premiums.

2 Jun 2011

Experts to present latest information on paediatric infectious diseases at ESPID 2011

The Annual ESPID Meeting has become the world's largest meeting in the field of Paediatric Infectious Diseases (PID): it provides the latest information on the number one threat to global child health.

1 Jun 2011

Increase breast feeding rates by extending maternity leave: Study

According to new research published in the journal Pediatrics if the United States wants to significantly increase its breast-feeding rates, extending women's maternity leave would be a good place to start.

31 May 2011

CPS, AAP release joint statement on early childhood caries

Early childhood caries is a serious health problem in North American Indigenous communities that needs immediate attention, say the Canadian Paediatric Society and the American Academy of Pediatrics in a joint statement released today.

30 May 2011

Germany increases funding for GAVI Alliance to €30 million

Germany said on Wednesday it will contribute €30 million to the GAVI Alliance in 2012, up from €20 million in 2011, to support childhood immunisation in developing countries.

26 May 2011

NIH-funded analysis finds 19% of young adults with high blood pressure

Roughly 19 percent of young adults may have high blood pressure, according to an analysis of the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, which is supported by the National Institutes of Health.