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Prenatal exposure to pollution a culprit in obesity

According to new research a determining factor as to whether a child is fat or not may be decided before they have even been born.

8 Sep 2008

Cervical cancer vaccine Gardasil can cause an allergic reaction

According to Australian researchers, the cervical cancer vaccine Gardasil can cause an allergic reaction in some girls.

8 Sep 2008

New York State to audit state employees', retirees' dependents to ensure eligibility in health care plan

The New York state Department of Civil Service this fall is planning to launch an investigation to ensure that the 1.2 million state employees, dependents and retirees who receive health insurance under the New York State Health Insurance Program are eligible for their coverage, the Albany Times Union reports.

7 Sep 2008

Kentucky Governor, Lt. Governor promote initiative to simplify KCHIP application process

Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear (D) and Lt. Gov. Dan Mongiardo (D) this week are scheduled to make eight stops on a statewide tour to promote a plan designed to expand health coverage to more children under the Kentucky Children's Health Insurance Program by 2010, the Kentucky Enquirer reports.

7 Sep 2008

Community health workers in Cameroon receive training to diagnose, treat malaria

Approximately 120 community health workers in the Kumba district of Cameroon have been trained to identify, diagnose and treat malaria in an effort to eradicate the disease in the district, Kumba District Medical Officer Orok Bate said, the Post reports.

7 Sep 2008

Prenatal behavioral counseling can reduce some health risk factors among low-income black women

Pregnant black women who participate in a few sessions of behavioral counseling are more likely to reduce certain risky behaviors than those who participate in standard prenatal care, according to a study published in the September issue of the journal Obstetrics & Gynecology, Reuters Health reports.

7 Sep 2008

Migraine with aura may be linked to increased risk of stroke and heart attacks

Doctors need to pay special attention to people with migraine with aura as they could be at increased risk of stroke or heart attack, a London conference heard Friday 5 September.

7 Sep 2008

Public backs tougher tobacco control to protect the young

More than 8,000 people have written to the Department of Health calling for tougher tobacco control to protect young people and put tobacco out of sight and out of mind.

7 Sep 2008

Early weight gain linked to higher blood pressure in adulthood

The pace of weight gain in early childhood may be associated with increased blood pressure in adulthood, according to a report by researchers at Bristol University. The findings were published in October's edition of Hypertension: Journal of the American Heart Association.

7 Sep 2008

CMS adds children's health care information to Hospital Compare web site

CMS on Wednesday announced that it has updated its Hospital Compare Web site to include information on 30-day mortality rates for the pneumonia and inpatient asthma treatment for children, CQ HealthBeat reports.

5 Sep 2008

Wall Street Journal examines record of Republican Vice Presidential nominee Palin on health care, other issues

The Wall Street Journal on Thursday examined the record of Republican vice presidential nominee Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin on health care and other issues as mayor of Wasilla, Alaska, and as governor of the state.

5 Sep 2008

UNICEF grants $1.7 milion to Ghana for malaria efforts

Ghana will receive $1.7 million from UNICEF to increase the distribution of insecticide-treated nets among children younger than age five in the country's campaign against malaria, UNICEF Executive Director Ann Veneman said Wednesday at the Third High Level Forum on Aid Effectiveness in Accra, Ghana, GNA/My Joy Online reports.

5 Sep 2008

Low-birth-weight children should have their blood pressure checked

Blood pressure in low-birth-weight children younger than 3 years of age not only can be measured but should be, researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have found.

4 Sep 2008

African countries commit to new meningitis vaccine

Health ministers from countries of the African meningitis belt today committed themselves to introduce a highly promising candidate meningitis vaccine. The vaccine is designed to prevent periodic epidemics of the deadly disease in these countries.

4 Sep 2008

St. Lucia developing HIV/AIDS policy for education system

Stakeholders involved in St. Lucia's education system met last week to commence work on an HIV/AIDS policy for the sector, the Caribbean Media Corporation/Antigua Sun reports.

4 Sep 2008

New research settles measles vaccine/autism controversy

New research from the United States will hopefully settle once and for all the controversial debate about a link between the measles vaccine and autism.

4 Sep 2008

U.S. pledges $99 million to Tanzania for malaria, HIV/AIDS efforts, farm loans

Tanzania will receive $99 million in aid from the U.S. to enhance its efforts to address malaria and HIV/AIDS and provide loans to farmers, Tanzania's Minister for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation Bernard Membe said Tuesday, Reuters reports.

4 Sep 2008

U.S. residents increasingly adopting HIV-positive children from abroad

U.S. residents increasingly are adopting HIV-positive children from abroad, according to figures from the U.S.-based Adoption Advocates International, the AP/Google.com reports.

4 Sep 2008

Health care professionals seeing more children with fatty liver disease; condition prevalent among Hispanics

As many as 2% to 5% of children older than age five -- most of whom are obese -- are thought to have nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, and the condition seems to be most prevalent among Hispanic children, the AP/San Mateo Daily Journal reports.

4 Sep 2008

Women who give birth at California hospitals serving mostly minority, low-income patients less likely than others to breastfeed

Women who give birth at California hospitals serving mostly non-white, low-income women and children are less likely to breastfeed than women who give birth at other hospitals around the state, according to a report released from the University of California-Davis Human Lactation Center and the California WIC Association, the Riverside Press-Enterprise reports (Dean, Riverside Press-Enterprise, 9/2).

4 Sep 2008