Children's Health News and Research

RSS

Councils in Britain suggest obese children should be taken into care

The suggestion that children in Britain who are seriously overweight may be taken into care is a shocking indication of the scale of the problem in the UK.

17 Aug 2008

Redesigned West Virginia Medicaid plan restricting benefits for more than 90% of child beneficiaries, report states

West Virginia's redesigned Medicaid program is restricting benefits for more than 90% of child beneficiaries because of insufficient efforts by the state to enroll children in an expanded plan, according to a report released Thursday, the Charleston Gazette reports.

13 Aug 2008

Convenience, cost driving more kids to retail clinics for care

Convenience and lower costs are driving even more parents to seek routine health care for their children - including vaccinations and physicals - at retail clinics in their communities.

11 Aug 2008

Advocates say expanding Utah's health care subsidy program could push children out of SCHIP

Utah advocates for children and low-income residents on Tuesday said that a federal waiver sought by the state that would allow more low-income families into the state's premium subsidy plan will, in effect, push out children now covered by SCHIP, the Salt Lake City Deseret News reports.

3 Aug 2008

New understanding of exaggerated mucous production and secretion in cystic fibrosis

A London, Canada scientist studying cystic fibrosis (CF) has successfully corrected the defect which causes the overproduction of intestinal mucous in mice.

29 Jul 2008

Lawmakers agree to ban use of phthalates in toys

Lawmakers charged with finalizing the Consumer Product Safety Commission Reform Act agreed yesterday to include a provision that will ban phthalates from children's toys and childcare articles. The legislative action validates the concerns of scientists and parents who have been urging a ban, and will bring federal regulation in line with several states and leading retailers that have already taken action to remove phthalates from toys.

29 Jul 2008

NYT examines record of cooperation on health care, other issues by McCain

The New York Times on Monday examined how presumptive Republican presidential nominee Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) since his failed 2000 presidential campaign has "mastered the art of political triangulation -- variously teaming up with ... the new Republican leaders, with Democrats against Republicans and with the president against the Democrats" on health care and other issues -- to "become perhaps the chamber's most influential member."

22 Jul 2008

Children's physical activity drops from age 9 to 15

The activity level of a large group of American children dropped sharply between age 9 and age 15, when most failed to reach the daily recommended activity level, according to the latest findings from a long-term study by the National Institutes of Health.

15 Jul 2008

Out-of-pocket health care costs for disabled children vary widely by state

The size of the financial burden on families with disabled children largely depends on which state they live in, according to a new study conducted by the schools of social work at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Washington University in St. Louis, Mo.

14 Jul 2008

Obesity ranks as top health concern for kids, poll finds

As children's waistlines continue to grow, so have concerns about childhood obesity. According to a report released today by the University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children's Hospital National Poll on Children's Health, childhood obesity is now the No. 1 health concern for kids in 2008, topping smoking and drug abuse. In 2007, childhood obesity ranked third among parents' top 10 overall health concerns for kids.

14 Jul 2008

Tough action needed to protect children from the allure of smoking

A new BMA report calls on the UK Governments to introduce a range of tough measures aimed at reducing young people's exposure to positive images of smoking.

7 Jul 2008

A spoonful of sugar helps manage pain in newborns undergoing painful medical procedures

While the fictional character Mary Poppins may have been trying to charm her young wards into the unpleasant task of cleaning their room by singing 'A Spoonful of Sugar', her message apparently rings true to life.

30 Jun 2008

Montana measure to expand SCHIP, Medicaid eligibility to be included on November ballot

Montana State Auditor John Morrison on Tuesday said an initiative to expand SCHIP and Medicaid coverage to as many as 30,000 additional uninsured children will be placed on the state's November ballot, the Missoulian reports.

24 Jun 2008

Colorado SCHIP classified 10% of beneficiaries incorrectly

Colorado auditors on Monday said that Children's Health Plan Plus, the state's version of SCHIP, incorrectly classified 10% of beneficiaries, the Denver Rocky Mountain News reports.

17 Jun 2008

Nuclear medicine imaging test could aid children suffering from reflux disease

A nuclear medicine imaging test was used to confirm that children with respiratory problems may be more likely to develop gastroesophageal reflux disease, according to researchers at Society of Nuclear Medicine's 55th Annual Meeting.

16 Jun 2008

Colorado SCHIP classified 10% of beneficiaries incorrectly, according to state auditors

Colorado auditors on Monday said that Children's Health Plan Plus, the state's version of SCHIP, incorrectly classified 10% of beneficiaries, the Denver Rocky Mountain News reports.

11 Jun 2008

Children in non-English-speaking households experience multiple health disparities

Children in U.S. households where English is not the primary language experience multiple disparities in health care, a UT Southwestern Medical Center researcher has found.

11 Jun 2008

Is your tween ready to stay home alone this summer?

Whether it be for two hours or an entire day, millions of tweens - children ages 11 to 13 - will be left home alone this summer, despite their parents' concerns that they may not have the knowledge and skills they need to stay safe at home.

10 Jun 2008

Calls for parents of vegan girl with severe rickets to face court

The parents of a young British girl brought up on a strict vegan diet could face court after the child was admitted to hospital with a degenerative bone condition.

9 Jun 2008

Many Gulf Coast residents affected by Hurricane Katrina continue to have mental health problems, study finds

More than half of Louisiana and Mississippi residents affected by Hurricane Katrina in August 2005 continue to experience significant mental health problems, according to a study released on Friday by the American Medical Association, the New Orleans Times-Picayune reports.

2 Jun 2008