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Researchers discover physiological mechanisms underlying pediatric B-ALL

B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) is characterized by the accumulation of abnormal immature B-cell precursors in the bone marrow and is the most common pediatric cancer.

23 Apr 2020

Protecting children from undernutrition in flood-prone areas of India

Monsoon rainfall has become more unpredictable in India. Floods and droughts have become more common and pose multiple risks to human health and wellbeing, with children under five being particularly vulnerable.

15 Apr 2020

Spina bifida surgery before birth more effective at healing neurological structure

Surgery performed on a fetus in the womb to repair defects from spina bifida triggers the body's ability to restore normal brain structure, Mayo Clinic research discovered.

1 Apr 2020

What is the best week for the birth of twins?

A new study published in the journal JAMA Pediatrics indicates that the optimal time of birth for twins is at 37 completed weeks of pregnancy.

9 Mar 2020

Switching what heart cells consume could help them regenerate

Switching what the powerhouses of heart cells consume for energy could help the heart regenerate when cells die, a new study led by UT Southwestern researchers suggests.

23 Feb 2020

Study: About 8% of West Virginia newborns are exposed to alcohol few weeks before birth

About 8 percent of West Virginia newborns are exposed to alcohol two to four weeks before birth, according to a new study.

20 Feb 2020

Acid reflux drug may be a promising therapy to reduce preterm birth

Lansoprazole, an over-the-counter acid reflux drug that is often taken by pregnant women, may be a promising therapy to reduce preterm birth, according to a computational drug repurposing study that also tested several of the drugs in mice.

13 Feb 2020

Drug to improve fetal growth may increase blood pressure and blood sugar levels in offspring

Research suggests that a drug recently assessed as a potential treatment for fetal growth restriction may cause high blood pressure and raise blood sugar levels in offspring.

6 Feb 2020

Climate change inflicts catastrophic effects on children’s health

The grim effects that climate change will have on pediatric health outcomes was the focus of a "Viewpoint" article published in the Journal of Clinical Investigation by Susan E. Pacheco, MD, an expert at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston.

27 Jan 2020

Study: Benefits of fetal surgery to repair spina bifida continue through school age

The benefits of fetal surgery to repair spina bifida, a procedure pioneered at Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) in 1997, continue through school age, a National Institutes of Health (NIH) study reports today in the journal Pediatrics.

24 Jan 2020

BPA activates immune response in mice that persists for at least three generations

Some plastic food and beverage containers still contain bisphenol A, which can mimic the hormone estrogen. Although experts say that small amounts of BPA detected in foods are unlikely to cause problems, some people worry that constant low-level exposures could have health effects, especially for developing fetuses, infants and children.

16 Jan 2020

Prenatal exposure to flame retardants may increase risk of reading problems

A new study from researchers at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons suggests that prenatal exposure to flame retardants may increase the risk of reading problems.

12 Jan 2020

New ACMG Points to Consider document on use of fetal exome sequencing in prenatal care

A new Points to Consider document from the ACMG aims to assist referring physicians, laboratory geneticists, genetic counselors and other medical professionals in understanding the complexity and implications of exome sequencing in prenatal care.

8 Jan 2020

Prenatal phthalate exposure may contribute to deficits in motor function in girls

Scientists at the Columbia Center for Children's Environmental Health (CCCEH) have uncovered a link between prenatal exposure to phthalates--a ubiquitous group of plasticizers and odor-enhancing chemicals--and deficits in motor function in girls.

6 Jan 2020

Study helps explain why previous attempts to develop a staph vaccine have failed

Staph bacteria, the leading cause of potentially dangerous skin infections, are most feared for the drug-resistant strains that have become a serious threat to public health.

26 Dec 2019

Early-life disruption to lymphotoxin pathway in mice can compromise adult immunity to rotavirus

Researchers at the University of Toronto have discovered how a brief disruption to a molecular pathway in the guts of mice before they are born can compromise adult immunity to a common and often deadly intestinal virus.

22 Dec 2019

Mother's obesity in pregnancy linked to impaired motor skills and lower IQ in boys

A mother's obesity in pregnancy can affect her child's development years down the road, according to researchers who found impaired motor skills in preschoolers and lower IQ in middle childhood for boys whose mothers were severely overweight while expecting them.

22 Dec 2019

Birth season and heart disease risk – an association?

A new study published in the British Medical Journal December 2019 suggests a novel risk factor for heart disease – the season in which the individual is born. The large study carried out in the US shows that people born in either spring or summer had a significant, though slight, increase in the risk of fatal heart disease, when compared to the autumn-born. Why this should be so is unknown as of now.

19 Dec 2019

In the fight for money for the opioid crisis, will the youngest victims be left out?

Babies born to mothers who used opioids during pregnancy represent one of the most distressing legacies of an opioid epidemic that has claimed almost 400,000 lives and ravaged communities.

13 Dec 2019

Fetuses see more than previously believed

Scientists have shown that the retina has more light sensitivity and babies in the womb can see more than previously thought.

26 Nov 2019