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Study confirms presence of bacteria linked with early childhood caries in infant saliva

New parents have one more reason to pay attention to the oral health of their toothless babies. A recent University of Illinois study confirms the presence of bacteria associated with early childhood caries (ECC) in infant saliva.

16 Aug 2011

AVI BioPharma, MDA to initiate exon-51 Phase 2 trial in Duchenne muscular dystrophy

More than a decade of targeted Muscular Dystrophy Association-funded research, made possible as a result of generous public support of the MDA Labor Day Telethon and thousands of grass-roots special events, has today culminated in MDA providing financial assistance for the start of the first Phase 2 placebo-controlled, multiple dose efficacy, safety, tolerability and pharmacokinetics clinical trial of an exon-51 skipping drug, eteplirsen, as a potential therapy for Duchenne muscular dystrophy.

16 Aug 2011

MRI scans show children of depressed mothers have enlarged amygdala

Researchers think that brains are sensitive to the quality of child care, according to a study that was directed by Dr. Sonia Lupien and her colleagues from the University of Montreal published today in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

16 Aug 2011

Toclizumab for juvenile rheumatoid arthritis

The arthritis drug Toclizumab could be a boon for hundreds of children suffering from severe arthritis. It has been re-launched in children after being already licensed for the treatment of adults. At least two thirds of children taking tocizilumab have been able to return to a normal life, after many were bedridden or forced into wheelchairs by the disease, the clinical studies reveal.

16 Aug 2011

The face may reveal facts from childhood: Study

Researchers at the University of Edinburgh claim that it is possible to learn about a person’s childhood by looking at the symmetry of their face.

15 Aug 2011

Increase in public awareness leads to lower obesity in children

Increasing public awareness of the childhood obesity epidemic may be contributing to evidence of overall reductions in body mass index (BMI), a measure of obesity in children, according to the results of a nationwide study presented in Childhood Obesity, a peer-reviewed journal published by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.

12 Aug 2011

Study finds decrease in inpatient hospitalizations for the elderly with psychiatric diagnosis

Short-stay inpatient hospitalizations for children and adolescents with a psychiatric diagnosis increased significantly over a 12-year period (1996 to 2007) and decreased for the elderly, according to a report in the early online edition in Archives of General Psychiatry by Joseph C. Blader, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Science at Stony Brook University School of Medicine.

12 Aug 2011

Feeling the budget squeeze, some states reduce kids' access to care

According to the National Association of Children's Hospitals and Related Institutions, a majority of state-level changes to Medicaid this year reduced benefits or reimbursement rates for children's services.

12 Aug 2011

Blood test early in pregnancy to detect baby’s gender

While carrying the child, a mother's blood has cell-free fetal DNA floating around in it, and it's possible to use this to test for the baby's sex. In a meta-analysis that covered more, the test was found to be 95% efficient in guessing the sex of the fetus — and it works from as early as seven weeks. As the fetus and the placenta develop, the amount of DNA present in the mother increases, boosting the accuracy of the test, which hits its peak at 20 weeks.

12 Aug 2011

TCHP receives Texas HHSC's managed care renewed contracts

Texas Children's Health Plan (TCHP) has been tentatively awarded managed care renewed contracts by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission.

12 Aug 2011

SIGMAR1 gene mutation associated with development of juvenile ALS

Researchers from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia have identified a mutation on the SIGMAR1 gene associated with the development of juvenile amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

12 Aug 2011

Study finds increase in amount of brown fat among lean children

Researchers at Joslin Diabetes Center and Children's Hospital Boston have shown that a type of "good" fat known as brown fat occurs in varying amounts in children - increasing until puberty and then declining -- and is most active in leaner children.

12 Aug 2011

BSC's campaign aims to combat Zombieitis in teens

The Better Sleep Council (BSC) cautions that teenagers around the world are exhibiting symptoms of Zombieitis, otherwise known as sleep deprivation, at unprecedented rates!

11 Aug 2011

Narcissism may help children navigate adolescence

We all know one, or think we do: the person whose self-regard seems out of proportion to his or her actual merits. Popular culture labels these folks "narcissists," almost always a derogatory term. But a new study suggests that some forms of narcissism are - at least in the short term - beneficial, helping children navigate the difficult transition to adulthood.

11 Aug 2011

Fertile Guatemala faces starvation as subsistence crops fail

Despite its status as "the world's fifth largest exporter of sugar, coffee and bananas," Guatemala "has the highest rate of child malnutrition in Latin America," with "half of all children under five" reportedly malnourished, Agence France-Presse reports.

11 Aug 2011

Study suggests link between gene variant and Proteus syndrome

Orthopaedic surgeons from Children's National Medical Center are part of a team of researchers that has identified the genetic mutation causing Proteus syndrome, a rare disorder in which tissue and bone grow massively out of proportion.

11 Aug 2011

Northern California's pregnant women have higher PBDE flame retardant exposures

A new study finds that pregnant women in Northern California have the highest PBDE flame retardant exposures reported to date among pregnant women worldwide.

11 Aug 2011

Child’s food preferences could be determined in womb: Study

According to the latest research from Monell Chemical Senses Center mothers can influence a baby's palate and food memories before it is born. The study finds that what a woman eats during her pregnancy shapes the baby's food preferences later in life.

10 Aug 2011

Pink or blue – now find out at 7 weeks of pregnancy

Now a simple blood test can determine a baby’s sex as early as seven weeks into pregnancy and is highly accurate if used correctly. Experts believe this will have a great impact on parents concerned about gender-linked diseases and those who are merely curious, as well as people considering the more ethically controversial step of selecting the sex of their children.

10 Aug 2011

YASOO Health launches grape flavored liquid iron supplement for children

YASOO Health Inc, Morrisville, NC has introduced IronUp, a Liquid Iron Supplement specifically formulated to supplement the levels of dietary iron for infants and children who do not receive adequate amounts in their diets.

10 Aug 2011