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FSU, First Signs and Autism Speaks introduce new treatment section of Video Glossary

Autism Speaks, the world's largest autism science and advocacy organization, together with First Signs, a leader in educating parents and professionals about the early signs of autism and related disorders, and Florida State University's Autism Institute today announced the launch of a new treatment section of its acclaimed online Autism Video Glossary, giving parents an important new tool as they work to determine the best treatment options for their child.

6 Jan 2012

Combination of cancer drugs shows promise against Pompe disease

Kids with Pompe disease fail because of a missing enzyme, GAA, that leads to dangerous sugar build-up, which affects muscles and movement. An enzyme replacement treatment pioneered at Duke University has saved many lives, but some children with Pompe disease produce an immune reaction that blocks the benefits of the life-saving enzyme treatment.

6 Jan 2012

UPV/EHU lecturer looks at how the act of dying is handled in children's picture books

How do you tell a little girl that her grandfather, her mother, her friend- has died, and that he or she has gone for ever? Txabi Arnal, a lecturer at the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), has analysed literary picture books that deal with death to see how they address this question.

5 Jan 2012

Childcare centers aren't spending enough time playing outdoors: Report

According to a new study children in daycare may spend more time sitting around and not enough time being active. Pediatric experts recommend preschoolers get 90 - 120 minutes of activity daily such as running and playing games like tag, and that children be taken outdoors twice a day.

5 Jan 2012

2012 ‘Best Diets’ rankings

Those aspiring to lose weight and eat healthy this New Year may benefit from the U.S. News & World Report's 2012 Best Diets rankings. Each year, U.S. News accumulates data from scientific journals, government reports, and solicits input from 22 experts in food science and nutrition, to come up for its rankings.

5 Jan 2012

Child malnutrition rates 'alarming' in Somali refugee camps, AFP reports

"Aid workers say malnutrition rates among children under five at the Dolo Ado camp [in Ethiopia] are alarming," with "[o]ver 50 percent of children in Dolo Ado's Hilaweyn camp and nearly half of all children in Kobe camp … suffering from malnutrition, according to a preliminary health survey from the United Nations refugee agency," Agence France-Presse reports.

5 Jan 2012

UNICEF to ramp up global vaccination program

"UNICEF is preparing ambitious plans to update, strengthen and vastly expand its global vaccination program," and "is gearing up to triple its capacity over the next five years," according to a UNICEF news story.

5 Jan 2012

Study refutes perinatal programming theory about adipose tissue growth

Is obesity in infants "programmed" in the womb? Previously, researchers assumed that consumption of "bad" fats during pregnancy contribute to excessive infant adipose tissue growth and that "good" omega-3 fatty acids prevent expansive adipose tissue development. A study run by the Technische Universit-t M-nchen showed no evidence to support this "perinatal programming" theory.

5 Jan 2012

Survey to help assess pediatric emergency readiness of hospital EDs

Marianne Gausche-Hill, M.D., and Kate Remick, M.D. - lead investigators at the Los Angeles Biomedical Research Institute at Harbor-UCLA Medical Center (LA BioMed) - are spearheading a statewide, web-based survey scheduled to roll out Jan. 6, 2012 that will help assess the pediatric emergency readiness of hospital emergency departments.

5 Jan 2012

Re-introduction of rotavirus vaccine does not increase intussusception rates in the U.S.

The rotovirus vaccine was pulled from the marketplace in 1999 after being associated with painful gastrointestinal complications, however, the updated rotavirus vaccines do not appear to increase the occurrence of these potentially fatal side effects, according to a new study by child health experts at C.S. Mott Children's Hospital.

5 Jan 2012

BBC examines eastern DRC's battle with malaria

A BBC News article and related video examine the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo's battle with malaria. "'Malaria is the main killer here in Congo, especially for pregnant women and children,' says Dr. Vincker Lushombo, from Save the Children," BBC writes.

5 Jan 2012

BMI method can determine expected body weight for adolescents with eating disorders

An exact determination of expected body weight for adolescents based on age, height and gender is critical for diagnosis and management of eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia. However, there are no clear guidelines regarding the appropriate method for calculating this weight in children with such disorders.

5 Jan 2012

Ethiopia's PMTCT plan needs men to participate in order to reach goal, experts say

"Ethiopia's new plan to eliminate mother-to-child HIV transmission by 2015 cannot be attained unless men are more meaningfully involved in reproductive health, experts say," PlusNews reports.

5 Jan 2012

Medtronic introduces mySentry Remote Glucose Monitor in the U.S.

Today, Medtronic, Inc. announced U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval and U.S. market launch of the first-of-its-kind mySentry Remote Glucose Monitor, which allows a parent or caregiver to monitor from another room a patient's MiniMed Paradigm REAL-Time Revel System.

From Medtronic 4 Jan 2012

Exercise leads to better school performance: Review

A review of earlier studies has shown that academic excellence in children could be linked to how physically active they are. Writing in Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, researchers said they found strong evidence of a link between exercise and academic performance. The review looked at 14 studies involving more than 12,000 children.

4 Jan 2012

Extra calories from proteins may lead to weight gain but more muscle than fat: Study

A new study shows that people who eat extra calories will gain the same amount of fat regardless of how much of their daily diet comes from protein. The study is one of the most extensive where researchers look at differences among food types on weight gain.

4 Jan 2012

Chronic missed naps could put toddlers at risk for mood-related problems

A new study led by the University of Colorado Boulder could be a wake-up call for parents of toddlers: Daytime naps for your kids may be more important than you think.

4 Jan 2012

Children with biliary atresia better tolerate maternal liver grafts

Children with a rare, life-threatening disease that is the most common cause of neonatal liver failure - biliary atresia - better tolerate liver transplants from their mothers than from their fathers, according to a UCSF-led study.

4 Jan 2012

Effective treatment for CI can reduce school-related behavioral problems in children

For children with convergence insufficiency (CI)—who have difficulty focusing on objects close up—effective treatments can help to reduce problems at school, reports a study in the January issue of Optometry and Vision Science, official journal of the American Academy of Optometry.

4 Jan 2012

Adolescent children of lesbian mothers report good quality of life

Adolescent children of lesbian mothers report as good quality of life as those with heterosexual parents, reports a study in the January Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics, the official journal of the Society for Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics.

4 Jan 2012