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Study examines mercury exposure in pregnant women

A new study published by researchers at SUNY Downstate Medical Center's School of Public Health assesses mercury levels in pregnant women and examines dietary and environmental sources of exposure to mercury. The research, which focuses on an urban immigrant community, examined risk factors that may be associated with elevated mercury levels, measured through urine and cord blood samples.

18 Feb 2012

Standardization may improve Canada's ranking in international child health indexes

Canada's ranking in international child health indexes would dramatically improve if measurements were standardized, according to a new study by researchers from the University of British Columbia, Dalhousie University, McGill University, the University of Calgary, and the Public Health Agency of Canada, working with the Canadian Perinatal Surveillance System and funded by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR).

17 Feb 2012

Dance against diabetes

Heart disease is the leading cause of death among people with diabetes. In a unique upbeat program, professor and nurse practitioner Terri Lipman, PhD, CRNP, of the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, encourages children to ward off diabetes and hip-hop their way to good health.

17 Feb 2012

Glial cells inhibit growth of brainstem neurons

Researchers at Oregon Health & Science University have discovered that brain cells commonly thought to play a supporting role actually are critically important for the growth of brainstem neurons responsible for cardiorespiratory control. The discovery has profound implications for the prevention and treatment of SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome), the leading cause of death in children aged one month to one year.

17 Feb 2012

Home health industry fights minimum wage rule

USA Today reports about the effort by home health care companies fighting an administration proposal on pay. Meanwhile in Connecticut, officials are considering changes in pay rules.

17 Feb 2012

Shortage looming, drug maker agrees to release emergency supplies of kids' cancer drug

A shortage of a drug used to treat children's cancer seems to have been averted for a time as the Food and Drug Administration says it reached an agreement with the drug supplier to release emergency supplies. Elsewhere, rules sometimes force hospitals to throw away scarce drugs.

17 Feb 2012

Low choline intake increases risk of liver scarring in menopausal women with NAFLD

Menopausal women with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) who don't consume enough of the essential nutrient choline appear to be at higher risk for liver scarring, according to research led by scientists at Johns Hopkins Children's Center.

17 Feb 2012

U.N. meeting delegates urge international community to respond thoroughly, rapidly to drought-stricken Sahel

"Delegates at a meeting convened by the United Nations to draw up strategies to respond to the humanitarian crisis in West Africa's drought-prone Sahel region on Wednesday called for comprehensive and rapid assistance to the millions of people affected, especially children and women," the U.N. News Centre reports.

17 Feb 2012

Indian authorities vaccinate children crossing India-Pakistan border; Distrust of polio vaccines grows in Pakistan

After going a year without recording a polio case, Indian health officials have begun vaccinating young children who cross the border to or from Pakistan at the Munabao railway station in Rajasthan state, BBC News reports.

17 Feb 2012

Augmented toys may help children with autism

Making play sets more interactive and giving children with autism greater opportunities to control and add content of their own to the game could improve cooperative play with other children as well as giving them greater confidence in understanding how objects interact.

17 Feb 2012

Over 7.5M children reside with a single-parent with alcohol problems

A new report shows 7.5 million children under age 18 (10.5 percent of this population) lived with a parent who has experienced an alcohol use disorder in the past year. According to the report by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), 6.1 million of these children live with two parents—with either one or both parents experiencing an alcohol use disorder in the past year.

17 Feb 2012

Scientists track initial steps of type 1 diabetes mellitus

Scientists have taken a remarkably detailed look at the initial steps that occur in the body when type 1 diabetes mellitus first develops in a child or young adult.

17 Feb 2012

Study finds increase in prevalence of hidden arsenic in organic foods

As people seek healthier dietary regimens they often turn to things labeled "organic." Lurking in the background, however, is an ingredient that may be a hidden source of arsenic-an element known to be both toxic and potentially carcinogenic.

17 Feb 2012

Understanding the economic impact of the 'girl effect'

"The ability to choose if and when to have children is a huge piece of the puzzle to the 'Girl Effect,' but it is not the only piece. ... The 'Girl Effect' is an amalgamation of exactly these three components: security, health, and power."

16 Feb 2012

New parent-training program effective in reducing risk of obesity in preschool Latino children

A UCLA study has found that a new parent-training program is effective in reducing the risk of low-income, preschool-age Latino children being overweight.

16 Feb 2012

Children still exposed to same level of ads for junk foods

Despite new regulations restricting UK TV advertisements for food, children are still exposed to the same level of advertising for junk foods which are high in fat, salt and sugar, researchers have found.

16 Feb 2012

Children may consume more titanium dioxide than adults

Children may be receiving the highest exposure to nanoparticles of titanium dioxide in candy, which they eat in amounts much larger than adults, according to a new study. Published in ACS' journal, Environmental Science & Technology, it provides the first broadly based information on amounts of the nanomaterial - a source of concern with regard to its potential health and environmental effects - in a wide range of consumer goods.

16 Feb 2012

First study to evaluate motor impairments in children with ASD

Children with autism often have problems developing motor skills, such as running, throwing a ball or even learning how to write. But scientists have not known whether those difficulties run in families or are linked to autism. New research at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis points to autism as the culprit.

16 Feb 2012

Impact of child malnourishment similar to that of AIDS

"Globally, malnutrition is the most important cause of illness and death," Jeremy Laurance, health editor at the Independent, writes in this editorial. Laurance details the physical effects of malnutrition on a child and notes, "Malnutrition contributes to more than half of child deaths worldwide. ... It affects virtually every organ system," and "its impact on the immune system is similar to that of AIDS."

16 Feb 2012

One quarter of young children worldwide suffer effects of malnutrition, Save the Children survey shows

"Malnutrition is the root cause of the deaths of 2.6 million children each year, and the bodies and brains of 450 million more will fail to develop properly due to inadequate diet over the next 15 years unless immediate action is taken, according to a survey published Wednesday by" Save the Children, the Guardian reports.

16 Feb 2012