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Window fall-related injuries more prevalent among U.S. children

Windows are a part of everyday life for children in the United States. While many parents know that windows can be a hazard for their child, they may not be aware just how often things can take a turn for the worse.

23 Aug 2011

Food aid aystem 'needs an overhaul'

The cost of addressing the effects of drought and famine in the Horn of Africa "has soared to $2.5 billion, just to keep malnourished children alive, and the number of people requiring humanitarian aid has doubled" since "November last year, when it would have cost $500 million to prevent the situation from deteriorating," Jo Khinmaung, a food security policy adviser for Tearfund, writes in the Guardian's "Poverty Matters Blog."

23 Aug 2011

Nationwide Children's Hospital marks major milestone toward opening of new campus

Today, Nationwide Children's Hospital marked a major milestone toward the opening of its expanded downtown campus by unveiling concepts for new hospital interiors, outdoor green space as well as a refreshed identity and logo.

23 Aug 2011

Scientists identify brain-circuit defect that triggers absence seizures

Researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine have identified a brain-circuit defect that triggers absence seizures, the most common form of childhood epilepsy.

23 Aug 2011

Children with asthma more likely to have been exposed to tobacco smoking before birth

Children with severe asthma are 3.6 times more likely to have been exposed to tobacco smoking before birth - even without later exposure - than children with a mild form of the disease, according to a multicenter study led by researchers at University of California, San Francisco.

23 Aug 2011

Children at risk of injury under overstuffed backpacks

Millions of children returning to school this fall will struggle under the weight of an overstuffed backpack, putting themselves at risk of injury, according to Dr. Joshua Hyman, director of orthopedic surgery at NewYork-Presbyterian/Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital.

22 Aug 2011

“Maggie Goes on a Diet” raises storm of protests among experts

A picture book for children in which a pudgy 14-year-old girl gets thin enough eventually to become her school's soccer star has come under attack. The book – “Maggie Goes on a Diet” won't be released until October, but Barnes & Noble and Amazon.com are among booksellers taking advance orders for the 44-page hardcover.

22 Aug 2011

Coronary stent implantation safe, feasible for infants or toddlers with ACS

Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) is not a generally accepted option for infants or toddlers with acute coronary syndrome. However, a new report published in the August issue of Catheterization and Cardiovascular Interventions, a journal of The Society for Cardiovascular Angiography and Interventions (SCAI), found coronary stent implantation to be a feasible and safe palliative option for children fifteen months and younger.

22 Aug 2011

Pulse oximetry can identify newborns with congenital heart disease

About 1 in every 120 babies are born with congenital heart disease (CHD), of which about 25 percent is critical, requiring special care early in life. CHD is responsible for more deaths in the first year of life than any other birth defect, but often outcomes can be improved with early detection.

22 Aug 2011

Disadvantaged, unhealthy mothers more likely to have sickly children

Disadvantaged, unhealthy mothers are much more likely to have sickly children than are disadvantaged moms who are relatively healthy—and this is not only due to genetics, suggests new research to be presented at the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Sociological Association.

22 Aug 2011

Violence and displacement in Yemen exacerbate child malnutrition

UNICEF has warned that "continuing fighting in various parts of Yemen, which has recently displaced thousands of people especially in Abyan Governorate and the Arhab District of Sana'a, could compromise the nutritional status of those affected … potentially increaseing morbidity and mortality rates, especially among children under five," IRIN reports.

20 Aug 2011

NHLBI selects U-M Congenital Heart Center for clinical research

The University of Michigan Congenital Heart Center has been selected as a new Pediatric Heart Network core site for clinical research. Created and funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, part of the National Institutes of Health, the Pediatric Heart Network is a cooperative network of pediatric cardiovascular clinical research centers that conducts studies in children with congenital or acquired heart disease.

20 Aug 2011

St. Joseph's Women's Hospital inaugurates new 64-suite neonatal intensive care unit

Most expectant mothers enjoy optimistic dreams of delivering a healthy baby and soon leaving the hospital with their new bundle of joy.

20 Aug 2011

White House holds call to discuss famine in the Horn of Africa

A post in the Center for Global Health Policy's "Science Speaks" blog highlights a White House call "with faith-based organizations Wednesday afternoon to discuss efforts in the Horn of Africa to combat the extensive famine brought on by a severe drought in the region, the worst seen in decades."

20 Aug 2011

Waist circumference does not effectively predict children with increased risk of diabetes

Waist circumference, a measure of belly fat, is not a better predictor than body mass index for identifying children with an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes, according to a study by University of Michigan researchers.

20 Aug 2011

Outbreak of hand, foot and mouth disease kills 81 children in Vietnam

"Vietnam's prime minister has put the country on alert as an outbreak of hand, foot and mouth disease continues to surge, killing 81 children and sickening more than 32,000 people nationwide so far this year, officials said Friday," the Associated Press reports.

20 Aug 2011

PBS NewsHour examines polio eradication efforts in India's Uttar Pradesh and Bihar states

PBS NewsHour reports on polio eradication efforts underway in India's Uttar Pradesh and Bihar states, which "have been the source of all the polio viruses that have crippled children in India, … one of four countries in the world where polio is still endemic, though it appears it may be on the cusp of finally halting transmission," according to the news service.

20 Aug 2011

New research articles focus on sport, physical activity participation across the lifespan

In an age of spiraling inactivity levels and escalating obesity rates across the planet, a new collection of research articles focused on participation in sport and physical activity across the lifespan has just been released.

20 Aug 2011

Report: Major gains in effort to enroll children in public health care programs

The report issued by the Department of Health and Human Services found that the number of children eligible but not enrolled in Medicaid and the Children's Health Insurance Program fell. Meanwhile, HHS also awarded $40 million in grants for more outreach.

20 Aug 2011

Canuck Place receives TD donation to build new children's hospice in Abbotsford

Thanks to a generous donation from TD Bank Group, the construction of the second Canuck Place Children's Hospice in Abbotsford, B.C. will include the creation of a space to relax, connect and unwind for some of its most important people: volunteers.

20 Aug 2011