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Villanova University establishes MacDonald Center for Obesity Prevention and Education

Obesity rates in the United States have reached epidemic proportions. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), two-thirds of adults are overweight or obese and 17 percent of children and teens (ages 2-19) are obese.

11 Oct 2011

Is American obesity rate on the decline? Survey reports encouraging

Latest findings showed that for the first time “normal” beat out “overweight.” The survey however found that 61.6% of Americans were in the categories of either “overweight” or “obese”. The survey found 35.8 percent of Americans to be overweight, compared with 36.0 percent a year ago, and 25.8 percent obese, down from 26.6 percent last year.

10 Oct 2011

AIM at Melanoma applauds bill banning children from using indoor tanning beds

AIM at Melanoma, the largest international foundation dedicated to melanoma research and patient advocacy, applauds Governor Jerry Brown's signing today of Senate Bill 746, which now bans children under 18 from using indoor tanning beds. Tanning beds have been linked to the rapid rise in melanoma rates among 15-39 year olds.

10 Oct 2011

Cannabis use leads to increased risk of depression in young people with specific genotype

Young people who are genetically vulnerable to depression should be extra careful about using cannabis: smoking cannabis leads to an increased risk of developing depressive symptoms.

10 Oct 2011

Sports head injuries among teens and youth on the rise

According to a latest CDC report, there was about a 60% increase in the estimated number of concussions and other traumatic brain injuries (TBI) seen among young athletes during the past decade.

9 Oct 2011

Junk food ads entice kids but parents can still make them eat healthy: Study

A new study showed that food advertisements influence what children want to eat but healthy messages from parents may help to temper the influence.

9 Oct 2011

Indonesia's infant mortality rate has declined, but health services must be improved, official says

UNICEF representative for Indonesia Angela Kearney said at a workshop on household to hospital continuum care on Thursday that although Indonesia's infant mortality rate showed a downward trend in the past few years, it is still high, Xinhua reports.

7 Oct 2011

AlertNet footage shows scenes of food shortages in North Korea, says appeals for aid go unanswered

"Footage of malnourished North Korean orphans and official warnings over failed harvests have given a rare glimpse at the scale of devastating food shortages in the country following a harsh winter and widespread flooding," the Guardian reports.

7 Oct 2011

PEPFAR ART cost model data presented to PEPFAR Scientific Advisory Board

"For every 1,000 patient-years of PEPFAR-supported HIV treatment provided, 228 fewer HIV patients die, 449 fewer children become orphans, 61 fewer sexual HIV transmissions occur and 26 fewer 'vertical' transmissions (e.g. mother-to-child) occur," John Blanford of the CDC told the PEPFAR Scientific Advisory Board in Washington, D.C., on September 14, according to a post in the Center for Global Health Policy's "Science Speaks" blog.

7 Oct 2011

Study explores link between ads, parental influence and food choices made by children

Directly advertising food items to children worries many parents and health care providers, and the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Psychological Association have expressed concern about the negative impact of advertising on children's healthy food choices.

7 Oct 2011

Calcium supplementation does not benefit pregnant women, except for hypertension

Most physicians instruct pregnant women to increase their calcium intake, but a new evidence review of potential benefits of calcium supplementation for mom and baby found none, except for the prevention of pregnancy-related hypertension.

7 Oct 2011

MD Anderson's pediatric surgeon receives Geneva and James Briscoe Physician Assistant Award

Holly Green, a pediatric surgery physician assistant in the Department of Surgical Oncology, division of pediatrics at The University of Texas MD Anderson Children's Cancer Hospital, is the recipient of the 2011 Geneva and James Briscoe Physician Assistant Award for Excellence.

7 Oct 2011

Scientists discover rare genetic alteration responsible for hypoglycaemia

Cambridge scientists have identified the cause of a rare, life-threatening form of hypoglycaemia. Their findings, which have the potential to lead to pharmaceutical treatments for the disorder, were published today, 07 October, in the journal Science.

7 Oct 2011

U.S. government pledges funding for maternal mortality programs in Zambia, GHI Executive Director says

"The U.S. government has said it is hopeful that Zambia will be able to reduce maternal and child mortality, and has pledged to contribute" millions in funding to programs to help further that goal, the Times of Zambia reports.

7 Oct 2011

Poor dental care leads to health problems, costs

Meanwhile, a survey finds that Americans are open to new options for dental care to help address the high costs and shortage issues.

7 Oct 2011

A healthy diet during pregnancy can reduce the risk of birth defects: Study

The researchers say that the birth defects like brain and spine problems, called neural tube defects, as well as cleft lip and cleft palate were less common in mothers who closely followed either a Mediterranean diet or the food guide pyramid.

6 Oct 2011

Vitamin D deficiency might be common in fair skinned people: Study

The British study suggests that pale people tend to be deficient in the “sunshine” vitamin and that without supplements they're unlikely to get their levels up without getting sunburned. That can put them at risk for bone loss, heart disease, and poorer survival from breast cancer, according to the study's authors.

5 Oct 2011

Overweight and blood pressure risk in kids: Study

According to a new study kids who are overweight are nearly three times more likely to have high blood pressure compared to their peers. The study, published in the journal Hypertension, followed 1,111 school-aged children in Indiana for an average of four years.

5 Oct 2011

Anesthesia in very small kids may raise risk of learning disabilities

According to the latest research very young children exposed to general anesthesia during surgical procedures may be at an increased risk for learning problems.

4 Oct 2011

Parents choosing alternative vaccine schedules for their kids: Survey

According to a new study some parents choose alternative schedules for vaccinating their children and yet others decide their own vaccine timelines.

4 Oct 2011

Child Health News

Villanova University establishes MacDonald Center for Obesity Prevention and Education

Is American obesity rate on the decline? Survey reports encouraging

AIM at Melanoma applauds bill banning children from using indoor tanning beds

Cannabis use leads to increased risk of depression in young people with specific genotype

Sports head injuries among teens and youth on the rise

Junk food ads entice kids but parents can still make them eat healthy: Study

Indonesia's infant mortality rate has declined, but health services must be improved, official says

AlertNet footage shows scenes of food shortages in North Korea, says appeals for aid go unanswered

PEPFAR ART cost model data presented to PEPFAR Scientific Advisory Board

Study explores link between ads, parental influence and food choices made by children

Calcium supplementation does not benefit pregnant women, except for hypertension

MD Anderson's pediatric surgeon receives Geneva and James Briscoe Physician Assistant Award

Scientists discover rare genetic alteration responsible for hypoglycaemia

U.S. government pledges funding for maternal mortality programs in Zambia, GHI Executive Director says

Poor dental care leads to health problems, costs

A healthy diet during pregnancy can reduce the risk of birth defects: Study

Vitamin D deficiency might be common in fair skinned people: Study

Overweight and blood pressure risk in kids: Study

Anesthesia in very small kids may raise risk of learning disabilities

Parents choosing alternative vaccine schedules for their kids: Survey

Real-time Raman monitoring for pharmaceutical hot melt extrusion

Synthetic Psychedelics: A Growing Public Health Concern

How the Vutara VXL simplifies single-molecule imaging

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