Child Health News

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Closer to babies in NICUs

When a baby requires care in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), it is a stressful time for the entire family. St. Jude Medical Center, part of the St. Joseph Health System, has made it a little easier. For parents with babies in the St. Jude NICU, no matter where they are, no matter if it is 2 a.m. or 2 p.m. — their infant is now as close as a computer or mobile device.

3 Aug 2011

Negative physiological changes may raise risk of type 2 diabetes

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 25 percent of Americans have inactive lifestyles and 75 percent do not meet the weekly exercise recommendations to maintain good health.

3 Aug 2011

UNICEF faces $50M shortfall to aid children in flood-affected areas of Pakistan

UNICEF last week said it "faces a shortfall of more than $50 million to meet the continuing critical needs" of children in Pakistan, one year after monsoon floods submerged nearly one-fifth of the country, the U.N. News Centre reports.

3 Aug 2011

Tiny controlled-release antibiotic pellet can treat glue ear infection in children

A revolutionary biodegradable pellet which slowly releases antibiotics into the middle ear could transform the lives of thousands of children who suffer from glue ear.

3 Aug 2011

Study links indoor air cleaner use with improved asthma symptoms in children

A Johns Hopkins Children's Center study of Baltimore City children who have asthma and live with smokers shows that indoor air cleaners can greatly reduce household air pollution and lower the rates of daytime asthma symptoms to those achieved with certain anti-inflammatory asthma drugs.

3 Aug 2011

OUP, PIDS partner to publish Journal of the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society

Oxford University Press (OUP) will partner with the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society (PIDS) to publish the Journal of the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society.

3 Aug 2011

Hospitals not doing enough to encourage breastfeeding among new mothers: CDC report

According to a report by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), hospitals are not doing enough to encourage breastfeeding among new mothers.

3 Aug 2011

Novel therapy reduces elevated blood levels of toxic protein in women with preeclampsia

A novel therapy that reduces elevated blood levels of a potentially toxic protein in women with preeclampsia, a dangerous complication of pregnancy, may someday address the therapeutic dilemma posed by the condition - balancing life-threatening risks to the mother with the dangers that early delivery poses to an immature fetus.

3 Aug 2011

Low-cost UC sensor can quickly detect heavy metals in humans

Work by University of Cincinnati researchers to create a sensor that provides fast feedback related to the presence and levels of heavy metals - specifically manganese - in humans is published in the August issue of the prestigious international journal, Biomedical Microdevices.

2 Aug 2011

Officials in Nigerian state say parents who refuse polio vaccination for children could be prosecuted

"Officials in Nigeria's northern Kano state say parents who refuse to have their children vaccinated against polio may be prosecuted," VOA News reports.

2 Aug 2011

Early life exposure to mold may increase risk of asthma in infants

Infants who live in "moldy" homes are three times more likely to develop asthma by age 7—an age that children can be accurately diagnosed with the condition.

2 Aug 2011

New insight into causes of pronoun confusion in autism

Autism is a mysterious developmental disease because it often leaves complex abilities intact while impairing seemingly elementary ones. For example, it is well documented that autistic children often have difficulty correctly using pronouns, sometimes referring to themselves as "you" instead of "I."

2 Aug 2011

Pregnancy and electromagnetic fields linked to asthma in kids

According to American researchers, children whose mothers had high exposure to electromagnetic fields while pregnant may have an increased risk of developing asthma. Many prior studies have failed to consistently show that chronic exposure to electromagnetic fields - from power lines and appliances such as microwaves ovens, hair dryers and vacuum cleaners - are harmful to human health.

1 Aug 2011

DHA during pregnancy prevents colds in babies: Study

A new study suggests that pregnant mothers who take DHA supplements with the intent of boosting their babies' brains are also giving them some added protection against common colds.

1 Aug 2011

Meningococcal case at Townsville child care center

Meningococcal disease - a serious infectious disease affecting the brain and related organs - has been detected at a child care centre in Townsville, Queensland, where a medical student died of the illness last week. Queensland Health has confirmed a child at the centre has been admitted to hospital with meningococcal disease.

1 Aug 2011

Majority of infants consume more salt than recommended

Seventy per cent of eight-month-old babies have a salt (sodium chloride) intake higher than the recommended UK maximum level, due to being fed salty and processed foods like yeast extract, gravy, baked beans and tinned spaghetti.

1 Aug 2011

Weight-loss programs a waste of time: Expert opinion

According to obesity expert and University of Melbourne professor of medicine Joseph Proietto the high failure rate of weight-loss programs could be explained by growing evidence that an obese person’s body is programmed to regain any weight that is lost. He said that authorities are wasting money on campaigns urging people to exercise and eat healthy food since obesity is “''physiologically defended”.

31 Jul 2011

Tiny Prints partners with March of Dimes

Expecting a baby often means a lot of personalized stationery -- shower invitations, birth announcements, and thank you notes to name a few. Now, new and expectant moms can spread the word about their bundles of joy while helping a worthy cause that gives other babies a healthy start in life.

30 Jul 2011

Clinton praises innovators for their work to help mothers and children

Speaking at the Saving Lives at Birth Development Exchange at the State Department on Thursday, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton "praised innovators from around the globe for their work to protect the health and lives of mothers and children at birth, particularly in rural areas of the developing world," IPP Digital reports.

30 Jul 2011

Therapeutic hypothermia might not be effective for children after heart attack

Intravenous delivery of cold fluids to reduce body temperature quickly after a heart attack and improve neurologic outcomes may not be as effective in children as it is in adults, according to a study reported in Therapeutic Hypothermia and Temperature Management, a peer-reviewed journal published by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.

30 Jul 2011