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Family planning essential for meeting world population's needs

"I'd like to pose the question: what more must we do to ensure the health, nutritional, and educational needs of all seven billion are met?" Scott Radloff, director of USAID's Office of Population and Reproductive Health, writes about World Population Day on the agency's "IMPACTblog."

13 Jul 2011

Study: Family meals may help prevent eating disorders in teens

As children become teenagers, it may be more challenging to regularly include them in family meals, but doing so is key to heading off such problems as eating disorders, obesity, and inadequate nutrition in adolescence, said Barbara Fiese, a University of Illinois professor of human development and family studies and director of the U of I's Family Resiliency Center.

13 Jul 2011

Study: No evidence of increased risk of leukaemia near nuclear power plants

A large nationwide longitudinal study found no evidence of an increased risk of cancer in children born near nuclear power plants in Switzerland.

13 Jul 2011

UIC to begin STX209 clinical trial for treatment of autism spectrum disorders

An experimental drug to treat social withdrawal in children and young adults with autism is being studied in a clinical trial at the University of Illinois at Chicago's Institute for Juvenile Research.

13 Jul 2011

Severely obese children should be removed from parents, placed in care: Expert opinion

In a controversial new opinion piece in the Journal of the American Medical Association the authors suggest taking severely obese children out of their homes and placing them in foster care. Dr. David Ludwig, an obesity specialist at Harvard-affiliated Children’s Hospital Boston and Lindsey Murtagh, a lawyer and a researcher at Harvard’s School of Public Health, write that in some cases it may be justified to take an extremely obese child out of their parents’ custody.

13 Jul 2011

Tips for parents to prepare healthy summer snacks

The lazy days of summer can often result in a too-casual, graze-all-day approach to eating. Connie Evers, a registered dietitian, founder of NutritionForKids.com and author of "How to Teach Nutrition to Kids," has developed some simple tips for parents to help break bad on-the-go eating cycles as well as ideas for smart snacking options this summer.

12 Jul 2011

Two studies on childhood leukemia

A difficult-to-treat form of childhood leukemia relies on changes in the structure of DNA - so-called epigenetic changes - to wreak genomic havoc within white blood cells, according to one of two studies conducted by a research team at Children's Hospital Boston and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

12 Jul 2011

Groundbreaking study on treatment of separation anxiety disorder

A group of Swiss researchers headed by Prof. Sylvia Schneider has published a groundbreaking study on treatment of separation anxiety in the current issue of Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics.

12 Jul 2011

Maternal smoking during pregnancy causes serious birth defects

To dispel any uncertainty about the serious harm caused by smoking to babies and pregnant women, the first-ever comprehensive systematic review of all studies over the past 50 years has established clearly that maternal smoking causes a range of serious birth defects including heart defects, missing/deformed limbs, clubfoot, gastrointestinal disorders, and facial disorders.

12 Jul 2011

Researchers identify obesity-related paradoxes among Chinese youth

Teenaged boys from well-off Chinese families who say they are physically active and eat plenty of vegetables but few sweets are more likely to be overweight, according to a study led by researchers at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California.

12 Jul 2011

Secondhand smoke linked to ADHD, learning and behavioral disorders in kids

The latest study shows that secondhand (passive) smoke can contribute to Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and other learning disabilities in children. The study from the Harvard School of Public Health, shows kids exposed to smoking were 50 percent more likely to develop neurobiological diseases compared to kids not around smoke.

12 Jul 2011

A 16 pound baby born in Texas

A Texas baby was born with a birth weight of 16 pounds and one ounce. JaMichael Brown's weight was more than double the national average for a newborn and he measures 24 inches long, just a few inches shy of an average one-year-old. He is the biggest baby ever born at Good Shepherd Medical Center in Longview, located on the border between Texas and Louisiana. The hospital has been open since 1938 and last year delivered nearly 2,900 babies.

11 Jul 2011

Potential causes for drops in children's immunization rate

Childhood immunizations - long proven invaluable in preventing contagious diseases - have become increasingly controversial. Despite numerous studies supporting safety and efficacy, a growing number of parents refuse to vaccinate their children. A study conducted by second-year University of Vermont (UVM) medical students identified several potential causes for drops in Vermont children's immunization rate, which ranks as one of the lowest nationally.

11 Jul 2011

'Vanishing' girl population in India

India must urgently tackle its "vanishing" girl population as the nation awaits the birth of the world's seven billionth baby, says child rights organisation Plan International.

11 Jul 2011

LSUHSC to study mid, long-term health consequences of oil exposure

LSU Health Sciences Center New Orleans School of Public Health is launching the first study ever done of the mid- and long-term health consequences of exposure to oil.

11 Jul 2011

Study confirms maternal alcohol consumption increases risk of birth outcomes

Heavy alcohol consumption during pregnancy increases the risk of low birth weight, preterm birth and small size for gestational age, confirms a study by the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health.

11 Jul 2011

Three hours exercise each day necessary for babies and toddlers

According to latest British Government guidelines to be released this week, children under the age of five should exercise for at least three hours a day.

10 Jul 2011

Circumcision subjected to vote this November in San Francisco

The debate over whether routine circumcision of baby boys being either hygienic, safe or brutal and medically unnecessary continues in San Francisco. This November, residents will vote if the procedure shall be continued.

10 Jul 2011

Women exposed to domestic violence during childhood may experience PTSD as adults

Children who witness domestic violence are more likely to be in abusive intimate relationships and experience psychological problems such as post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in adulthood, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

8 Jul 2011

XLR paediatric-optimized MRI workflow to address unmet need in imaging

HTX announced today it provided $475,385 in financing to XLR lmaging Inc. through their Technology Acceleration Program. The company is developing a complete paediatric-optimized MRI workflow solution designed to directly address the unique challenges in paediatric imaging while developing high resolution images and reducing scan times.

8 Jul 2011