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Texas Children's Hospital provides tips to ensure healthy and successful school year

It's August and for many families that means it's time to head back to school. From sleep schedules, nutrition, immunizations, heart health, heat illnesses and more, Texas Children's Hospital in Houston provides parents with tips to ensure their children have a safe, healthy and successful school year.

10 Aug 2010

ADA updates position paper on children’s healthy behaviors

The American Dietetic Association has published an updated position paper on local support for nutrition integrity in schools that calls on schools and communities to work together to provide healthful and affordable meals for all children and to promote educational environments that help students learn and practice healthy behaviors for their entire lives.

10 Aug 2010

Study on ethnic disparities in pediatric asthma in Latino and non-Latino children

A new study by researchers at the Bradley Hasbro Children's Research Center and the University of Puerto Rico may help explain some of the well-documented ethnic disparities in pediatric asthma.

10 Aug 2010

Researchers find disparities among children suffering from repeated ear infections

Research has documented that ethnic and socioeconomic disparities exist among patients with conditions such as heart disease and diabetes. Now, a new study by researchers from UCLA and Harvard University has found disparities among children suffering from repeated ear infections. The findings, published in the August edition of the journal Laryngoscope, show that frequent ear infections plague white children and children living below the poverty level more than children of other racial or ethnic backrounds or income levels.

10 Aug 2010

New familial link in juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia discovered

A UCSF-led team has discovered a direct link between an inherited genetic mutation, a set of developmental abnormalities and a rare form of childhood leukemia called juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia, or JMML. The study demonstrates a new familial link in JMML and has significant implications, the researchers say, for improving the diagnosis and treatment of the disease.

9 Aug 2010

Aquilion ONE 320-detector row CT system reduces radiation exposure

When pediatric patients are imaged using CT, reducing sedation and radiation dose while maintaining the best possible image quality is paramount in delivering care. To provide patients with high-quality CT exams and a reduction in sedation and radiation dose, leading children's hospitals are installing Toshiba America Medical Systems, Inc.'s Aquilion ONE 320-detector row CT system.

9 Aug 2010

Active outreach may enhance kids’ ability to get health insurance

A new review of existing research suggests that health system workers can boost the number of children with medical insurance by providing application materials to parents and helping them fill out the forms.

9 Aug 2010

Australian childcare costs to ramp up

From now on Australian childcare fees will rise to up to $33 per child per day. This is to ensure that childcare centres employ more and better qualified staff, a survey of 170 NSW centres has found.

8 Aug 2010

Antidepressants cannot be recommended in children with autism: Study

According to a thorough review published by Cochrane Researchers, commonly prescribed antidepressant drugs cannot be recommended for those suffering from autistic spectrum disorders based on current evidence. They say that there may be benefits of antidepressants in adults diagnosed with autism but similar benefits are not seen in children. These children may suffer extremely adverse effects if they consume selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs).

8 Aug 2010

IDFA applauds U.S Senate Committee for child nutrition legislation

The International Dairy Foods Association applauded the leadership of Chairman Blanche Lincoln (D-AR), U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry, on the passage of child nutrition legislation that strengthens federal feeding programs. The federal child nutrition programs include the National School Lunch Program, School Breakfast Program, Special Supplemental Program for Women Infants, and Children (WIC) and the Child and Adult Care Food Program.

7 Aug 2010

ADA commends U.S. Senate on reauthorization of child nutrition programs

The American Dietetic Association commends the U.S. Senate for its bipartisan action Thursday, August 5, to reauthorize the nation's crucial child nutrition programs. The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 covers programs reaching millions of children that were scheduled expire September 30.

7 Aug 2010

Multimedia programs increase vegetable intake in kindergarten children

Popeye cartoons, tasting parties and junior cooking classes can help increase vegetable intake in kindergarten children, according to new research published in the journal Nutrition & Dietetics. Researchers at Mahidol University in Bangkok found the type and amount of vegetables children ate improved after they took part in a program using multimedia and role models to promote healthy food.

7 Aug 2010

Clinical trials in Asia, Africa confirm safety, effectiveness of rotavirus vaccine

Two studies published online Thursday in the Lancet show that the rotavirus vaccine is safe and effective at preventing much of the gastrointestinal illness in developing countries, where rotavirus kills more than 400,000 children under age 5 annually, Reuters reports. Based on the findings in Asia and Africa, the studies' authors "urged the governments of developing nations to make the vaccines a priority," the news service writes.

7 Aug 2010

Vemma joins with Presbyterian Hospital to provide ultra-premium nutrition for underprivileged children

Vemma Nutrition Company announces a partnership with Presbyterian Hospital in Charlotte, North Carolina to provide ultra-premium nutrition to underprivileged children. Through Vemma's NEXT Helping Now Project, for each month's supply sold, the company donates a month's supply of its children's nutritional supplement, Vemma NEXT, to a child in need. Vemma will make ongoing donations to the Presbyterian Hospital Community Care Cruiser so children in need throughout Charlotte can receive proper nutrition.

7 Aug 2010

Boston Globe examines rise of polio in Tajikistan, other pockets of world

"Polio has reappeared in a corner of the world that had not seen cases in years - Tajikistan, the former Soviet republic - a chilling setback in the two-decade campaign to purge a dreaded cause of childhood paralysis from the planet," the Boston Globe reports in a story that examines the reemergence of polio in other areas of the world.

7 Aug 2010

Kids v Cancer applauds Senators for Creating Hope Act of 2010

Kids v Cancer applauds Senators Sam Brownback (R-KS), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), and Al Franken (D-MN) for their dedication to curing childhood diseases and supporting the bipartisan "Creating Hope Act of 2010."

7 Aug 2010

Text4baby messaging program wins HHSinnovates award

Text4baby, a program of the National Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition, has been honored with a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services HHSinnovates award, presented by HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius at a ceremony in Washington, DC. This week, Representatives from HMHB, Voxiva, Health Resources and Services Administration, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the HHS Office on Women's Health accepted the award on behalf of the text4baby team.

7 Aug 2010

Nemours applauds Senate for passing bi-partisan Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010

Nemours, an integrated children's health system, congratulates the United States Senate on passing the bi-partisan Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, prior to the September 30th expiration of the child nutrition legislation. We applaud Senators Lincoln and Chambliss for their leadership in advancing this historic legislation.

6 Aug 2010

Child Nutrition Initiative encourages Senate for Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act

The Child Nutrition Initiative commends Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-AR), Chairman of the U.S. Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee and ranking member Saxby Chambliss (R-GA) for their hard work and commitment to pass the bipartisan Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act (S. 3307) – a vital step in the effort to improve children's health and increase their access to nutritious school meals. We applaud the Senate for their strong bipartisan support and encourage the U.S. House to act quickly to pass similar legislation so critical improvements can be signed into law this year.

6 Aug 2010

Australia has highest rates of type 1 diabetes among children

Australia ranks the highest among 10 OECD countries when it comes to rate of type 1 diabetes among children, according to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW). The OECD or consists of 32 countries.

5 Aug 2010