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$3.4M grant for study to distinguish bacterial infections from viral infections in infants with fevers

Octavio Ramilo, MD, chief of Infectious Diseases at Nationwide Children's Hospital, is one of three principal investigators who will share in a five-year, $3.4 million grant from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development. Dr. Ramilo and a team of more than 50 physicians across the United States are investigating the use of novel technologies for distinguishing between bacterial and viral infections in infants with fevers within emergency departments.

4 Oct 2010

CT scans guidelines improve overall care for injured children

Following simple guidelines to determine when to perform follow-up CT scans on children admitted to the hospital with head injuries can lower risks, get kids home sooner, improve patient and family satisfaction and lower costs.

4 Oct 2010

Inability to pay for pediatrician-recommended care is problem even in families with health insurance

One in eight parents reported that his or her child had not received pediatrician-recommended care - medication, laboratory testing and/or appointments with specialists - during the previous 12 months due to concerns over cost and payment, according to a study, presented Sunday, Oct. 3, at the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) National Conference and Exhibition in San Francisco.

4 Oct 2010

Food allergies may contribute to asthma attacks: Study

Food allergies are more common among people with asthma and may contribute to asthma attacks, according to one of the most comprehensive surveys of food allergies ever undertaken.

4 Oct 2010

Research on immune system paves way to combat mother-to-infant HIV transmission

Researchers at Oregon Health &Science University may have uncovered a new weapon for combating HIV as it is passed from mother to newborn child. The research, which was led by researchers at OHSU's Oregon National Primate Research Center, will be published in the October 3rd online edition of the journal Nature Medicine.

4 Oct 2010

Researchers find link between arterial stiffness and diastolic function

Physicians have identified a risk factor for heart disease in adulthood that can be present in children as young as 10. They're also calling for screening for this risk factor to help motivate children to exercise and lose weight.

4 Oct 2010

Siblings of children with autism have language delays: Study

Siblings of children with autism have more frequent language delays and other subtle characteristics of the disorder than previously understood. Girls also may be mildly affected more often than recognized in the past.

1 Oct 2010

Noven acquires global rights to Daytrana from Shire affiliates

Noven Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced that it has completed the acquisition of global rights to Daytrana® (methylphenidate transdermal system) from affiliates of Shire plc.

1 Oct 2010

Center for Excellence in Sickle Cell Disease established by Vanderbilt and Meharry

A Vanderbilt-Meharry Center for Excellence in Sickle Cell Disease has been established by Vanderbilt University Medical Center and Meharry Medical College. The Center will seek to bring high quality care to people with sickle cell disease (SCD) that is seamless and lifelong.

1 Oct 2010

NIH funds $1.5M for research into prediction of stroke risk in pediatric patients with sickle cell disease

A researcher from the biomedical engineering department operated by Georgia Tech and Emory University has received a $1.5 million NIH Director's New Innovator Award to support a project aimed at reducing the incidence of stroke in children with sickle cell disease. Manu Platt, an assistant professor in the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering, will use the National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding to develop models for identifying which children with the disease are at risk for stroke.

1 Oct 2010

Experts to discuss impact of health information technology on pediatric practice

David Blumenthal, MD, will discuss the impact of health information technology on pediatric practice during a "Pediatrics for the 21st Century" symposium at 1 p.m. PT Friday, Oct. 1, as part of the National Conference and Exhibition of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) in San Francisco.

1 Oct 2010

Arthritis Foundation applauds House for passing bipartisan arthritis legislation

The Arthritis Foundation applauds the U.S. House of Representatives for passing the Arthritis Prevention, Control and Cure Act (H.R. 1210/S.984), the first comprehensive, bipartisan arthritis legislation in more than 30 years.

1 Oct 2010

School vending machines can influence students' dietary choices

With over 23 million children and adolescents in the US overweight or obese, the risks for many chronic diseases continue to increase. An article in the October issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association examines the diets of American youth and finds some disturbing results.

1 Oct 2010

Obesity linked to overfeeding during infancy: Study

Two studies have found that babies who put on weight too fast in their first months are more likely to become fat as adults. The studies showed that at 5–8 years old, children who were given the enriched formula had more body fat than those who were given normal formula.

1 Oct 2010

Sleeping with baby raises SIDS risk

South Australian Coroner Mark Johns ruled against parents sleeping with their babies as he was conducting an inquest into the deaths of five babies in 2007 and 2008 who had slept with a parent or grandparent.

30 Sep 2010

Role of marriage in reducing poverty and improving child outcomes

A forthcoming issue of the Journal of Marriage and Family states that children today are less likely to be born into a "traditional" family structure, defined as two biological married parents. Growing numbers of children in the United States experience multiple family living arrangements during childhood. How these transitions affect the individual child's well-being needs to be fully addressed by researchers and policymakers alike.

30 Sep 2010

Walt Disney launches national initiative to raise healthy, happy kids

The Walt Disney Company today launched Disney Magic of Healthy Living - a national multimedia initiative designed to partner with parents in their quest to raise healthy, happy kids. The initiative, which includes public service announcements featuring First Lady Michelle Obama and young Disney stars, builds on the Company's commitment to a healthier generation of kids begun in 2006 with the announcement of landmark nutritional guidelines associating Disney brands and characters with a more nutritionally balanced range of foods.

30 Sep 2010

UN Secretary announces global strategy for women and children's health at MDG summit

At the UN Millennium Development Goals (MDG) summit in New York this week, world leaders gathered to review progress on the eight goals agreed in 2000 on alleviating world poverty and ill-health by 2015. As the summit came to a close, governments, businesses and aid organisations made commitments totaling $40bn to reach the goals, with particular emphasis on improving maternal and child health.

30 Sep 2010

Children with eczema at greater risk of developing asthma and food allergies

Children with eczema, a chronic skin condition that often begins in childhood, have a greater risk of developing asthma and food allergies. The number of children with eczema is rising, but the reasons for this are unclear. A new study soon to be published in The Journal of Pediatrics examines the relationship between pet ownership and eczema. Researchers found that dog ownership among children with dog allergies may reduce the risk of developing eczema by age 4 years; cat ownership, however, may increase the risk among children with cat allergies.

30 Sep 2010

First preventative approach to improve outcomes in traumatized children

After experiencing a potentially traumatic event - a car accident, a physical or sexual assault, a sports injury, witnessing violence - as many as 1 in 5 children will develop Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

30 Sep 2010