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Study linking autism and vaccines is retracted by medical journal

The Lancet has formally retracted a controversial paper published 12 years ago that purported the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine causes autism.

3 Feb 2010

Decreased levels in brainstem of serotonin associated with increased risk for SIDS

Preliminary research indicates that decreased levels in the brainstem of serotonin (5-hydroxytryptamine [5-HT]; a neurotransmitter involved in several brain functions) and tryptophan hydroxylase (TPH2; an enzyme involved in the synthesis of serotonin) are associated with an increased risk for sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), according to a study in the February 3 issue of JAMA.

3 Feb 2010

NCA awards over $10M for development and implementation of multi-disciplinary approach to child abuse

On January 13th, 2010, National Children's Alliance (NCA), under agreement with the United States Department of Justice Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), announced grant awards over $10 million distributed among 539 Child Advocacy Centers and Multi-Disciplinary Teams across the country.

3 Feb 2010

PATH to pay FDA $480,000 to speed creation of pneumococcal vaccine for developing world

The FDA on Monday said it's entering into a collaboration with the nonprofit group PATH "to speed creation of a pneumococcal vaccine for children in developing nations," United Press International reports (2/1).

3 Feb 2010

Kool Smiles takes initiative to support children's oral care in Massachusetts

Kool Smiles is offering free toothbrushes and educational support to day care centers affected by the recent state mandate that will require day care providers to help children brush their teeth after a meal.

2 Feb 2010

Minimally invasive living donor liver retrieval for pediatric transplant

NewYork-Presbyterian Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital is the only medical center in the United States to offer minimally invasive liver donation for pediatric transplantation. Surgeons use a laparoscopic technique to remove a section of liver from a living donor for implantation in a pediatric patient -- typically a parent donating to their child. The innovative approach promises dramatically improved recovery for the donor.

2 Feb 2010

New approach may help in fighting Cerebral Palsy

On average, a child is diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy every hour of every day in the United States. It's a disease that can affect everything from a child's vision to their ability to walk. Therapy for these kids is tough and frustrating as this is a chronic health condition.

2 Feb 2010

Study compares common treatment options for infants born with clubfoot

Clubfoot affects one in a thousand babies born in the United States, but with proper corrective treatment and follow-up, infants born with clubfoot can have feet compatible with an active, normal lifestyle. A new study in the February 2010 issue of the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery (JBJS) compared two common treatment options for clubfoot - Ponseti method and surgical treatment.

2 Feb 2010

MEND Program: Effective treatment for pediatric obesity

Ground-breaking results from a study to evaluate the effectiveness of the MEND Program (Mind, Exercise, Nutrition, Do it!), a multi-component community-based childhood obesity intervention (www.mendcentral.org), are published today in the US journal Obesity (www.nature.com/oby/journal/v18/n1s/abs/oby2009433a.html). The results coincide with the launch of Michelle Obama's initiative to reduce childhood obesity announced in the State of the Union speech.

2 Feb 2010

Self-directed learning program may benefit parents with autistic children

Through the use of instructional DVDs, parents of children with autism can learn how to teach their child to communicate and improve their behavior, according to research published in the January 2010 issue of The Journal of Positive Behavior Interventions (published by the Hammill Institute on Disabilities and SAGE).

2 Feb 2010

Gene mutation can trigger preterm births, says study

Mutation of a gene that helps protect the body from genetic instability leads to cellular and molecular changes in the pregnant uterus that trigger premature birth, according to a study appearing online Feb. 1 in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.

2 Feb 2010

PET for children: CHOP-Penn researchers study reduction in radiation dosage

Studies have shown positron emission tomography's (PET) value as a minimally invasive, painless and safe diagnostic tool for many pediatric conditions. In a study published in the February issue of The Journal of Nuclear Medicine (JNM), researchers at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) and the University of Pennsylvania (Penn) gathered data that may provide clinicians with new formulas-specific to pediatrics-to calculate the amount of radiotracer that should be injected based on the patient's weight.

2 Feb 2010

Finger and thumb injuries account for majority of pediatric traumatic amputations

According to a new study conducted by researchers at the Center for Injury Research and Policy of The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, there were more than 950 cases of traumatic amputations among children aged 17 years and younger in the United States in 2003. Of these cases, finger and thumb amputations accounted for the majority of the injuries (64 percent).

2 Feb 2010

MCADD screening is expensive but offers immense health benefits

Newborn screening for a metabolic disorder could lead to false positives -- adding stress to parents, costing money and possibly subjecting a baby to unnecessary follow-up treatment and dietary restrictions.

2 Feb 2010

Shire announces the Canadian availability of VYVANSE prodrug therapy for ADHD treatment

Canadian families managing Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) have a new treatment option. Today, Shire plc, the global specialty biopharmaceutical company, announced the Canadian availability of VYVANSE (lisdexamfetamine dimesylate capsule), the first and only prodrug therapy approved for ADHD treatment in Canada.

2 Feb 2010

Survey: Medicaid beats private insurance when it comes to prevention

Sen. Lamar Alexander - as well as other conservative lawmakers - characterized Medicaid as a "medical ghetto" during Senate floor speeches on the health overhaul debate last year, American Medical News reports. But, the 2007 National Survey of Children's Health contradicts that common perception. "Based on nearly 92,000 interviews, it found that in 36 states, children in Medicaid and CHIP were as likely or more likely than privately insured kids to have had at least one preventive health care visit over a 12-month period."

1 Feb 2010

U-M study finds increased body fat in boys is associated with later onset of puberty

Increasing rates of obese and overweight children in the United States may be contributing to a later onset of puberty in boys, say researchers at the University of Michigan Health System.

1 Feb 2010

Children of Spanish-speaking Hispanic mothers spend less time in front of TV

Young children of Hispanic mothers whose dominant language is Spanish spend less time in front of the TV than children whose mothers speak mostly English, according to research led by investigators at Johns Hopkins Children's Center and published in the February issue of Archives of Pediatric & Adolescent Medicine.

1 Feb 2010

Denim blue jeans ribbon campaign: an initiative to raise awareness about children with rare diseases

Hope – It's In Our Genes.™ The Children's Rare Disease Network (http://www.crdnetwork.org) today announced the Global Genes Project (http://www.globalgenesproject.org), an initiative designed to raise awareness about the prevalence of rare diseases that afflict millions of children worldwide. Rare disease advocates organizing the campaign selected a blue jeans denim ribbon as the international symbol of hope for children suffering from life threatening and chronically debilitating rare diseases.

1 Feb 2010

Cochlear implantation enables quality of life equal to normal hearing peers

Children who have cochlear implants (CI) rank their quality of life (QOL) equal to their normally hearing (NH) peers, indicates new research in the February 2010 issue of Otolaryngology - Head and Neck Surgery.

1 Feb 2010