Child Health News

RSS

New analysis reveals high rates of CNS disorders in autistic children

Nearly two-thirds of the children with Autistic Spectrum Disorders recorded in the National Birth Defect Registry (NBDR) also suffer from structural birth defects, according the national nonprofit, Birth Defect Research for Children (BDRC).

20 Jan 2010

A novel approach for funding children's genetic disease research

Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy together with Trisomy 18 Foundation are among 100 charities that earned a $25,000 grant during Round 1 of the Chase Community Giving Challenge on Facebook.

19 Jan 2010

Open heart surgery without any blood transfusion on a 2-year-old with complex blue baby syndrome

A team of cardiac experts led by Dr. N S Devananda, Consultant Cardiac Surgeon, Wockhardt Hospitals, Bangalore (Now a Network Hospital of Fortis) has performed a major open heart surgery on a 2-year-old baby from Nigeria. Baby Brendan was suffering from congenital heart defect called - Tetralogy of Fallot or complex blue baby syndrome.

19 Jan 2010

Learning Lab of Brentwood conducts a series of monthly presentations on ADHD

Are you concerned that your child has ADHD? Maybe you're not sure exactly what the signs are. Perhaps you are against medicating your child. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, "ADHD is the most commonly diagnosed behavioral condition in children, affecting approximately 6% to 9% of the school-aged population.

19 Jan 2010

Complications associated with pediatric cochlear implants are not rare and can often be delayed

Some complications may occur in children receiving cochlear implants, and are highly correlated with trauma to the ear area and inner ear malformation, according to a report in the January issue of Archives of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

19 Jan 2010

Humanitarian group's response targets vulnerable women and children in Haiti

CARE warned Saturday that pregnant women, breastfeeding mothers and young children are at greatest risk in the wake of an earthquake that has devastated the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince and left nearly three million people in need of assistance.

19 Jan 2010

Voice abnormalities in cochlear implants will improve over time, says study

Children with cochlear implants in both ears appear to have difficulty controlling the loudness and pitch of their voices, but these measures improve over time, according to a report in the January issue of Archives of Otolaryngology-Head & Neck Surgery, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

19 Jan 2010

Adverse childhood experiences are associated with increased risk of lung cancer

Adverse events in childhood have been linked to an increase in the likelihood of developing lung cancer in later life. Researchers writing in the open access journal BMC Public Health describe how the link is partly explained by raised rates of cigarette smoking in victims of childhood trauma, but note that other factors may also be to blame.

19 Jan 2010

Foresters renews commitment as the international underwriter of Children’s Miracle Network’s Radiothon program

Foresters™, a life insurance provider that champions the well-being of families, has renewed its commitment as the international underwriter of Children’s Miracle Network’s Radiothon program. Foresters support of Children’s Miracle Network, a children’s charity that raises funds for more than 170 children’s hospitals, spans 20 years and three countries - the US, Canada and the UK.

19 Jan 2010

Link between dystrophin gene and age of cardiac disease onset in BMD patients identified

Investigators in The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital have identified a link between specific modifications of the dystrophin gene and the age of cardiac disease onset in patients with Becker muscular dystrophy (BMD). This information could help clinicians provide early cardiac intervention for BMD patients based on genetic testing results performed on a blood sample. These findings are a result of analysis of the largest number of BMD patients to date and are published in the December issue of the journal Circulation: Cardiovascular Genetics.

18 Jan 2010

Flexpoint to develop infant bed cover using patented Bend Sensor® design

Flexpoint Sensor Systems, Inc. announced that they are working on the development of an infant bed cover using their patented Bend Sensor® design. The mattress will be used to monitor infants in the prevention of sudden infant death syndrome (“SIDS”).

18 Jan 2010

Environmental health groups call for ban on BPA from all food applications

Environmental health advocates responded to today's announcement that Food and Drug Administration concurs with the National Toxicology Program's assessment that bisphenol A is a chemical of concern. FDA posted tips for parents to minimize children's exposure, and announced further research. BPA is a synthetic sex hormone linked to cancer, behavioral changes, reproductive harm, heart problems and other illnesses.

18 Jan 2010

Class action law suit filed on behalf of children with autism against ELARC

Today, attorneys with Public Counsel and Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher LLP filed a class action law suit and preliminary injunction on behalf of children with autism against the Eastern Los Angeles Regional Center (ELARC) for unlawfully terminating the most effective treatment for their condition.

18 Jan 2010

Common head injury not taken seriously

Despite growing public interest in concussions because of serious hockey injuries or skiing deaths, a researcher from McMaster University has found that we may not be taking the common head injury seriously enough.

18 Jan 2010

EMA PDCO grants specific waivers for Gamida Cell-Teva JV's StemEx study in paediatric patients

The Gamida Cell-Teva Joint Venture (JV) announced today that the Paediatric Committee (PDCO) of the EMA has granted product specific waivers for StemEx for all subsets of the paediatric population (birth to 17 years of age) in all conditions. The PDCO emphasized that the granting of the waivers should not prevent the JV from considering developing StemEx for children with conditions where there is a need. StemEx is being developed by a joint venture equally owned and operated by Gamida Cell and Teva Pharmaceuticals ( TEVA).

18 Jan 2010

Federal survey shows more than 6.7 million children in the United States have no health insurance

A recent federal survey of children's health shows more than 6.7 million children in the United States don't have health insurance, and nearly 1 in 4 insured children lack adequate insurance coverage.

18 Jan 2010

Longer breastfeeding can prevent postnatal HIV transmission

A new study from Zambia suggests that halting breastfeeding early causes more harm than good for children not infected with HIV who are born to HIV-positive mothers.

18 Jan 2010

FDA admits concern, but does not ban BPA: Consumers Union disappointed

Consumers Union, the nonprofit publisher of Consumer Reports, expressed disappointment with the U.S. Food & Drug Administration's (FDA) failure to ban the chemical bisphenol A (BPA), despite announcing today that there is cause for concern over its potential effect on children. Consumers Union believes that that there is enough scientific evidence to date to warrant a ban on BPA in food contact products now.

18 Jan 2010

AP, IRIN examine lawsuit challenging Plumpy'nut patent

The Associated Press examines the decision by two U.S. nonprofit groups seeking to increase production of the ready-to-use therapeutic food (RUTF), Plumpy'nut, to file a lawsuit against the French organizations that hold the product's U.S. patent.

18 Jan 2010

New tools to assess daily stress amongst schoolchildren

Researchers from the University of Malaga have created the 'Inventory of Daily Stressors', a method aimed at schoolchildren. According to experts, worrying about physical appearance, taking part in numerous extracurricular activities and being alone a lot are some of the factors that increase the risk of suffering from childhood stress.

14 Jan 2010