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Mehamphetamine use during pregnancy causes abnormal brain development in children

A first of its kind study examining the effects of methamphetamine use during pregnancy has found the drug appears to cause abnormal brain development in children.

15 Apr 2009

Valproate exposure during pregnancy can impair a child's cognitive development

Three-year-olds whose mothers took the antiepileptic drug valproate during pregnancy had average IQs six to nine points lower than children exposed to three other antiepileptic drugs, a landmark multi-center study has found.

15 Apr 2009

No evidence to support practice of extracting baby canine teeth

The practice of extracting baby canine teeth to make way for adult canines that are erupting in the wrong place has no evidential basis, according to a new study by Cochrane Researchers.

14 Apr 2009

Screening to help prevent stroke in kids increases, but limited access a problem

The number of children with a certain blood disorder undergoing an ultrasound to help prevent stroke is up significantly in the past 10 years since the publication of a major study showing its benefits.

13 Apr 2009

Baby's first dreams

After about seven months growing in the womb, a human fetus spends most of its time asleep.

13 Apr 2009

Vitamin E during pregnancy puts babies at risk of heart defects

New research by scientists in the Netherlands has found that vitamin E supplements taken during pregnancy can increase the risk of heart defects in babies.

13 Apr 2009

Sharp increase in hospital admissions for children's dental care

Researchers from Peninsula Dental School and the UCL Eastman Dental Institute have used data from the Hospital Episodes Statistics resource to identify a marked increase in the number of hospital admissions for children with caries and other dental conditions, between 1997 and 2006.

12 Apr 2009

Tips to maintain a safe environment for children in home with pets

Pets are a great addition to the family. However, having an animal in the house can lead to injuries and even hospitalizations. Parents especially need to be wary of children's interactions with pets. Thousands of children go to emergency departments (EDs) each year for dog bites and pet-related injuries.

12 Apr 2009

Children can add problems and stress to a marriage

What married couples have suspected for years is now proven by researchers at the University of Denver (DU) and Texas A&M - children can add problems and stress to a marriage.

9 Apr 2009

Youth as young as 12 engaging in risky sexual activity

Middle school youth are engaging in sexual intercourse as early as age 12, according to a study by researchers at The University of Texas School of Public Health.

9 Apr 2009

Teasing can be a positive experience for children

Teasing can be a positive experience for children as it teaches them how to show affection and deal with conflict.

8 Apr 2009

Review of underage drinking laws in U.S.

Although US laws pertaining to a minimum legal drinking age (MLDA) changed many times during the 1970s and 80s, currently all states require a minimum legal age of 21 for both the purchase and public possession of alcohol.

8 Apr 2009

Two major obesity studies involve kids, teens and their families

Obesity has become the most common chronic health condition of childhood. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 1 out of 3 children in the United States, ages 2 to 19, is overweight or at risk of becoming overweight.

8 Apr 2009

Classroom-based intervention reduces children's viewing of violent TV

A team of Oregon State University researchers has successfully implemented a classroom-based intervention that reduces the amount of violent TV that children watch.

8 Apr 2009

Digital photo album puts focus on kids' health

Modern moms and dads snap thousands of photos, recording every drooling smile and flailing attempt to crawl.

8 Apr 2009

New over-the-counter pediatric toothpaste helps re-harden softened enamel

Starting from the time they take their children to their first dentist appointment, most parents know how important it is for kids to brush their teeth twice a day and floss regularly to protect against tooth decay.

8 Apr 2009

Diarrhoea treatment fails to reach the poorest children

Acute dehydration caused by diarrhoea is one of the most common causes of death amongst children in low and middle-income countries. A new study from the Swedish medical university Karolinska Institutet now shows that almost half a billion cases of child diarrhoea a year could be treated if they all received treatment equal to the best standards in their home countries.

7 Apr 2009

New, simple method identifies preterm infants at risk of eye disease

A simple way of establishing which preterm infants are at risk of developing the eye disease ROP is to follow their weight gain. A new study from the Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Sweden, suggests that following weekly weight development might replace the need for considerably more expensive ophthalmological examinations.

7 Apr 2009

Replacing sugar-sweetened beverages with water reduces excess calorie consumption in kids

Replacing consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) with water could eliminate an average of 235 excess calories per day among children and adolescents, according to a study published in the April 2009 Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.

6 Apr 2009

Childhood obesity prevalence differs among racial and ethnic groups in the U.S.

Obesity is twice as common in young American Indian/Native Alaskan children as it is in white and Asian children, according to new research offering the first nationally representative analysis of obesity prevalence among preschool-aged kids in five major racial/ethnic groups.

6 Apr 2009