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Coverage for sick kids under question in new law

Kaiser Health News staff writers Phil Galewitz and Andrew Villegas write that while Democrats have said that the new health law "would immediately stop insurers from denying coverage to children with pre-existing medical conditions, ... health advocates and some insurers say the law does not clearly state that such protection starts this year.

26 Mar 2010

Children with severe food allergic reactions need two doses of epinephrine

In a large six-year review of emergency department (ED) data, researchers at Children's Hospital Boston, in collaboration with Massachusetts General Hospital, found that many children with severe food-related allergic reactions need a second dose of epinephrine, suggesting that patients carrying EpiPens should carry two doses instead of one.

25 Mar 2010

Words play an important role in infants' cognition

Northwestern University researchers have found that even before infants begin to speak, words play an important role in their cognition. For 3-month-old infants, words influence performance in a cognitive task in a way that goes beyond the influence of other kinds of sounds, including musical tones.

25 Mar 2010

Novel test may help identify newborns with fragile X syndrome

A newly developed test appears highly accurate in identifying newborns with fragile X syndrome—the most common inherited cause of cognitive impairment—as well as identifying couples who are carriers of the causative gene, reports a study in the March issue of Genetics in Medicine, the official peer-reviewed journal of The American College of Medical Genetics.

25 Mar 2010

Committee recommends inclusion of genetic diseases in newborn screening program

The experts who make recommendations for genetic disease screening in newborns face a challenging task: To make conclusions based on the most authoritative available evidence, while considering gaps in the research on such rare conditions, as well as their human impact. An overview of the steps followed by the expert panels tasked with making these recommendations is presented in a special section of the current issue of Genetics in Medicine, the official peer-reviewed journal of The American College of Medical Genetics.

25 Mar 2010

Breastfeeding expert offers tips for choosing right feeding bottles

Breastfeeding expert Donna Dowling, associate professor of nursing at the Frances Payne Bolton School of Nursing at Case Western Reserve University, could sympathize with the new mom next to her in a large baby store as she was also overwhelmed by the variety of bottle choices in the 12 x 8 foot display.

25 Mar 2010

300,000 extra GP visits for children due to passive smoking - time to make cars and homes smoke free

Doctors have urged an immediate review of the anti-smoking laws in light of such alarming facts. They want a ban on smoking in public places and cars.

25 Mar 2010

Gesture may be a tool for diagnosing language delays in children with brain lesions

About 1 in 4,000 infants has a brain injury known as pre- or perinatal brain lesions, mainly as a result of stroke, with risk factors involving both mothers and babies. Children with early brain lesions that affect one side of the brain often take longer to reach early language milestones; these delays normalize for many but persist for some.

25 Mar 2010

Researchers explore ethnic differences in asthma incidence

A study of UK schoolchildren has revealed that Black Africans, Indians and Bangladeshis have a similar or lower prevalence of asthma than White children, while Black Caribbean and Mixed Black Caribbean/White boys are more likely to have asthma.

25 Mar 2010

New injection device for endoscopic treatment of pediatric vesicoureteral reflux

A new injection device for the endoscopic treatment of vesicoureteral reflux) offers urologists greater control, precision and accuracy for treating a condition of the urinary tract that predominantly affects infants and young children. An alternative to corrective surgery, the Injekt VUR Injection Needle marks an advancement in fast and minimally-invasive endoscopic treatment.

24 Mar 2010

The Children's Aid Society applauds healthcare reform bill

The following is a statement by Richard R. Buery, Jr., President and Chief Executive Officer, The Children's Aid Society: "This morning when President Obama signed the historic Affordable Health Care for America Act, he took great strides towards improving the health of all children in the U.S.

24 Mar 2010

Pfizer to supply pneumococcal conjugate vaccines for infants and children

Pfizer Inc. today announced it has signed a 10-year Provisional Supply Agreement to supply Prevenar 13* (Pneumococcal Polysaccharide Conjugate Vaccine [13-valent, adsorbed]), the company’s 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine, for infants and young children in the world’s poorest countries under the terms of the Advance Market Commitment (AMC) pilot project against pneumococcal disease.

24 Mar 2010

Gentium presents abstract on Defibrotide at EBMT Annual Meeting

Gentium S.p.A.today announced that the abstract titled, "Defibrotide prevents hepatic VOD and reduces significantly VOD-associated complications in children at high risk: final results of a prospective phase II/III multicenter study," was presented on Sunday, March 21, 2010, at the opening session of the European Blood and Marrow Transplantation 36th Annual Meeting in Vienna. The abstract received the esteemed Van Bekkum Award for the best abstract submitted to the physician's program. Dr. Selim Corbacioglu, Professor of Pediatrics, University of Regensburg (Germany) and Principal Investigator of the Pediatric Prevention trial, accepted the award and presented the final results of the study.

24 Mar 2010

FDA recommends clinicians temporarily suspend use of Rotarix vaccine

The agency recently became aware that an independent U.S. academic research team, using a novel technique, has found DNA from porcine circovirus 1 (PCV1) in Rotarix, which is manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline. PCV1 is not known to cause illness in humans or other animals. In addition, Rotarix has been studied extensively, before and after approval, and found to have an excellent safety record.

24 Mar 2010

Warning over baby slings

A baby sling is a long strip of cloth that is used to support the baby across the front or side of the care giver’s body. New warnings have come to the forefront linking these innocuous baby slings to infant deaths. US health authorities have warned parents that tiny babies may be at a suffocation risk from these slings. Reports say that these slings have caused the death of 14 babies over the last 20 years including 3 last year. Of these 12 babies were less than 4 months old.

24 Mar 2010

Lap band surgery acceptable only for morbidly obese adolescents over 15

Lap band surgery is a procedure that involves placing a ring around the stomach and thus restricting it. It is a controversial procedure undertaken in obese patients to decrease food absorption.

24 Mar 2010

WHO advises continued use of GSK's rotavirus vaccine in developing countries

The WHO on Monday advised developing countries to continue administering GlaxoSmithKline's Rotarix vaccine - which offers protection to children against the diarrhea-causing rotavirus - after the FDA advised doctors in the U.S. to temporarily stop using the vaccine following the discovery that it was "contaminated with an apparently harmless pig virus," Reuters reports

24 Mar 2010

FDA grants Orphan Drug Designation for anti-diabetic drug

The FDA has granted Orphan Drug Designation of Diamyd Medical´s lead drug candidate Diamyd®. Orphan drugs qualify for seven years of market exclusivity from the date of US marketing approval, tax credits for clinical research and a waiver for FDA user fees.

24 Mar 2010

Researchers create audio CDs to encourage physical activity among school students

The National Institutes of Health has awarded Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University $1.22 million to combat childhood obesity in the Bronx.

24 Mar 2010

Children with neurofibromatosis more likely to have cardiovascular problems

Researchers have discovered how a genetic disease known mainly for its life-threatening tumors also can cause sudden death from cardiovascular disease in children, and are mounting a clinical trial to develop treatments for the problem.

24 Mar 2010