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Circumcision: Risky by untrained providers with inappropriate equipment

How safe is circumcision? A systematic review, published in the open access journal BMC Urology has found that neonatal and infant circumcision by trained staff rarely results in problems. Risks can be higher among older boys, especially when undertaken by untrained providers with inappropriate equipment.

16 Feb 2010

Nascent symptoms of autism in infants emerge during latter part of first year of life

A study of the development of autism in infants, comparing the behavior of the siblings of children diagnosed with autism to that of babies developing normally, has found that the nascent symptoms of the condition - a lack of shared eye contact, smiling and communicative babbling - are not present at 6 months, but emerge gradually and only become apparent during the latter part of the first year of life.

16 Feb 2010

Over 96% of SIDS cases due to known risk factors

Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) continues to be the third leading cause of infant death, according to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), despite a decline in SIDS that is associated with a rise in safe-sleep practices for newborns and infants. A new study by Barbara M. Ostfeld, PhD and Thomas Hegyi, MD, professors in the Department of Pediatrics at UMDNJ-Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, has identified that more than 96 percent of infants who died of SIDS were exposed to known risk factors, among them sleeping on their side or stomach, or exposure to tobacco smoke, and that 78 percent of SIDS cases contained multiple risk factors.

16 Feb 2010

'Crowding' helps see things better

'Crowding', the phenomenon when people are less able to differentiate letters if they are surrounded by other letters, actually leads to better vision. This is the conclusion of Dr Frans Cornelissen, who together with Dr Ronald van den Berg and Prof. Jos Roerdink is the first to succeed in explaining crowding with a mathematical model. 'At this moment in time our model is mainly interesting in a fundamental sense', says Cornelissen. 'In the long term, however, it may acquire practical applications, for example when designing learning material for children with dyslexia.'

16 Feb 2010

Rite Aid raised more than $5.1M in 2009 for Children's Miracle Network hospitals

Thanks to the efforts of Rite Aid associates and customers nationwide, Rite Aid raised more than $5.1 million in 2009 for Children's Miracle Network, an international, non-profit organization that raises funds for more than 170 children’s hospitals.

16 Feb 2010

Researchers identify potential therapeutic targets for treatment of neuroblastoma

A team of researchers, led by Patrick Mehlen, at Universit- de Lyon, France, has identified the protein NT-3 and the cell-surface molecule to which it binds (TrkC) as potential therapeutic targets for the treatment of neuroblastoma - the most frequent solid tumor in young children- by studying human neuroblastoma cells in vitro and after xenotransplantation into mice and chicks.

15 Feb 2010

Two families having premature baby visit White House to share their inspiring stories with President Obama

Two families who know all too well the trauma of having a baby born prematurely visited the White House today to share their inspiring stories with President Obama. The Hall family from Leesburg, Va., and the Hoffman family from Weston, Fla., are ambassadors for the March of Dimes, a nonprofit foundation that works to prevent premature birth, birth defects, and infant mortality.

15 Feb 2010

Discharged VAD implanted pediatric patient receives successful heart transplant after eight months

The wait is over for 16-year-old Francesco "Frank" De Santiago. On January 29, De Santiago received a donor heart in a nine-hour transplant operation at Texas Children's Heart Center De Santiago made news last October as the first child ever discharged from a pediatric hospital with an implanted mechanical heart pump, or ventricular assist device (VAD). Until then, pediatric patients with VADs remained in the hospital, often in ICU, while awaiting a donor heart.

15 Feb 2010

Plagiocephaly babies need to be screened and monitored early in life for possible cognitive, motor delays

In a new study, infants averaging six months of age who exhibited positional plagiocephaly (flat head syndrome) had lower scores than typical infants in observational tests used to evaluate cognitive and motor development. Positional or deformational plagiocephaly may occur when external forces shape an infant's skull while it is still soft and malleable, such as extended time spent lying on a hard surface or in one position. This is the first controlled study to suggest that babies who have flattened areas on the back of their heads during the first year of life may be at risk for developmental delay.

15 Feb 2010

Hypnosis has potential therapeutic value in children with respiratory disorders

Hypnosis has potential therapeutic value in children with respiratory disorders for alleviating symptoms such as habit cough or unexplained sensations of difficulty breathing and for lessening a child's discomfort during medical procedures.

15 Feb 2010

NNDS, SlateXP raise over $75,000 to help children in partnership with UMPS CARE Charities

The National Network of Digital Schools and SlateXP, in partnership with UMPS CARE Charities, are proud to announce that the 5th Annual UMPS CARE Charities Golf Classic has raised over $75,000 for children in need.

15 Feb 2010

Learning Lab of Brentwood to present free seminar on ADHD in Brentwood

The Learning Lab of Brentwood will present a free seminar, ADHD Kids: Getting Along Socially, on Thursday February 18 from 12:00-1:30 PM at the Maryland Farms YMCA in Brentwood.

12 Feb 2010

United Airlines to deliver teddy bears to kids undergoing cancer treatment across the country

Starting today, United Airlines employees will begin delivering thousands of teddy bears to kids undergoing cancer treatment at hospitals across the country through a partnership with the American Cancer Society® that raised almost 27 million Mileage Plus miles.

12 Feb 2010

Parents often recognize signs of asthma in their children but delay home treatment: Report

Parents of young children with asthma often recognize signs that their child is about to have an asthma attack but delay home treatment until the attack occurs, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis report.

12 Feb 2010

Measures to tackle school avoidance in children

Children and adolescents who refuse to attend school should not be given doctors' sick notes. In the current issue of Deutsches -rzteblatt International (Dtsch Arztebl Int 2010; 107[4]), child and adolescent psychiatrist Martin Knollmann and colleagues explain the causes of school avoidance and describe measures to tackle the problem.

12 Feb 2010

First FDA-approved umbilical cord blood stem cells infusion trial in children with cerebral palsy

Medical College of Georgia researchers are conducting the first FDA-approved clinical trial to determine whether an infusion of stem cells from umbilical cord blood can improve the quality of life for children with cerebral palsy.

12 Feb 2010

FKF receives funds to launch Fragile Kids Partner Program

The Centene Foundation for Quality Healthcare announced today that it has awarded a $35,000 grant to Fragile Kids Foundation, Inc. (FKF), a nonprofit organization based in Atlanta, Ga.

12 Feb 2010

Study suggests obesity prevention efforts should begin much earlier

While many adults consider a chubby baby healthy, too many plump infants grow up to be obese teens, saddling them with Type-2 diabetes, elevated cholesterol and high blood pressure, according to an article published this month in the journal Clinical Pediatrics (published by SAGE).

11 Feb 2010

Daiichi Sankyo's Benicar receives FDA approval for hypertension treatment in children and adolescents aged 6-16

Daiichi Sankyo, Inc. announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved the hypertension treatment Benicar® (olmesartan medoxomil) for use in children and adolescents 6 to 16 years of age. Benicar was originally approved in 2002 for the treatment of hypertension in adults.

11 Feb 2010

Winter Sports: Tips on proper training, and prevention of injuries and concussions

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 46 percent of children admitted to trauma centers for winter sports injuries have been diagnosed with a head injury – the majority of them from snowboarding, sledding, skiing, ice skating or ice hockey. Pediatric sports medicine is a growing field and is a direct response to how active today’s children are in competitive and recreational sports.

11 Feb 2010

Child Health News

Circumcision: Risky by untrained providers with inappropriate equipment

Nascent symptoms of autism in infants emerge during latter part of first year of life

Over 96% of SIDS cases due to known risk factors

'Crowding' helps see things better

Rite Aid raised more than $5.1M in 2009 for Children's Miracle Network hospitals

Researchers identify potential therapeutic targets for treatment of neuroblastoma

Two families having premature baby visit White House to share their inspiring stories with President Obama

Discharged VAD implanted pediatric patient receives successful heart transplant after eight months

Plagiocephaly babies need to be screened and monitored early in life for possible cognitive, motor delays

Hypnosis has potential therapeutic value in children with respiratory disorders

NNDS, SlateXP raise over $75,000 to help children in partnership with UMPS CARE Charities

Learning Lab of Brentwood to present free seminar on ADHD in Brentwood

United Airlines to deliver teddy bears to kids undergoing cancer treatment across the country

Parents often recognize signs of asthma in their children but delay home treatment: Report

Measures to tackle school avoidance in children

First FDA-approved umbilical cord blood stem cells infusion trial in children with cerebral palsy

FKF receives funds to launch Fragile Kids Partner Program

Study suggests obesity prevention efforts should begin much earlier

Daiichi Sankyo's Benicar receives FDA approval for hypertension treatment in children and adolescents aged 6-16

Winter Sports: Tips on proper training, and prevention of injuries and concussions

How microRNA is transforming science: From discovery to diagnostics

Advancing benzodiazepine detection

The Surgeon-Scientist Pioneering Regenerative Engineering

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