Child Health News

RSS

Parenting program does not prevent toddler behavior problems

A study of the first universal parenting programme, designed to prevent early child behaviour problems, shows that it has little impact on toddler behaviour.

5 Feb 2008

Eye blinks may help to identify children prenatally exposed to alcohol

While children with fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) have identifiable craniofacial abnormalities, children with alcohol-related neurodevelopmental disorder (ARND) can have significant cognitive impairments without facial anomalies. An important new study has found that a deficit in eyeblink conditioning (EBC) can identify children with probable FAS, and may also serve to identify alcohol-exposed children who lack distinctive FAS features.

5 Feb 2008

Bone mineral content continues to increase in obese adolescents during weight loss

Obese teenagers who succeeded in losing weight in a year-long medically supervised weight control program also saw their bone mineral content increase over that period, say researchers from The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.

5 Feb 2008

New policy from American Academy of Pediatrics - Principles for the development and use of quality measures

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is committed to improving the health care system to provide the highest quality and safest health care for children.

4 Feb 2008

Reducing pain could lead to increased immunization rates

Studies have shown that some parents are reluctant to have their children immunized because they fear their children will experience significant pain during and after the injections.

4 Feb 2008

Alcohol use among adolescents linked to violent, suicidal behaviours

Many young people initiate alcohol use early in life, and those who do are at an increased risk for numerous problems compared to adolescents who do not drink.

4 Feb 2008

Baby lotions, powders and shampoos linked to higher levels of phthalates in infants

Phthalates are widely used chemicals that recent studies suggest may have toxic effects on the developing endocrine and reproductive systems. A new study found evidence that infants may be absorbing these chemicals through commonly used baby products.

4 Feb 2008

How risky are social networking sites?

Despite the recent focus on restricting access to social networking Web sites to protect children, researchers have found that victimization online is more likely to occur through instant messaging and in chat rooms.

4 Feb 2008

Minority children experience disparities in care

A national survey found significant disparities for minority children in medical and oral health and access to care.

4 Feb 2008

Mentoring relationships help youth in foster care

A new study reports evidence that mentoring relationships with non-parental adults promote positive outcomes for young people in foster care.

4 Feb 2008

7,000 pediatric ER visits linked to cough, cold medication use

An estimated 7,000 patients, ages 11 and younger, are treated in hospital emergency departments (ED) each year largely from unsupervised ingestions of cough and cold medications.

4 Feb 2008

Budget request from President Bush to increase spending for SCHIP by $19.7B over five years

President Bush on Monday will release a $3 trillion fiscal year 2009 budget request that would significantly reduce or eliminate spending for dozens of health and other programs but would significantly increase spending for SCHIP, the New York Times reports.

4 Feb 2008

Infants' bodies expel thimerosal mercury much faster than originally thought

February's issue of Pediatrics offers another reason to rethink blaming the spike in autism diagnoses on thimerosal, a mercury-containing preservative routinely used in several childhood vaccines until the late '90s.

4 Feb 2008

Different approaches can help children overcome language problems

For children who struggle to learn language, the choice between various interventions may matter less than the intensity and format of the intervention, a new study sponsored by the National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) suggests.

4 Feb 2008

March of Dimes works to eliminate racial gaps in infant health

In recognition of Black History Month, the March of Dimes is drawing attention to the tremendous gap in premature birth and infant mortality rates that disproportionately affect black women in the United States and to the programs and research designed to reduce -- and one day eliminate -- these disparities.

4 Feb 2008

Smoking and SIDS

A new study sheds light on the relationship between women who smoke while pregnant or are exposed to second-hand smoke and an increased risk of SIDS to their babies.

30 Jan 2008

Cell signaling in cervical cancer; gene variant impairs glycogen synthesis

The March of Dimes and seven former directors of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) today urged parents not to be frightened of childhood vaccines by the suggestion in an upcoming episode of the ABC-TV drama, "Eli Stone" that the mercury-based preservative thimerosal -- which is no longer used in vaccines may lead to autism.

30 Jan 2008