Child Health News

RSS

Chemical used to make fireworks found in powdered baby milk

Scientists in the United States have found traces of a chemical used to make fireworks and rocket fuel in powdered baby milk.

6 Apr 2009

Maternal smoking impairs a baby's ability to respond to external stimuli

Monash University researchers have shown that babies born to a mother who smokes are more likely to be slower to wake or respond to stimulation - and this may explain their increased risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS).

6 Apr 2009

Maternal personality traits affects child's eating habits

Mothers with many negative thoughts and feelings are more likely to give their children unhealthy food.

6 Apr 2009

Perchlorate found in powdered baby formula

A recent study by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found trace amounts of perchlorate, an additive of rocket fuel and human thyroid disruptor, in powdered baby formula.

5 Apr 2009

Does the stress of being a parent lead to decay in children's teeth?

A team of scientists from The Ohio State University has examined the stress levels of parents whose young children either had no cavities or so many cavities that the children had receive anesthesia before undergoing dental treatment.

5 Apr 2009

Molecular test for cancer relapse in UK children

A molecular marker used in America to predict whether children with a form of kidney cancer, called Wilms' tumour, are more likely to relapse than other children, could be useful for UK patients.

2 Apr 2009

Multiple childhood maltreatments lead to underage binge drinking

Researchers from Boston University found that multiple types of child maltreatment are robust risk factors for underage binge drinking based on a national multi-year study that explored the influence of social environment on the health of adolescents.

2 Apr 2009

Simple test detects early evidence of amblyopia in infants too young for conventional vision testing

In children with vascular birthmarks around the eye, even partial blockage of vision can lead to visual loss due to amblyopia.

1 Apr 2009

Comprehensive eye disease study among urban pre-schoolers

In what is believed to be the first comprehensive eye disease study among urban pre-schoolers, Johns Hopkins investigators report that while vision problems are rare, they are more common than once thought.

1 Apr 2009

Study on Haitian children shows poor diet contribute to gum disease

Haiti's children, already burdened with poverty and malnutrition, may have a health problem related to these chronic conditions -- gum disease.

1 Apr 2009

Research looks at educational effects of childhood cancers

New research funded by the Canadian Cancer Society has discovered poor educational achievement and learning difficulties for some childhood cancer survivors, especially those diagnosed with brain tumours.

1 Apr 2009

Explanation for poor infant immune response to certain vaccines

For years, researchers and physicians have known that infants' immune systems do not respond well to certain vaccines, thus the need for additional boosters as children develop.

1 Apr 2009

Maternal smoking replaces stomach sleeping as the greatest modifiable risk factor for SIDS

A study in the April 1 issue of the journal SLEEP shows that maternal smoking is associated with an impaired infant arousal process that may increase the risk for sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).

1 Apr 2009

Haemofiltration significantly reduces ECMO duration in newborns

Haemofiltration has already been shown to improve fluid balance in children treated with extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) but now researchers writing in BioMed Central's open access journal Critical Care have reported that continuous haemofiltration significantly reduces ECMO duration in newborns.

1 Apr 2009

Childhood hearing loss more prevalent among Hispanic-American, low-income households

A new review of medical databases shows that neonatal hearing loss, already one of the most common birth disorders in the United States, is especially prevalent among Hispanic-Americans and those from low-income households, according to the April 2009 issue of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery.

1 Apr 2009

Babies born to stressed or depressed mothers more likely to have sleep issues

A study in the April 1 issue of the journal SLEEP suggests that babies are more likely to have night wakings at both 6 months and 12 months of age if they are born to women who suffered from anxiety or depression prior to the pregnancy.

1 Apr 2009

Exercise may improve kid's attention span

As school districts across the nation revamped curricula to meet requirements of the federal "No Child Left Behind" Act, opportunities for children to be physically active during the school day diminished significantly.

1 Apr 2009

Male baby comes with more risks than females

Nurses in the maternity ward often say that a difficult labor is a sign of a baby boy.

1 Apr 2009

St. Petersburg Times examines decline in antipsychotic drug prescriptions for Florida children

St. Petersburg Times recently examined how since the Florida Medicaid program last year began requiring physicians to receive approval before prescribing antipsychotic drugs to children younger than age six, the number of prescriptions for children in that age group has dropped by nearly 75%, according to new data from the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration.

31 Mar 2009

Time of conception linked to birth defects in U.S.

A study published in the April 2009 issue of the medical journal Acta Paediatrica is the first to report that birth defect rates in the United States were highest for women conceiving in the spring and summer. The researchers also found that this period of increase risk correlated with increased levels of pesticides in surface water across the United States.

30 Mar 2009