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Research reveals the life-long detrimental impact of maternal smoking during pregnancy

A new study by researchers at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California (USC) has found that the life-long effects of maternal smoking during pregnancy may occur through specific changes in DNA patterns.

25 Aug 2009

Smokers may exacerbate malnutrition in developing countries, study finds

The ANI24/Times of India examines the results of a recent study that found smokers in rural Indonesia tend to compromise their family food budgets in order to support their habit.

25 Aug 2009

UCB and sanofi-aventis U.S. receive FDA's approval for XYZAL to treat allergies in children

UCB and sanofi-aventis U.S. announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved XYZAL(R) (levocetirizine dihydrochloride) for children age six months and older for the relief of symptoms of perennial allergic rhinitis (indoor allergies) and chronic idiopathic urticaria (chronic hives) and for children age two years and older for symptoms of seasonal allergic rhinitis (outdoor allergies).

25 Aug 2009

Increased expenditure on tobacco products leads to poorer nutrition for children

A new study finds that smokers in rural Indonesia finance their habit by dipping into the family food budget-which ultimately results in poorer nutrition for their children. The findings suggest that the costs of smoking in the developing world go well beyond the immediate health risks, according to authors Steven Block and Patrick Webb of Tufts University.

24 Aug 2009

WHO recommends against using homeopathic treatments for HIV, TB, malaria, influenza, infant diarrhea

The WHO has warned that people with conditions such as HIV, tuberculosis and malaria should not rely on homeopathic treatments, the BBC reports. The agency was responding to a June letter (full text available here), in which researchers from the Voice of Young Science Network called on the agency "to condemn the promotion of homeopathy for treating TB, infant diarrhoea, influenza, malaria and HIV."

23 Aug 2009

Bronchial asthma screening procedure for preschoolers still unreliable

The Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care (IQWiG) has investigated the reliability of diagnosing bronchial asthma in children aged between 2 and 5 years, and the benefit that the test results can have for these patients. IQWiG published its final report in August 2009. According to the report, the available studies do not reveal any diagnostic procedure to be particularly suitable. It also remains unclear whether the treatment given based on the test results can benefit the patients.

21 Aug 2009

Expectant mothers cautioned against using home fetal Doppler devices

Mums-to-be are being advised not to use personal monitors (Doppler devices) to listen to their baby's heartbeat at home over fears that they may lead to delays in seeking help for reduced fetal movements.

21 Aug 2009

Study reveals long term benefits of swimming for children with asthma

Research has shown that swimming aids asthma symptoms in children. The activity has been proven to be an effective non-pharmacological intervention for children and adolescents, according to a study in Respirology published by Wiley-Blackwell.

20 Aug 2009

Diarrhea remains second leading cause of death among children, despite effective interventions

Despite the introduction of new treatments for diarrhea more than four years ago, few children in developing countries are receiving these interventions and the disease is still the second leading cause of death among children, according a Bulletin of the World Health Organization report, BMJ reports.

20 Aug 2009

Childhood vaccination awareness campaign intensified by COSHAR Foundation

The COSHAR Foundation has enhanced its national immunization awareness campaign, Protecting our Future: The COSHAR Foundation Immunization Project, by updating its free immunization toolkits with new materials, including updated information about autism and vaccines and information on H1N1 flu. The new toolkits are available now.

20 Aug 2009

Covering Kids & Families Michigan campaign aims to enroll 50,000 children in healthcare coverage plans

As Michigan's children head back to school, the Michigan Cover the Uninsured Network (MCTUN) and some of the state's leading organizations are making a special outreach effort to ensure that eligible children and families have access to free and/or low cost health coverage through the state's Medicaid and MIChild programs.

20 Aug 2009

Dental neglect may indicate wider child neglect and abuse

A new policy urging dentists to check for tell-tale signs of neglect when treating children with severe oral disease has been published.

19 Aug 2009

Toy manufacturers need to urgently review their safety tests say scientists

Findings from research at the University of Leeds could be used to improve toy safety and prevent injury and even deaths from choking among the under fives.

18 Aug 2009

1 in 4 children between 11-16 report having sex

As a new mother herself, Brenda Lohman admits to being shocked by the results of a new study she co-authored. It found that among nearly 1,000 low-income families in three major cities, one in four children between the ages of 11 and 16 reported having sex, with their first sexual intercourse experience occurring at the average age of 12.77.

18 Aug 2009

Mandatory folic acid fortification may be unnecessary

Persistently present levels of unmetabolized folic acid found in the population indicate that introducing mandatory food fortification may result in an ‘overdosing’ effect. A study of blood donors, new mothers and babies, published in the open access journal BMC Public Health, has found that most already get enough folic acid from voluntarily fortified foods.

17 Aug 2009

New guidance on novel H1N1 influenza for K-12 schools

The Secretary of Health today released guidance on Novel H1N1, also known as swine flu, for elementary and secondary schools in an effort to keep kids and staff healthy and flu-free this school year.

17 Aug 2009

Children, adolescents and headache

Family quarrels and a lack of free time can promote headaches in children. This is what Jennifer Gassmann and her coauthors concluded in their study on risk factors, which appears in the current issue of the Deutsches Ärzteblatt International (Dtsch Arztebl Int 2009; 106[31-32]: 509-16).

17 Aug 2009

Infant sleep environments depicted in magazines targeted to women of childbearing age

More than one third of photos in women's magazines depicted babies in unsafe sleep positions, according to a new study in Pediatrics. Additionally, the study found that two-thirds of sleep environments depicted in these magazines were also unsafe.

17 Aug 2009

Mother's immune system may block fetal treatments for blood diseases

Pediatric researchers have resolved an apparent contradiction in the field of prenatal cell transplantation - a medical approach that holds future promise in correcting sickle cell disease and other serious congenital blood disorders. In a new study in animals, the researchers showed that the mother's immune response interferes with the offspring's earlier ability to tolerate transplanted donor cells.

17 Aug 2009

Building a comprehensive child vision care system

Even though universal comprehensive eye exams for children prior to starting school would result in more children being diagnosed and successfully treated for vision problems and eye diseases, requirements vary widely from state to state and only three states require eye examinations for school-age children, according to a new report from the National Commission on Vision and Health.

13 Aug 2009