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Scientists identify gene associated with cleft lip and palate

Leading scientists have identified an important gene that is associated with cleft lip and palate.Experts say the discovery is a step closer to understanding how this birth defect arises, and will help in the development of medical approaches to prevent the disfiguring condition.

25 Mar 2016

Higher levels of BPA in pregnant mother's blood may contribute to preterm births

Higher concentrations of the common plastics chemical and environmental pollutant Bisphenol A, or BPA, in a pregnant mother's blood may be a contributing factor in preterm births, according to a new study from The University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston.

25 Mar 2016

Children with autism spectrum disorder need continued support

9 out of 10 preschool children with autism still have major difficulties within the autism field at school age, despite having received early intervention. A majority of the parents stated that the children do not receive sufficient support at school.

25 Mar 2016

UAM implements family-centered care model to provide better patient outcomes

Family presence when a child is undergoing tracheal intubation in a pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) can safely be implemented as part of a family-centered care model, reported a research team led by a University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences professor in the March 7 issue of JAMA Pediatrics.

24 Mar 2016

Researchers explore role of social media in promoting mental health, wellbeing in children

University of Leicester researchers to identify the benefits and challenges of promoting mental health through social media

24 Mar 2016

Kids with minor head injuries may not require hospitalization, study suggests

Challenging the longstanding practice of keeping all children with head injuries in the hospital overnight, new research from Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital suggests that patients with simple skull fractures can be sent home safely if they have no evidence of brain injury and no neurological symptoms.

24 Mar 2016

Defective PTCHD1 gene in brain creates symptoms associated with autism and ADHD

Evidence is mounting that a gene called PTCHD1 helps the brain sort between important sights and sounds — and distractions. This gene is active in a brain region that attaches more attention to a conversation with your boss, for instance, than to an air conditioner buzzing in the background.

24 Mar 2016

Children with cardiomyopathy may benefit from family-linked treatment

A newly published national study by the Children's Hospital of Michigan and Wayne State University School of Medicine researchers shows that "parental impact and family functioning" become increasingly abnormal when children with cardiomyopathy-related chronic heart disease are more severely ill than children less affected by the disease.

24 Mar 2016

NIHR research program aims to increase safety, well-being of victims of DVA

Researchers at the University of Bristol have received more than £2.5 million from the National Institute for Health Research to carry out research that aims to increase the safety and well-being of victims of domestic violence and abuse (DVA).

24 Mar 2016

Early diagnosis, effective treatments can benefit children with autism

April is Autism Awareness Month, an opportunity to promote autism awareness and acceptance for the tens of thousands who are facing an autism diagnosis. With one in 68 children living with autism in the U.S., the need for awareness and research is significant.

24 Mar 2016

Fatty acid supplement can help reduce early preterm births

Cupid was obviously a full-term baby. It's fitting then that a researcher named Valentine and her colleagues will oversee a new multicenter National Institutes of Health study to determine whether an over the counter fatty acid supplement, called DHA (Docosahexaenoic acid, an omega-3 fatty acid), can assist with reducing early preterm births.

24 Mar 2016

Penn neurologists uncover new genetic cause of Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease

Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease (CMT) is a family of inherited disorders of the peripheral nervous system, affecting approximately one in 2,500 Americans. Its most common iteration, CMT1, comes in many forms, most of which have to date been linked to a small set of causative genes.

23 Mar 2016

Researchers reveal effects of noise on premature babies' sensory abilities

Premature birth is a harsh change of environment for a baby. Until birth, the baby is confined to the mother's womb, surrounded by soft lighting and filtered noise. When infants are born, they are attacked by several visual, sound, and tactile stimulations. These stimulations thus constitute unpleasant factors for them.

23 Mar 2016

Study examines depressed mother's oxytocin levels and mother-child emotional bonding

Widely referred to as the "love" hormone, oxytocin is an indispensable part of childbirth and emotional mother-child bonding. Psychologists at Florida Atlantic University are conducting a novel study to determine how a mother's levels of oxytocin might be different in women with depression.

23 Mar 2016

Pediatric researchers find gene variants that can strongly increase bone strength in girls

Pediatric researchers have found that rare genetic changes strongly increase the likelihood that a child will have higher bone density, but only in girls.

23 Mar 2016

MU researchers use MRI to study effects of Phenylketonuria

All children are screened for a host of conditions at birth, such as Phenylketonuria (PKU), a genetic disorder that is passed by mutated genes from both parents to their offspring. PKU is rare, only affecting one in every 10,000 children in the U.S.; therefore, it is seldom studied.

23 Mar 2016

New research links antibiotic use before age 2 to childhood obesity

While early antibiotic use has been associated with a number of rare long-term health consequences, new research links antibiotics to one of the most important and growing public health problems worldwide -- obesity.

23 Mar 2016

Competition between mixed malaria parasite strains could influence drug resistance

Scientists have documented for the first time how competition among different malaria parasite strains in human hosts could influence the spread of drug resistance.

23 Mar 2016

Laser light could be used to measure oxygen supply in premature babies' lungs

Premature babies have a hard time getting the oxygen they need as their lungs are not sufficiently developed. Today you can only use X-rays to see how much air babies' lungs contain, but, according to research from Lund University in Sweden, in the future, these types of tests could be done using laser light.

22 Mar 2016

Out-of-hospital birth rates continue to increase in U.S.

United States' out-of-hospital births increased to nearly 60,000 in 2014, continuing a decade-long increase. Data from the National Center for Health Statistics indicates that out-of-hospital births increased from 0.87% of US births in 2004 to 1.50% in 2014, an increase of 72%. Out-of-hospital birth rates increased for all race/ethnic groups, but most rapidly for non-Hispanic white women.

22 Mar 2016