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Parents' unsociable work hours may have negative consequences for children

A comprehensive review of studies on parents' work schedules and child development spanning the last three decades shows that parents' work schedules in evenings, nights and weekends, so called "nonstandard work schedules" or "unsociable work hours", may have negative consequences for children. When parents work such hours, children tended to have more behavioral problems, poorer cognitive ability (e.g., language, reading and mathematics), and were more likely to be overweight or obese than children in families where parents mostly worked during the daytime hours and week day.

2 Dec 2013

Valley Presbyterian Hospital receives First 5 LA grant to implement Welcome Baby program

Valley Presbyterian Hospital was awarded a $772,643 grant from First 5 LA to implement the 'Welcome Baby' prenatal and infant care program. The grant period is from December 1, 2013 through June 30, 2014 and is expected to be extended for an additional year, through June 30, 2015.

2 Dec 2013

Nearly 1% of all newborns in Switzerland diagnosed with congenital heart defect

Approximately one percent of all newborns in Switzerland are diagnosed with a congenital heart defect, roughly half of them require open heart surgery. Most children, including those with the most severe heart defects, survive because of the significant advancements in surgical techniques. Therefore, the current research focuses less on survival than on long-term consequences and quality of life of these children.

2 Dec 2013

USC scientists show gene-environment interaction augments risk for developing autism

Exposure to air pollution appears to increase the risk for autism among people who carry a genetic disposition for the neurodevelopmental disorder, according to newly published research led by scientists at the Keck School of Medicine of the University of Southern California.

2 Dec 2013

New methods reduce mother-to-child transmission of HIV from 23.9% to 2.4% in Gipuzkoa

Miren Apilánez, researcher in the Department of Paediatrics of the UPV/EHU-University of the Basque Country, has studied the evolution that took place between 1984 and 2011 in paediatric HIV infection in Gipuzkoa. The development of methods to diagnose the disease coupled with increasingly more effective treatments have made it possible to reduce mother-to-child transmission (vertical transmission) from 23.9% to 2.4%, thus virtually eradicating infection in children.

30 Nov 2013

Study finds way to regulate sleep patterns of children with brain disorders

For parents of children with brain disorders or visual impairment, nights can be long and frustrating, leading to even more difficult days as exhaustion takes hold.

29 Nov 2013

UNICEF, WHO support breastfeeding to avoid illness and deaths of children in Philippines

UNICEF and WHO today called on those involved in the response to the Philippines' Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda) disaster to promote and protect breastfeeding to avoid unnecessary illness and deaths of children.

29 Nov 2013

Pediatric dermatologists offer tips for treating skin ailments

As parents across the Chicago area prepare to take that perfect holiday photo to send to family and friends, they may want to consider more than just getting their kids to smile and look at the camera.

28 Nov 2013

New alliance formed to address domestic child sex trafficking

The Moore Center for the Prevention of Child Sexual Abuse at The Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and the bipartisan Advisory Council on Child Trafficking (ACCT) announce a new, formal alliance, building on the May 2013 symposium highlighting the need for more rigorous research addressing domestic child sex trafficking.

28 Nov 2013

Pre-existing diabetes in pregnant women doubles risk of death of infants

New research shows that pre-existing diabetes in pregnant women greatly increases the risk of death of their unborn fetus by around four-and-a-half times compared with pregnant women without diabetes, and also almost doubles the risk of death of infants after birth.

28 Nov 2013

CRI researcher receives grant from DIPG to research on pediatric brain tumors

Javad Nazarian, PhD, a researcher with Children's Research Institute (CRI) at Children's National, is the recipient of a $99,979 grant from the DIPG Collaborative for his proposal entitled, "Comparative Proteomic and RNA Sequencing of DIPGs."

27 Nov 2013

Children of PTSD afflicted mothers are at high risk of developing this disorder

A Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) study indicates that children are more likely to develop Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) if their mother is already afflicted.

27 Nov 2013

New NIH guidelines for managing opportunistic infections in children with HIV

Sharon Nachman, MD, a pediatric HIV and infectious diseases specialist at Stony Brook Children's Hospital, is a co-author of new National Institutes of Health (NIH)-issued guidelines for the prevention, treatment and management of opportunistic infections in HIV-exposed and HIV-infected children. The 2013 guidelines shed light on the most effective way to treat dangerous and deadly infections such as pneumonia or tuberculosis that can strike immunosuppressed pediatric HIV patients.

27 Nov 2013

Preterm infants at high risk for significant long-term problems

Premature birth appears to trigger developmental processes in the white matter of the brain that could put children at higher risk of problems later in life, according to a study being presented next week at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).

27 Nov 2013

More than three-quarters of parents are willing to have their children participate in research

To improve healthcare for children, medical research that involves kids is a must. Yet, only five percent of parents say their children have ever participated in any type of medical research, according to a new University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children's Hospital National Poll on Children's Health.

27 Nov 2013

Typhoon survivors in Tacloban vaccinated against measles and polio

Children in Tacloban – the city hit hardest by Typhoon Haiyan – were vaccinated against measles and polio in the first phase of a mass campaign by the Government of the Philippines with support from UNICEF, the World Health Organization, and other partners. They also received Vitamin A supplements to help improve their immunity against infections.

27 Nov 2013

WHO releases new treatment guidelines for children suffering severe acute malnutrition

WHO today released new treatment guidelines for the almost 20 million children under-five worldwide who have severe acute malnutrition.

27 Nov 2013

UCLA study shows nearly 70% of Latino children, eat fast food regularly

A surprisingly large percentage of very young children in California, including 70 percent of Latino children, eat fast food regularly, according to a new policy brief by the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research.

27 Nov 2013

Study links genetic predisposition to childhood obesity

Research has suggested that a particular gene in the brain's reward system contributes to overeating and obesity in adults. This same variant has now been linked to childhood obesity and tasty food choices, particularly for girls, according to a new study by Dr. Patricia Silveira and Prof. Michael Meaney of McGill University and Dr. Robert Levitan of the University of Toronto.

27 Nov 2013

Computer-based training programs does not help children with ADHD, says UCF researcher

Many parents spend thousands of dollars on computer-based training programs that claim to help children with ADHD succeed in the classroom and in peer relationships while reducing hyperactivity and inattentiveness. But a University of Central Florida researcher says parents are better off saving their hard-earned cash.

27 Nov 2013