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Children and adolescents with high BPA levels more likely to have obesity

In a nationally representative sample of nearly 3,000 children and adolescents, those who had higher concentrations of urinary bisphenol A (BPA), a manufactured chemical found in consumer products, had significantly increased odds of being obese, according to a study in the September 19 issue of JAMA, and theme issue on obesity.

19 Sep 2012

Congress can help improve WASH, survival for children worldwide

David Winder, chief executive of WaterAid USA, highlights the findings of the recently released UNICEF report on child mortality in this Huffington Post "Impact" blog post, saying the decrease in annual number of child deaths "is great news, but is tempered by sobering statistics, especially for children in sub-Saharan Africa," who continue to face high rates of mortality.

19 Sep 2012

Bangladesh struggles to provide health care in urban slum areas, Guardian reports

As more people move into the urban slum areas surrounding Bangladesh's capital, Dhaka, basic services such as water, sanitation and health care are being stretched to capacity by "[n]ew residents who are increasingly pushed out to the city's fringes," the Guardian reports.

19 Sep 2012

Children can largely benefit from 40 minutes of daily, vigorous physical activity

Twenty minutes of daily, vigorous physical activity over just three months can reduce a child's risk of diabetes as well as his total body fat - including dangerous, deep abdominal fat - but 40 minutes works even better, researchers report.

19 Sep 2012

Better interventions needed to prevent long-lasting consequences of TBI in children

A child who suffers a moderate or severe traumatic brain injury (TBI) may still have substantial functional disabilities and reduced quality of life 2 years after the injury. After those first 2 years, further improvement may be minimal. Better interventions are needed to prevent long-lasting consequences of TBI in children conclude the authors of a study published in Journal of Neurotrauma, a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers.

19 Sep 2012

Warning signs of eating disorders in children

It's a discussion that strikes fear in the hearts of most parents – adolescents expressing concern about their weight. According to statistics, 1 out of every 100 girls, between the ages of 10 and 20, struggles with anorexia and four percent of college-aged women have bulimia. So how can parents distinguish between normal adolescent insecurities and the start of a dangerous eating disorder?

19 Sep 2012

Viewpoints: Romney's myopic view of entitlements; Medicaid reform in N.Y.; 'Dumping' children in Fla. nursing homes

You could say that the entitlement state is growing at an unsustainable rate and will bankrupt the country. ... But these are not the sensible arguments that Mitt Romney made at a fund-raiser earlier this year. Romney, who criticizes President Obama for dividing the nation, divided the nation into two groups: the makers and the moochers. ... The people who receive the disproportionate share of government spending are not big-government lovers. They are Republicans. They are senior citizens. They are white men with high school degrees.

19 Sep 2012

Friendly bacteria: do we really need to eat probiotic yogurts?

According to the World Health Organization (WHO) probiotics are “live microorganisms which when administered in adequate amounts confer a health benefit on the host”.

19 Sep 2012

Attractive, catchy names can compel youngsters to eat more vegetables

The age-old parental struggle of convincing youngsters to eat their fruits and vegetables has some new allies: Power Punch Broccoli, X-Ray Vision Carrots - and a host of catchy names for entrees in school cafeterias. Cornell University researchers studied how a simple change, such as using attractive names, would influence elementary-aged children's consumption of vegetables.

18 Sep 2012

Modifying fat intake during pregnancy benefits children regardless of mother's size

If you are overweight and pregnant, your baby isn't destined to a life of obesity after all, according to a new research report published online in The FASEB Journal. In the report, a team of U.S. scientists show that modifying fat intake during pregnancy to a moderate level is enough to benefit the child regardless of the mother's size.

17 Sep 2012

Migraine headaches in children linked to behavioral difficulties

Kids who get migraine headaches are much more likely than other children to also have behavioral difficulties, including social and attention issues, and anxiety and depression. The more frequent the headaches, the greater the effect, according to research out now in the journal Cephalagia, published by SAGE.

17 Sep 2012

Children without siblings at higher risk of being overweight or obese

Children who grow up without siblings have a more than 50 percent higher risk of being overweight or obese than children with siblings. This is the finding of a study of 12,700 children in eight European countries, including Sweden, published in Nutrition and Diabetes. The University of Gothenburg, Sweden, was one of the participating universities in the study.

17 Sep 2012

Partner treatment essential to prevent recurrent sexually transmitted infections in teenagers

California's pediatricians-in-training are not adequately educated about the methods to prevent recurrent sexually transmitted infections in teenagers. That's the conclusion of a study from the Stanford University School of Medicine and Lucile Packard Children's Hospital examining pediatric residents' knowledge of laws governing treatment of their patients' sexual partners.

17 Sep 2012

New method to precisely predict premature birth

Babies born early run a greater risk of serious complications. The researchers at the Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg, Sweden, have now developed a method to predict if pregnant women with preterm contractions will give birth within seven days. The method offers new possibilities to delay delivery and prepare care for the premature baby.

17 Sep 2012

USAID helping to improve child survival worldwide

Chris Thomas of the USAID Bureau for Global Health writes in the agency's "IMPACT Blog," "America's legacy in child survival is a proud one: With strong bipartisan support, U.S. support of global health has saved many millions of lives."

15 Sep 2012

‘C’ variant disrupts brain connectivity in children with ASD

Over the past decade, researchers have made great strides in identifying genes that lead to an increased risk of autism spectrum disorders (ASD), which result in a continuum of social deficits, communication difficulties and cognitive delays. But it's still critical to determine how exactly these genetic risk factors impact the brain's structure and function so that better treatments and interventions can be developed.

15 Sep 2012

UMass Amherst scientist receives NIH grant to study how napping and sleep affect preschoolers

Parents may feel it's clear that missing a nap means their young children will be grumpy and out-of-sorts, but scientists who study sleep say almost nothing is known about how daytime sleep affects children's coping skills and learning.

15 Sep 2012

Gates Foundation blog examines efforts to stop mother-to-child syphilis transmission

In this post in the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation's "Impatient Optimists" blog, Gary Darmstadt, head of the Family Health Division of the foundation, Wendy Prosser, a research analyst with the Family Health Division, and Damian Walker, a senior program officer at the foundation, examine efforts to stop the transmission of syphilis from mother to child during labor and delivery.

15 Sep 2012

Conference to provide scientific research on shaken baby syndrome/abusive head trauma

On September 29, the Twelfth International Conference on Shaken Baby Syndrome (SBS)/Abusive Head Trauma will take place in the city where nearly 15 years earlier Louise Woodward was convicted of second degree murder in the shaking death of infant Matthew Eappen.

15 Sep 2012

New study analyses effects of passive smoking during pregnancy on newborns

A new study shows that newborns that have been exposed to nicotine from both active and passive smoking mothers show poor physiological, sensory, motor and attention responses.

15 Sep 2012

Child Health News

Children and adolescents with high BPA levels more likely to have obesity

Congress can help improve WASH, survival for children worldwide

Bangladesh struggles to provide health care in urban slum areas, Guardian reports

Children can largely benefit from 40 minutes of daily, vigorous physical activity

Better interventions needed to prevent long-lasting consequences of TBI in children

Warning signs of eating disorders in children

Viewpoints: Romney's myopic view of entitlements; Medicaid reform in N.Y.; 'Dumping' children in Fla. nursing homes

Friendly bacteria: do we really need to eat probiotic yogurts?

Attractive, catchy names can compel youngsters to eat more vegetables

Modifying fat intake during pregnancy benefits children regardless of mother's size

Migraine headaches in children linked to behavioral difficulties

Children without siblings at higher risk of being overweight or obese

Partner treatment essential to prevent recurrent sexually transmitted infections in teenagers

New method to precisely predict premature birth

USAID helping to improve child survival worldwide

‘C’ variant disrupts brain connectivity in children with ASD

UMass Amherst scientist receives NIH grant to study how napping and sleep affect preschoolers

Gates Foundation blog examines efforts to stop mother-to-child syphilis transmission

Conference to provide scientific research on shaken baby syndrome/abusive head trauma

New study analyses effects of passive smoking during pregnancy on newborns

Sensing a Healthier Future

Achieving and maintaining ISO/IEC 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

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