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Save the Children releases pioneering report on newborn survival

Save the Children has released a pioneering report on newborn survival over the last decade that shows the world has greatly overlooked a key area for reducing child deaths-newborn care.

13 Jun 2012

Child Survival Call to Action event signals a 'hopeful moment' in global health

"Helping mothers give birth to HIV-free children is an essential piece of the puzzle of ending preventable child deaths," U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator Ambassador Eric Goosby writes in this post in the AIDS.gov blog, adding, "Yet 390,000 infants around the globe were born with the virus in 2010."

13 Jun 2012

African-led innovation 'imperative' to overcoming health issues on the continent

In this post in the Guardian's "Poverty Matters" blog, Carel IJsselmuiden, executive director of the Council on Health for Development Group, writes that "Africa must turn its health research into treatments for African people," noting, "Despite large investments being made by donors in health products and delivery of health services, a large percentage of Africans still have limited access to sufficient and quality healthcare -- especially in rural areas."

13 Jun 2012

Despite progress, efforts to end HIV/AIDS epidemic must be redoubled, U.N. officials say

"Despite the tremendous progress that has been achieved in the response to HIV/AIDS, it is urgent that efforts be redoubled to end this global epidemic, top United Nations officials stressed Monday, highlighting in particular the need to expand services and scale up resources," the U.N. News Centre reports.

13 Jun 2012

New tool should serve as cellular equivalent for children with CDG syndromes

Just as Gotham City uses the Bat Signal to call for Batman's aid, a new tool developed by scientists from the Sanford-Burnham Medical Research Institute in La Jolla, California, should serve as the cellular equivalent for children with glycosylation disorders, sometimes called "CDG syndromes."

13 Jun 2012

Investment in global health programs protects national security, promotes economic growth

"Investment in global health programs protects our national security, promotes economic growth, and upholds humanitarian values," Jenny Eaton Dyer, executive director of Hope Through Healing Hands and a member of the Tennessee State Advisory Committee of the U.S. Global Leadership Coalition, writes in this opinion piece in the Tennessean.

13 Jun 2012

New computer simulation program enables children with social anxiety to interact with avatars

Researchers at the University of Central Florida's Anxiety Disorders Clinic and the Atlanta-based company Virtually Better want to give more children with social anxiety the practice they need to become comfortable in social situations. They have developed a new, one-of-a-kind computer simulation program that enables children to interact with avatars playing the roles of classmates, teachers and a principal.

13 Jun 2012

Unique UCLA program proves effective in treating teens with ASD

Teenagers with autism spectrum disorder are in a bind. The disorder is characterized by impairments in communication and social interaction, but it's a continuum, so some teens diagnosed with ASD are considered high functioning and healthy enough to be "mainstreamed" in school.

13 Jun 2012

Ischemic stroke on the rise among N.J. children

Stroke is one of the top 10 causes of death among children according to the National Stroke Association. A new study published today shows that in New Jersey, the diagnosis of ischemic stroke in children, resulting from a loss or obstruction of blood to the brain, is on the rise.

13 Jun 2012

Cerebral damage, ROP may increase risk of visual impairment in extremely preterm children

Cerebral damage and retinopathy of prematurity appear to be independently associated with visual impairment among preschool children who were born extremely premature, according to a report published Online First by Archives of Ophthalmology, a JAMA Network publication.

13 Jun 2012

Newborn babies account for 40% of preventable child deaths, see little global health funding, report says

"Newborns now account for 40 percent of preventable child deaths worldwide, but only a tiny fraction of international aid targets newborns, according to" Save the Children's new report on newborn survival, to be published in the medical journal Health Policy and Planning Tuesday, USA Today reports.

13 Jun 2012

Children with ASD pay more for health care: Study

Children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) require an array of specialized health care services. With these services come higher costs for parents and insurance providers. University of Missouri researchers compared costs and types of services for children with ASD to costs and services for children with other conditions like asthma or diabetes.

12 Jun 2012

Updated AAN guideline outlines treatments for infantile spasms

The American Academy of Neurology has issued an updated guideline outlining the best treatments for infantile spasms, a rare type of seizure that can occur in infants and young children.

12 Jun 2012

OSA negatively impacts youths’ ability to regulate life skills

The number of children with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) declines as they enter adolescence, but the teen years can be a devastating trial of behavior and learning problems for kids with persistent OSA, new research shows.

12 Jun 2012

Routine screening with echocardiogram can detect more cases of RHD

Routine screening with echocardiogram can detect three times as many cases of rheumatic heart disease (RHD) as clinical examinations, offering a novel approach in preventing this common disease, according to a new study in Circulation.

12 Jun 2012

Opinion pieces published in advance of 'Child Survival Call to Action' event to take place in Washington

The following are summaries of several opinion pieces published in anticipation of the Child Survival Call to Action event to be held on June 14-15 in Washington, D.C. Convened by the Governments of United States, Ethiopia and India, and organized in close collaboration with UNICEF, the event will focus on ending preventable child death through the survival of newborns, children and mothers and will convene 700 prominent leaders from government, the private sector, faith-based organizations and civil society to kick off a long-term, focused effort to save children's lives.

12 Jun 2012

ABM treatments can address childhood anxiety

According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, one in eight children suffers from an anxiety disorder. And because many anxious children turn into severely anxious adults, early intervention can have a major impact on a patient's life trajectory. The understandable reluctance to use psychiatric medications when it comes to children means child psychologists are always searching for viable therapeutic alternatives.

12 Jun 2012