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Tennessee Gov. declares February as 'St. Jude Month'

In 1962, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital opened its doors amid an emotionally charged debate regarding how to treat childhood cancer. At that time, few children with the most common form of childhood cancer survived, and many physicians believed treatment was futile. St. Jude physicians and researchers took a radically different approach, and these efforts proved pivotal in changing the way the world treats childhood cancer.

6 Feb 2012

Future of social robotics requires meeting the expectations of human brain

After years of existing only in fiction, social robots are finally being designed that can more closely emulate how people express themselves, interact and learn - and doing so while performing jobs like teaching social behavior to children with autism or helping stroke patients with their physical rehabilitation exercises.

4 Feb 2012

Link between health and schooling among fleeing children

Refugee children have scant access to medical care and are particularly vulnerable to disease. Fresh research results from the University of Copenhagen show that just a few hours of schooling a week may have a pronounced positive impact on their health not only in childhood but later in life when they achieve adulthood.

4 Feb 2012

Whole-exome sequencing discovers cause of glycosylation disorders

Sequencing a patient's entire genome to discover the source of his or her disease is not routine - yet. But geneticists are getting close. A case report, published this week in the American Journal of Human Genetics, shows how researchers can combine a simple blood test with an "executive summary" scan of the genome to diagnose a type of severe metabolic disease.

4 Feb 2012

Study to understand links between premature birth and maths disability in children

Around 160 school children from London and the Midlands are taking part in a pioneering research project, funded by Action Medical Research, to try to understand the links between being born very prematurely and struggling with mathematics.

3 Feb 2012

Should smacking of children be banned?

Dr Gervase Chaney, the head of The Royal Australasian College of Physicians' Pediatric & Child Health Division, said it was no longer OK for mums and dads to argue “that it never did us any harm” and called on colleagues to stand up for children's rights. Professor Frank Oberklaid, a pediatrician from Melbourne's Royal Children's Hospital, said Australia was lagging behind other countries in outlawing smacking which, in some cases, could lead to abuse and even death.

3 Feb 2012

General anesthesia in infancy linked to ADHD

New research suggests that infants who undergo surgical procedures requiring general anesthesia in their first two years of life may be at increased risk of developing attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) as they grow older.

3 Feb 2012

Is sugar as bad as alcohol and tobacco?

According to US health experts, sugar is as damaging and addictive as alcohol or tobacco and should be regulated. The University of California team suggests new policies such as taxes are needed to control soaring consumption of sugar and sweeteners. Prof Robert Lustig argues in the opinion piece called “The Toxic Truth About Sugar” in journal Nature for major shifts in public policy.

3 Feb 2012

Knowledge, resources exist to reach maternal, child mortality MDGs in Africa with unified efforts

In this Global Health and Diplomacy opinion piece, Tanzanian President Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete examines efforts to meet Millennium Development Goal (MDG) targets on maternal and child mortality in Africa, noting, "Although Africa has just 12 percent of the global population, it accounts for half of all maternal deaths and half the deaths of children under five."

3 Feb 2012

Mental illness suspect genes are among the most environmentally responsive regulatory mechanisms

For the first time, scientists have tracked the activity, across the lifespan, of an environmentally responsive regulatory mechanism that turns genes on and off in the brain's executive hub.

3 Feb 2012

Change in sickle cell anemia prevention strategies decreases racial disparities in stroke-related deaths

The disparity in stroke-related deaths among black and white children dramatically narrowed after prevention strategies changed to include ultrasound screening and chronic blood transfusions for children with sickle cell anemia, according to research presented at the American Stroke Association's International Stroke Conference 2012.

3 Feb 2012

Pediatricians lead statewide effort to raise awareness about childhood vaccination

Two Saint Louis University pediatricians are leading a Missouri State Medical Association statewide effort to change the way doctors respond to parents' fears of vaccines, and to raise awareness about the importance of getting children vaccinated.

3 Feb 2012

India has worst child mortality gender differential worldwide, new U.N. data show

An Indian girl between the ages of one and five years old is 75 percent more likely to die than an Indian boy, giving the country the worst gender differential in child mortality in the world, according to new data released by the U.N. Department of Economic and Social Affairs, the Times of India reports.

3 Feb 2012

Height, BMI in early childhood can contribute to adult bone mass and density

Researchers from the University of Southampton, in collaboration with a research group in Delhi, India, have shown that growth in early childhood can affect bone density in adult life, which could lead to an increased risk of developing bone diseases like osteoporosis.

3 Feb 2012

Breastfeeding associated with improved lung function in children of asthmatic mothers

Breastfeeding is associated with improved lung function at school age, particularly in children of asthmatic mothers, according to a new study from researchers in Switzerland and the UK.

3 Feb 2012

Breastfeeding may improve lung function in school age children of asthmatic mothers

Breastfeeding is associated with improved lung function at school age, particularly in children of asthmatic mothers, according to a new study from researchers in Switzerland and the UK.

3 Feb 2012

DNA-based prenatal blood test can also identify trisomy 13 and 18

A newly available DNA-based prenatal blood test that can identify a pregnancy with Down syndrome can also identify two additional chromosome abnormalities: trisomy 18 (Edwards syndrome) and trisomy 13 (Patau syndrome). The test for all three defects can be offered as early as 10 weeks of pregnancy to women who have been identified as being at high risk for these abnormalities.

3 Feb 2012

Multiple exposures to anesthesia associated with higher rates of ADHD in children

Mayo Clinic researchers have found that multiple exposures to anesthesia at a young age are associated with higher rates of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

2 Feb 2012

Poor quality vaccination campaigns, lack of government commitment helping polio spread in Chad

"Poor-quality emergency immunization campaigns and low routine polio immunization coverage are helping the polio virus to spread in Chad, with 132 cases reported in 2011 -- five times the number in 2010," IRIN reports.

2 Feb 2012

Pros and cons of routine school BMI screening

The value of routine body mass index (BMI) screening in schools has been a topic of ongoing controversy. An expert Roundtable Discussion in the current issue of Childhood Obesity, a peer-reviewed journal published by Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., debates the pros and cons of routine BMI screening in the school setting, discusses the most recent data, and explores when and for what purpose BMI screening results should be shared with parents and the potential benefits.

2 Feb 2012

Child Health News

Tennessee Gov. declares February as 'St. Jude Month'

Future of social robotics requires meeting the expectations of human brain

Link between health and schooling among fleeing children

Whole-exome sequencing discovers cause of glycosylation disorders

Study to understand links between premature birth and maths disability in children

Should smacking of children be banned?

General anesthesia in infancy linked to ADHD

Is sugar as bad as alcohol and tobacco?

Knowledge, resources exist to reach maternal, child mortality MDGs in Africa with unified efforts

Mental illness suspect genes are among the most environmentally responsive regulatory mechanisms

Change in sickle cell anemia prevention strategies decreases racial disparities in stroke-related deaths

Pediatricians lead statewide effort to raise awareness about childhood vaccination

India has worst child mortality gender differential worldwide, new U.N. data show

Height, BMI in early childhood can contribute to adult bone mass and density

Breastfeeding associated with improved lung function in children of asthmatic mothers

Breastfeeding may improve lung function in school age children of asthmatic mothers

DNA-based prenatal blood test can also identify trisomy 13 and 18

Multiple exposures to anesthesia associated with higher rates of ADHD in children

Poor quality vaccination campaigns, lack of government commitment helping polio spread in Chad

Pros and cons of routine school BMI screening

Achieving and maintaining ISO/IEC 27001 and BS 10012 certifications

Expanding research and clinical options for children with cancer

Examining how pain could play a direct protective role in the gut

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