Pediatrics News and Research

Latest Pediatrics News and Research

Obesity epidemic requires new focus on controlling energy balance and preventing weight gain

As the United States confronts the growing epidemic of obesity among children and adults, a team of University of Colorado School of Medicine obesity researchers concludes that what the nation needs is a new battle plan - one that replaces the emphasis on widespread food restriction and weight loss with an emphasis on helping people achieve "energy balance" at a healthy body weight.

4 Jul 2012

Researchers identify new gene target for leukemia therapy

Researchers at the University of Cincinnati (UC) Hoxworth Blood Center have discovered a new gene target for leukemia therapy.

3 Jul 2012

Pernix to acquire Great Southern

Pernix Therapeutics Holdings, Inc., a specialty pharmaceutical company, today announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Great Southern Laboratories, a privately-held pharmaceutical contract manufacturing company located in Houston, Texas.

3 Jul 2012

Pediatric pain still common in hospitals

Despite advances in the understanding and treatment of pediatric pain, many hospitalized children continue to experience serious pain, according to a Johns Hopkins Children’s Center study published online ahead of print in the journal Pain Management Nursing.

2 Jul 2012

Obesity during adulthood linked to sexual and physical abuse during childhood

Investigators from Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM) and Boston University's Slone Epidemiology Center report research findings that may shed light on influences on obesity during adulthood. Appearing in the journal Pediatrics, the study found an association of severity of sexual and physical abuse during childhood and adolescence with obesity during adulthood.

2 Jul 2012

Smokers with COPD may find relief with cystic fibrosis drug

A drug developed to treat certain strains of cystic fibrosis may be useful in the treatment of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, one of the most common lung diseases, which is seen frequently in smokers and has no cure. The findings were published online Friday, June 29, 2012 in the online journal PLoS ONE by researchers at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

30 Jun 2012

Researchers discover new gene mutations associated with megalencephaly

A research team led by Seattle Children's Research Institute has discovered new gene mutations associated with markedly enlarged brain size, or megalencephaly.

30 Jun 2012

Eight-year trends in pediatric drug use examined

A review of US outpatient pediatric drug use over the past 8 years shows a decrease in systemic antibiotic, allergy, pain, and depression prescriptions, and an increase in asthma, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, and contraceptive prescriptions.

29 Jun 2012

Stanford Medical School comment on Supreme Court ruling on health-care reform law

Today’s Supreme Court ruling on the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 advances the broad effort to extend health-care coverage and control medical costs, though it raises questions about how certain provisions of the policy will be implemented, Stanford University School of Medicine experts said. Here are some initial comments on the court’s landmark decision.

29 Jun 2012

LUHS among select group of hospitals nationwide to improve breastfeeding rates

Loyola University Health System (LUHS) is among a select group of 90 hospitals nationwide that have been asked to participate in Best Fed Beginnings, a first-of-its-kind initiative to significantly improve breastfeeding rates in states where they are the lowest.

28 Jun 2012

TB research finds body’s own response helps TB bacteria survive

Inhibiting a key immune response in mice during initial multi-drug treatment for tuberculosis could — paradoxically — shorten treatment time for the highly contagious lung infection according to new research from Johns Hopkins Children’s Center and the Center for TB Research. Shorter duration of drug therapy is key, researchers say, to increase treatment compliance for the growing global health threat posed by the disease.

28 Jun 2012

Up to 1 out of every 5 pregnant and new mothers will experience PPD and anxiety

Up to 1 out of every 5 pregnant and new mothers will experience prenatal or postpartum depression (PPD) and anxiety. Most women are undiagnosed and inadequately treated, if treated at all.

28 Jun 2012

Women & Infants Hospital of Rhode Island to participate in Best Fed Beginnings

Women & Infants Hospital of Rhode Island has been selected to participate in Best Fed Beginnings, a first-of-its-kind national effort to significantly improve breastfeeding rates in states where rates are currently the lowest. Rhode Island ranks 35th in the nation for breastfeeding initiation. Women & Infants is the only hospital in New England to be selected for this collaborative.

27 Jun 2012

Apple iPad 2 can affect programmable shunt valve in children with hydrocephalus

Researchers at the University of Michigan have found that the Apple iPad 2 can interfere with settings of magnetically programmable shunt devices, which are often used to treat children with hydrocephalus.

27 Jun 2012

ESCs and iPSCs demonstrate similar survival and neural differentiation capabilities

Researchers in Japan who evaluated the risks and efficacy of transplanting two varieties of stem cells into mouse cochlea have concluded that both adult-derived induced pluripotent stem (iPS) cells and mouse embryonic stem (ES) cells demonstrate similar survival and neural differentiation capabilities.

27 Jun 2012

Medela, King West Pictures and NWMMB partner to increase awareness of human milk banks

Medela, Inc., today announced a partnership with King West Pictures and the Northwest Mothers Milk Bank (NWMMB) to increase awareness of human milk banks and the value of breastmilk feeding, especially for preterm babies. The collaborators will launch the film screening series this summer to showcase families helping to provide the life-saving benefits of breastmilk including to preterm babies in neonatal intensive care units.

27 Jun 2012

Scoring system identifies appendicitis in pediatric acute abdomen pain

Using a pediatric appendicitis score may help to identify true cases of appendicitis among children who present to emergency departments with acute abdominal pain, researchers report.

26 Jun 2012

Toothpaste is enough for baby’s teeth

Using chlorhexidine gel on infants’ teeth achieves no more than using fluoride toothpaste alone to prevent early childhood caries, show the results of a randomized, controlled clinical trial.

26 Jun 2012

Age at which ADHD children begin taking medication influences academic progress

A team of researchers led by an epidemiologist at Mount Sinai School of Medicine and University of Iceland has found a correlation between the age at which children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) begin taking medication, and how well they perform on standardized tests, particularly in math.

26 Jun 2012

SCRI receives NIH grant for Science Adventure Lab program

Over the past three years, more than 20,000 students at 135 schools in Washington State have participated in the Science Adventure Lab program, an initiative launched by Seattle Children's Research Institute in 2009.

26 Jun 2012