Pediatrics News and Research

Latest Pediatrics News and Research

Pediatricians should screen all children for vitamin D deficiency

As study after study shows the fundamental role vitamin D plays in disease and health, vitamin D deficiency — which often develops insidiously in childhood — should be on every parent's and pediatrician's radar, say physicians from the Johns Hopkins Children's Center.

23 Feb 2012

New Herman & Walter Samuelson Children's Hospital at Sinai to be dedicated on March 1

The new Herman & Walter Samuelson Children's Hospital at Sinai will be dedicated on Thursday, March 1. The 23,200-square-foot facility features 26 all-private rooms that support the very heart of the family-centered care philosophy. This method of care embraces the family as an integral part of the child's treatment and recovery. The family works alongside the clinical team to ensure the best outcomes for their sick child.

23 Feb 2012

Study examines impact of EHR on childhood obesity evaluation

Electronic health records and embedded tools can alert and direct pediatricians so they can better manage the weight of children and teenagers, according to a new Kaiser Permanente study published online in The Journal of Pediatrics.

22 Feb 2012

Promising antibiotic alternative to fight bacteria that causes strep throat

Researchers have discovered a promising alternative to common antibiotics used to fight the bacteria that causes strep throat. In an article published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the scientists discussed how their discovery could fight the infection with a reduced risk of antibiotic resistance.

22 Feb 2012

Breastfeeding mother's consumption of caffeine may cause wakefulness and irritability in the baby

Babies are not able to metabolize or excrete caffeine very well, so a breastfeeding mother's consumption of caffeine may lead to caffeine accumulation and symptoms such as wakefulness and irritability, according to an interview with expert Ruth Lawrence, MD, published in Journal of Caffeine Research, a peer-reviewed journal from Mary Ann Liebert, Inc.

22 Feb 2012

Series of studies on rising obesity rates among kids

New figures show that nearly a quarter of secondary school students are overweight or obese, and lifestyle and socio-economic status are implicated. The research was funded by Cancer Councils around Australia and the National Heart Foundation. A series of articles published in the Medical Journal of Australia draws attention to the challenges presented by overweight and obesity to people in a variety of age groups especially children.

21 Feb 2012

Teenagers can make do with less sleep: Study finds

According to guidelines teenagers need nine hours of sleep a night, but a new study suggests more sleep can actually hurt a teen's grades.

21 Feb 2012

Gender nonconformity in childhood leads to increased risk of abuse: Study

According to researchers from Harvard School of Public Health and Children's Hospital Boston, children who do not conform to their gender-expected behaviors and interests are at a higher risk of being abused and facing subsequent traumas. Their work is published in the journal Pediatrics.

21 Feb 2012

A pediatric version of Rothman Index

Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC is partnering with Rothman Healthcare Corporation in their development of a pediatric version of the Rothman Index. The Rothman Index, currently in use in adult patient populations, quantifies a patient's condition (based on vital signs, nursing assessments and lab results) displayed in a user-friendly graphical format.

20 Feb 2012

Autism may be evident in an infant’s brain much earlier than thought: Study

Researchers have found that autism shows tell tale signs in babies as young as 6 months old — half a year or more before parents typically begin to notice symptoms of the condition. The results shed light on the fundamental differences in the brains of autistic children and could help lead to earlier detection and treatment, says co-author Geraldine Dawson, chief science officer at Autism Speaks, which helped fund the study in today's American Journal of Psychiatry.

20 Feb 2012

Massive infant Tylenol recall

Johnson & Johnson has announced the recall of its entire U.S. supply of infants' Tylenol—about 574,000 bottles—due to a design flaw. The flaw involved bottles of grape-flavoured infants' Tylenol, which had only just returned to shelves in November announced J&J last Friday.

20 Feb 2012

CAI improves asthma outcomes and saves $1.46 for every dollar spent

Nearly 1 in 10 children have asthma, according to government statistics, and in low-income parts of Boston, nearly 16 percent of children are affected. A program called the Community Asthma Initiative (CAI), developed and implemented in 2005 by clinicians at Children's Hospital Boston, demonstrates the potential to dramatically reduce hospitalization and emergency department visits for asthma -- improving patient outcomes and saving $1.46 per dollar spent through reduced hospital utilization.

20 Feb 2012

Gender identity disorder linked with mental health risk in children

The first study to characterize a cohort of U.S. children with diagnosed gender identity disorder, led by researchers at Children's Hospital Boston, documents significant mental health risks as children struggle with strong feelings of being born "in the wrong body."

20 Feb 2012

Arsenic found in baby formula containing organic brown rice syrup

Rice is among the plants that are efficient in taking up arsenic from the soil, environmental chemist Brian Jackson of Dartmouth College in Hanover, N.H., and his co-authors said in Thursday's issue of the journal Environmental Health Perspectives. Long-term exposure to extremely high levels of inorganic arsenic can increase the risk of lung, liver and bladder cancer as well as miscarriage and infertility.

18 Feb 2012

Impact of maternal mental health and antidepressant exposure on mechanics of early language acquisition

While babies are born ready to learn any of the world's languages, the crucial developmental period when they attune to their native languages can change due to environmental influences such as maternal depression or a bilingual upbringing, according to new University of British Columbia research.

18 Feb 2012

Novel feeding device may decrease risk of FTT in newborns with congenital heart defects

A novel feeding device developed at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing may decrease the risk of failure to thrive (FTT), which currently affects half of all newborns with congenital heart defects even after their surgical lesions are corrected.

18 Feb 2012

Adherence rates for hypertension medications lower among African-American patients

Racial disparities in hypertension control account for nearly 8,000 preventable deaths annually among African-Americans, making increased blood pressure control among African-Americans a "compelling goal," reported Lisa M. Lewis, PhD, RN, of the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing in the Journal of Cardiovascular Nursing.

18 Feb 2012

MIEMSS re-designates JHH as a Level IIIC Perinatal Referral Center for Maryland

The Maryland Institute for Emergency Medical Services Systems (MIEMSS), an independent state agency responsible for overseeing and coordinating all emergency medical services throughout the state, has re-designated The Johns Hopkins Hospital (JHH) as a Level IIIC Perinatal Referral Center for Maryland.

18 Feb 2012

UH's Eye Institute receives $5M Elisabeth Severance Prentiss Foundation gift

The Elisabeth Severance Prentiss Foundation again has demonstrated its commitment to University Hospitals (UH) with a $5 million gift for the Eye Institute. The gift will honor the late Benjamin L. Millikin, MD, husband of Julia Severance and the grandfather of Prentiss Foundation trustee Elisabeth Alexander.

18 Feb 2012

Dance against diabetes

Heart disease is the leading cause of death among people with diabetes. In a unique upbeat program, professor and nurse practitioner Terri Lipman, PhD, CRNP, of the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing, encourages children to ward off diabetes and hip-hop their way to good health.

17 Feb 2012