Pediatrics News and Research

Latest Pediatrics News and Research

Scientist invents new approach to boost body's response to vaccinations

As the medical community searches for better vaccines and ways to deliver them, a University of Rochester scientist believes he has discovered a new approach to boosting the body's response to vaccinations.Richard P. Phipps, Ph.D., found that the same molecules used in drugs that treat diabetes also stimulate B cells in the immune system, pushing them to make antibodies for protection against invading microorganisms.

5 Aug 2010

Tips for healthy eating at college

For college students, the campus dining hall offers a tantalizing feast: ice-cream sundaes every night, thirty varieties of cereal and a limitless supply of french fries."It's like a smorgasborg on a cruise ship," said Cynthia Bulik, PhD, director of the Eating Disorders Program at the UNC School of Medicine. All-you-can-eat dining halls, along with changes in exercise habits, have been blamed for the "freshman 15," in which first-year students gain weight.

5 Aug 2010

Pregnancy weight gain liked to childhood obesity: Study

Women who gain excessive weight during pregnancy have a greater chance their babies will be born too big. Scientists are trying to find whether this relationship of gaining too much weight by mother and baby is genetic and can predispose the child to be obese later in life.

4 Aug 2010

Researchers identify TACI; MyD88 activates immune system against infection

Researchers from Mount Sinai School of Medicine have found a new mechanism that explains how certain immune cells are activated to create protective antibodies against infections or pathological antibodies such as those present in autoimmune diseases like lupus and rheumatoid arthritis. The research is published online in the September issue of Nature Immunology.

4 Aug 2010

Tooth erosion in kids a growing problem say concerned dental experts

In a new study by the Australian Dental Association (ADA), including more than 700 children aged six to 15, at least 68 per cent showed some sign of tooth erosion. The ADA says that the pattern of tooth erosion is similar to that seen in wine drinkers. But due to the surge in fruit juice bar and sports drinks products, which are popular among young people, children have been affected.

3 Aug 2010

Group skill building intervention programs for foster care children may help improve mental health

Incorporating mentoring and group skill-building intervention programs for children in foster care may help improve mental health outcomes in this population, according to a report in the August issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

3 Aug 2010

Pairing adolescents with college student mentors keeps kids healthy, fit

A program pairing healthy young adults with urban middle school students helped the adolescents adopt healthy habits, active lifestyles and a healthy weight, according to a new study from the University of Maryland School of Medicine. The study, published August 2 in the journal Pediatrics, found that linking African American, inner city adolescents in Baltimore with one-on-one mentorship from college students prevented the schoolchildren from becoming overweight for at least two years after the mentorship experience. Researchers found the adolescents ate fewer snacks and desserts, and engaged in active play more often. The rate of overweight/obesity in the group declined five percent.

3 Aug 2010

Study finds hunger as a serious risk factor for long-term poor health among children, youth

Children and youth who experience hunger appear more likely to have health problems, and repeated episodes of hunger may be particularly toxic, according to a report in the August issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

3 Aug 2010

Using internet can develop depression among teens

Teens who use the Internet pathologically appear more likely to develop depression than those who do not, according to a report posted online today that will appear in the October print issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.

3 Aug 2010

Survey on administrating human papillomavirus vaccine for cervical cancer prevention

The vast majority of pediatricians and family physicians nationally are offering the human papillomavirus (also called HPV) vaccine, though fewer physicians are strongly encouraging it for 11- to 12-year-old girls as recommended by national guidelines, according to a survey in the September issue of Pediatrics, the journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics.

3 Aug 2010

BioMarin provides update on PEG-PAL Phase 2 clinical study for phenylketonuria

BioMarin Pharmaceutical Inc. announced today an update in the Phase 2 clinical study of PEG-PAL (PEGylated recombinant phenylalanine ammonia lyase) for the treatment of phenylketonuria (PKU). Data reported in this announcement reflect preliminary results as of July 23, 2010. Complete top-line results are expected in the fourth quarter of 2010.

3 Aug 2010

High levels of lead found in Mount Isa children: Study

According to a report published in the Medical Journal of Australia (MJA) yesterday, on average one child in the Queensland mining town of Mount Isa will exceed safe lead levels every nine days. The report also claimed that not enough was done to address the problem. MP Betty Kiernan has defended the measures taken to address this serious problem.

3 Aug 2010

Rethink Autism, eSchool News offer webinar to show how schools can save costs using new technology

Public school administrators are facing the prospect of deeper budget cuts in cities and states nationwide. Meanwhile, schools with fewer resources are challenged to comply with the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, which guarantees "free appropriate" education to all disabled students, including the growing number of students with an Autism Spectrum Disorder. In addition, parents are pressuring schools to either comply with the IDEA or face legal action.

2 Aug 2010

Study uses text messages to increase medication compliance in adolescent diabetes patients

Jennifer Dyer, MD, MPH, an endocrinologist at Nationwide Children's Hospital, has developed and completed a pilot study that uses weekly, customized text messages to remind adolescent diabetes patients about their personal treatment activities. At the conclusion of the study, Dr. Dyer found an increase in overall treatment adherence and improved blood glucose levels.

31 Jul 2010

Genetics research team discovers new recurrent translocations

A genetics research team based at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia continues to discover recurrent translocations—places in which two chromosomes exchange pieces of themselves. As many as 1 in 600 persons carry balanced chromosome translocations, which involve no loss or gain of DNA. Most such people appear healthy, but may have a child with abnormal chromosome composition and disabilities resulting from disrupted, extra or missing copies of genes.

30 Jul 2010

Supplementation of vitamin D protects vascular systems: Study

Vitamin D deficiency is associated with arterial stiffness, a risk factor for heart disease and stroke, in black teens according to a new study accepted for publication in The Endocrine Society's Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (JCEM). Black teens taking vitamin D supplementation of 2,000 international units (IU) per day had a decrease in central arterial stiffness.

30 Jul 2010

TNF blockers may increase the risk of malignancy in children

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) received reports of malignancies in children using tumor necrosis factor a (TNF) blockers, raising concerns of an associated risk and prompting an investigation.

29 Jul 2010

New study shows vitamin D deficiency is associated with arterial stiffness

Vitamin D deficiency is associated with arterial stiffness, a risk factor for heart disease and stroke, in black teens according to a new study accepted for publication in The Endocrine Society's www.endo-society.org. Black teens taking vitamin D supplementation of 2,000 international units per day had a decrease in central arterial stiffness.

29 Jul 2010

The Children's Hospital constructs new LEED-certified patient tower

The Children's Hospital has begun the construction of a 10-story, 350,000-square-foot addition. The $230 million expansion of a new patient tower initially will have 124 beds, with two floors of shelled space for additional future beds, bringing the total number of patient beds at Children's to around 500 upon full completion. The expansion also is expected to bring approximately 500 new jobs to the hospital's workforce. Children's anticipates admitting patients in the LEED-certified tower beginning in late 2012.

29 Jul 2010

NIH grants $14.85 million to complete two floors of NRI at Texas Children's Hospital

Neurological research at Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children's Hospital is getting a big boost in the form of a $14.85 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to complete two floors of the Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute at Texas Children's Hospital.

29 Jul 2010