Pediatrics News and Research

Latest Pediatrics News and Research

Florida obstetricians collaborate to lower premature and Cesarean birth rates

Much has been published of late, in medical journals as well as in the general media, concerning the national rise in both the Cesarean section and premature birth rates. While not directly connected, the two medical concerns have many interrelated variables. Nationally, the Cesarean section rate has risen to 32 percent of all births, while the rate of premature birth has climbed to just over 12 percent.

24 Jun 2010

Researchers find way to get beneficial effects of estrogen without increasing woman's risk of cancer

Researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center have pinpointed a set of biological mechanisms through which estrogen confers its beneficial effects on the cardiovascular system, independent of the hormone's actions on cancer. Their investigation suggests that drugs targeting a specific subpopulation of estrogen receptors found outside the cell nucleus might activate the cardiovascular benefits of estrogen without increasing cancer risk.

24 Jun 2010

New study of homicides reveals seasonality of child abuse as a myth

A new study of homicides of 797 children younger than age five has found that these deaths occur uniformly throughout the year, dispelling the widely held anecdotal notion that the winter months, and especially winter holidays, are a time of increased child abuse.

23 Jun 2010

Educational comic strips can help young girls make better food choices, improve physical fitness: Study

Lively, educational comic strips, geared to 8- to 10-year-old African-American girls, can help these young viewers make better food choices and improve their physical fitness. That's what happened in a preliminary study, reported several years ago, with 78 Internet-savvy African American girls age 8 to 10. Now, the program's creators hope to repeat the study in a larger test with 400 young volunteers and their parents. The scientists also want to develop a version targeted to Hispanic girls.

23 Jun 2010

Four new EVP grants awarded for interdisciplinary research to tackle environmental challenges

The Woods Institute for the Environment at Stanford University has awarded four new Environmental Venture Projects grants for interdisciplinary research aimed at finding practical solutions promoting global sustainability.

23 Jun 2010

Preschool children with tooth decay more likely to be obese: Study

Preschool children with tooth decay may be more likely to be overweight or obese than the general population and, regardless of weight, are more likely to consume too many calories, a new study indicates. The results will be presented Saturday at The Endocrine Society's 92nd Annual Meeting in San Diego.

23 Jun 2010

Politics surround Berwick, no hearings scheduled for CMS nominee

"Hospital executives who have worked with Dr. Berwick describe him as a visionary, inspiring leader. But a battle has erupted over his nomination, suggesting that Dr. Berwick faces a long uphill struggle to win Senate confirmation. Republicans are using the nomination to revive their arguments against the new health care law, which they see as a potent issue in this fall's elections, and Dr. Berwick has given them plenty of ammunition. In two decades as a professor of health policy and as a prolific writer, he has spoken of the need to ration health care and cap spending and has confessed to a love affair with the British health care system."

23 Jun 2010

No increased risk of childhood cancer if born near mobile phone stations: Study

There have been concerns regarding increased risk for cancer in children born to mothers who lived near mobile phone stations during their pregnancy after a report of a cluster of childhood cancer cases near such stations. A newly published study in the British Medical Journal refutes such beliefs and has found no link to early childhood cancers and living near mobile phone masts.

22 Jun 2010

Prototype drug blocks MCL-1 protein that helps tumors survive treatment: Scientists

Scientists at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute have found a way to disable a common protein that often thwarts chemotherapy treatment of several major forms of cancer.

21 Jun 2010

Alcohol consumption guidelines during pregnancy needed: Study

Before 2001 Australian health guidelines recommended that pregnant women should not consume alcohol. These guidelines were introduced in 1992. In 2001 the consensus guidelines recommended avoidance of “high” blood levels of alcohol but did not say no to lower levels of alcohol. In 2009 National Health and Medical Research Council advised that all women planning a pregnancy, pregnant or breastfeeding should not drink alcohol at all.

20 Jun 2010

Biomechanical implications of low-height falls in toddlers

An in-depth scientific article published in the July 2010 issue of Journal of Neurosurgery: Pediatrics, entitled Biomechanics of the toddler fall during low-height falls elucidates the impact of head injuries caused by low-height falls in toddlers, using an anthropomorphic biomechanical surrogate.

19 Jun 2010

ASHP communicates support for Berwick nomination to Senate

The American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP) communicated its strong support for the nomination of Donald M. Berwick, M.D., as administrator of the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).

19 Jun 2010

Preclinical study shows treatment with DAS181 inhibits infection with multiple HPIV strains

NexBio, Inc. announced today the publication of a "Major Article" in the Journal of Infectious Diseases of a preclinical study showing that treatment with DAS181 (Fludase) inhibits infection with multiple human parainfluenza virus strains. DAS181 is a broad spectrum host-targeted investigational drug candidate for treatment and prevention of Influenza-Like Illness.

19 Jun 2010

New partnership established to reduce newborn mortality

The U.S. Agency for International Development signed a Memorandum of Understanding this week with the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Laerdal Medical AS, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and Save the Children. The objective of this Global Development Alliance is to reduce newborn mortality by expanding access to high-quality, affordable newborn resuscitation training materials and devices, improving the competence of birth attendants to resuscitate newborns, strengthening health systems and promoting global commitment and resources for life-saving newborn care.

19 Jun 2010

LUHS opens clinic to treat debilitating effects of CPP in women

Loyola University Health System has opened a clinic to treat the debilitating effects of chronic pelvic pain in women. The clinic is located at the Loyola Outpatient Center at 2160 S. First Ave., in Maywood.

19 Jun 2010

National Cheng Kung University Hospital's Outpatient Building inaugurated

The Outpatient Building of National Cheng Kung University Hospital was officially inaugurated on June 12th to provide excellent medical service and to further ensure the health of people in Southern Taiwan.

18 Jun 2010

9th INT'L BIO FORUM & BIO EXPO JAPAN from June 30 - July 2, 2010

9th INT'L BIO FORUM & BIO EXPO JAPAN, organized by Reed Exhibitions Japan, will come back again as Asia's largest bio-event from June 30 - July 2, 2010. "Gene diagnosis" is one of the featured topics for this year.

18 Jun 2010

University of Utah makes progress against SMA with support of Families of Spinal Muscular Atrophy

18 Jun 2010

Researchers make significant headway in fight against SMA

Researchers at the University of Utah are making strides in understanding and combating a motor neuron disease known as Spinal Muscular Atrophy. The spinal muscular atrophies are a group of inherited diseases that cause progressive degeneration of motor nerves resulting in muscle weakness. The most common form of the disorder, due to the deletion of a critical gene on chromosome 5, is currently the leading cause of inherited infant and child mortality.

18 Jun 2010

An ubiquitin-specific peptidase that potentially promote cancer cell necrosis

"ubiquitin-specific peptidase 21 (USP21) has been identified as another essential player in regulation of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha)-induced nuclear factor kappaB (NF-kappaB) activation by working on receptor-interacting protein 1(RIP1)."

18 Jun 2010