Pediatrics News and Research

Latest Pediatrics News and Research

Surgery offers hope for migraine sufferers

In newly released research, 79 migraine sufferers were followed for at least five years after having undergone detection of migraine "trigger sites" and surgery. The new data finds promising outcomes for treating trigger sites surgically for migraine headaches resulting in elimination of pain for those afflicted with the condition.

26 Oct 2009

Millions of children in the US suffer from suboptimal levels of vitamin D

Millions of children in the United States between the ages of 1 and 11 may suffer from suboptimal levels of vitamin D, according to a large nationally representative study published in the November 2009 issue of Pediatrics, accompanied by an editorial.

26 Oct 2009

Study on Pten's tumour suppressive functions published

Sanford Barsky, M.D., who holds faculty positions at the University of Nevada School of Medicine as chair of the pathology department and Nevada Cancer Institute chief of pathology, is part of a team that has a paper on transgenic mouse mammary tumors with direct relevance to human breast cancer published in the October 22 issue of the scientific journal Nature.

24 Oct 2009

Bioethicist honored with March of Dimes Distinguished Lectureship in Perinatal Bioethics award

A bioethicist who specializes in moral dilemmas families face when making medical decisions for critically-ill newborns was honored with the first-ever March of Dimes Distinguished Lectureship in Perinatal Bioethics.

24 Oct 2009

Findings may lead to new vaccine strategies for pulmonary tularemia

Immunologists at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh of UPMC and the have found a unique quirk in the way the immune system fends off bacteria called Francisella tularensis, which could lead to vaccines that are better able to prevent tularemia infection of the lungs. Their findings were published today in the early, online version of Immunity.

23 Oct 2009

Tips to prevent allergy during Halloween

The haunted happenings of Halloween are upon us and soon we'll be carving pumpkins, dressing in costumes and telling spooky stories. But if your child has a food allergy, what's at the bottom of his or her trick-or-treat bag may be more frightening than any ghost or goblin.

23 Oct 2009

Orlando Health implements MedeAnalytics' Clinical Resource Analytics to streamline operational costs

MedeAnalytics, a leading provider of healthcare performance management solutions, announced it has expanded its solution suite at Orlando Health to now include Clinical Resource Analytics.

22 Oct 2009

Amputation prevention tips for diabetic patients

While "One Foot, Two Foot, Red Foot, Blue Foot" may be the opening line of a humorous children's book by Dr. Seuss, foot complications are no laughing matter to the 20 million Americans with diabetes. According to the American Orthopaedic Foot & Ankle Society (AOFAS), ulceration, infection, and gangrene are the most common foot and ankle problems of the diabetic patient.

21 Oct 2009

Lactose intolerance rates may be overestimated by wide margins

Prevalence of lactose intolerance may be far lower than previously estimated, according to a study in the latest issue of Nutrition Today.(1) The study, which uses data from a national sample of three ethnic groups, reveals that the overall prevalence rate of self-reported lactose intolerance is 12 percent - with 7.72 percent of European Americans, 10.05 percent of Hispanic Americans and 19.5 percent of African Americans who consider themselves lactose intolerant.

21 Oct 2009

Persistence of sucking habits increases risk of speech disorders in preschool children

Pacifier, baby bottle or finger sucking may hamper a child's speech development if the habit goes on too long.

21 Oct 2009

School meal programs should adopt new set of nutrient targets, says IOM

The National School Lunch Program and the School Breakfast Program should adopt a new set of nutrient targets and standards for menu planning, says a new report from the Institute of Medicine.

21 Oct 2009

Children restrained in belt-positioning booster seats less likely to get injured

A study released today in Pediatrics by The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia offers updated evidence that children ages 4 to 8 who are restrained in the rear seat of a car in a belt-positioning booster seat are 45 percent less likely to be injured in a crash compared with children using a seat belt alone. Furthermore, the study showed there was no difference in the level of protection offered by backless versus high back booster seats.

20 Oct 2009

Novel H1N1 influenza raises parents' awareness and concern about seasonal influenza

Novel H1N1 influenza has raised parents' awareness and concern about seasonal influenza, increasing the likelihood that they will get their children vaccinated compared to past years, according to a recent national survey commissioned by the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID).

20 Oct 2009

AAP's initiative to address childhood asthma

With chronic diseases on the rise in children, pediatricians are looking for solutions to improve care and outcomes for these often complex illnesses. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) today announced a new initiative funded with a grant from the Merck Childhood Asthma Network, Inc. (MCAN) that will allow pediatricians across the country to pilot a series of quality improvement programs to effectively address the top chronic disease affecting kids - childhood asthma.

20 Oct 2009

New technique to treat metabolic disorders in babies while still in the womb

Researchers say a new development in cord blood transplants for inherited metabolic disorders may be curative for some babies who are treated while still in the womb.

20 Oct 2009

Children with history of diabetic ketoacidosis may have memory problems

Children who have had an episode of diabetic ketoacidosis, a common complication of diabetes, may have persistent memory problems, according to a new study from researchers at the UC Davis Center for Mind and Brain.

19 Oct 2009

Lead exposure in early childhood can impact test scores

Exposure to lead in early childhood significantly contributes to lower performances on end-of-grade (EOG) reading tests among minority and low-income children, according to researchers at Duke University and North Carolina Central University.

19 Oct 2009

Alnara Pharmaceuticals’ announces results of its international Phase 3 study of liprotamase

Alnara Pharmaceuticals, a pharmaceutical company developing novel, non-systemic orally delivered protein therapeutics for the treatment of metabolic diseases, today announced results from an international, Phase 3 open-label, long-term safety study demonstrating the safety and nutritional benefits of liprotamase, a novel pancreatic enzyme replacement therapy (PERT) for patients with cystic fibrosis (CF).

19 Oct 2009

AstraZeneca's CRESTOR approved for treating pediatric patients with HeFH

AstraZeneca today announced the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved CRESTOR® (rosuvastatin calcium) for use in pediatric patients ages 10-17 with heterozygous familial hypercholesterolemia (HeFH) when diet therapy fails to reduce elevated cholesterol. HeFH, a genetic disease, is characterized by high LDL cholesterol (the "bad" cholesterol) and increased risk of early cardiovascular disease.

19 Oct 2009

Majority of girls and young women well aware of HPV vaccine's benefits and limitations

Contrary to concerns that the human papillomavirus vaccine might promote promiscuity, a national survey of girls and young women found that the majority of respondents did not believe the HPV vaccine protected them against other sexually transmitted infections.

19 Oct 2009