Pediatrics News and Research

Latest Pediatrics News and Research

Lack of sleep makes children fat

A new study by researchers in the United States has found that children who do not get enough sleep are more likely to be overweight.

6 Nov 2007

U-M study finds shorter sleep duration for 9- to 12-year-old kids is associated with increased risk for being overweight

Diets high in fat and sugar may not be the only things contributing to American children's expanding waistlines. Research findings from the University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children's Hospital suggest that kids who aren't getting enough sleep also may be at an increased risk for being overweight.

5 Nov 2007

First systemic therapy for fatal childhood disease - recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa

University of Minnesota Children's Hospital, Fairview physicians have performed the first bone marrow and cord blood transplant to treat recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa (RDEB).

5 Nov 2007

Anesthesia pouch allows children to go home sooner after surgery

Children recovering from orthopaedic surgery feel less pain and leave the hospital sooner when they go home with a small pouch that delivers local anesthetic agents and blocks pain transmission from surgical sites.

5 Nov 2007

US adults most likely to report medical errors and skip needed care due to costs

At a time when the U.S. spends more than double what other countries spend for medical care - $6,697 per capita in 2005 - a new Commonwealth Fund seven-nation survey finds that U.S. patients are more likely to report experiencing medical errors, to go without care because of costs, and to say that the health care system needs to be rebuilt completely.

2 Nov 2007

California kids not being read to!

A new report reveals that California ranks in the bottom half of the nation - 42nd out of 50 states and the District of Columbia - in the percentage of children who are read to daily by their parents.

2 Nov 2007

More than 25 percent of children heart disease are overweight or obese

Obesity is common in children with heart disease, a population already at increased risk of a shortened life expectancy.

2 Nov 2007

Indomethacin drug for stopping preterm labor may be harmful for babies

A drug commonly used to halt premature labor may be associated with brain damage and intestinal issues in premature babies, according to a new analysis of studies on the issue published today in American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

2 Nov 2007

Children with Asperger syndrome have a high prevalence of some sleep disorders

The first known attempt to evaluate the sleep patterns of children with Asperper Syndrome (AS), taking into account sleep architecture and the cyclic alternating pattern (CAP), finds that children with AS have a high prevalence of some sleep disorders and mainly problems related to initiating sleep and sleep restlessness together with morning problems and daytime sleepiness, according to a study published in the November 1 issue of the journal SLEEP.

2 Nov 2007

How one virus mimicks a normal cellular protein to replicate successfully

Both viruses and cancers subvert the growth-control machinery in a cell to serve their own needs.

1 Nov 2007

Coalition's guidelines on fish consumption for pregnant women 'misleading,' opinion piece says

The National Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition's recent recommendations for fish and seafood consumption for pregnant and breast-feeding women are "misleading" and a "classic example of industry-driven marketing under the cloak of scientific research," Andrea Kavanagh, director of the National Environmental Trust's Pure Salmon Campaign, writes in a Los Angeles Times opinion piece (Kavanagh, Los Angeles Times, 10/31).

31 Oct 2007

Watching TV found to be linked to obesity and now hypertension in kids

Researchers from the University of California, San Diego; the Rady Children's Hospital - San Diego; the University of California, San Francisco; and the University of South Alabama determined that television viewing is not only linked to childhood obesity, but also to hypertension in children, according to a study published in the December 2007 issue of the American Journal of Preventive Medicine.

31 Oct 2007

Pre-op antibiotics prevent infection for wisdom teeth surger

Patients who have their wisdom teeth pulled and do not take antibiotics before surgery are twice as likely to get an infection after the surgery than those who take a single dose of antibiotics shortly before surgery, says Eastman Dental Center researchersYan-Fang Ren, DDS, PhD, MPH and Hans Malmstrom, DDS.

30 Oct 2007

Experts say screen for autism twice before age two

The American Academy of Pediatrics says children should be screened for the disorder twice before the age of two, as early intervention can lessen the severity of the symptoms.

30 Oct 2007

Does no TV mean increased physical activity in teens?

If young teenagers can't watch TV or play computer games, will they fill that time with physical activity?

29 Oct 2007

Epilepsy-induced brain cell damage blocked in lab experiments

For some epilepsy patients, the side effects of epilepsy can be as troubling as the seizures.

29 Oct 2007

Early autism detection

In an attempt to spot autism earlier, the American Academy of Pediatrics has recently recommended that all children be screened for autism twice by age 2 - advice that many St. Louis families already heed thanks to a partnership between Saint Louis University and Parents as Teachers.

29 Oct 2007

Ten tips to help asthma-proof your home

The onset of winter cold and flu season combined with colder, short days unfortunately all contribute to increased asthma symptoms for many children.

28 Oct 2007

What is a critical lab value? it depends, Hopkins researchers find

When it comes to lab tests, interpreting the clinical importance of an out-of-range result depends on how much experience a physician has, suggests research from the Johns Hopkins Children's Center.

28 Oct 2007

Vaginal reconstruction not needed for most inter-sex females

Dispelling a common myth, researchers from the Johns Hopkins Children's Center say vaginal reconstruction should be a matter of preference for most teens or adult women born with a type of inter-sex condition marked by the presence of both female and male genitals.

28 Oct 2007