Pediatrics News and Research

Latest Pediatrics News and Research

Adequate resources, trained staff lacking for pediatric emergency care

Recommendations to improve emergency care for children from a three-part report by Institute of Medicine "should be considered and implemented immediately," Joseph Wright, a member of the IOM's Committee on the Future of Emergency Care in the U.S. Health System, writes in a Washington Post, opinion piece.

3 Oct 2006

Progesterone improves outcomes for victims of traumatic brain injury

A new study suggests that giving progesterone to victims with Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) shortly following brain injury may reduce the risk of death and the degree of disability, and appears to be safe.

3 Oct 2006

One-third of U.S. kids unfit

Researchers in the U.S. report that as many as one-third of American children are physically unfit but boys are in better shape than girls.

3 Oct 2006

When it comes to the flu, antivirals far more effective than antibiotics

It seems that even though influenza has been shown to be better treated with anti-viral medication doctors and hospitals continue to use antibiotics, often with deadly consequences.

2 Oct 2006

One-third of infant deaths occur in prem babies

Almost twice as many infant deaths than previously estimated, are because babies are born prematurely.

2 Oct 2006

Smoke alarm using parent's voice more effective in rousing children

A new study has found that a smoke alarm using a parent's voice is significantly more effective than a conventional tone alarm for waking children who are sleeping soundly.

2 Oct 2006

Researchers discover clues to the cause of T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia

Researchers' discovery of clues to the cause of T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) - a form of pediatric cancer that has a very poor prognosis - could lead to the development of new targeted therapies for this extremely difficult disease.

20 Sep 2006

Five countries to tax airline travel to raise money for HIV/AIDS

Brazil, Chile, France, Norway and the United Kingdom on Tuesday at the 61st session of the U.N. General Assembly are expected to announce a plan to impose an airline ticket tax to fund an international drug purchase facility and HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria treatment and prevention programs, a French official said Monday, the New York Times reports.

20 Sep 2006

Children continue to be ignored in the fight against HIV/AIDS

Despite the "bluster" of last month's XVI International AIDS Conference in Toronto, there was "hardly a mention" of children and "stunning[ly] ... little attention was paid to them," Ruthann Richter, Stanford University School of Medicine director of media relations, writes in a San Jose Mercury News opinion piece.

18 Sep 2006

Fortune Magazine profile Clinton, the Clinton Foundation, Clinton HIV/AIDS Initiative

Fortune Magazine recently profiled former President Clinton and his involvement in the global battle against HIV/AIDS, including the work of the Clinton Foundation and the Clinton HIV/AIDS Initiative.

18 Sep 2006

Fewer than half of studies conducted on effect of medications on children are published

Fewer than half of studies conducted on the effects of prescription drugs in children are published in medical journals, according to a study published Wednesday in the Journal of the American Medical Association, the AP/Lexington Herald-Leader reports.

14 Sep 2006

Most child ear aches do not need antibiotics

According to the latest research the most common reason why doctors prescribe antibiotics for children is ear ache, and often most ear aches would clear up without them.

13 Sep 2006

Studies on effects of drugs on children often not published

According to a new study by researchers at Duke University Medical Center, many of the drugs that are prescribed for children may not in fact be either safe or effective for pediatric use and could require different doses than is recommended.

13 Sep 2006

Zimbabwe's new four-year plan to address the HIV/AIDS

Zimbabwe's National AIDS Council has drafted a new four-year plan to address the HIV/AIDS epidemic that will be launched soon, Amon Mpofu, NAC evaluation and monitoring manager, said on Sunday, Xinhua/People's Daily reports.

13 Sep 2006

SSRIs associated with severe violence in a small number of individuals

Use of one class of antidepressant drugs, the SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors), may be associated with severe violence in a small number of individuals say the authors of paper published in PLoS Medicine.

12 Sep 2006

Pregnant women with fatty, high-caloric diets increase fetal risk for liver disease, obesity, diabetes

Infants born to women who have diets high in calories and fat during pregnancy have an increased risk of developing liver disease, which can lead to obesity and diabetes later in life, Kevin Grove, a researcher at Oregon Health and Science University and the Developmental Obesity Research Consortium, said on Friday at the 10th International Congress on Obesity in Sydney.

11 Sep 2006

Children with lactose intolerance still need dairy's nutrients

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is recommending in a new report that children with lactose intolerance should include dairy foods as part of a healthy diet in order to get enough calcium, vitamin D, protein and other nutrients essential for bone health and overall growth.

6 Sep 2006

Infant and neonatal mortality rates are higher with voluntary caesarean sections than with vaginal births

Infant and neonatal mortality rates are higher with voluntary caesarean sections than with vaginal births, according to a study published in the September issue of the journal Birth: Issues in Perinatal Care, the New York Times reports.

5 Sep 2006

Feeding your baby foods made with real fruits and vegetables early in life key to controlling their waistline as they grow older

Already, years of research has shown that breastfeeding does protect against obesity risk later in life. With that in mind, Lumeng encourages new moms to make their best effort at breastfeeding, and to seek help from their pediatrician or a lactation consultant if they experience any difficulty.

5 Sep 2006