Pediatrics News and Research

Latest Pediatrics News and Research

Will the FDA rise to the occasion and admit their natalizumab mistake?

When Anita Louise Smith enrolled in an experimental drug trial in 2002 in Colorado, she had a diagnosis of multiple sclerosis but no symptoms and was looking to reduce the chances of being ravaged by the disease.

7 Mar 2006

Cutting out the sodas equals weight loss for teens

Researchers from the Children's Hospital Boston say that the surge in children's consumption of sugar-sweetened drinks such as sodas, sports drinks, "juice drinks," iced teas, lemonades and punches matches the rise in childhood obesity.

7 Mar 2006

TV and attention deficit disorders - is there a connection?

According to new research which in many respects runs contrary to currently held beliefs it does not appear that children who watch a lot of television necessarily have behavior problems in school.

7 Mar 2006

Cells used in bone marrow transplantation can develop into new cells lining the gut

The study showed that bone marrow derived cells can differentiate into functional gastrointestinal epithelial cells after bone marrow transplantation.

7 Mar 2006

Future looks sick for fat kids

Current estimates predict the number of obese school children in Europe will reach 6.4 million by the year 2010 if present trends continue.

6 Mar 2006

Study - Increases in weight after adenotonsillectomy in overweight children with obstructive sleep-disorder

A study by a University at Buffalo pediatric researcher investigating the causes of weight gain in children after they have their tonsils and adenoids removed to treat sleep-disordered breathing has shown that removing these tissues results in less fidgeting and other non-exercise motor activity.

1 Mar 2006

Reaction to DTaP vaccine finds no help from ibuprofen, acetaminophen

A red splotch forms where most preschoolers get their fifth, and last, shot of the acellular diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis (DTaP) vaccine, and it can last a few days.

1 Mar 2006

Concerta used to treat ADHD may be less likely to be abused than other stimulant drugs

A team led by Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) researchers has found that a delayed-release stimulant used to treat attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) may be less likely to be abused than other stimulant drugs.

1 Mar 2006

Ancient DNA helps unearth potential hemophilia therapy

A cut can be life-threatening for people with hemophilia, whose bodies don't produce enough of a protein that prevents prolonged bleeding.

1 Mar 2006

Scientists reprogramme malignant melanoma cells to become normal pigment cells

Scientists at Northwestern University and the Stowers Institute for Medical Research have reprogrammed malignant melanoma cells to become normal melanocytes, or pigment cells, a development that may hold promise in treating of one of the deadliest forms of cancer.

1 Mar 2006

Girls drinking more sodas and less milk

According to researchers in the U.S. concerns that teens are drinking too many sodas and fruit drinks are well founded.

28 Feb 2006

Premature babies pre-disposed to psychiatric problems in teens

According to British researchers, being born very premature can affect a child's personality into adulthood.

28 Feb 2006

Common practice of prescribing H2 blockers to treat acid reflux in premature infants should be discontinued

Researchers in an NIH network have found that premature infants given a common class of non-prescription drugs used to treat acid reflux are slightly more likely to develop a potentially fatal bowel disorder than are infants who are not treated with the drugs

24 Feb 2006

Research points to a novel approach to treating serious Strep infections

Researchers at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) School of Medicine have discovered that so-called flesh-eating "Strep" bacteria use a specific enzyme to break free of the body's immune system, a finding which could potentially lead to new treatments for serious infections in human patients.

24 Feb 2006

National survey reveals most hospitals do not require board certification of pediatricians

A survey of 200 hospitals found that nearly 80 percent do not require board certification of pediatricians at the time of initial granting of hospital privileges, although most hospitals do require board certification at some point in the pediatrician's tenure

24 Feb 2006

Scientists discover genetic profile eosinophilic esophagitis

Though many parents may never have heard of it, a severe and chronic condition called eosinophilic esophagitis (EE) is recognized by doctors as an emerging health problem for children.

24 Feb 2006

Study provides further insight into the molecular control of apoptosis

Researchers at Yale School of Medicine have gained deeper understanding of two members of a family of proteins called caspases that play a key role in promoting apoptosis, a process in which the cell responds to external signals by essentially committing suicide.

23 Feb 2006