Pediatrics News and Research

Latest Pediatrics News and Research

Gum destruction can start in diabetic children as young as six years old

A new study from Columbia University Medical Center has shown that the destruction of the gums can start in diabetic children as young as six years old. While the link between diabetes and periodontal disease was previously established, it was believed that the regression of gums began much later and increased with age.

21 Feb 2006

Media coverage on flu influences parents to vaccinate their children

Media coverage about influenza and the importance of flu shots influenced parents to vaccinate their children against the influenza virus, according to a study done by researchers and information officers at Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

21 Feb 2006

Lifetime calorie restraint to prevent obesity is the most powerful way to reduce age-related health problems

University of South Florida researcher Barbara Hansen, PhD, will likely never be invited to talk about weight loss on Oprah. Her message is mundanely common sense, not faddish - she doesn't drop phrases like "low carb," or "low fat," or "geared to your body type" or "put your body into fat-burning mode."

20 Feb 2006

Antidepressants may affect fetus

A University of California, San Diego (UCSD) School of Medicine collaborative study with Boston University's Slone Epidemiology Center found an increased risk of persistent pulmonary hypertension (PPHN) in newborns of mothers who used certain commonly prescribed antidepressants in late pregnancy.

20 Feb 2006

Certain chemicals in the blood may indicate brain injury

Researchers at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh have found that increased levels of certain proteins in the blood or spinal fluid may signal brain injury in infants with vomiting, fussiness and several other common symptoms.

20 Feb 2006

Healthy preterm infants younger than 12 weeks show reduced lung function

Tests of healthy preterm infants younger than 12 weeks of age show prematurity to be independently associated with reduced lung function. Predictors of this reduced expiratory flow during the first months of life include male sex, low gestational age and increased weight gain.

19 Feb 2006

Monoclonal antibody targets key tumor growth factor

Monoclonal antibody targets key tumor growth factor; Successfully causes brain tumor regression and improves animal survival

19 Feb 2006

Protein levels predict bone marrow transplant survival

Researchers say that protein levels can predict which bone marrow transplant patients are likely develop a deadly complication a week after the procedure and well before any symptoms occur.

19 Feb 2006

Children given lower doses of adult drugs at risk of harmful side effects

A new study has provided the strongest and most comprehensive evidence yet of the difference between how adults and infants and children process drugs.

19 Feb 2006

Bathroom scale model of weight loss most effective

According to a researcher in the U.S. losing and keeping off weight requires a lifelong commitment and effort.

19 Feb 2006

Puberty means girls more at risk of insomnia than boys

According to a new U.S. study of 1014 adolescents who were 13 to 16 years of age, almost 11 percent had suffered from insomnia at some stage.

19 Feb 2006

Children and teen-agers with bipolar disorder suffer from the illness differently than adults do

Their symptoms last longer and swing more swiftly from hyperactivity and recklessness to lethargy and depression.

17 Feb 2006

Dramatic metabolic differences in how people process drugs

A Medical College of Wisconsin study provides the strongest and most complete evidence to date of major changes occurring during human development in the types and levels of enzymes responsible for the disposition of drugs and environmental chemicals.

17 Feb 2006

Protein level predicts who will develop graft vs. host disease after marrow transplant

Researchers could determine one week after a bone marrow transplant which patients were likely to develop a serious and deadly complication, making them candidates for preventive treatment before any symptoms occur.

17 Feb 2006

New children's heart valve

New valves and stents made of super-elastic, shape-memory metal alloy combined with less invasive procedure mean quicker recovery for children with heart disease.

16 Feb 2006

More pediatricians should counsel children and their parents about preventing skin cancer

More pediatricians should counsel children and their parents about preventing skin cancer, according to dermatology researchers from Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center. A review of research literature confirmed that prevention should begin in childhood, yet found that the topic is discussed at less than 1 percent of well-child visits.

16 Feb 2006

Skin cancer prevention needs to be tackled young

Individuals receive 50% of their total lifetime sun exposure before the age of 18, according to a review article published in Pediatric Dermatology. Therefore, researchers are urging pediatricians to educate children and their families about skin cancer.

14 Feb 2006

Saw Palmetto not effective at relieving prostate problems

The herbal remedy saw palmetto is no more effective than a placebo at treating symptoms related to enlargement of the prostate gland, according to a new study in the New England Journal of Medicine.

13 Feb 2006

Girls are catching up with boys in use of illicit substances

Despite commonly held beliefs that boys are at higher risk for using illegal substances, data indicate that girls have caught up with boys in illicit drug and alcohol use and have actually surpassed boys in cigarette and prescription drug use. There are also more girls who are new users of substances than boys.

13 Feb 2006

Common genetic variation increases SIDS risk in African Americans

About five percent of deaths from SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome) in African Americans can be traced to defects in one gene and half of those deaths result from a common genetic variation that increases an infant's risk of developing an abnormal heart rhythm during times of environmental stress

13 Feb 2006