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Whooping cough booster for parents of newbornsA booster vaccination for parents of new babies and other household members may be the most effective way of preventing the fatal form of whooping cough in young infants, say a group of paediatric intensive care doctors on bmj.com today.
Diabetes drug rosiglitazone linked to higher heart failure riskOlder adults who take the diabetes medication rosiglitazone appear to have a higher risk of death and heart failure than those taking the related medication pioglitazone, according to a report in the November 24 issue of Archives of Internal Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
Children of centenarians live longer with no heart disease, stroke, diabetesA recent study appearing in the November issue of Journal of American Geriatrics Society revealed that centenarian offspring (children of parents who lived to be at least 97 years old) retain important cardiovascular advantages from their parents compared to a similarly-aged cohort.
Hairspray use during pregnancy may cause birth defect in newbornWomen who are exposed to hairspray in the workplace during pregnancy have more than double the risk of having a son with the genital birth defect hypospadias, according to a new study published today in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives.
Buggies influence parent-infant interactionA groundbreaking study being presented on 22nd November at the British Psychological Society Scotland's Annual Conference suggests the orientation of a baby's buggy impacts on mother-baby interaction, infant stress levels and ultimately child development.
Birth defects rate high in infants born with assisted reproductive technologyInfants conceived with Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) are two to four times more likely to have certain types of birth defects than children conceived naturally, according to a study by the CDC.
Hannah Jones refused heart transplant surgeryA British girl 13 years old, suffering from leukemia, Hannah Jones decided to refuse to have a heart transplant for her heart condition - a hole in her heart.
Factors identified causing barriers to asthma careBarriers to managing asthma include access to appropriate care, patient adherence, distrust of the medical profession, delayed asthma diagnosis, culture, lifestyle choices and genetic discrepancies according to experts at the annual meeting of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI) in Seattle.
Exercise protects against breast cancerNormal-weight women who carry out lots of vigorous exercise are approximately 30% less likely to develop breast cancer than those who don't exercise vigorously.
Rheumatoid arthritis rising among women in USAfter four decades on the decline, rheumatoid arthritis is on the upswing among women in the United States. That's the finding presented by Mayo Clinic investigators at the annual meeting of the American College of Rheumatology/Association of Rheumatology Health Professionals in San Francisco.
Estimating lives lost due to delay in HIV drug use in South AfricaMore than 330,000 lives were lost to HIV/AIDS in South Africa from 2000 and 2005 because a feasible and timely antiretroviral (ARV) treatment program was not implemented, assert researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) in a study published online by the Journal of Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndromes (JAIDS) (http://www.jaids.com/).
Kids from low income families are without health insuranceNew research at Oregon Health & Science University reveals millions of children from low- to middle-income families are going without health insurance, even when at least one parent has private health insurance through his or her employer.
Eating fast may make you overweight and obeseThe combination of eating quickly and eating until full trebles the risk of being overweight, according to a study published on bmj.com - site of British Medical Journal, UK.
Parents believe their children are in average weight rangeMore than four in 10 parents with underweight and overweight children mistakenly believe their children are in the average weight range, according to University of Melbourne research.
Label updates of oral OTC children's cough and cold medicinesThe following statement was issued by Linda Suydam, president of Consumer Healthcare Products Association, USA, on the Voluntary Label Updates to Oral OTC Children's Cough and Cold Medicines.
New prenatal test for Down syndrome less risky than amniocentesisPregnant women worried about their babies' genetic health face a tough decision: get prenatal gene testing and risk miscarriage, or skip the tests and miss the chance to learn of genetic defects before birth.
Reading can help obese kids lose weightIt's no secret that reading is beneficial. But can it help kids lose weight? In the first study to look at the impact of literature on obese adolescents, researchers at Duke Children's Hospital discovered that reading the right type of novel may make a difference.
Insomnia linked to depression and substance abuseAdolescent insomnia symptoms are associated with depression, suic_ide ideation and attempts, and the use of alcohol, cannabis and other drugs such as cocaine.
Childhood wheezing with rhinovirus can increase asthma riskInfants who experience viral respiratory illnesses with wheezing are known to be at increased risk for developing asthma later during childhood. It is not known, however, whether every type of respiratory virus that produces wheezing presents similar risk.
Increased risk of pregnancy problems in Asian-whitePregnant women who are part of an Asian-white couple face an increased risk of gestational diabetes as compared with couples in which both partners are white, according to a new study from Lucile Packard Children's Hospital and the Stanford University School of Medicine.
Second hand smoke may trigger nicotine dependence symptoms in kidsParents who smoke cigarettes around their kids in cars and homes beware second-hand smoke may trigger symptoms of nicotine dependence in children. The findings are published in the September edition of the journal Addictive Behaviors in a joint study from nine Canadian institutions.
Men with traditional views about women earn moreMen who believe in traditional roles for women earn more money than men who don't, and women with more egalitarian views don't make much more than women with a more traditional outlook, revealed by researchers.
Racial diversity prepare medical students to care for minority patientsWhite medical students who attend schools with greater racial and ethnic diversity among the student body are more likely to rate themselves as highly prepared to care for minority populations, according to a study in the September 10 issue of JAMA, a theme issue on medical education.
Gene may predict an individual's pair-bonding behaviorVariation in the gene for one of the receptors for the hormone vasopressin appears to be associated with how human males bond with their partners, according to an international team of researchers.
Skin odor may diagnose skin cancerChemists described the first identification of a specific "odor profile" for skin cancer, a discovery that could form the basis of a rapid, non-invasive test for diagnosing the most common type of cancer in the United States.
Xenazine approved for treatment of chorea in Huntington's DiseaseThe U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved Xenazine (tetrabenazine) for the treatment of chorea in people with Huntington's disease. Chorea is the jerky, involuntary movement that occurs in people with this disease.
Running slows the agingRegular running slows the effects of aging, according to a new study from Stanford University School of Medicine that has tracked 500 older runners for more than 20 years. Elderly runners have fewer disabilities, a longer span of active life and are half as likely as aging nonrunners to die early deaths, the research found.
Diving related injuries common among childrenThe thrill of flipping and jumping into water has become common practice among children and adolescents as they dive into more than eight million swimming pools across the United States.
Parents will be told if their children are overweightIn UK, from September this year, parents of children who have been weighed and measured at school could automatically receive their child's results in a bid to get parents to be more aware about healthy lifestyles, and help their children achieve a healthy weight.
Children's food products provide poor nutritional qualityNine out of ten regular food items aimed specifically at children have a poor nutritional content because of high levels of sugar, fat or sodium - according to a detailed study of 367 products published in the July issue of the UK-based journal Obesity Reviews.
Canadian woman acquires new accent after strokeA canadian woman in southern Ontario is one of the first cases in Canada of a rare neurological syndrome (foreign accent syndrome) in which a person starts speaking with a different accent, McMaster University researchers report in the July issue of the Canadian Journal of Neurological Sciences.
New research will help identify risk factors for SIDSSudden Infant Death Syndrome or SIDS is a condition that unexpectedly and unexplainably takes the lives of seemingly healthy babies aged between a month and a year. Now researchers of the European Molecular Biology Laboratory in Monterotondo, Italy, have developed a mouse model of the so-called crib or cot death, which remains the leading cause of death during the first year of life in developed countries.
Positive school environments reduce student smokingA survey of high-school children in Scotland has shown that pupils who experience positive and inclusive social environments in schools are less likely to take up smoking. The teachers who succeed in creating a positive environment in school may be responsible for their pupils staying smoke-free.
Better Tobacco Control in UKUK Department of Health has announced certain ideas to reduce the number of people who smoke, like plain cigarette packets with no branding or logos, minimum pack sizes of 20 and a ban on the advertising of cigarette papers.
Sleep deprivation affects visual abilityResearchers have found that a sleep-deprived brain can normally process simple visuals, like flashing checkerboards. But the higher visual areas' those that are responsible for making sense of what we see didn't function well.
Parents use cough medicines on under 2s despite the warningsMore than 40% of parents have used cough medicine for children younger than two even though it is not recommended, nor proven effective for children in this age group, an Australia-first study has found.
Mothers less likely to vaccinate daughters against HPVU.S. mothers report they are less likely to vaccinate daughters under age 13 against human papillomavirus virus (HPV), even though the vaccine is recommended for girls at age 11 and 12, it's incumbent upon the healthcare community to work to improve mom's acceptance of the vaccination for younger daughters, say researchers at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center who conducted the study.
21% children not fully protected against vaccine-preventable diseasesThe U. S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) launched National Infant Immunization Week (NIIW) last week.
Preterm babies could benefit from skin-to-skin cuddlingPreterm babies, born between 28 and 31 weeks, could benefit from skin-to-skin cuddling with their mother before and during painful procedures such as a heel lance, reported in a recent study.
New bird flu vaccine may give long-term defenseA new vaccine under development may provide protection against highly pathogenic bird flu and its evolving forms, according to researchers at Purdue University and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention who discovered the new preventative drug and have tested it in mice.
Parents contribute to breech delivery in offspringA baby is twice as likely to be born bottom first if either or both the parents were themselves breech deliveries, according to a study published ahead of print on bmj.com. The results suggest genes are a contributing factor.
Tussionex cough medicine with hydrocodone warningThe U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued an alert on the safe and correct use of Tussionex Pennkinetic Extended-Release Suspension in response to numerous reports of adverse events--including death--associated with the misuse and inappropriate use of this potent cough medication.
Pear juices for toddlers may contain arsenic, CanadaThe Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and Loblaws Inc. are warning the public not to consume certain pear juices for toddlers because these products may be contaminated with arsenic.
GSK statement on MHRA Seroxat investigationGlaxoSmithKline (GSK) notes the conclusions announced by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) regarding its investigation into disclosure of paediatric trial data for the anti-depressant medicine Seroxat (paroxetine).
Reducing television viewing lowers BMI and obesityUsing a monitoring device to reduce television viewing and computer use time by 50 percent over a two-year period appears to reduce calorie intake, sedentary behavior and body mass index in overweight children age 4 to 7, according to a report in the March issue of Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, one of the JAMA/Archives journals.
Zebrafish offer useful screening tool for genes, drugs that protect against hearing lossA small striped fish is helping scientists understand what makes people susceptible to a common form of hearing loss, although, in this case, it's not the fish's ears that are of interest. In a study published in the Feb. 29 issue of the journal PLoS Genetics, researchers at the University of Washington have developed a research method that relies on a zebrafish's lateral line-the faint line running down each side of a fish that enables it to sense its surroundings-to quickly screen for genes and chemical compounds that protect against hearing loss from some medications.
Influenza vaccination for children 6 months through 18 years of ageA panel of immunization experts voted to expand the recommended ages for annual influenza vaccination of children to include all children from 6 months through 18 years of age. The previous recommendation was for vaccination of children from 6 months to 59 months of age.
Bowel cancer rising in Australia, reports AIHWA new Australian report released by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW) presents a mixed bag on favourable and unfavourable trends in chronic diseases over time. The report, Indicators for chronic disease and their determinants, 2008, focuses on the 12 chronic conditions that represent a large burden of disease in Australia.
Gene identified for hair loss in hypotrichosis simplexA healthy individual loses around a hundred hairs a day. Nothing to worry about as long as they are constantly replaced and the losses occur evenly around the whole scalp. But when hair loss goes well beyond this level it can become quite a problem for those affected not only superficially in terms of looks but also psychologically.
Reducing kids' salt intake lowers soft drink consumptionChildren who eat less salt drink fewer sugar-sweetened soft drinks and may significantly lower their risks for obesity, elevated blood pressure and later-in-life heart attack and stroke, researchers reported in the print and online issue of Hypertension: Journal of the American Heart Association.