Child Health News

RSS

Maternal stress during pregnancy could affect baby's sex and birth outcomes

It's becoming well established that maternal stress during pregnancy can affect fetal and child development as well as birth outcomes, and a new study from researchers at Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons and NewYork-Presbyterian now identifies the types of physical and psychological stress that may matter most.

14 Oct 2019

Snacking could be banned on local transport in a bid to curb childhood obesity

England’s outgoing Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Dame Sally Davies, the top doctor in the country, believes that snacking ought to be banned on public transport and additional taxes should be placed on unhealthy foods to make them less affordable, in order to fight the menace of childhood obesity.

14 Oct 2019

New therapeutic approach for children born to mothers who used cannabis during pregnancy

As a growing number of U.S. states legalize the medicinal and recreational use of marijuana, an increasing number of American women are using cannabis before becoming pregnant and during early pregnancy often to treat morning sickness, anxiety, and lower back pain.

14 Oct 2019

Developing a new device to protect young patients during anesthesia

Pediatric anesthesiologists, like Dr. Guelay Bilen-Rosas at UW Health, have long been concerned by how difficult it is to detect breathing problems among young patients during anesthesia.

14 Oct 2019

Combination approach to slowing myopia in children shows promise

Combining two different treatment methods to slow the progression of myopia may deliver better results than either can achieve on their own.

14 Oct 2019

New data shows rise in obesity prevalence among reception-aged children in 2018-19

Obesity prevalence among reception-aged schoolchildren in England increased between 2017-18 and 2018-19, new statistics from NHS Digital show.

14 Oct 2019

Poor paternal diet may impact the heart health of offspring

When trying to get pregnant, couples often change their lifestyles, going on crash diets or taking up stricter exercise regimens. New research, done on mice, suggests that men might be best off avoiding crash diets, as it may affect the heart health of their offspring.

14 Oct 2019

Researchers uncover rising trends of suicide attempts among black teens

Adding to what is known about the growing crisis of suicide among American teens, a team led by researchers at the McSilver Institute for Poverty Policy and Research at New York University have uncovered several troubling trends during the period of 1991-2017, among Black high school students in particular.

14 Oct 2019

Popcorn packaging contains high levels of toxic chemicals

Many chemicals used at home and in various industries use per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). Several studies have traced these substances in materials used for packaging foods, such as microwavable bags and food containers.

13 Oct 2019

SOX9 broadly modifies the severity of Alagille syndrome liver disease in mice

Alagille syndrome is a rare pediatric genetic disorder that can affect the liver, heart, kidneys, blood vessels, skeleton and other tissues.

11 Oct 2019

A bleak outlook from OECD's latest obesity report

A new OECD report on the burden of obesity has been released this week. It provides evidence on how obesity and related conditions will kill 90 million people living in the OECD nations over the next three decades. If same situations persists, obesity and overweight could reduce the life expectancy by at least three years.

11 Oct 2019

Rotavirus infection may play a role in type 1 diabetes development

Rotavirus infection may play a role in the development of type 1 diabetes, according to a front matter article published October 10 in the open-access journal PLOS Pathogens by Leonard C. Harrison of the University of Melbourne in Australia, and colleagues.

From PLOS ONE 10 Oct 2019

Environmental estrogen burdens babies in mothers' wombs

Xenoestrogens are absorbed through the environment, especially through food. As oestrogen-like substances, they can have a profound effect on the body's hormonal balance.

10 Oct 2019

Fetal gut has more well-developed immune capabilities than previously thought

Most biology textbooks explain that the fetal immune system is largely undeveloped and that it learns after being exposed to the world at birth. New research from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh challenges that paradigm, and provides the first comprehensive look at the immune system of the developing gut.

10 Oct 2019

Tips to manage symptoms and flare-ups in children with eczema

Atopic dermatitis (also known as eczema) is a common skin condition in babies. It affects up to 25% of children, and an estimated 60% of people with eczema develop it during their first year of life.

10 Oct 2019

UK Chief Medical Officer calls for tough action to tackle childhood obesity

UK Chief Medical Officer, Dame Sally Davies, has called for snacking on public transport to be banned in a bold effort to tackle childhood obesity.

10 Oct 2019

Compound in human breast milk inhibits growth of pathogenic bacteria

Researchers at National Jewish Health and the University of Iowa have identified a compound in human breast milk that fights infections by harmful bacteria while allowing beneficial bacteria to thrive.

10 Oct 2019

Two new grants focus on improving health and wellbeing of CUNY students

The CUNY Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy Foundation has announced two new grants to launch and expand programs that focus on improving the health and wellbeing of CUNY students.

9 Oct 2019

Study provides insight into feasibility of improving quality of care for SCD patients

Individuals with sickle cell disease (SCD) face the burdens of chronic illness and often racial disparities, both of which may increase vulnerability to adverse social determinants of health (SDoH). For children with SCD, living in poverty is associated with lower quality of life, higher healthcare utilization and higher complication rates.

9 Oct 2019

β-blockers could regenerate infant heart muscle, mitigate effects of congenital heart disease

Surgery can mend congenital heart defects shortly after birth, but those babies will carry a higher risk of heart failure throughout the rest of their lives. Yet, according to a Science Translational Medicine study published today by UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh researchers, β-blockers could supplement surgery to regenerate infant heart muscle and mitigate the lasting effects of congenital heart disease.

9 Oct 2019