Children's health
15 Feb 2008
Risperidone and haloperidol go head to head
For the first time, the long term efficacy of risperidone in the treatment of autism disorder (AD) has been compared with haloperidol. An open label maintenance study involving 28 children and adolescents found that risperidone was superior because it was associated with fewer side effects and a more significant improvement…
Children's health
15 Feb 2008
Stutterers aren’t anxious
University of Canterbury research is challenging the notion that stuttering in children could be linked to personal anxiety. Bianca Phaal, a masters student in the Department of Communication Disorders, has just completed a study looking at the anxiety levels of a group of three and four-year-olds who were at the…
Bone
12 Feb 2008
Hormone crucial for skeletons
Researchers at the University of Otago, Christchurch have broken new scientific ground with discoveries regarding a previously little understood heart hormone, showing how it is crucial for bone development and growth after birth. Working with other scientists in the USA, Professor Eric Espiner and Dr Tim Prickett are leading world…
Bone
12 Feb 2008
Immunosuppressant further linked to birth defects
A new study documents malformations seen in an infant born to a kidney transplant recipient who had taken mycophenolate mofetil (MMF), a widely used immunosuppressant available commercially as Cellcept®. The findings suggest a specific birth defect pattern particular to this drug, reinforcing its potential to harm to the foetus. The…
Treatments
11 Feb 2008
Cognitive behavioural therapy for weight loss (CBT)
Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)Â is a type of psychological therapy that can be used to treat obesity by identifying thought patterns related to unhealthy eating, helping…
Children's health
08 Feb 2008
Supplementary approach to malaria
Could a simple vitamin A and zinc supplement help protect young children from malaria" A randomized double blind trial reported in the open access publication, Nutrition Journal, would suggest the answer is yes. Jean-Bosco Ouedraogo of the Institut de Recherche en Sciences de la Santé (IRSS) in Bobo Dioulasso, Burkina…
Children's health
08 Feb 2008
Genetic skin barrier defect linked to eczema
Atopic dermatitis, one of the most common forms of eczema in this family of various inflammatory skin diseases, is a chronic disease marked by red, cracked and itchy skin. It is estimated that atopic dermatitis affects about 10 percent of children around the world and usually begins in the first…
Children's health
08 Feb 2008
Confusion about best treatment for jellyfish stings
There continues to be confusion about the appropriate first aid for most jellyfish envenomings in Australia and the world, according to a paper published in the latest issue of Emergency Medicine Australasia, the journal of the Australasian College for Emergency Medicine. “Most people don’t know what type of jellyfish has…
Blood
08 Feb 2008
Risk factors for severe RSV infection in immunocompromised children
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital investigators and collaborators have shown how to predict if a child who is infected with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) while being treated for cancer or another catastrophic disease is at high risk for developing severe infection. The finding will help clinicians improve guidelines for managing…
