Children's health
22 Oct 2006
New Research on Asthma Fears
With more than 2 million Australians suffering from asthma and with spring season a potential trigger, new research indicates that the biggest fear of someone with asthma is they will stop breathing as a result of an attack according to new research announced by the Virtual Medical Centre. Even…
Children's health
18 Oct 2006
Early Family Experience Can Reverse the Effects of Genes, UCLA Psychologists Report
Early family experience can reverse the effect of a genetic variant linked to depression, UCLA researchers report in the current issue of the journal Biological Psychiatry. Among children from supportive, nurturing families, those with the short form of the serotonin transporter gene (known as 5-HTTLPR) had a significantly reduced risk…
Children's health
18 Oct 2006
Study Links Lungs' Sensitivity to Cold Air at Age 6 with Increased Risk of Asthma at Age 22
Children whose lungs are very sensitive to cold dry air when they are 6 years old are 2.5 times more likely to develop asthma by the time they are 22 than children whose lungs aren’t affected by cold air, according to a study to be presented at the American Thoracic…
Children's health
13 Oct 2006
Secondhand Smoke in Cars May Lead to Dangerous Levels of Contaminants For Children
Boston, MA – Secondhand tobacco smoke (SHS) can have harmful effects on children. Some of the adverse health outcomes include a greater likelihood of ear infections, lower respiratory infections, sudden infant death syndrome and severity of asthma symptoms. It is estimated that 35% to 45% of children are regularly exposed…
Children's health
13 Oct 2006
Novel pathway regulates timing of brain-cell development
Brain formation involves the carefully timed production of different types of nerve cells by neural stem cells: neurons are produced first, then astrocytes. Making too much of one kind of cell and too little of another at a given time could lead to brain malformations. In the October 6 issue…
Bone
13 Oct 2006
Low Levels of Vitamin D in Teens May Affect Lung Function
Teenagers who consume low amounts of vitamin D have lower lung function than teens who get the recommended amount of the nutrient, according to a study to be presented at the American Thoracic Society International Conference on May 22nd. The study of 2,112 adolescents ages 16-19 found that 35%…
Blood
12 Oct 2006
Drug Prevents PostPartum Hemorrhage in Resource Poor Settings
The drug misoprostol provides a safe, convenient, and inexpensive means to prevent postpartum hemorrhage, a major killer of women in developing countries. The study was conducted by researchers from the University of Missouri, India’s Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, and the National Institutes of Health. Postpartum hemorrhage is excessive bleeding…
Children's health
11 Oct 2006
Children of Allergy Sufferers Prone to Same Problem
Infants whose parents have allergies that produce symptoms like wheezing, asthma, hay fever or hives risk developing allergic sensitization much earlier in life than previously reported, according to a study by Cincinnati researchers. The study suggests that the current practice of avoiding skin testing for airborne allergens before age…
Bone
11 Oct 2006
Bones in the balance
In the beginning, there’s soft cartilage. Then the cells go to work. Calcium salts and phosphorus are pulled from the blood and made to crystallize. The crystals are laid onto a lattice of fibers, hardening and strengthening the skeleton. It’s called bone mineralization, and it must last a lifetime,…
