Children's health
23 Oct 2013
Emergency Asthma Medication Available through Community Pharmacies
With fires continuing to burn across NSW and a thick cloud of wood smoke present in many areas, Asthma Foundation NSW is urging people with asthma to make sure they have their asthma medication at hand as symptoms can quickly escalate and become extremely dangerous. “It is vital that all…
Children's health
19 Oct 2013
Folic acid deficiency can affect the health of great, great grandchildren
Folic acid deficiency can cause severe health problems in offspring, including spina bifida, heart defects and placental abnormalities. A study out today reveals that a mutation in a gene necessary for the metabolism of folic acid not only impacts the immediate offspring but can also have detrimental health effects on…
Children's health
10 Oct 2013
Cocaine exposure in the womb: The brain structure is intact but development is off track
Prenatal cocaine exposure affects both behavior and brain. Animal studies have shown that exposure to cocaine during in utero development causes numerous disruptions in normal brain development and negatively affects behavior from birth and into adulthood. For ethical reasons, similar studies in humans have been more limited but some research…
Children's health
10 Oct 2013
Measles cases on the rise in US, vaccine encouraged
Prior to the use of the measles-mumps-rubella vaccination, hundreds of those infected with the measles would die yearly, tens of thousands would be hospitalized and around 1,000 cases would result in chronic disability. Decades later, after believing that endemic transmission of this highly contagious illness was eradicated in the United…
Children's health
03 Oct 2013
Diets low in polyunsaturated fatty acids a problem for youngsters
In the first study to closely examine the polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) intake among U.S. children under the age of 5, Sarah Keim, PhD, principal investigator in the Center for Biobehavioral Health at The Research Institute at Nationwide Children’s Hospital, has found what might be a troubling deficit in the…
Children's health
03 Oct 2013
Youth more likely to be bullied at schools with anti-bullying programs
Anti-bullying initiatives have become standard at schools across the country, but a new UT Arlington study finds that students attending those schools may be more likely to be a victim of bullying than children at schools without such programs. The findings run counter to the common perception that bullying prevention…
Blood
28 Sep 2013
Simple steps may identify patients that hold onto excess sodium
Getting a second urine sample and blood pressure measure as patients head out of the doctor’s office appears an efficient way to identify those whose health may be in jeopardy because their bodies hold onto too much sodium, researchers report. “We want to prove that you can easily and efficiently…
Children's health
25 Sep 2013
“Incidental findings” rare but significant events in paediatric CT scans
The largest study of computed tomographic (CT) scans taken in emergency departments across the country for children with head injuries describes the prevalence of “incidental findings” — results that were not expected from the injury — and categorizes them by urgency. The article, titled “Incidental findings in children with blunt…
Children's health
17 Sep 2013
Pregnancy due date calculator
The pregnancy due date calculator determines when your baby is due based on the date of your last menstrual period, to help you prepare for…