Children's health
20 Dec 2013
Sport’s concussion has long term impact on the brain
In an Australian first, Deakin University research has found that sports concussions do have a long term, negative, impact on the brain. Dr Alan Pearce, a neuroscientist with Deakin University’s School of Psychology, has investigated the long-term impact sports concussion had on the brain function of 40 retired Australian rules…
Cancer
22 Nov 2013
Double-pronged attack could treat common children’s cancer
A dual-pronged strategy using two experimental cancer drugs together could successfully treat a childhood cancer by inhibiting tumour growth and blocking off the escape routes it uses to become resistant to treatment, finds a new study published in Clinical Cancer Research on November 1st. Scientists at The Institute of Cancer Research, London, found…
Children's health
09 Nov 2013
Brain scans may aid in diagnosis of autism
Joint research from the University of Alabama at Birmingham Department of Psychology and Auburn University indicates that brain scans show signs of autism that could eventually support behaviour-based diagnosis of autism and effective early intervention therapies. The findings appear online today in Frontiers in Human Neuroscience as part of a…
Cancer
06 Nov 2013
Shortage of medical volunteers means children living with cancer miss out
Camp Quality, Australia’s major children’s cancer charity, is experiencing a severe shortage of medical volunteers. This leads to many children living with cancer missing out on essential support services that they offer. Camp Quality camps provide children living with cancer and their families, with an essential break from hospital, and…
Children's health
25 Oct 2013
Diagnosing and treating sore throat should be part of overall strategy to prevent rheumatic heart disease
Diagnosing and treating sore (strep) throat (primary prevention) in children and adolescents to prevent such cases developing into acute rheumatic fever (ARF) and rheumatic heart disease (RHD) should be a cornerstone in any overall RHD strategy. The issues around primary prevention are discussed in one of the papers in the…
Children's health
25 Oct 2013
Viral infection disrupts neural development in offspring, increasing risk of autism
Activating a mother’s immune system during her pregnancy disrupts the development of neural cells in the brain of her offspring and damages the cells’ ability to transmit signals and communicate with one another, researchers with the UC Davis Center for Neuroscience and Department of Neurology have found. They said the…
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…
