Children's health
19 Feb 2008
Giving birth to a boy can lead to higher levels of severe post-natal depression
Giving birth to a boy can lead to higher levels of severe post-natal depression (PND) and reduced quality of life than having a girl, according to research published in the February issue of Journal of Clinical Nursing. A team of researchers led by Professor Claude de Tychey, from Université Nancy…
Blood
19 Feb 2008
Arsenic threatens global health
As many as 100 million people worldwide are facing slow poisoning and risk of death from arsenic in their drinking water and food supply. That is the conclusion of scientists at the CRC for Contamination Assessment and Remediation of the Environment (CRC CARE) following a global review of the health…
Children's health
19 Feb 2008
Sugar water reduces pain associated with infant shots
The 2008 recommended immunization schedule in the United States calls for infants and toddlers to receive as many as 24 shots in the first two years of life and as many as five shots in one visit. Studies have shown that some parents are reluctant to have their children immunized…
Blood
19 Feb 2008
Herpes virus link to complications in pregnancy
Researchers at Adelaide’s Women’s & Children’s Hospital and the University of Adelaide have made a world-first discovery that links viral infection with high blood pressure during pregnancy and pre-term birth. The research findings, published in the British Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, are a major step forward in unravelling the…
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…
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…
