Children's health
30 Oct 2007
Myths about Halloween Treats can be Tricky to Dispel
Tales of rotting teeth and sugar highs from Halloween candy are often exaggerated, Medical College of Georgia dentists and nurses say. “When it comes to kids’ teeth, the problem is not just the amount of sugar, but also the frequency of exposure,” says Dr. Steven Adair, chair of paediatric dentistry.
Bone
30 Oct 2007
Facial Characteristics offer Insights into Genetic Conditions
The general public easily recognises the faces of people with Down’s syndrome, but there are over 700 genetic conditions where there are characteristic facial features: the eyes may be set further apart than usual, the nose shorter and the ears set lower down on the head along with many other…
Bone
30 Oct 2007
The Connection between Genes and Height
It became clear nearly a century ago that many genes likely influence how tall a person grows, though little progress, if any, has followed in defining the myriad genes. Now an international research team brings light to this age-old question by pinpointing a genetic variant associated with human height –…
Children's health
30 Oct 2007
Research Shows New Risks from Seeing Movie Smoking
Exposure to smoking in movies is not only likely to influence adolescents to start smoking, but it also appears to be closely associated with adolescents’ risk of becoming established smokers, according to a new study by researchers at Dartmouth Medical School and Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center. Established smokers are defined as…
Cancer
30 Oct 2007
Topotecan shows Promise against Wilms Tumour
St. Jude researchers have shown that the drug topotecan holds promise as a treatment for the recurrent form of a kidney cancer called Wilms tumour, a solid tumour of the kidney that arises from immature kidney cells, and the fifth most common tumour among children. The investigators recommend further evaluation…
Children's health
30 Oct 2007
High Blood Pressure in Children Frequently Undiagnosed
A study by an Oregon Health and Science University resident has found that only about one in four children with hypertension are diagnosed with the condition. The study is published in The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA).Between 2 percent and 5 percent of children have hypertension, with rates…
Children's health
27 Oct 2007
Stress and comfort eating
People eat to make themselves feel better during periods of sadness, stress, unhappiness, boredom or loneliness. Comfort eating is not a problem in moderation, but under today’s increasingly stressful environment, individuals are regularly using eating to cope. This is having a negative effect on our health. According to the National…
Children's health
23 Oct 2007
COPD is Worldwide Threat, Expected to Worsen
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD, is a deadly lung disease primarily attributed to smoking. As a result, it receives fewer research dollars and not a lot of sympathy, according to international COPD expert Sonia Buist, M.D., Oregon Health and Science University. But a new study to be published in…
Children's health
23 Oct 2007
Paediatric Cataracts
Cataracts in children are relatively uncommon but, if not treated promptly, can result in permanent, severe visual loss. Most cataracts in children are not associated with any other eye-related or systemic abnormality. In some cases, however, cataracts may be part of a systemic disorder involving muscles, brain, kidneys or other…
