Children's Health
11 Sep 2007
Reducing Insulin Signalling in the Brain can Prolong Lifespan
Study explains the physiologic benefits of diet and exercise. One route to a long and healthy life may be establishing the right balance in insulin signalling between the brain and the rest of the body, according to new research from Children’s Hospital Boston. The study, published in the July 20…
Children's health
11 Sep 2007
Home Intervention Program Effective at Mitigating Effects of Failure-to-thrive in Infants and Toddlers
Failure to thrive, a condition that affects about five out of every 100 infants and toddlers in the United States, can impact a child’s stature and school performance for up to eight years after the diagnosis. But new research from the University of Maryland School of Medicine has found that…
Children's health
11 Sep 2007
Most Middle-school Boys and Many Girls Play Violent Video Games
Children report that playing in groups and that games help them manage emotions. A new study by researchers at the Massachusetts General Hospital’s (MGH) Center for Mental Health and Media dispels some myths and uncovers some surprises about young teens and violent video and computer games. The study, published in…
Children's health
11 Sep 2007
Exercise Stimulates the Formation of New Brain Cells
Exercise has a similar effect to antidepressants on depression. This has been shown by previous research. Now Astrid Bjornebekk at Karolinska Institutet has explained how this can happen: exercise stimulates the production of new brain cells. In a series of scientific reports, she has searched for the underlying biological mechanisms…
Children's health
11 Sep 2007
Autistic Brains can be Trained to Recognize Visual and Vocal Cues
To understand the meaning of a conversation, kids automatically do what adults do -besides processing the meaning of words, they unconsciously “read” the expression on a person’s face and listen to their tone of voice, then integrate that information with the context at hand to discern meaning, be it humour,…
Bone
07 Sep 2007
Folic Acid may Prevent Cleft Lip and Palate
A new study finds that women who take folic acid supplements early in their pregnancy can substantially reduce their baby’s chances of being born with a facial cleft. Researchers at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), part of the National Institutes of Health, found that 0.4 milligrams (mg)…
Children's health
07 Sep 2007
Soda Warning? Link between Diabetes, High-fructose Corn Syrup
Researchers have found new evidence that soft drinks sweetened with high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) may contribute to the development of diabetes, particularly in children. In a laboratory study of commonly consumed carbonated beverages, the scientists found that drinks containing the syrup had high levels of reactive compounds that have been…
Children's health
07 Sep 2007
Does This Child Have Appendicitis?
A 5-year-old with abdominal pain, nausea and fever may have appendicitis or any of a number of other problems. But how does the child’s doctor decide whether to schedule an emergency appendectomy to surgically remove a presumably inflamed appendix – a procedure that carries its own risks like any surgery…
Bone
07 Sep 2007
Prosthetic Ears Fashioned for Young Son of Olympic Medallist
For the past week, 5-year-old Jorden Flowers, hands flashing through the air, has excitedly signed the words as he arrives at the University of Florida College of Dentistry: “New ears!” One of a set of fraternal twins born 10 weeks prematurely and weighing less than 3 pounds, Jorden had no…
