Children's health
22 Nov 2006
Vaccine Against Pneumococcal Disease In Young Children Effective At Fewer Doses Than Currently Recommended
Two or three doses of a vaccine against pneumococcal disease (pneumonia, meningitis or a blood stream infection) may be just as effective as the four-dose schedule currently recommended in the USA, according to a paper in this week's issue of The Lancet. The results are important because the four-dose schedule…
Cancer
22 Nov 2006
Cancer Council Welcomes Withdrawal of 'Split Packs'
The Cancer Council Australia welcomes the withdrawal from today of Dunhill cigarette wallet packs, or “split packs”, following court action initiated by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission. Anita Tang, Chair of The Cancer Council Australia’s Tobacco Issues Committee, said the ACCC should be commended for its swift response…
Bone
13 Nov 2006
New insight into possible cause of club foot
Researchers from the University of Aberdeen have published breakthrough findings in the American Journal of Epidemiology that shed light on the possible cause of clubfoot. Clubfoot, known to doctors as congenital talipes equinovarus, is a common but little talked about problem of the lower leg. The child is born with…
Children's health
13 Nov 2006
ACAAI: New Insight into Peanut Allergy
In patients with refractory allergic eye diseases, the cause of the irritation could be peanuts, researchers reported here. Among patients with allergic eye diseases who were unresponsive to treatment and had no relief of symptoms from standard therapies, a peanut-elimination diet followed by a peanut challenge resulted in moderate to…
Cancer
13 Nov 2006
St. Jude announces breakthrough in eye cancer treatment
Researchers use new, localized treatment to shrink retinoblastoma tumours, avoid chemo; treatment could be effective against some breast, lung, prostate, colon cancers Scientists at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital have demonstrated in a mouse model a new, locally applied treatment for the eye cancer retinoblastoma that not only greatly reduces…
Children's health
13 Nov 2006
Shorter nightly sleep in childhood may help explain obesity epidemic
Soaring levels of obesity might be linked to children sleeping fewer hours at night than they used to, claims a researcher in the Archives of Disease in Childhood. Dr Shahrad Taheri of the University of Bristol, blames the increasing availability of computers, mobile phones, TVs and other gadgets on the…
Children's health
13 Nov 2006
New Diagnostic Tool Quickly Evaluates Learning Disabilities
A new, easy-to-use diagnostic tool that can quickly identify a sizeable subset of learning disabled children is now commercially available. That's good news for youngsters aged 8 to 12 who, once identified, can get auditory training that can improve their academic learning. "Learning disabilities are believed to affect nearly…
Children's health
08 Nov 2006
Recommendations for the treatment of acute anaphylactic reactions
A study published in a recent issue of the Medical Journal of Australia has offered clear and comprehensive recommendations for the management of anaphylaxis. Along with other studies, researchers have noted the increase in incidence of allergic disease, triggering attempts to develop guidelines to be applied in emergency department and…
Children's health
08 Nov 2006
How should severe allergic reactions be managed in the community?
Anaphylaxis is a severe allergic reaction most commonly caused by various food, venom and drug allergies. It leads to widespread effects on the body, and most importantly can damage the function of the heart and lungs that can have life-threatening consequences. A recent study published in the Medical Journal of…
