http://medicalxpress.com/ en-us Medical Xpress internet news portal provides the latest news on Health and Medicine. (HealthDay)—There is significant state by state variation in Title V medical coverage for children with diabetes, according to a study published in the April issue of The Journal of Pediatrics. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-title-coverage-varies-states-diabetes.html Pediatrics Fri, 10 May 2013 14:15:01 EST news287414088 Children admitted to UK intensive care units in out-of-hours emergencies are at no greater risk of dying than children arriving during normal working hours, according to new research. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-greater-death-children-emergency-out-of-hours.html Pediatrics Thu, 02 May 2013 10:33:03 EST news286709383 Federal funding for health care coverage of children with diabetes varies significantly from state to state across the United States, according to new research from the University of Michigan. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-04-federal-safety-net-health-coverage.html Pediatrics Tue, 30 Apr 2013 17:34:24 EST news286562057 University of Miami (UM) Psychologist Alexandra L. Quittner leads one of the largest, most nationally representative studies of the effects of parenting on very young, deaf children who have received cochlear implants. The findings indicate that mothers who are most sensitive in their interactions with their children receiving cochlear implants have kids that develop language faster, almost "catching up" to their hearing peers. The report is published in the Journal of Pediatrics. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-03-mom-sensitivity-language-children-loss.html Psychology & Psychiatry Fri, 08 Mar 2013 10:24:03 EST news281960623 Although the long-term consequences of childhood obesity are well documented, some school districts have reduced physical education classes to devote more time to the 3 Rs in education—reading, writing, and arithmetic. However, there is new evidence that leaving out an important fourth R—aerobics—could actually be counterproductive for increasing test scores. A new study scheduled for publication in The Journal of Pediatrics studied the associations between aerobic fitness, body mass index (BMI), and passing scores on standardized math and reading tests. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-02-arithmetic-aerobics-academic.html Pediatrics Thu, 28 Feb 2013 00:00:03 EST news281211180 Low-birth-weight babies with a particular brain abnormality are at greater risk for autism, according to a new study that could provide doctors a signpost for early detection of the still poorly understood disorder. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-02-ultrasound-reveals-autism-birth.html Autism spectrum disorders Mon, 25 Feb 2013 11:03:09 EST news281012582 (Medical Xpress)—Premature infants are born into a world their tiny bodies often are not ready for. Developmental differences between those babies and full-term infants often are apparent prior to a preemie's discharge from the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have documented. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-11-documents-preemies-nicu-early-interventions.html Pediatrics Thu, 08 Nov 2012 06:07:59 EST news271577270 (Medical Xpress)—George Wehby from the University of Iowa has been conducting a study to discover adverse mental development effects on toddlers and babies due to living at high altitudes. He's found, as he describes in his paper published in the Journal of Pediatrics that children living above 8,530 feet were twice as likely to be at risk of experiencing delays in their mental development as those living at or below 2,625 feet. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-11-children-high-altitude-higher-mental.html Pediatrics Tue, 06 Nov 2012 05:56:42 EST news271402946 A common herbicide used in the United States may be linked to an increased risk of a congenital abnormality of the nasal cavity known as choanal atresia, say researchers at Baylor College of Medicine and other Texas institutions. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-09-exposure-herbicide-rare-disorder.html Pediatrics Fri, 28 Sep 2012 13:24:38 EST news268057473 Functional somatic symptoms (FSS) are physical complaints, such as headaches, pain, fatigue, and dizziness, that cannot be explained medically. These symptoms affect 10-30% of children and adolescents and account for 2-4% of all pediatric doctor visits. A new study scheduled for publication in The Journal of Pediatrics finds that infants with regulatory problems (i.e., feeding, sleeping, and tactile reactivity) and/or maternal psychiatric problems may have an increased risk of FSS in later childhood. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-09-link-infants-regulatory-behaviors-maternal.html Pediatrics Thu, 27 Sep 2012 00:00:02 EST news267895511 Heart defects are the most common form of congenital malformations affecting newborns. Infants who were prenatally diagnosed with congenital heart disease (CHD) are more stable and have better outcomes than infants who were diagnosed after birth. Diagnosing CHD in a fetus also allows mothers to educate themselves on heart malformations, consider their options, and potentially plan for intervention or surgery after birth. However, a new study scheduled for publication in The Journal of Pediatrics finds that, along with these benefits, maternal posttraumatic stress, depression, and anxiety are common after prenatal diagnosis of CHD. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-09-prenatal-diagnosis-congenital-heart-disease.html Pediatrics Fri, 07 Sep 2012 00:00:02 EST news266169528 As adults, we know that self-control and delaying gratification are important for making healthful eating choices, portion control, and maintaining a healthy weight. However, exhibiting these skills at a young age actually may affect weight later in life. A new study scheduled for publication in The Journal of Pediatrics finds that delaying gratification longer at 4 years of age is associated with having a lower body mass index (BMI) 30 years later. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-08-children-self-control-body-mass-index.html Pediatrics Thu, 16 Aug 2012 00:00:01 EST news264264438 Childhood obesity is on the rise in China, and children and parents there tend to underestimate body weight, according to Penn State health policy researchers. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-08-mothers-children-underestimate-obesity-china.html Overweight and Obesity Mon, 06 Aug 2012 16:13:51 EST news263488419 Pregnant women who are overweight or obese can encounter a host of health complications. The added weight also appears to affect how their children grow and develop, at least initially. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-08-infants-overweight-mothers-slowly.html Pediatrics Mon, 06 Aug 2012 12:43:41 EST news263475811 In 2010, 59% of the U.S. population used internet searches for health information, and parents searching for information regarding their children were among the top users. In 2011, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) published recommendations for infant sleep safety to reduce the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), suffocation, strangulation, and other accidental sleep-related deaths. However, according to a study scheduled for publication in The Journal of Pediatrics, Google internet searches related to infant sleep safety often do not reflect AAP recommendations. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-08-google-internet-inaccurate-infant-safety.html Pediatrics Thu, 02 Aug 2012 00:00:03 EST news263057133 Because whooping cough (pertussis) is almost as contagious as measles (affecting ~12-17 individuals with each case), clinicians are required to report cases of this bacterial respiratory tract infection to the state's department of public health. In 2010, California had the highest number of cases of whooping cough in 60 years. A new study scheduled for publication in The Journal of Pediatrics describes the 2010 whooping cough epidemic and details strategies to decrease the incidence of this infection. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-07-california-whooping-epidemic.html Pediatrics Thu, 19 Jul 2012 00:00:01 EST news261849094 Children who are solely breast-fed in the first six months of life are at increased risk of developing a nut allergy, new research showed Thursday. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-07-australian-links-breast-nut-allergies.html Pediatrics Thu, 12 Jul 2012 04:17:19 EST news261285256 Children who are overweight or obese -- particularly older, non-Hispanic white girls -- are more likely to have a neurological disorder known as idiopathic intracranial hypertension, a rare condition that can result in blindness, according to a new Kaiser Permanente study published in The Journal of Pediatrics. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-05-childhood-obesity-likelihood-cranial-disorder.html Pediatrics Thu, 24 May 2012 00:00:04 EST news257011065 Preterm infants born with extremely low birth weights have an increased risk of death during the first year of life. Although researchers have extensively studied risk factors that could contribute to the death of preterm infants, limited information is available after infants are released from the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). A new study scheduled for publication in The Journal of Pediatrics, identifies that African-American background, longer stay in the NICU, and poorer access to healthcare can increase the risk of death after being discharged from the NICU. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-02-factors-death-extremely-birth-weight.html Health Thu, 09 Feb 2012 05:20:03 EST news247985627 Frequent spitting up, irritability, and unexplained crying in infants can be very distressing to parents. Pediatricians often prescribe acid-suppressing drugs for these symptoms in an effort to treat infants for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD); however, GERD is an uncommon cause of these symptoms in otherwise thriving infants. In a soon to be published Commentary in The Journal of Pediatrics, Eric Hassall, MBChB, FRCPC, FACG, cautions against the over-diagnosis of GERD and over-prescription of acid-suppressing drugs in infants. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-10-acid-suppressing-drugs-infants.html Health Thu, 20 Oct 2011 02:22:28 EST news238296128 Directly advertising food items to children worries many parents and health care providers, and the American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Psychological Association have expressed concern about the negative impact of advertising on children's healthy food choices. A new study soon to be published in The Journal of Pediatrics explores the relationship between fast food advertisements, parental influence, and the food choices made by children. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-10-children-food-choices-affected-advertising.html Health Thu, 06 Oct 2011 03:41:07 EST news237091254 The number of young children admitted to hospitals or seen in emergency departments because they unintentionally took a potentially toxic dose of medication has risen dramatically in recent years, according to a new Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center study. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-09-children-poisoned-medication.html Health Fri, 16 Sep 2011 01:57:04 EST news235357005 Doctors have been prescribing codeine for postpartum pain management for many years, and, until recently, it was considered safe to breastfeed while taking the opioid. But the death of an infant exposed to codeine through breast milk has many health care providers questioning the safety of the drug when used by breastfeeding mothers. Because of the potential risks, some doctors have begun the practice of prescribing oxycodone as an alternative to codeine; however, a new study soon to be published in The Journal of Pediatrics finds that oxycodone is no safer for breastfed infants than codeine. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-09-mother-postpartum-oxycodone-safer-breastfed.html Health Tue, 06 Sep 2011 12:13:01 EST news234529962 A common deformity that cases a depression in the chest wall inhibits lung function as the cavity grows deeper, a national study of 327 patients published in the Journal of Pediatrics found. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-08-lung-function-declines-chest-deformity.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Thu, 18 Aug 2011 14:05:05 EST news232895080 Pediatric cardiologists are prone to misinterpreting electrocardiograms when using the results to determine whether young athletes have heart defects that could make exercising perilous, according to a new study from the Stanford University School of Medicine and Lucile Packard Children's Hospital. This is the first research to examine the acumen of pediatric cardiologists from several health-care institutions in using ECGs to detect rare heart conditions associated with sudden cardiac death. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-07-sudden-cardiac-death-young-athletes.html Cardiology Thu, 14 Jul 2011 03:05:12 EST news229831493 Children who are overweight or obese have a significantly higher prevalence of psoriasis, and teens with psoriasis, regardless of their body weight, have higher cholesterol levels, according to a Kaiser Permanente study published online in the Journal of Pediatrics. The study findings suggest that higher heart disease risk for patients with psoriasis starts in childhood in the form of higher cholesterol levels. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-05-extremely-obese-children-higher-prevalence.html Health Wed, 18 May 2011 13:12:07 EST news224943117 Experts agree that obesity prevention should begin before children enter school. But due to a lack of conclusive data, health care providers often have trouble advising parents about which interventions are the most beneficial. A new study soon to be published in The Journal of Pediatrics suggests that limiting prolonged bottle use in children may be an effective way to help prevent obesity. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-05-prolonged-bottle-obesity.html Health Thu, 05 May 2011 04:40:07 EST news223789184 A five-minute checklist that parents can fill out in pediatrician waiting rooms may someday help in the early diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), according to a study funded by the National Institutes of Health. Published today in the Journal of Pediatrics, the study's design also provides a model for developing a network of pediatricians to adopt such a change to their practice. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-04-minute-screen-subtle-autism-year.html Diseases, Conditions, Syndromes Thu, 28 Apr 2011 03:54:40 EST news223181649 The number of couples struggling with infertility is on the rise, and these couples often use assisted reproductive technologies, like in vitro fertilization (IVF), to get pregnant. Although IVF can be successful, it can also increase the risk of multiple pregnancies (i.e., twins or triplets), which are often caused by transferring more than one embryo. Twins and triplets are likely to be born prematurely, and, as a result, many have medical complications. A new study soon to be published in The Journal of Pediatrics finds a major decrease in risk, as well as cost, if single embryo transfers are mandated for IVF. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2011-04-stronger-vitro-fertilization.html Health Thu, 14 Apr 2011 04:16:10 EST news221973284