http://medicalxpress.com/pediatrics-news/ en-us PhysOrg Team Medical Xpress provides the latest research news on Medical Xpress provides the latest research news on pediatrics (HealthDay)—Over the last decade, the number of American children who die each year awaiting an organ donation dropped by more than half, new research reveals. And increasing numbers of children are receiving donor organs. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-kids-donor-gaps-persist.html Pediatrics 2013-05-22T16:13:55-07:00 Plastic additives known as phthalates (pronounced THAL-ates) are odorless, colorless and just about everywhere: They turn up in flooring, plastic cups, beach balls, plastic wrap, intravenous tubing and—according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention—the bodies of most Americans. Once perceived as harmless, phthalates have come under increasing scrutiny. A growing collection of evidence suggests dietary exposure to phthalates (which can leech from packaging and mix with food) may cause significant metabolic and hormonal abnormalities, especially during early development. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-phthalates-links-chemicals-widely-plastics.html Pediatrics 2013-05-22T04:00:02-07:00 A study by Alexandra L. C. Martiniuk, M.Sc, Ph.D., of The George Institute for Global Health, Sydney, Australia, and colleagues suggests less sleep per night is associated with a significant increase in the risk for motor vehicle crashes for young drivers. (Online First) http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-young-drivers.html Pediatrics 2013-05-20T16:00:04-07:00 Whole-cell pertussis vaccines were more effective at protecting against pertussis than acellular pertussis vaccines during a large recent outbreak, according to a new Kaiser Permanente study published in Pediatrics. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-whole-cell-vaccine-effective-acellular-ca.html Pediatrics 2013-05-20T02:55:50-07:00 Levels of physical inactivity and obesity are very high in children, with fewer than 50% of primary school-aged boys and fewer than 28% of girls meeting the minimum levels of physical activity required to maintain health. Exergaming, using active console video games that track player movement to control the game (e.g., Xbox-Kinect, Wii), has become popular, and may provide an alternative form of exercise to counteract sedentary behaviors. In a study scheduled for publication in The Journal of Pediatrics, researchers studied the effects of exergaming on children. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-videogaming-exergaming-children-health.html Pediatrics 2013-05-17T00:00:01-07:00 Poisonings in young children have increased over the past decade, mainly due to medications in the home. A new study led by the Central Ohio Poison Center at Nationwide Children's Hospital, found that medication-related poisonings in children younger than 6 increased by 33 percent during the 11 year study period. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-preschoolers-affected-medication-related-poisonings-alarming.html Pediatrics 2013-05-16T06:39:25-07:00 While considerable recent progress has been made against childhood diarrheal diseases, the number of children dying from diarrhoea remains unacceptably high. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-child-diarrhea.html Pediatrics 2013-05-14T17:23:36-07:00 It seems that even for the smallest of people, a gentle massage may be beneficial. Newborn intensive care units (NICUs) are stressful environments for preterm infants; mechanical ventilation, medical procedures, caregiving activities and maternal separation create these stressful conditions. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-massage-therapy-shown-stress-response.html Pediatrics 2013-05-14T16:57:14-07:00 A study by David Finkelhor, Ph.D., of the University of New Hampshire, and colleagues updates estimates and trends for childhood exposure to a range of violence, crime and abuse victimizations. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-trends-childhood-exposure-violence-crime.html Pediatrics 2013-05-13T16:00:02-07:00 (HealthDay)—Blood lead levels (BLLs) of 5 µg/dL or greater correlate with reduced reading readiness at entry to kindergarten, according to a study published online May 13 in Pediatrics. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-blood-impact-children-cognition.html Pediatrics 2013-05-13T13:50:02-07:00 (HealthDay)—Close to half of U.S high school students text while driving, a habit that dramatically increases their risk of getting into a potentially fatal car crash, a new study shows. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-high-schoolers-text-survey.html Pediatrics 2013-05-13T11:10:01-07:00 (Medical Xpress)—Researchers from Christchurch have played a crucial role in an international study aimed at saving the lives of very premature babies. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-premature-babies.html Pediatrics 2013-05-13T06:20:01-07:00 Recent public health efforts have focused extensively on reducing the amount of formula babies are given in the hospital after birth. But in the first randomized trial of its kind, researchers at UC San Francisco have found that giving small amounts of formula in the first few days of life to infants experiencing high levels of early weight loss actually can increase the length of time their mothers end up breastfeeding. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-early-formula-mothers-breastfeed-longer.html Pediatrics 2013-05-13T00:10:06-07:00 (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 2013-05-10T14:15:01-07:00 (HealthDay)—When teens start dating, parents' worries grow—and experts say that dating violence should be on their list of concerns. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-teen-dating-abusive-violent.html Pediatrics 2013-05-10T12:46:19-07:00 (HealthDay)—Half of pregnant teens in substance-abuse treatment programs used alcohol or drugs in the month before they entered treatment. And nearly 20 percent used drugs or alcohol on a daily basis during that month, according to a U.S. government report. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-pregnancy-teens-drug-abuse.html Pediatrics 2013-05-09T09:40:01-07:00 A common nutritional supplement may be part of the magic in improving the survival rates of babies born with heart defects, researchers report. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-carnitine-supplement-survival-children-heart.html Pediatrics 2013-05-08T13:23:34-07:00 (HealthDay)—Pimples have long been the bane of teenage existence, but pediatricians say there is now enough evidence on effective treatments to put out the first guidelines on battling acne in children. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-pediatricians-endorse-acne-treatment-guidelines.html Pediatrics 2013-05-06T09:50:01-07:00 Influenza immunization rates in children with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) are low despite its safety according to a new study by researchers at the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences (ICES), Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO), the Ottawa Hospital Research Institute (OHRI), and the University of Ottawa. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-flu-vaccine-safe-children-ibd.html Pediatrics 2013-05-06T09:06:36-07:00 Regular exercise is touted as an antidote for many ills, including stress, depression and obesity. Physical activity also may help decrease violent behavior among adolescent girls, according to new research to be presented Monday, May 6, at the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) annual meeting in Washington, DC. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-teen-girls-violent.html Pediatrics 2013-05-06T05:40:02-07:00 Chemicals called polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) have been used for decades to reduce fires in everyday products such as baby strollers, carpeting and electronics. A new study to be presented on Monday, May 6, at the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) annual meeting shows that prenatal exposure to the flame retardants is associated with lower intelligence and hyperactivity in early childhood. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-flame-retardants-toxic-children.html Pediatrics 2013-05-06T05:20:03-07:00 Newspaper articles, TV shows and books are filled with horror stories of children placed in foster care. A new study bucks that trend by showing out-of-home placements can improve the emotional health of some youths who have been maltreated by a parent. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-foster-choice-maltreated-children.html Pediatrics 2013-05-06T05:00:01-07:00 Many parents are putting their precious cargo at risk while driving, according to survey results that will be presented May 5 and 6 at the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) annual meeting in Washington, DC. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-parents-multi-task-kids.html Pediatrics 2013-05-06T04:44:30-07:00 Despite knowing the risk of serious injury from playing football with a concussion, half of high school football players would continue to play if they had a headache stemming from an injury sustained on the field. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-teen-athletes-concussion-symptoms.html Pediatrics 2013-05-06T04:42:28-07:00 Hydrocarbons, a chemical compound commonly found in household items from cleaning products to gasoline, are among the top 10 causes of pediatric poisoning deaths in the United States. A new study by researchers at the Central Ohio Poison Center and the Center for Injury Research and Policy, both at Nationwide Children's Hospital, found these injuries are most likely to occur during months when the weather is warm and are associated with activities such as mowing lawns, use of Tiki torches and use of lighter fluid for outdoor cooking. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-summer-spike-chemical-injuries-kids.html Pediatrics 2013-05-06T04:39:06-07:00 In a randomized trial performed to help resolve the uncertainty about the optimal oxygen saturation therapy in extremely preterm infants, researchers found that targeting saturations of 85 percent to 89 percent compared with 91 percent to 95 percent had no significant effect on the rate of death or disability at 18 months, according to a study published by JAMA. The study is being released early online to coincide with its presentation at the Pediatric Academic Societies annual meeting. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-effect-oxygen-saturation-death-disability.html Pediatrics 2013-05-05T09:10:01-07:00 Parents are advised to make sure their children drink milk and eat other calcium-rich foods to build strong bones. Soon, they also may be urged to make sure their kids eat salmon, almonds and other foods high in magnesium—another nutrient that may play an important role in bone health, according to a study to be presented Sunday, May 5, at the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) annual meeting in Washington, DC. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-magnesium-important-kids-bone-health.html Pediatrics 2013-05-05T07:00:01-07:00 Preterm infants may need to be given 800 international units (IU) of vitamin D a day to ensure they develop strong bones, according to a study to be presented Sunday, May 5, at the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) annual meeting in Washington, DC. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-preterm-infants-iu-vitamin-d3.html Pediatrics 2013-05-05T06:20:02-07:00 As schools around the country look for ways to reduce violence and bullying, they may want to consider encouraging students to participate in team sports, according to a study to be presented Sunday, May 5, at the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) annual meeting in Washington, DC. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-camaraderie-sports-teams-deter-bullying.html Pediatrics 2013-05-05T06:00:04-07:00 More children today have a disability than a decade ago, and the greatest increase is among kids in higher-income families, according to a study to be presented Sunday, May 5, at the Pediatric Academic Societies (PAS) annual meeting in Washington, DC. http://medicalxpress.com/news/2013-05-childhood-disability-percent-decade.html Pediatrics 2013-05-05T05:52:41-07:00