Solutions To Childhood Obesity - Pediatric News

Utah Bill Would Offer Parents Choice Of Two Sex Education Options

A bill (H.B. 189) before the Utah Legislature's Health and Human Services Interim Committee would allow parents to choose between two sex education curriculums, the Salt Lake City Deseret News reports.

Here Comes The Sun: Don't Forget To Stay Cool

The recent news of a British soldier dying of heatstroke, whilst serving in Iraq, is a reminder of the seriousness of this condition. It is unlikely that holidaymakers will ever be in a situation where this condition will lead to death, but it can put a strain on a body's internal organs, as well as lead to other complications. Young children and babies are particularly at risk.

Dad's Early Connection With Child 'Writes Script' For Later School Involvement

When a dad changes diapers and makes pediatrician's appointments, he's more likely to stay interested and involved when his child makes the transition to school, said a new University of Illinois study that explores the role of parent involvement on student achievement. "If we want fathers to be involved in school, we need to focus on men building close, loving relationships with their children in the preschool years.

A Urine Test For Appendicitis?

Appendicitis is the most common childhood surgical emergency, but the diagnosis can be challenging, especially in children, often leading to either unnecessary surgery in children without appendicitis, or a ruptured appendix and serious complications when the condition is missed. Now, emergency medicine physicians and scientists at the Proteomics Center at Children's Hospital Boston demonstrate that a protein detectable in urine might serve as a "biomarker" for appendicitis.

Closely Supervised Foster Care Linked With Reduced Pregnancy Rates For Delinquent Teens, Study Says

Teenage girls with a history of delinquency who were placed in individualized foster care programs were less likely than their peers to become pregnant, according to a study in the June issue of the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology, HealthDay/Forbes reports.

Research Considers Lean Mass Better For Developing Bones

South Dakota State University research shows that a child with leaner body mass, or muscle, builds bigger bones than a child who weighs the same but has a greater percentage of fat. "We were interested in the relative influence of lean mass, which is muscle, versus fat mass on how bone grows as kids grow," said Howard Wey, an associate professor in SDSU's College of Nursing.

Being Overweight Is A Health Concern, BMI Is Only Part Of The Story

Being overweight is a health concern, but Body Mass Index doesn't tell the whole story because it is part of a larger picture, says a new advisory by the American Heart Association published this month. Lead author Dr Cora E.

Major Study Highlights Weight Differences Among 3-19 Year-olds With Type 1 And 2 Diabetes

A major study of three to 19 year-olds has provided vital data on the weight problems faced by the growing number of children and young people with type 1 diabetes, which is more prevalent in younger age groups than type 2 diabetes. The findings of the SEARCH for Diabetes in Youth Study Group, published online by Pediatric Diabetes, show that children and youths with type 1 diabetes are more likely to be overweight than those without diabetes.

Coma, Vegetative State, Minimally Conscious State: Frequent Misdiagnoses And Inconsistent Standards In Europe Pose Ethical Problems

"Latest research raises important ethical issues concerning our care for patients with chronic consciousness disorders," said Professor Gustave Moonen (Liege, Belgium), past president of the European Neurological Society (ENS), at a press conference at the current ENS Congress. This major meeting in European neurology is gathering more than 2,900 experts from all over the world in Milan.

Rotherham Nurse Raises Alarm Over Infant Medicine Feeder

A concerned Rotherham nurse has forced manufacturers of an infant medicine feeder to withdraw its product following a safety scare. Nurse Karen Ray, a clinical procurement specialist at Rotherham Hospital, took her concerns to the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) after a six-month-old baby was admitted to Rotherham Hospital following a liquid paracetamol overdose.

HHS Secretary Sebelius Announces Release Of $6 Billion In New CHIP Funds To Insure Children

HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius announced that $6 billion in new federal funds will be made available to states and U.S. territories for fiscal year 2009 to provide health care to millions of children across America through their Children's Health Insurance Programs (CHIP). The new funds for CHIP were made available by the Children's Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2009 (CHIPRA), which was signed into law by President Barack Obama on February 4.

Study Shows Teen Contraception Use Declining, Level Of Sexual Activity Unchanged

After years of declining teenage pregnancy rates and improved teen contraception use during the 1990s and early 2000s, the trends appeared to have flattened or even reversed among some groups of teens in recent years, according to a study from Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health and the

The Department Of Health And Human Services Teams Up With The White House And The Ad Council To Launch New Fatherhood Public Service Campaign

Just in time for Father's Day weekend, the Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius announced a new public service campaign today promoting fatherhood that features a PSA by President Obama. The campaign, sponsored by the department's Administration for Children and Families and the Advertising Council, can be found at http://www.fatherhood.gov.

Majority Of School Nutrition Programs Now Offer Vegetarian School Lunches

School Nutrition Association president Dr. Katie Wilson, SNS announced new data today on the widespread availability of vegetarian school lunch options. Almost two thirds of school nutrition programs now offer a vegetarian school lunch on a consistent basis, up from 22% in 2003, according to the Association's soon to be released 2009 School Nutrition Operations Report.

Young Leaders Head For Junior 8/G8 Summit In Rome

What Junior 8 Summit Where Istituto Superiore Antincendi, Rome When 5-12 July 2009 ROME, 19 June 2009 - Teams of young people aged 14 to 17 are packing their bags and booking their flights to Rome to participate in the young people's summit (J8) to be held this year in Rome from the 5th - 12th of July, in parallel to the G8 meeting in L'Aquila, Italy.

Government Of Canada Acts To Help Ensure Soft Vinyl Toys, Child-Care Articles And Other Consumer Products Are Safer

The Honourable Leona Aglukkaq, Minister of Health, announced today that the Government of Canada is proposing new regulations to prevent the use of six chemicals (phthalates) in soft vinyl toys and child-care articles. Regulations are also being proposed to further reduce lead limits in consumer products. "These regulations are yet another measure this Government is taking to help ensure that products intended for children are safe," said Minister Aglukkaq.

MDA Cancels Remainder Of Nationwide Summer Camp Program To Protect Children From Swine Flu

Due to overriding concern for the health and safety of Jerry's Kids, the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) announced today that it is immediately canceling the remainder of its annual summer camp program because of the H1N1 virus. "These children are much more vulnerable because of their weakened respiratory muscles, so we are taking this preemptive action to protect them from possible exposure to the swine flu," said Dr. Valerie Cwik, MDA medical director.

Disabled Children Missing Out On Basic NHS Care, UK

Disabled children missing out on basic NHS care Parents tell of 'battle' to get basic healthcare for disabled children and of agencies routinely 'passing the buck' Campaign group Every Disabled Child Matters today launches a new report, 'Disabled Children and Health', highlighting the failure of the NHS to meet even the basic needs of disabled children.

Anxious Parents Misdiagnose Milk Formula Intolerance

Some parents may be unnecessarily switching infant milk formulas for their healthy infants. A study published in BioMed Central's open access Nutrition Journal, found that many parents misinterpret common baby behaviors as milk intolerance and needlessly switch formulas without consulting a health professional. The team of researchers, led by Dr.

Role Of Overweight Status On Stone-Forming Risk Factors In Children: A Prospective Study

UroToday.com - Gluttony is becoming an ever-increasing problem in our pediatric patients, and this is directly correlated to an increase risk of stone disease. In this prospective study, 44 children who were being followed for obesity in the pediatric department were evaluated with respect to stone disease and stone forming risk factors using a 24-hour urine evaluation.

Take Steps To Learn From Child Medication Errors, MDU Urges GPS, UK

The Medical Defence Union (MDU) is reminding its GP members about the steps they can take to avoid medication errors when treating children and the importance of learning from errors. The advice follows the publication of the National Patient Safety Agency's (NPSA) first review of patient safety incidents involving the under 18s reported under the national reporting and learning system (RLS).

Genetic Finding Could Lead To Targeted Therapy For Neuroblastoma

Researchers have identified a genetic glitch that could lead to development of neuroblastoma, a deadly form of cancer that typically strikes children under 2. Two University of Florida scientists are part of the multicenter team of researchers that made the discovery, which could pave the way for better treatments that target the disease, according to findings published Wednesday in the journal Nature.

School Program Cuts Problem Behaviors In Fifth Graders In Half

A study by Oregon State University researchers suggests that school-based prevention programs begun in elementary school can significantly reduce problem behaviors in students. Fifth graders who previously participated in a comprehensive interactive school prevention program for one to four years were about half as likely to engage in substance abuse, violent behavior, or sexual activity as those who did not take part in the program.

Young Offenders' Health Critical To Rehabilitation

The physical and mental health needs of juvenile offenders should be treated as a priority if offenders held in detention have any real hope of rehabilitation, according to new research from the University of Adelaide, Australia. Adelaide researchers have conducted a comprehensive review of previous studies into the health of young offenders undertaken in the USA, UK, Europe and Australia since 1997.

Growth In German Children

German children are taller than 30 years ago, but the increase in height observed during the last century has become slower. In the current edition of Deutsches Arzteblatt International (Dtsch Arztebl Int 2009; 106(23): 377-82), Bettina Gohlke and Joachim Woelfle of the Department of Pediatrics at the University of Bonn summarize the current state of knowledge of changes in height and of the physical development of young people. 7- to 10-year olds are 1 to 1.

Last Modified: 06/24/2009 05:02:10 AM