Steroid After Tonsillectomy Raises Bleeding Risk
Children who were given the steroid dexamethasone after a tonsillectomy had less nausea and vomiting, but they also faced an increased risk of bleeding that was significant enough to end the trial early for safety reasons, a new study shows. “The clinical implication is that children undergoing [tonsillectomy] should not receive dexamethasone prophylactically unless an adequately designed, valid... Read more
Easing Fear in Children
When children experience fear or anxiety, it’s important to teach them how to deal with these emotions so they can better handle them later in life. The Nemours Foundation suggests how to deal with your child’s fear or anxiety: Understand that your child’s fear is a real and valid emotion, and that it’s healthy — and helpful — to talk about it. Don’t act as... Read more
Laws Governing Indoor Tanning by Teens Don’t Work
Policies enacted by states to restrict and limit indoor tanning by children under 18 aren’t working, cancer researchers report. That’s a worrisome trend, because ultraviolet radiation, whether from the sun or indoor tanning facilities, has been linked to skin cancer, the most common malignancy in the United States, with 1 million new cases in 2008. “Policies have little effect,”... Read more
Obese children risk thyroid damage
Obese children may be damaging their thyroids, creating a vicious cycle of metabolism and overweight, Italian researchers reported on Wednesday. Obesity may cause inflammation that damages the thyroid, which secretes hormones to regulate metabolism and other important functions, Dr. Giorgio Radetti of the Regional Hospital of Bolzano in Italy and colleagues said. They evaluated 186 overweight and obese... Read more
Folate in Early Pregnancy May Boost Wheezing in Baby
Infants whose mothers take folic acid (folate) during early pregnancy may have an increased risk for respiratory illness, according to a Norwegian study. Folate is recommended to reduce the risk of birth defects, and many countries fortify their flour with folic acid. The researchers examined data on more than 32,000 children born between 2000 and 2005 who were part of the Norwegian Mother and Child... Read more
Low Childhood IQ Tied to Risk of Later Mental Disorders
Children with lower IQ have an increased risk of developing schizophrenia, depression, generalized anxiety disorder and other psychiatric problems as adults, a new study that spanned more than three decades shows. Lower childhood IQ was also associated with more persistent depression and anxiety, as well as an increased risk of having two or more psychiatric diagnoses by age 32, say researchers from... Read more
Health Needs of Autistic Children Often Unmet
Parents of autistic children are more likely to see their sons or daughter’s special health needs go unmet, a new government report shows. Data from the National Survey of Children With Special Health Care Needs also indicated that when compared with families that have kids with other special emotional or physical needs, parents caring for autistic children face a significantly greater financial... Read more
Two-thirds of Myanmar HIV cases involve youths: UNICEF
Youths in Myanmar are particularly at risk from HIV, with almost two thirds of the near quarter million people living with the virus in that country aged under 24, the UN Children’s Fund said Monday. About 100,000 women are also living with HIV in Myanmar and many newborns are at risk of being infected, Ramesh Shrestha, the UNICEF representative in Myanmar, said in a statement for World AIDS... Read more
Scans Show Sound-Processing Deficits in Autistic Kids
Children with autism spectrum disorder process sounds a fraction of a second slower than other children, an abnormality that offers insight into listening and language issues linked to the condition, a new study says. Researchers used magnetoencephalography (MEG), which records minute magnetic fields associated with electrical brain activity, to detect the slight delay in autistic children who were... Read more
Study Recruiting From Alzheimer’s-Prone Families
The adult children of people with the rarer, inherited form of Alzheimer’s disease are being sought for a new study to better understand the biology of the brain disorder. Three hundred adults with a biological parent diagnosed with a known genetic mutation causing the rare, early-onset form of Alzheimer’s are needed for the six-year, $16 million study being funded by the U.S. National... Read more