February 2010 Briefing - Pediatrics

Here are what the editors at HealthDay consider to be the most important developments in Pediatrics for February 2010. This roundup includes the latest research news from journal articles, as well as the FDA approvals and regulatory changes that are the most likely to affect clinical practice.

Radiographs Help Predict Curve Flexibility in Scoliosis

THURSDAY, Feb. 25 (HealthDay News) -- In the prediction of curve flexibility and postoperative correction in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis, traction under general anesthesia radiographs perform equivalently to supine bending radiographs, according to a study in the Feb. 15 issue of Spine.

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Older Maternal Age Found to Up Risk of Autism in Offspring

THURSDAY, Feb. 25 (HealthDay News) -- Women who give birth over the age of 40 are more likely than their younger counterparts to have a child with autism, but the father's age only affects the odds of autism when the mother is under 30, according to a study published online Feb. 8 in Autism Research.

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Panel Expands Annual Flu Vaccination Recommendation

THURSDAY, Feb. 25 (HealthDay News) -- In an effort to remove barriers to seasonal influenza vaccination, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), which advises the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, has voted to expand the annual influenza vaccination recommendation to include all individuals 6 months and older, taking effect during the 2010/2011 influenza season.

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Successor to Combination Pneumococcal Vaccine Approved

WEDNESDAY, Feb. 24 (HealthDay News) -- The Prevnar 13 vaccine, a combination shot that protects children aged 6 weeks through 5 years from a host of illnesses, including pneumonia and ear infections, has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

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School-Based, Compulsory Exercise Helps Youth Stay Fit

WEDNESDAY, Feb. 24 (HealthDay News) -- A school-based intervention that incorporates compulsory exercise sessions as well as physical education homework helps children become more active and fit and reduces adiposity, according to a study published Feb. 23 in BMJ.

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Physicians Working Fewer Hours for Lower Fees

TUESDAY, Feb. 23 (HealthDay News) -- Physicians in the United States have been working fewer hours for lower fees in the past decade, according to research published in the Feb. 24 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

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Novartis Updates Exjade Prescribing Information

MONDAY, Feb. 22 (HealthDay News) -- Novartis Oncology has alerted health care professionals about changes in the prescribing information for deferasirox (Exjade), a treatment for chronic iron overload due to blood transfusions in patients 2 years of age and older, according to a Feb. 18 safety alert issued by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

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Menveo Vaccine Approved for Bacterial Meningitis

MONDAY, Feb. 22 (HealthDay News) -- The Novartis vaccine Menveo has been approved to prevent bacterial meningitis and other health problems caused by meningococcal disease, the drug maker said in a news release.

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United Effort Needed to Reduce Choking Risk in Young Children

MONDAY, Feb. 22 (HealthDay News) -- Regulatory agencies, pediatricians, parents and caregivers, toy manufacturers, and food companies should take concrete steps to reduce the risk of choking in young children, according to a policy statement from the American Academy of Pediatrics published online Feb. 22 in Pediatrics.

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Minority Pediatricians Treating More Minority Children

MONDAY, Feb. 22 (HealthDay News) -- Pediatricians who are members of a minority see substantially more minority patients and more patients who are on public insurance or are uninsured than their non-minority peers, according to a study published online Feb. 22 in Pediatrics.

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Pediatric Obesity Affects Survival After In-Hospital CPR

MONDAY, Feb. 22 (HealthDay News) -- Obese children who undergo cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) in the hospital are at greater risk of dying before hospital discharge than normal weight or underweight children, according to a study published online Feb. 22 in Pediatrics.

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Infectious Disease Not Linked to Future Celiac Disease

MONDAY, Feb. 22 (HealthDay News) -- Children with an infectious disease at the time of gluten introduction do not appear to have an increased risk of developing celiac disease, according to a study published online Feb. 22 in Pediatrics.

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Maternal Antidepressants May Delay Infant Milestones

MONDAY, Feb. 22 (HealthDay News) -- Exposure to antidepressants in late pregnancy may affect children's developmental milestones, according to a study published online Feb. 22 in Pediatrics.

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Medical Checklists Needed to Improve Care and Outcomes

MONDAY, Feb. 22 (HealthDay News) -- The checklists so common in aviation and many professions are underused in medicine and, if more widely adopted, would provide powerful tools to standardize care and improve patient outcomes, according to an article published Dec. 31 in Critical Care.

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Flat Head Syndrome Linked to Delayed Neurodevelopment

FRIDAY, Feb. 19 (HealthDay News) -- Infants with deformational plagiocephaly (DP) -- flat head syndrome -- may be at risk for delayed development of cognition, language, and motor functions, according to a study published online Feb. 15 in Pediatrics.

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New System Aims to Improve Blood Transfusion Safety

FRIDAY, Feb. 19 (HealthDay News) -- The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has started a national surveillance system to monitor adverse events in patients who receive blood transfusions, the agency has announced.

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LABAs Can Harm Asthma Patients When Used Alone

THURSDAY, Feb. 18 (HealthDay News) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has announced that long-acting beta agonists (LABAs) should never be used alone to treat asthma in children or adults.

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Bone-Anchored Hearing Aids Show Benefits in Youth

THURSDAY, Feb. 18 (HealthDay News) -- In children with severe sensorineural hearing loss in one ear, use of the Baha bone-anchored hearing aid leads to improvements in hearing in noise and improved patient satisfaction, according to research published in the February issue of the Archives of Otolaryngology -- Head & Neck Surgery.

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Management of Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome Assessed

THURSDAY, Feb. 18 (HealthDay News) -- In the management of hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLHS) in a child or fetus, most pediatric cardiologists and cardiac surgeons discuss a surgical intervention with parents, but only a few mention all of the available options, according to a study published online Feb. 15 in Pediatrics.

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Discussing Video Cases in Groups Aids in Diagnoses

THURSDAY, Feb. 18 (HealthDay News) -- Viewing and discussing patient video cases with more experienced clinicians may help improve the diagnostic accuracy of newer clinicians, and these learning tools could be useful in training, according to research published online Feb. 15 in Pediatrics.

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FDA Issues Maalox Total Relief Warning

THURSDAY, Feb. 18 (HealthDay News) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is warning consumers not to mistake Maalox Total Relief, a gastrointestinal and anti-diarrhea medication, for Maalox antacids (Maalox Advanced Regular Strength and Maalox Advanced Maximum Strength), as this could result in serious side effects.

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Newborn Training Has Mixed Effect in Developing Countries

WEDNESDAY, Feb. 17 (HealthDay News) -- In developing countries, training birth attendants in the World Health Organization Essential Newborn Care course does not reduce neonatal mortality but does reduce rates of stillbirth, and further training in neonatal resuscitation does not have a significant effect on outcomes, according to a study in the Feb. 18 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

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Annual Report Shows Increase in U.S. Life Expectancy

WEDNESDAY, Feb. 17 (HealthDay News) -- Advances in medical technology are transforming health care and improving life expectancy and quality of life, but equal access to technology continues to be a problem, according to Health, United States, 2009, the 33rd annual report on the nation's health status released Feb. 17 by the U.S. National Center for Health Statistics.

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New Reports Rank Health of Every U.S. County

WEDNESDAY, Feb. 17 (HealthDay News) -- For the first time, the nation's physicians, patients, and government officials can see how their county ranks in terms of health and longevity, according to a new set of reports released Feb. 17 at a press briefing in Washington, D.C.

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Hormone Oxytocin Offers Possible Autism Treatment

WEDNESDAY, Feb. 17 (HealthDay News) -- Treatment with the hormone oxytocin improves social interactions and performance, and enhances feelings of trust in subjects with high-functioning autism or Asperger's syndrome during simulated social interaction, according to a study published online Feb. 16 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

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Chronic Conditions Becoming More Common in Children

TUESDAY, Feb. 16 (HealthDay News) -- Chronic health conditions have become increasingly more common in children in recent decades, according to research published in the Feb. 17 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

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Racial Disparities Seen in New York Surgical Patients

TUESDAY, Feb. 16 (HealthDay News) -- In New York City, minority patients are significantly less likely than Caucasians to use high-volume surgeons and hospitals when undergoing procedures with an established volume-mortality association, according to a study in the February issue of the Archives of Surgery.

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Risk Factors Often Present in Cases of SIDS

MONDAY, Feb. 15 (HealthDay News) -- Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is often accompanied by multiple risk factors, many of which are modifiable, which call for more inclusive and comprehensive risk-reduction education, according to research published online Feb. 15 in Pediatrics.

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Poor Sleep Linked to More Car Accidents in Teenagers

TUESDAY, Feb. 16 (HealthDay News) -- Poor sleep habits are associated with a higher risk of car accidents among teenagers, according to a study in the Feb. 15 issue of the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine.

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H. Pylori Often Unrelated to Children's Gastrointestinal Pain

TUESDAY, Feb. 16 (HealthDay News) -- In pediatric patients with gastrointestinal symptoms, Helicobacter pylori infection is not likely associated with recurrent abdominal pain (RAP), but it may be associated with unspecified abdominal pain (UAP) and epigastric pain, according to a review published online Feb. 15 in Pediatrics.

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Accuracy of Postpartum Screening Tools Evaluated

MONDAY, Feb. 15 (HealthDay News) -- Depression is common in postpartum, low-income, urban mothers attending well-child care (WCC) visits, which may be identified by pediatricians with three screening tools, but cutoff scores may need to be changed to more accurately identify depression depending on the population and the screening tool utilized, according to research published online Feb. 15 in Pediatrics.

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Keeping Vaccination Records Linked to Greater Compliance

MONDAY, Feb. 15 (HealthDay News) -- When parents had children's vaccination records available, children were more likely to be up-to-date on their vaccinations, according to research published online Feb. 15 in Pediatrics.

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Gluten-Free Camp Helpful for Children With Celiac Disease

MONDAY, Feb. 15 (HealthDay News) -- For children and adolescents with celiac disease, attending a gluten-free camp may at least temporarily improve quality of life, according to a study published online Feb. 15 in Pediatrics.

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Rapid H1N1 Flu Test Found to Be of Limited Value in Children

MONDAY, Feb. 15 (HealthDay News) -- In the diagnosis of pediatric H1N1 influenza A virus infection, the rapid influenza diagnostic test has poor sensitivity but excellent specificity, according to a study published online Feb. 15 in Pediatrics.

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Treating Herpes May Slow HIV in Co-Infected Patients

MONDAY, Feb. 15 (HealthDay News) -- In patients co-infected with HIV-1 and herpes simplex virus type 2, treating the herpes infection with acyclovir likely delays the progression of HIV, according to a study published online Feb. 15 in The Lancet.

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Seminal Plasma, Not Cells May Be Key to HIV Transmission

MONDAY, Feb. 15 (HealthDay News) -- In HIV infection resulting from men having sex with men (MSM), the infection is likely transmitted via HIV RNA in the plasma constituent of semen, not by the HIV DNA located in seminal cells, according to a study in the Feb. 10 issue of Science Translational Medicine.

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Physical Activity Surveillance Methods Need Improvement

MONDAY, Feb. 15 (HealthDay News) -- Relying on self-reported data to study disparities in physical activity can produce misleading information about population-wide trends, and surveillance should be revised to use more objective methods of data collection, according to research published online Feb. 10 in the American Journal of Public Health.

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2009 H1N1-Related Deaths and Hospitalizations Examined

MONDAY, Feb. 15 (HealthDay News) -- The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has provided updated estimates of the 2009 H1N1 cases, related hospitalizations and deaths, with approximately 57 million cases occurring between April 2009 and January 2010.

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Immunization Information Systems More Widely Used

FRIDAY, Feb. 12 (HealthDay News) -- Immunization information systems (IIS) that consolidate vaccination data from different health care providers and can be used to remind and recall patients are becoming more widely used by vaccination grantees, according to an article published in the Feb. 12 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

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Study Suggests Treatment Target for Enlarged Tonsils

FRIDAY, Feb. 12 (HealthDay News) -- Phosphoserine phosphatase (PSPH) may play a role in tonsil enlargement in children with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), and may serve as a target for treating this enlargement, according to research published online Jan. 21 in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

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Shoulder Injuries Compared in High School Baseball, Softball

FRIDAY, Feb. 12 (HealthDay News) -- Although high school baseball and softball players tend to have similar rates of shoulder injuries, there are factors at play that may help improve preventive efforts, according to research published online Feb. 8 in Pediatrics.

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Vesicoureteral Reflux Treatment in Children Studied

FRIDAY, Feb. 12 (HealthDay News) -- The treating hospital is the most important factor affecting treatment choice in children with vesicoureteral reflux (VUR), a condition characterized by an abnormal flow of urine from the bladder back into the ureter, according to research published online Feb. 8 in Pediatrics.

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Camp Mumps Outbreak Sickens Over 1,500 People

FRIDAY, Feb. 12 (HealthDay News) -- An outbreak of mumps that began at a summer camp in New York in June 2009 has since infected 1,521 people in New York and New Jersey as of the end of January 2010, according to an article published in the Feb. 12 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

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Lactation May Protect Women Against Metabolic Syndrome

THURSDAY, Feb. 11 (HealthDay News) -- Longer duration of breast-feeding can help women, particularly those who developed gestational diabetes mellitus, by reducing their risk of developing the metabolic syndrome, according to a study in the February issue of Diabetes

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Benicar Approved for Kids With High Blood Pressure

THURSDAY, Feb. 11 (HealthDay News) -- Olmesartan medoxomil (Benicar), approved in 2002 to treat high blood pressure in adults, has been sanctioned by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to treat the same condition in children aged 6 to 16, drug maker Daiichi Sankyo said Thursday.

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Myocarditis Linked to Pandemic H1N1 Flu in Children

THURSDAY, Feb. 11 (HealthDay News) -- Several cases of fulminant myocarditis, a rare complication of viral infection, have been identified among children infected with H1N1 pandemic influenza during a one month period, according to the results of a retrospective chart review published online Feb. 10 in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

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Laparoscopic Practice Takes Physical Toll on Surgeons

THURSDAY, Feb. 11 (HealthDay News) -- Many surgeons who perform laparoscopic surgery suffer pain, numbness, stiffness, fatigue and other physical symptoms, often as a result of high case load, according to a study published online Dec. 24 ahead of print in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons.

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Dietary Supplement Suspected of Causing Selenium Poisoning

THURSDAY, Feb. 11 (HealthDay News) -- A liquid dietary supplement that contained 200 times the labeled concentration of selenium caused a widespread outbreak of selenium poisoning affecting 201 people in 10 states, according to a study published in the Feb. 8 issue of the Archives of Internal Medicine.

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Study Finds Link Between Genetic Variations, Stuttering

WEDNESDAY, Feb. 10 (HealthDay News) -- Some cases of stuttering may be related to variations in genes that play a role in lysosomal metabolism, according to research published online Feb. 10 in the New England Journal of Medicine.

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Youth Cardiovascular Risk Factors Linked to Early Death

WEDNESDAY, Feb. 10 (HealthDay News) -- Cardiovascular risk factors in childhood are associated with a higher rate of premature death from endogenous causes, according to research published in the Feb. 11 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

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Draft Diagnostic Criteria for DSM-5 Are Released

WEDNESDAY, Feb. 10 (HealthDay News) -- Proposed revisions to the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) were released Feb. 10 by the American Psychiatric Association.

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Rural Diabetes Impact Calls for Variety of Outreach Solutions

WEDNESDAY, Feb. 10 (HealthDay News) -- The burden of diabetes in rural communities points to a need for strategies to improve diabetes care in these areas, according to an article published in the Jan. 1 issue of Clinical Diabetes.

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AHRQ: U.S. Adults Seeing Big Barriers to Specialty Care

WEDNESDAY, Feb. 10 (HealthDay News) -- In 2007, about one in 13 of U.S. adults reported that access to specialist care was a "big problem," according to a December report issued by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ).

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FDA Initiative Aims to Cut Medical Radiation Exposure

WEDNESDAY, Feb. 10 (HealthDay News) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has launched a new initiative that aims to reduce exposure to radiation from computed tomography (CT), nuclear medicine studies and fluoroscopy, the three procedures that are the main sources of medically-related radiation exposure.

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Flu Vaccination Found Safe, Immunogenic in Young Infants

WEDNESDAY, Feb. 10 (HealthDay News) -- Babies under 6 months of age, for whom no influenza vaccine is currently licensed, developed protective antibodies after vaccination with a standard infant dose of trivalent inactivated influenza vaccine (TIV) with few adverse events, according to a study in the February issue of the Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal.

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Maternal Factors Linked to Fetal Growth Restriction

TUESDAY, Feb. 9 (HealthDay News) -- Some maternal factors are associated with first-trimester fetal growth, and growth restriction in turn can lead to adverse birth outcomes, according to research published in the Feb. 10 Journal of the American Medical Association.

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Gastric Banding Tested for Weight Loss in Obese Teens

TUESDAY, Feb. 9 (HealthDay News) -- In a study of obese Australian adolescents, 84 percent who underwent laparoscopic gastric banding lost more than half their excess weight compared to just 12 percent in a lifestyle-intervention program, according to a study in the Feb. 10 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

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New Research Points to Threat in Thirdhand Tobacco Smoke

TUESDAY, Feb. 9 (HealthDay News) -- Nicotine left on surfaces from tobacco smoke can combine with ambient nitrous oxide to create carcinogens, raising new concern over the health effects of so-called thirdhand smoke, according to research published online Feb. 8 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

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Older Maternal Age Linked to Incidence of Type 1 Diabetes

TUESDAY, Feb. 9 (HealthDay News) -- A small percentage of older mothers may be more likely to give birth to children with type 1 diabetes, according to a meta-analysis published in the February issue of Diabetes.

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Needle Length May Affect Vaccination Results in Obese

TUESDAY, Feb. 9 (HealthDay News) -- The reduced immune response seen in obese adolescents and adults following hepatitis B virus (HBV) vaccination may be due in part to insufficient needle penetration of muscle, according to research published online Feb. 8 in Pediatrics.

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Healthy Routines May Reduce Obesity in Children and Teens

MONDAY, Feb. 8 (HealthDay News) -- Exposure to three household routines is associated with a significantly reduced prevalence of obesity in preschoolers, and an age-appropriate book may help obese girls aged 9 to 13 years lose weight, according to two articles published online Feb. 8 in Pediatrics.

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H1N1 Vaccination Still Highly Recommended

MONDAY, Feb. 8 (HealthDay News) -- Despite H1N1 virus levels stabilizing, transmission remains an issue and vaccination continues to be an effective option for prevention of this potentially serious condition, according to a Feb. 5 press briefing by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control.

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Racial Disparities in Perinatal HIV Infections Decline Slightly

MONDAY, Feb. 8 (HealthDay News) -- Racial disparities in perinatal HIV diagnoses have declined in recent years, although African-Americans and Hispanics still account for the majority of infections, according to research published in the Feb. 5 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

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Behavioral Health Factors Linked to HPV Vaccination

MONDAY, Feb. 8 (HealthDay News) -- Certain behavioral health factors may potentially be associated with human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine acceptability, according to research published in the February issue of Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention.

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Many American Adults Do Not Get Recommended Vaccines

MONDAY, Feb. 8 (HealthDay News) -- Although most parents ensure their children are vaccinated, adults often do not receive recommended vaccinations themselves, according to a new report, Adult Immunization: Shots to Save Lives.

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Physical Inactivity, Not Just Lack of Exercise, Harms Health

FRIDAY, Feb. 5 (HealthDay News) -- Sedentary behavior and a lack of whole-body movement are independent predictors of increased mortality and increased incidence of obesity, diabetes, heart disease and cancer, regardless of level of physical exercise, according to an article published online Feb. 4 in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.

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Coalition Launches Campaign to Limit Residents' Hours

FRIDAY, Feb. 5 (HealthDay News) -- To prevent medical errors caused by doctor fatigue, a coalition of public interest and patient safety groups is urging the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) to limit the amount of time residents must work without sleep to 16 hours and to increase resident supervision.

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Pediatric Amputations Cost $21.6 Million Annually

FRIDAY, Feb. 5 (HealthDay News) -- Traumatic amputations in children cost nearly $22 million in hospital-associated charges annually in the United States, according to a report in the January issue of the Journal of Trauma: Injury, Infection, and Critical Care.

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Closed-Loop Insulin Delivery Helps Young Diabetes Patients

FRIDAY, Feb. 5 (HealthDay News) -- Young type 1 diabetes patients could be at reduced risk of nocturnal hypoglycemia if they use closed-loop insulin delivery, which responds to blood sugar levels to deliver insulin, according to a study published online Feb. 5 in The Lancet.

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Backpack Weight Linked to Back Issues in Children

FRIDAY, Feb. 5 (HealthDay News) -- Increasing backpack loads are associated with more back pain, lumbar asymmetry, and decreases in lumbar disc height in children, according to research published in the Jan. 1 issue of Spine.

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Whole Grain Intake Found Deficient in Young People

FRIDAY, Feb. 5 (HealthDay News) -- The mean daily consumption of whole grains by adolescents and young people is far below the recommended minimum of three servings a day, according to research published in the February issue of the Journal of the American Dietetic Association.

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Health Care Spending Makes Record Leap in GDP Share

THURSDAY, Feb. 4 (HealthDay News) -- A growth in health spending in 2009, coupled with a sagging economy, created the largest one-year jump in health care's share of the nation's gross domestic product since 1960, according to an article published online Feb. 4 in Health Affairs.

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Air Quality Found to Affect the Prevalence of Ear Infections

THURSDAY, Feb. 4 (HealthDay News) -- During the past decade, improved air quality has corresponded with a decreased prevalence of frequent ear infections in children, according to a report in the February issue of Otolaryngology -- Head and Neck Surgery.

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Diversity Growth Incremental in the Medical Professions

THURSDAY, Feb. 4 (HealthDay News) -- One hundred years after the Flexner Report recommended closing five of the seven African-American medical schools then extant, African-Americans and other minorities remain grossly underrepresented in the medical professions, according to an article in the February issue of Academic Medicine.

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Communication Found Possible With Some Coma Patients

WEDNESDAY, Feb. 3 (HealthDay News) -- Basic communication can be established with some disorders-of-consciousness patients who are otherwise unresponsive, using functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to measure neuroanatomically specific, blood-oxygenation-level-dependent responses to mental imagery tasks, according to a study published online Feb. 3 in the New England Journal of Medicine.

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Lower Serum Vitamin D Levels Linked to Asthma Severity

WEDNESDAY, Feb. 3 (HealthDay News) -- Lung function tends to be worse and glucocorticoid response poorer in asthma patients who have lower serum levels of vitamin D, according to a study published online Jan. 14 in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

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The Lancet Retracts Study Linking MMR Vaccine, Autism

WEDNESDAY, Feb. 3 (HealthDay News) -- On Feb. 2, The Lancet retracted a controversial 1998 study that linked the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine to autism and gastrointestinal problems.

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Red Flags for Serious Infection in Children Highlighted

WEDNESDAY, Feb. 3 (HealthDay News) -- Cyanosis, rapid breathing and poor peripheral circulation are all significant red flags for serious infection in children in developed country settings, while physicians' instinct and parental concern also play a role, according to a review published online Feb. 3 in The Lancet.

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Lower Brain Serotonin Seen in Infants Who Died of SIDS

TUESDAY, Feb. 2 (HealthDay News) -- Lower levels of medullary serotonin in infants who died of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) suggest that a serotonin deficiency may play a role in the condition, according to research published in the Feb. 3 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

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Omega-3s May Reduce Risk of Developing Psychotic Disorder

TUESDAY, Feb. 2 (HealthDay News) -- Young people with subclinical psychotic symptoms who take omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) may have reduced risk of progression to a full-blown psychotic disorder, according to a study in the February issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry.

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Advocating Abstinence May Reduce Teen Sexual Behavior

TUESDAY, Feb. 2 (HealthDay News) -- Abstinence programs may help to prevent sexual involvement among adolescents, according to a study in the February issue of the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.

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Medicine Errors More Common When Parents Use Dosing Cups

TUESDAY, Feb. 2 (HealthDay News) -- Using dosing cups to measure children's medications leads to more frequent dosing errors compared with using other methods, and parents with low levels of health literacy are at greater risk of making dosing mistakes, according to a study in the February issue of the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.

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Metformin May Help Decrease Body Mass Index in Teens

TUESDAY, Feb. 2 (HealthDay News) -- Obese adolescents who take extended-release metformin alongside a lifestyle intervention are more likely to see a decrease in body mass index (BMI) than their counterparts who make lifestyle changes alone, according to a study in the February issue of the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.

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Extended Use of Nicotine Patch Linked to Benefits

TUESDAY, Feb. 2 (HealthDay News) -- The use of transdermal nicotine patches for an extended duration, compared to the standard eight-week therapy, may improve the chances of smoking abstinence, according to research published in the Feb. 2 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine.

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Late Mortality May Be Decreasing in Childhood Cancer Survivors

TUESDAY, Feb. 2 (HealthDay News) -- Late mortality among five-year survivors of childhood cancer has dropped significantly in the past few decades, largely due to fewer deaths from recurrence or progression, according to a study published online Feb. 1 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology. In a related study in the same issue, researchers report that the expression of 34 genes predicts outcomes in patients with rhabdomyosarcoma.

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President Proposes $911 Billion Budget for HHS

TUESDAY, Feb. 2 (HealthDay News) -- As part of his 2011 budget proposal, President Barack Obama has proposed $911 billion for the U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) Department, according to a Feb. 1 announcement by the secretary of HHS, Kathleen Sebelius.

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Grouping Primary Care Disciplines May Distort Policy

MONDAY, Feb. 1 (HealthDay News) -- The practice of grouping pediatrics, internal medicine and family medicine under the classification of primary care may result in distorted data because the three groups may not share the same view of health economics or have the same economic preferences underlying their choice of career, according to an article published online Feb. 1 in Pediatrics.

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Report Finds Pediatric Ovarian Torsion Incidence to Be Low

MONDAY, Feb. 1 (HealthDay News) -- In the pediatric population, ovarian torsion is a relatively rare condition, but it occurs in all ages and many cases are treated with oophorectomy, according to an article published online Feb. 1 in Pediatrics.

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Foster Care Quality Linked to Hyperactive Youths' Progress

MONDAY, Feb. 1 (HealthDay News) -- The degrees of parental warmth and hostility, as well as the number of foster-care moves, affect the progression of inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity among children placed in foster care, according to a study published online Feb. 1 in Pediatrics.

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Postpartum Period Good Time to Help Parents Quit Smoking

MONDAY, Feb. 1 (HealthDay News) -- The immediate postpartum hospital stay presents a good opportunity for a health intervention to encourage smoking parents to quit, according to a study published online Feb. 1 in Pediatrics.

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FDA, Eli Lilly Announce Olanzapine Labeling Changes

MONDAY, Feb. 1 (HealthDay News) -- On Jan. 29, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly announced changes to the prescribing information for olanzapine (Zyprexa).

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Effects of Switching to Fat-Free Milk in Schools Assessed

MONDAY, Feb. 1 (HealthDay News) -- Contrary to fears from the milk industry that removing whole milk from New York City public schools would reduce demand from students, eliminating full-fat milk and switching from low-fat to fat-free chocolate milk actually increased purchases, according to an article in the Jan. 29 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

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New Rules Require Parity for Mental Health Benefits

MONDAY, Feb. 1 (HealthDay News) -- Group health plans will no longer be able to limit benefits for mental health or substance abuse disorders, or require patients to pay more for these benefits, according to new rules issued by the U.S. government on Jan. 29.

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Children's Use of Oral Health Care Examined

MONDAY, Feb. 1 (HealthDay News) -- Parents who seek oral health care for themselves are more likely to do the same for their children, according to a study published online Feb. 1 in Pediatrics; while another study found that Web-based training (WBT) and hands-on training (HOT) can help pediatricians incorporate preventive oral health care into primary care visits.

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