News

Early-onset paternal, but not maternal, obesity is associated with a higher risk of having high levels of alanine aminotransferase, a marker of liver injury associated with obesity, researchers report in the April issue of Gastroenterology.

Exercising mothers not only reward their own health without harming their fetus, but also impart health benefits to the developing baby, according to researchers presenting at the 121st Annual Meeting of the American Physiological Society.

Depressed adults with a history of maltreatment in childhood tend to have higher levels of C-reactive protein than their counterparts without a history of abuse, putting them at increased risk of cardiovascular disease, according to a report published in the April issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry.

Since 1976, the overall prevalence of iron deficiency in U.S. toddlers has not declined and continues to be elevated in certain high-risk groups including Hispanic and overweight toddlers, according to an article published in the April issue of the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine.

Infants who sleep less than 12 hours per day may have an increased risk of becoming overweight when they reach preschool age, according to research published in the April issue of the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine.

The risk of heart disease in teens with metabolic syndrome may be elevated if they have a history of inactivity during childhood.

From October 2005 through September 2006, approximately 905,000 U.S. children, nearly 20 percent of whom were younger than 1 year of age, were victims of maltreatment, according to a report published in the April 4 issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

Gymnastics has one of the highest injury rates of all girls' sports, accounting for an average 26,600 hospital emergency department treatments a year in children, according to an article published in the April issue of Pediatrics.

People who experience psychological distress in childhood and early adulthood may be more likely to experience adverse working conditions during middle age, according to the results of a study published online April 3 in Occupational and Environmental Medicine.

In Latin American infants, oral live attenuated human rotavirus vaccine provides significant protection against rotavirus gastroenteritis up to age 2, according to the results of a study published in the April 5 issue of The Lancet.

Using high throughput RHD genotyping of fetuses may obviate the need for anti-RhD immunoglobulin in RhD-negative pregnant women, according to research published April 3 in BMJ Online First.

Among pubertal boys, those who are obese have a reduced ability to oxidize fat during moderate exercise compared to those who are lean, possibly because of differences in muscle fiber distribution, according to a report published online April 2 in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.

Survivors of childhood cancer often experience late effects of their treatment, but not all patients need to be recalled to a cancer clinic for follow-up, according to an editorial published in the April 5 issue of BMJ.

Lack of access to vaccines in low- and middle-income countries causes over 2 million avoidable deaths a year, according to an article published in the April 5 issue of BMJ.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has granted approval to Rotarix, manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals of Rixensart, Belgium, making it the second oral vaccine against rotavirus on the market in the United States.

A sample of toddlers who were born extremely prematurely had a high prevalence of autism spectrum behaviors, and families of children with autism tend to face a substantial loss of household income, according to two studies published in the April 1 issue of Pediatrics.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved GlaxoSmithKline's Rotarix, the second oral licensed vaccine in the US for the prevention of rotavirus.

Data released by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) revealed that about 31% of children ages 2 to 5 who are from low-income families have untreated cavities, compared to about 6% of children from high-income families.

In England, rates of serious injury are significantly higher among children from the poorest neighborhoods than they are among children from the most affluent neighborhoods, and injury patterns also vary between children living in rural and urban settings, according to a report published online April 1 in the Archives of Disease in Childhood.

Lung transplantation should continue to be offered as a treatment option for children with cystic fibrosis, the authors of an article published in the March issue of Pediatric Transplantation maintain, directly challenging another recent study that questions the benefit of lung transplantation in this population.

Across the United States, the location where a child is born and raised can make a huge difference in the child's health and well-being, according to a report released on April 2 by the non-profit Every Child Matters Education Fund.

Transplant practices vary worldwide among both pediatric and adult hematopoietic cell transplantation physicians, suggesting the need for clinical trials or observational data to guide the best practice, according to the results of a study published online March 31 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.

An adolescent's season of birth could be a factor in the development of near-sightedness, a recent study suggests.

A guide for curbing TV time, dog ownership, managing child headaches, bedwetting, and sharing the same baby sleep surface.

A stepstool for the kitchen, interlocking circuitry blocks, a party game, and language dolls.

Be involved in your children's TV time, avoid TV snacking, and limit how much they watch.

Preschoolers, school age kids, and teenagers need protection from predators.

Encourage your child to observe healthful behaviors, develop healthy eating habits, and be physically active.