Feeding babies alcoholic milk may help to protect against some food allergies. Kefir, a traditional fermented drink, is consumed in Eastern Europe as a health food, and is often used to wean babies, as it is easily digested. Food allergy prevalence is especially high in children under the age of three, with around 5-8% of infants at risk. Currently the only treatment is avoidance of the problematic food.
The first long-term, large-scale study designed to determine the safety and effectiveness of treating preschoolers who have attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) with methylphenidate (Ritalin) has found that overall, low doses of this medication are effective and safe. However, the study found that children this age are more sensitive than older children to the medication?s side effects and therefore should be closely monitored. The 70-week, six-site study was funded by the National Institutes of Health?s National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) and was described in several articles in the November 2006 issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has released a long range plan that will help to guide research in type 1 diabetes for the next decade. Advances and Emerging Opportunities in Type 1 Diabetes Research: A Strategic Plan identifies goals and objectives to exploit recent scientific advances in combating this autoimmune form of diabetes.
The drug misoprostol provides a safe, convenient, and inexpensive means to prevent postpartum hemorrhage, a major killer of women in developing countries. The study was conducted by researchers from the University of Missouri, India?s Jawaharlal Nehru Medical College, the National Institutes of Health, and other institutions.
The PATH Malaria Vaccine Initiative today announced the appointment of John G. McNeil, MD, MPH, as scientific director, effective immediately. Dr. McNeil will have principal responsibility for directing MVI’s early-stage vaccine development efforts and for shaping and managing MVI’s overall candidate vaccine portfolio.
Children with high blood pressure may be at risk for sleep breathing disorders, according to a small study reported at the American Heart Association’s 60th Annual Fall Conference of the Council for High Blood Pressure Research.
The best way to avoid CHIKV infection is to prevent mosquito bites. There is no vaccine or preventive drug. Prevention tips are similar to those for dengue or West Nile virus:
What if you couldn’t perform daily activities, such as exercising or running with your children, because of overly large breasts that caused unending pain? Despite existing scientific studies that outline the medical necessity for breast reduction, many insurance companies are denying thousands of women the procedure each year because of rigid, unfounded conditions to secure coverage, according to a study presented at the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) Plastic Surgery 2006 conference in San Francisco.
Each year approximately 9,000 children and teenagers are diagnosed with cancer in the United States, with leukemia representing more than 30% of these cases. Thanks to research advances, the survival rate for the most common pediatric cancer, acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL), has improved from a dismal 4 percent in the 1960s to more than 85 percent today. However, for children who survive cancer, the challenges continue long after the treatments are over.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved a new use of one of the leading prescription antipsychotic medications, RISPERDAL(R) (risperidone), for the treatment of irritability associated with autistic disorder, including symptoms of aggression, deliberate self-injury, temper tantrums, and quickly changing moods, in children and adolescents aged 5 to 16 years.(1) This is the first time the FDA has approved any medication for use in children and adolescents with autism.