Smoking during the first trimester of pregnancy is clearly linked with an increased risk of cleft lip in newborns. Genes that play a role in detoxification of cigarette smoke do not appear to be involved. This is shown in a new study published in the journal Epidemiology. Oral clefts are one of [...] Read more »

Groundbreaking research that could improve the lives of children suffering from a rare hereditary condition is underway at Sheffield Children’s Hospital. The pioneering study will look at the treatment options available for Juvenile Huntington’s Disease (JHD) – an inherited neurodegenerative condition that causes abnormal movements and emotional and cognitive problems [...] Read more »

Forest Laboratories UK Ltd. is proud to announce that Infacol® (simeticone) has won a Gold Award at the Mother & Baby Awards. Infacol was awarded the Gold Award in the ‘Best Health Product’ category at a recent awards ceremony which was held at the Park Lane Hilton Hotel in London. Infacol [...] Read more »

Actelion Ltd (SIX: ATLN) announced that the Committee for Medicinal Products for Human Use (CHMP) has adopted a positive opinion for an extension of indication for the use of miglustat (Zavesca®) in patients suffering from Niemann-Pick type C (NPC), a very rare neurodegenerative genetic disease. Based on the CHMP opinion, [...] Read more »

Baltimore’s high infant mortality rate is a “crisis that gets too little attention in part because the solution is so costly: ensuring that thousands of low-income women of childbearing age have consistent access to health care that would produce better birth outcomes,” a Baltimore Sun editorial states.

Read The Full Article…Reducing Infant Mortality Requires Health Coverage [...] Read more »

BioTrove, Inc. today announced its collaboration with Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO) researchers in the evaluation of BioTrove’s OpenArray® technology as a system to detect and monitor respiratory infectious disease pathogens in children.

Read The Full Article…BioTrove Announces New OpenArray Platform Application To Identify Pediatric Respiratory Infectious Disease Agents Read more »

Group-based treatment programs may effectively combat childhood obesity in rural communities, according to a new University of Florida study. Children who participated in one of two group programs – family-based or parent-only – were less overweight compared with children in a control group. The findings appear in the December issue of Archives [...] Read more »

The University of Georgia Research Foundation has received a five-year, $18.7 million grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to research ways to reduce morbidity from schistosomiasis in low- and middle-income countries in Africa, the Middle East and the Americas. Researchers will develop and evaluate research-based approaches and diagnostic tools to identify, control and [...] Read more »

Delegates at the Medical Council of Thailand hearing last week unanimously agreed to amend a regulation that requires parental permission for people younger than age 18 to be tested for HIV, the Bangkok Post reports (Apiradee, Bangkok Post, 12/18).

Read The Full Article…Medical Council Of Thailand Plans To Amend Rule Requiring Teens To Provide Parental Consent [...] Read more »

More than 70 per cent of 12-13 year old girls have already had their first HPV (human papillomavirus) jab since the vaccination campaign started in September, Public Health Minister Dawn Primarolo announced today. This figure will rise as more results come in. The success of the campaign has prompted the Department [...] Read more »