Children’s Health

A growing body of evidence indicates that some people thought to have an allergic response to injectable penicillin, the standard treatment for rheumatic heart disease, may instead be experiencing a cardiac reaction to the medicine, according to a new American Heart Association presidential advisory published today in Journal of the American Heart Association. The advisory,

A recent retrospective cohort study published on the medRxiv* preprint server found that the clinical severity of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) was lower in children younger than five years of age after the emergence of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) Omicron variant in comparison to COVID-19 cases in this patient population when the SARS-CoV-2

Many recreational cannabis companies market their products in a way that appeals to children and teens, despite state-based regulations prohibiting it, according to a new study in the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs. This marketing is easily viewed by people of all ages on social media platforms. “I had expected that cannabis companies

Seeking to better understand the key role the female hormone estrogen plays in maintaining energy balance and weight control, a group led by researchers at Baylor College of Medicine looked into estrogen interactions with specific brain regions that provide these anti-obesity benefits. The team reveals in the journal Science Advances an estrogen-activated neurocircuit that stimulates

An investigational cancer drug that starves tumors of their energy supply also shows evidence of improving whole body metabolism, according to a new study in mice from Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. Shown are sections of liver from mice on a high-fat, high-sugar diet. On the left, more white space indicates greater

Researchers know that experiencing a high number of adverse events in childhood correlates with worse health outcomes in adulthood. These studies have led to an emphasis on trauma-informed practice in schools and workplaces in an attempt to mitigate the harm of early adversity. At the other end of the spectrum, focusing on wellness, Darcia Narvaez,

Heart function recovery returned within three months in children who developed COVID-19-related multisystem inflammatory syndrome (MIS-C), according to new research published today in the Journal of the American Heart Association, an open access, peer-reviewed journal of the American Heart Association. MIS-C is a new illness identified during the COVID-19 pandemic that affects children about four

Two of the most common forms of death among adolescents are suicide and motor vehicle traffic accidents. A new study published in JAMA Pediatrics found that adolescents who reported at least one suicide attempt within the last year, in comparison to those reporting no attempts, were more likely to also report infrequent seat belt use

A combination of anti-cancer antibodies produced a powerfully synergistic response in two hard-to-treat pediatric cancers, according to a new study, in mice, led by researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine. The results, which published online Jan. 13 in Nature Medicine, provide hope for better treatments of neuroblastoma, a cancer affecting young children that

The impact virtual school had on kids goes well beyond academics, say Children’s National Hospital experts in a new JAMA Pediatrics editorial. From the beginning of the pandemic, new data shows that school closures for in-person learning led to: School disengagement Mental health challenges Unhealthy weight gain Food insecurity Immunization delay An increase in cases

Researchers at the University of Sussex are one step further to developing a blood test capable of diagnosing the most aggressive form of brain tumor.   Professor Georgios Giamas and his team, in collaboration with Mr Giles Critchley, Consultant Neurosurgeon and Spinal Surgeon at University Hospitals Sussex, have identified distinctive biomarkers within patient blood samples,

Implementing school-based programs aimed at teaching healthy cardiovascular health habits as early as preschool can achieve lasting lifestyle changes in children, according to a review published today in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology. Previous studies have found that unhealthy lifestyle habits such as a nutritionally poor diet, sedentary lifestyle and smoking, all

Decoding letters into sound is a key point in learning to read but is not enough to master it. “Reading calls upon several other essential mechanisms that we don’t necessarily think about, such as knowing how to move our eyes on the page or how to use our working memory to link words together in

In a large prospective study of just over 1,000 patients ages 17 and younger who were seen at the Baltimore Convention Center Field Hospital (BCCFH) testing site during a seven-month period last year, researchers from Johns Hopkins Medicine and collaborating institutions report that a rapid antigen test for SARS-CoV-2 — the virus that causes COVID-19

Northwestern Medicine scientists developed a unique nanoparticle to deliver genome editing technology, including CRISPR/Cas9, to endothelial cells, which line blood vessel walls. Published in Cell Reports, this is the first time that vascular endothelial cells could be reached for genome editing, since the usual way to deliver CRISPR/Cas9 – through a virus – does not

Teaching younger children through ‘guided’ play can support key aspects of their learning and development at least as well, and sometimes better, than traditional, direct instruction, according to a new analysis. The research, by academics at the University of Cambridge gathered and assessed data from numerous, widespread studies and information sources, which collectively documented guided

There are a number of risks associated with preterm infants born before 32 weeks. One of these is an increased chance of behavioral and attention problems. Previous studies suggest there might be early indicators of problems that develop in childhood, but results lacked consistency. A new study tests a methodology with improved consistency and explores

Childhood sexual abuse can lead to depression, anxiety, cardiovascular disease and other health problems later in life. Not all abused children experience these problems, however, and researchers are working to understand whose health is affected and why. In a new article in the journal Psychoneuroendocrinology, a team of researchers led by faculty in Penn State’s

Two months after Pfizer’s covid vaccine was authorized for children ages 5 to 11, just 27% have received at least one shot, according to Jan. 12 data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Only 18%, or 5 million kids, have both doses. The national effort to vaccinate children has stalled even as the

During the first year or so of the covid-19 pandemic, there were dramatic reductions in hospital admissions for common and severe childhood infections in England, most likely due to social distancing measures, school and workplace closures, and travel restrictions, finds a study published by The BMJ today. While many of these measures are unsustainable outside