Over-the-Counter Lice Treatment No Longer Effective?
Stockbyte/Thinkstock(KUNA, Idaho) — Last week, a Kuna, Idaho, elementary school closed for two days after 60 students and nine staff members were diagnosed with head lice. An estimated 12 million cases of head lice are diagnosed in the United States e…
Do Second Hand Smoke Effects for Children Last Longer Than We Think?
iStockphoto/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) — Experts have told us about the harmful effects of second hand smoke. But just how long do those effects last? Research says it last a long time.A new study presented at the American Thoracic Society International Con…
Baby Saved by Smallest Artificial Heart
Alessandro Di Meo/EPA(ROME) — An artificial heart the size of a pinky finger kept a 16-month-old baby alive for nearly two weeks while he waited for a heart transplant.The Italian baby, whose name has not been released, had dilated cardiomyopathy, a d…
Tuberculosis Scare in California: Dozens of Babies Exposed
Comstock/Thinkstock(SACRAMENTO, Calif.) — Sacramento and Solano County officials have been working swiftly in the past few days to contain possible tuberculosis cases in 35 babies who were exposed to the disease when housed in two hospital neonatal in…
Foster Kids on Too Many Meds: Is the Government Taking Action?
iStockphoto/Thinkstock(WASHINGTON) — The senator who spurred the Government Accountability Office to investigate the startling numbers of foster children being put on powerful, mind-altering drugs is calling on the Obama administration to follow throu…
‘Stroller Brigade’ Rolls to Capitol for Toxic Chemical Reform
Photodisc/Thinkstock(WASHINGTON) — Moms and cancer survivors parked their strollers in front of the U.S. Capitol Tuesday as part of the “Stroller Brigade” to demand that Congress take action to help regulate toxic chemicals that are found …
Sarah Hyland’s Secret Struggle With Kidney Disease
JOE KLAMAR/AFP/Getty Images(LOS ANGELES) — Haley Dunphy, the big sister on Modern Family, Dunphy appears carefree, spending hours on her cellphone and giving her parents a rough time on the show like any other teenager.But Sarah Hyland, the 21-year-ol…
After Foster Care, Weight Loss, Obese Boy Returned to Mother’s Care
iStockphoto/Thinkstock(CLEVELAND) — An Ohio boy has been returned to his mother’s care more than five months after he was placed in foster care by county officials who said his mother wasn’t doing enough to control his weight, reports the …
Childhood Bipolar Boom: More Cases or Misdiagnoses?
Digital Vision/ValueLine(NEW YORK) — Dr. Avram H. Mack, a child and adolescent psychiatrist in Washington, D.C., wonders if an explosion in childhood bipolar disorder reflects a true increase in the condition, or the inappropriate labeling of some you…
1 in 5 White Women Have Smoked While Pregnant
Brand X Pictures/Thinkstock(WASHINGTON) — One in five white women have smoked cigarettes while pregnant, according to a new government study released Thursday.The report, conducted by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, show…
FDA Takes Steps to Lower Kids’ Radiation Exposure
iStockphoto/Thinkstock(WASHINGTON) — In an effort to make sure that kids don’t get too much radiation during medical tests, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration proposed guidelines for manufacturers of medical imaging devices to make new equipm…
How Do Docs Prescribe Kids’ Meds? Guess
Comstock/Jupiterimages/Thinkstock(BOSTON) — The last time your doctor gave you a prescription, it likely came with specific information on the correct and safe dosage to take, determined from years of clinical trials. But when kids need certain prescr…
The End of the School Bake Sale in Massachusetts?
iStockphoto/Thinkstock(BOSTON) — When the PTA needs money, when the team needs new gear, when the band needs train fare, many schools turn to brownies and cookies and whatever else parents are willing to bake and sell. But a new law in Massachus…
Fat Forecast: 42% of Americans Obese by 2030
Jupiterimages/Thinkstock(WASHINGTON) — About 32 million more Americans will become obese by 2030, upping obesity rates to 42 percent of the U.S. population, according to a new report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The report…
Super Bowl MVP Deion Branch Aims to Tackle Meningitis
Comstock/Thinkstock(LOUISVILLE, Ky.) — Deion Branch is famous for catching Tom Brady’s touchdown passés—a role that earned him Super Bowl MVP in 2005. But off the football field, Branch is raising awareness and funds to tackle meningitis …
Universal Heart Screening Recommended for Newborns
Hemera/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) — All newborns should undergo a standard screening for life-threatening heart defects, according to new recommendations published in the Lancet.Researchers suggested that a pulse oximetry, a low-cost, non-invasive device th…
Study: Type 2 Diabetes in Children Harder to Treat
Fuse/Thinkstock(BOSTON) — A new study in the New England Journal of Medicine shows that Type 2 diabetes progresses more rapidly in children than in adults and is harder to treat. The study, which was released Monday, found the usual oral medicine for …
16 Million Children on Medicaid Not Receiving Dental Care
Comstock/Thinkstock(WASHINGTON) — With more than 16 million low-income U.S. children on Medicaid not receiving dental care in 2009, according to the Pew Center on the States, dentists and ERs say they are treating very young patients with teeth bla…
Boy Who Survived Heart Attack Dies During Baseball Practice
Jupiterimages/Thinkstock(PORTLAND, Ore.) — An Oregon middle school student died Friday after collapsing during baseball practice, just months after he suffered a heart attack during basketball practice and later underwent surgery to correct a heart de…
School Breakfast Programs Panned for Feeding Kids Twice
iStockphoto/Thinkstock(WASHINGTON) — Breakfast programs in New York City schools have come under attack for feeding schoolchildren who might have already eaten at home.While the programs provide healthy choices such as cereal, yogurt and fresh fruit, …