The News Review:
- Benin: Sisters’ Clinic a Big Boost to Maternal And Child Health
- Seize Opportunity To Commit To Child And Youth Health, Doctors Urge…
- Very Premature Babies Show Raised Risk for Autism
- Leading pediatrician addresses the future of children’s health
- Report Finds Big Disparities in Well-Being of US Kids
- Volunteers Hold Free Health Care Clinic For Children
Benin: Sisters’ Clinic a Big Boost to Maternal And Child Health
AllAfrica.com – Apr 1, 2008
This meant the whole electrical installation to the lab had to be redone. It is a busy department, helping the early detection of disease and avoiding complications later. GA_googleFillSlot(“AllAfrica_Story_Inset”);The good news is that 8,827 people received attention at the clinic last year, a little under 50 percent of them children. There was a reduction in the incidence of anaemia, down to 251 patients compared to 380 the previous year.
Seize Opportunity To Commit To Child And Youth Health, Doctors Urge…
Medical News Today – Medical News Today (press release) – Apr 1, 2008
Brian Day, President of the Canadian Medical Association. “We trust that the government will immediately act on this excellent report and commit to providing adequate resources and accountability so that the office and advisor can do its job. ” Investments and informed public policy in child and youth mental health and injury prevention have the potential to net huge gains-both human and financial. 1 million Canadians under 20 suffer from mental health conditions that affect their daily lives. And unintentional injury remains the leading cause of death for children aged 1 through 14 years… Leitch’s report reflects the spirit of Canada’s Child and Youth Health Charter, developed by the CMA, CPS and CFPC with input from more than 100 advocates who gathered in Ottawa in April 2007. A National Office of Child and Youth Health, which Dr. Leitch recommends establishing within Health Canada, will provide a focal point for ensuring widespread and lasting change. “The Canadian Paediatric Society also reiterates its call for a federal Commissioner for Children and Yout-an independent voice that will ensure that the views and needs of children and youth are considered in all relevant national public policy decisions,” said Dr. The Canadian Paediatric Society is a national association that advocates for the health needs of children and youth.
Very Premature Babies Show Raised Risk for Autism
Forbes – Apr 1, 2008
08, 8:00 PM ETWEDNESDAY, April 2 (HealthDay News) — Two new studies shedadditional light on two different aspects of autism: One tried topinpoint a risk factor for development of the disorder, while theother looked at the financial toll that having an autistic childtakes on a family. Both studies were expected to be published in the April issue of Pediatrics and were released early in honor of World AutismDay on April 2. The first looked for early autistic behaviors, though notspecifically for a diagnosis of autism, in premature infants whowere born at a very low birth weight — about 3. 3 pounds — andfound that several factors associated with these early births werelinked to a positive result on an autism screening test. "The bottom line is that there appears to be a highprevalence of positive screening for autism in survivors of extremepreterm birth and ongoing follow-up is needed to understand if thisinitial positive screen is transient or persistent," saidstudy author Catherine Limperopoulos, the Canada Research Chair inBrain and Development and an assistant professor in the departmentof Neurology and Neurosurgery at McGill University in Montreal… Limperopoulos and her colleagues studied 91 babies who weighedless than 3 pounds at birth. MRIs were done on these infants aroundthe time they were born. The researchers collected information onthe child's health and demographic information, as well asinformation on their prenatal environment. At around 22 months, the researchers conducted an autismscreening test, called the Modified Checklist for Autism inToddlers or M-CHAT, as well as other behavior tests. The M-CHATtest is only used to screen children who might have an elevatedrisk of autism; it is not a definitive diagnostic tool. Twenty-five percent of these toddlers tested positive on theM-CHAT, suggesting that they had an increased risk of developingautism. Factors that were significantly associated with a positiveM-CHAT screen included lower birth weight, lower gestational age,being male, having an abnormal MRI, being ill when delivered, aninfection in the mother before birth, or the mother experiencedhemorrhaging during labor and delivery.
Leading pediatrician addresses the future of children’s health
EurekAlert – EurekAlert (press release) – Apr 1, 2008
Roberson Professor of Pediatrics and Professor of Genetics at the Washington University School of Medicine, researching whether diseases that strike adults are already genetically encoded in individuals while still in the womb, may enable physicians to one day address and prevent diseases in infancy. In a talk entitled “Child Health Research in the 21st Century: Obstacles and Opportunities,” Dr. Gitlin, who is also scientific director of the Children’s Discovery Institute, will address why, despite substantial investments in both the academic and private sectors, the health status of our nation remains dismal particularly the health and wellness of our children. “Children’s health has been pushed aside,” states Dr. “The amount of money currently dedicated to research that could identify key factors leading to diseases both in childhood and later in their adult lives is very small compared to the funding for adult onset diseases such as heart disease or cancer.
Report Finds Big Disparities in Well-Being of US Kids
Forbes – Apr 1, 2008
These include political culture, wherethe bottom states tend to see government's role in socialissues as limited. Bottom states also generally have lower taxes,so they invest less in children's programs. On the federal level, programs for children's health care,child abuse and poverty have been declining as government moneyearmarked for children has been cut. Federal funding is expected tobe reduced even more in the next decade, the report said. Federalspending on children declined from 20 percent of domestic spendingin 1960 to 15 percent in 2005, Petit said. One expert agrees that the disparity in how children fare acrossthe United States is a matter of concern that needs to beaddressed. "The marked variability in child mortality among the statessuggests that we are too tolerant of disparities in financialsecurity, education, and social services," said Dr.
Volunteers Hold Free Health Care Clinic For Children
WISC – Apr 1, 2008
– Some local volunteers are making sure no child goes without health care. A free clinic was held on Monday night for children on Madison’s southwest side. The Dane County Child Health Coalition’s program is in its 16th year, and last year, more than 400 children were helped with basic medical needs, regardless of their insurance status, WISC-TV reported. Organizers said that they hope to do the same this year. “It helps identify children that might have vision problems or hearing problems. It makes sure that kids are up to date with their immunizations, so kids get an overall screening who otherwise might not have that ability to,” said Sally Zirbel-Donisch, the coalition’s coordinator. The next clinic is scheduled for Monday, April 28, at Frank Allis Elementary School, 4201 Buckeye Road, from 4 p.
