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Berlin Heart receives FDA approval for EXCOR Pediatric System

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration today approved a medical device that supports the weakened heart of children with heart failure to help keep them alive until a donor for a heart transplant can be found.

17 Dec 2011

Vaginal progesterone decreases odds of premature delivery in women

A new study co-authored by the University of Kentucky's Dr. John O'Brien found that applying vaginal progesterone to women who are at a high risk of preterm birth significantly decreased the odds of a premature delivery.

16 Dec 2011

F. nucleatum alters endothelial integrity and allows other bacteria to invade human body

A common oral bacteria, Fusobacterium nucleatum, acts like a key to open a door in human blood vessels and leads the way for it and other bacteria like Escherichia coli to invade the body through the blood and make people sick, according to dental researchers at Case Western Reserve University.

16 Dec 2011

Protecting displaced women and children from gender-based violence

In this post in the State Department's "Dipnote" blog, David Robinson, acting assistant secretary of state for the Bureau of Population, Refugees and Migration, reports on gender-based violence (GBV) among refugee populations, writing, "Displaced women and children are especially vulnerable to gender-based violence. ... Without legal status or the protection of any government, stateless women and girls are also vulnerable to exploitation and abuse, including trafficking in persons.

16 Dec 2011

Global health aid continues to grow despite recession, report indicates

"Spending to improve health in developing countries has continued to grow during the three-year economic downturn, although at only half the blistering pace it did a decade ago," according to a report by researchers at the University of Washington's Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME), the Washington Post reports.

16 Dec 2011

EPA rule to help protect kids' brain from autism

SafeMinds sees a brighter future after the implementation of long-overdue EPA regulation of hazardous air pollution from coal-fired power plants. Less mercury means its potent neurotoxic effects are less likely to harm childhood development.

16 Dec 2011

State roundup: Florida awaits Medicaid waiver news

Now, nurses regularly do everything from give insulin shots to empty urinary catheter bags. At the same time, state budget cuts mean the number of school nurses in California is shrinking. As a result, nurses say, they are responsible for more students every year and are largely consumed with keeping "medically fragile" children in class.

16 Dec 2011

Ohio Senate puts abortion bill on hold

The Ohio measure would ban abortions after a fetal heartbeat is detected. In Pennsylvania, the legislation would overhaul abortion clinic operation standards.

16 Dec 2011

Glucocorticoid inhalation during pregnancy does not increase risk of diseases in offspring

Inhaled glucocorticoids for the treatment of asthma during pregnancy are not associated with an increased risk of most diseases in offspring, but may be a risk factor for endocrine and metabolic disturbances, according to a new study.

16 Dec 2011

Evidence-based interventions to reduce newborn and maternal mortality

Some 56 evidence-based interventions will sharply reduce the 358,000 women who still die each year during pregnancy and childbirth and the 7.6 million children who die before the age of 5, according to a massive three-year global study.

16 Dec 2011

Increased temperatures can shorten gestation time and lead to stillbirth

Queensland University of Technology (QUT) world-first research has found a link between increases in temperature and the incidence of stillbirth and shorter pregnancies.

16 Dec 2011

Cancer-causing potential of fetal exposure to carcinogens can vary substantially

The cancer-causing potential of fetal exposure to carcinogens can vary substantially, a recent study suggests, causing different types of problems much later in life depending on the stage of pregnancy when the fetus is exposed.

16 Dec 2011

Scientists discover gene that causes Weaver syndrome

Scientists have found a gene that causes Weaver syndrome, a rare genetic disorder that typically causes large size at birth, tall stature, developmental delay during childhood, and intellectual disability.

16 Dec 2011

ONC gives gift with vision to reduce blindness and mortality among children

This holiday season, Ocean Nutrition Canada (ONC) is giving a gift with vision. ONC, the largest supplier of Omega-3 EPA/DHA ingredients in the world, is helping to reduce blindness and mortality amongst children in the developing world by donating five million doses of vitamin A to Vitamin Angels.

15 Dec 2011

Positive results from Hatchtech's DeOvo Phase 2b trial on head lice

Specialty pharmaceutical company Hatchtech Pty Ltd today announced positive results for its Phase 2b clinical trial in subjects with head lice infestation. The results confirmed that DeOvo, a topical head lice treatment, is both safe and highly effective following a single application.

15 Dec 2011

Lab results change in consistent ways during the course of Kawasaki disease

Children with Kawasaki disease show a pattern of changing laboratory test results as the disease runs its course, according to a study in the December issue of The Pediatric Infectious Disease Journal.

15 Dec 2011

UT MD Anderson offers CAP gift for pediatric cancer patients

The holidays are here, and The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center Children's Art Project (CAP), offers a line of gifts based on artwork created by pediatric cancer patients. Sale proceeds from each item fund a variety of educational and recreational programs for patients and their families.

15 Dec 2011

Vaginal progesterone safe and effective in preventing preterm birth

Women with a short cervix should be treated with vaginal progesterone to prevent preterm birth, according to a landmark study by leading obstetricians around the world. Vaginal progesterone decreased the rate of preterm birth by 42%, and significantly reduced the rate of respiratory distress syndrome and the need for mechanical ventilation, as well as a composite of several complications of premature newborns.

15 Dec 2011

Chevron's role in fight against HIV/AIDS in Africa

In this Africa.com opinion piece, Ana Ruth Luis, medical director of the Southern Africa Strategic Business Unit at Chevron Africa and Latin America Ex in Angola, discusses what she calls "the important role Chevron has in driving down the incidence of HIV/AIDS in Africa."

15 Dec 2011

Vaginal progesterone reduces rate of preterm birth and neonatal complications

A team of investigators of the National Institutes of Health housed at the Detroit Medical Center (DMC) and Wayne State University (WSU) published today that performing a cervical ultrasound in all pregnant women and treating those with a short cervix with vaginal progesterone reduces the rate of preterm birth and neonatal complications.

15 Dec 2011