Potential Role for Sildenafil in Cardiomyopathy Treatment
May 14th 2008Enhancing cyclic guanosine monophosphate signaling via genetic avenues as well as with sildenafil protected cardiac contractile function in a mouse model of dystrophin-deficient cardiomyopathy, according to an article published in the May 13 issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Cognitive Impairment Common in Young MS Patients
May 13th 2008Children and juveniles with multiple sclerosis (MS) may have an increased risk of cognitive impairment and low IQ scores, and low IQ scores may be especially associated with a younger age at onset, according to the results of a study published in the May 13 issue of Neurology.
Gene Silencing Linked to Fetal Growth and Diabetes
May 9th 2008In a rat model of intrauterine growth retardation, which has been linked to diabetes in adulthood, a gene important for pancreatic β-cell function and development undergoes epigenetic changes that result in its silencing after diabetes onset, according to research published online May 8 in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.
Sudden Loss of Parent Tied to Depression in Child
May 9th 2008Children who lose a parent due to suicide or other unexpected sudden death are at an increased risk for depression and post-traumatic stress disorder, according to an article published in the May issue of the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine.
Combination Monitoring Helps Avoid Kyphosis Complications
May 9th 2008The risk of neurologic deficit during surgery to correct pediatric kyphosis in the spinal cord region can be minimized by using multimodality monitoring and motor tract assessment during the procedure, according to research published in the May 1 issue of Spine.
Shoulder Re-Dislocation Rate Studied Over Time
May 9th 2008Patients aged 12 to 25 who receive non-operative treatment for a primary anterior shoulder dislocation have about a 50 percent chance of their shoulder becoming stable over time or not having a recurrent dislocation, according to a report published in the May issue of the Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery.
Characteristics of Parents of Abused Infants Studied
May 8th 2008The parents of infants with abusive head trauma tend to be younger, less educated and unmarried, and mothers tend to have smoked during pregnancy, sought prenatal care later and had low birth weight infants, researchers report in the May issue of the Journal of Neurosurgery: Pediatrics.
Dental Disease May Affect Birth Outcomes in Pakistan
May 8th 2008High levels of moderate to severe periodontal disease among Pakistani women is associated with increased risks of stillbirth, neonatal and perinatal death, according to the results of a study published in the May issue of the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology.
Core Tenet of U.K. National Health Service Debated
May 8th 2008Allowing patients to pay the additional costs of treatments not funded by the U.K.'s National Health Service is unfair and would undermine the foundation of the entire health system, argues the author of a Head to Head article published online May 6 in BMJ.
Pain Rises in Scoliosis Patients Years After Treatment
May 8th 2008A sample of patients surgically treated for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis reported a statistically significant increase in pain between two and five years after the procedure, according to research published in the May 1 issue of Spine.
Moms' Elevated Glucose Linked to Fetal Problems
May 7th 2008Maternal glucose levels that are elevated, but not high enough to warrant a diabetes diagnosis, are associated with increased birth weight and a marker of fetal hyperinsulemia, researchers report in the May 8 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
Neuroblastoma Associated with Genetic Variation
May 7th 2008A genomewide association study links a genetic variation at chromosome band 6p22 with a susceptibility to neuroblastoma, the most common solid cancer of early childhood, according to research published online May 7 in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Guidelines for Botulinum Neurotoxin Use Issued
May 7th 2008Botulinum neurotoxin is effective in treating spasticity in adults and children, cervical dystonia, and autonomic disorders such as axillary hyperhydrosis and detrusor overactivity, according to a series of evidence-based reviews published in Neurology in May.
ACOG: Maternal Blood Test May Predict Meconium Risk
May 7th 2008Maternal serum inhibin-A levels during the second trimester of pregnancy may help predict which deliveries will be complicated by meconium passage, according to research presented this week at the 56th Annual Clinical Meeting of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists in New Orleans.
ACOG: Embryo Screening Raises Bioethical Concerns
May 7th 2008Advances in the field of reproductive technology offer couples wishing to conceive unprecedented choices, such as the ability to avoid inherited disease in their offspring, but also create new ethical dilemmas, according to a speech delivered during the opening session of the 56th Annual Clinical Meeting of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists held this week in New Orleans.
PAS: Birth Weight Affects Blood Pressure in Adolescence
May 7th 2008Infants with a lower birth weight have an increased risk of elevated systolic blood pressure in late adolescence and early adulthood, according to research from China presented this week at the Pediatric Academic Societies and Asian Society for Pediatric Research Joint Meeting in Honolulu.
PAS: Live Flu Vaccine Evaluated in Infants
May 6th 2008In infants who receive flu vaccinations, immunogenicity is higher in those who receive live attenuated influenza vaccine (LAIV) than in those who receive trivalent inactivated influenza vaccine. Also, viral shedding is more common among younger children who receive LAIV than in older children, according to two studies presented this week at the Pediatric Academic Societies and Asian Society for Pediatric Research Joint Meeting in Honolulu.