News
Reproductive problems and intake of soy products are linked, so say mice
February 10th 2006A major component of soy that is found in, among other foods, soy-based infant formula disrupts the development of the ovaries in newborn female mice, according to the findings of a study conducted by researchers at the National Institute of Health of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), an arm of the National Institutes of Health, in collaboration with an investigator at Syracuse University. Results of the early study were published in the January issue of Biology of Reproduction.
Rotavirus redux: FDA approves childhood vaccine for viral pathogen
February 10th 2006The US Food and Drug Administration earlier this month approved Merck's vaccine to prevent rotavirus gastroenteritis, a leading cause of severe diarrhea in infants and young children. RotaTeq, an oral, three-dose vaccine, is given to infants 6 to 32 weeks old.
Hitting the dirt road: How to prep families for travel to developing countries
February 1st 2006A trip to a developing country offers exciting opportunities-and some dangers-for children. Here's what you can do to help ensure that the family enjoys a happy, healthy adventure. Includes a Guide for Parents. First of two parts.
Photoclinic: Imperforate Anus With Anocutaneous Fistula
February 1st 2006During their physical examination of this infant who had been born at term via cesarean section, Richard W. Hartmann, Jr, MD, and J. Christiane Salansky, MD, of Halifax Medical Center, Daytona Beach, Fla, found no evidence of an external anal opening (A). A soft bulge was present at the anal site, and the external sphincter was palpable. The median raphe was thick; a drop of meconium was noted on the surface of the perineum midway from the anus to the base of the scrotum (B). The remainder of the examination findings were normal.
Trials show that two vaccines are effective against genital cancers and warts
January 13th 2006Two separate studies show that Merck & Co.'s and GlaxoSmithKline's human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccines appear highly effective in preventing cervical cancer, vulvar cancer, and genital warts.The recently completed trials involved Merck's Gardasil and GlaxoSmithKline's experimental vaccine. Earlier studies showed that Gardasil also protects against cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN)-precancerous lesions that can develop into cervical cancer.
Surprise revelation: Dermatologist's novel head lice treatment is an OTC skin wash
January 13th 2006After an unsuccessful attempt to persuade pharmaceutical companies to fund further research on a head lice treatment he says he discovered and developed, dermatologist Dale Pearlman, MD, has revealed that the treatment is actually a brand-name over-the-counter skin cleanser.
New evidence: Mental health problems in teenagers may be traceable to early-life stress
January 13th 2006Parents' complaints about sudden mood swings of teenagers are common, but new research shows that children who experience early-life stresses such as abuse, neglect, or loss of a parent have an increased risk in adolescence of behavioral and emotional disorders. The research, conducted on rhesus macaque monkeys at the Oregon National Primate Research Center at Oregon Health & Science University and at the University of Pittsburgh, suggests that adolescents who have been exposed to early-life stress have a greater incidence of developing an attachment disorder, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, conduct disorder, anxiety, depression, suicide, drug abuse, and post-traumatic stress disorder.
