Testing for human papillomavirus (HPV) has become the standard of care in screening for cervical cancer. But now, Canadian researchers say it may become unnecessary in women aged 55 or older who have one negative result with the test. The DNA-based HPV test is highly accurate in detecting 14 high-risk strains of the virus that… read on >
An “alarming” number of American parents save unused antibiotics and give them to family members and other people, a new study finds. This type of misuse helps fuel antibiotic resistance, the study authors said. Their report is scheduled for presentation Monday in Orlando, Fla., at the national conference of the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP).… read on >
Children face an increased risk for sleep problems if a parent suffers a serious injury, especially if the parent has a brain injury and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a new study reveals. Researchers used U.S. Military Health System records to identify more than 485,000 children of more than 272,000 parents who were seriously injured in… read on >
Many kids love a quick bowl of instant soup or tasty noodles, but these fast foods cause almost 10,000 scald burns in children each year in the United States, a new study estimates. What’s more, researchers found that two out of every 10 scald burns that send kids to the ER are caused by microwavable… read on >
Caffeine is a stimulant that is found naturally in some foods and is added to others. It can trigger a fast heartbeat, headache, digestive problems, high blood pressure, moodiness and insomnia, the National Safety Council says. Children may wind up feeling more of caffeine’s effects than adults, since presumably kids don’t consume as much and… read on >
Social stigma may play a large role in the depression, anxiety and other mental health woes experienced by many people with autism, a small new study indicates. British researchers found that 72 percent of the psychological distress reported in 111 adults with autism was linked to social stigma, including discrimination and rejection. Many people with… read on >
When stroke patients get an infection while in the hospital, that may raise the chances they will wind up back in the hospital later, new research suggests. Researchers examined data on more than 319,000 U.S. patients who had an ischemic stroke (blocked blood flow to the brain) who were readmitted to the hospital within 30… read on >
If your child has a learning disability, your pediatrician may be able to help you and the school system better understand the child’s special needs, the American Academy of Pediatrics says. The pediatrician can assist the school system in figuring out which, if any, special education services the child may be eligible for. Also, the… read on >
The type of high school teens attend may determine whether they’ll try marijuana and other illegal drugs, a new study suggests. “We concluded that schools play an important role in influencing adolescent behavior,” said study first author Dr. Rebecca Dudovitz, an assistant professor at the University of California, Los Angeles School of Medicine. “Investing in… read on >
Giving trace amounts of wheat to children with wheat allergy shows promise in treating the allergy, according to new research. The researchers started with 46 wheat-allergic children, average age about 9 years, and gave them trace amounts of wheat. The researchers gradually increased the amount, to desensitize the children to wheat. This process is called… read on >
