Children's Health: Do mothers react to more info about chemical risks? ♦ Pain often overlooked in premature infants ♦ Hope against disease targeting children

Kids with asthma that are exposed to secondhand smoke have twice as many hospitalizations The risk for hospitalization doubles for kids with asthma who are exposed to secondhand smoke, according to a study. The study strengthens the association that previous studies have shown which links secondhand smoke exposure with increased asthma prevalence, poorer asthma control and increased symptoms.

Pain often overlooked in premature infants Premature infants receiving intensive care are exposed to a great deal of pain, and this pain causes damage to the child. Despite this half of the infants admitted to neonatal intensive units will not receive any pain relief.

Hope against disease targeting children A research team has uncovered molecular changes that explain, at least in part, why motor neurons rather than others are affected by the illness. Unlike ALS and other neurodegenerative diseases, which tend to manifest later in life, SMA strikes infants. Unlike ALS, SMA is a genetic disorder that causes a range of outcomes, with the milder form leaving some children confined to wheelchairs, and the more severe form causing paralysis and death before the second birthday

Weight loss surgery offers new hope to children, adolescents with Prader-Willi Syndrome Obesity is a leading cause of complications and death in children suffering from Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS), yet there are few effective treatment options for these patients. In a new study, researchers found that bariatric surgery, specifically laparoscopic sleeve gastrectomy (LSG), resulted in substantial weight loss with no apparent adverse effect on growth in a small group of severely overweight patients with PWS. PWS is a rare genetic condition that causes a wide range of problems including a constant desire to consume food, which is driven by a permanent feeling of hunger.

Do mothers react to more info about chemical risks? Mothers who are pregnant or have young children would be expected to be more concerned about protecting their offspring from environmental risks that are reported most in the news, but a new study raises doubts about that conventional wisdom.