(May 4, 2010 - Insidermedicine)

From Kansas City – According to a report presented at the Pediatric Academic Societies meeting, an increasing amount of newborns are overweight. Researchers reviewed over 74,000 births, finding that as the BMI of pregnant mothers increased significantly from 1990 to 2005, so too did the ponderal index increase in newborns.

From New York – Treatment of children with cystic fibrosis with azithromycin does not appear to improve lung function, accord to a report published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. Researchers studied over 320 children with cystic fibrosis, randomizing participants to either azithromyzin or placebo. Results showed that the antibiotic group did experience less cough, but did not however experience improved lung function.

And finally, from Ghana – Vitamin A supplementation does not affect pregnancy related mortality, according to a report published in The Lancet. Researchers studied over 100,000 women of reproductive age, randomizing participants to once weekly vitamin A supplementation or placebo. They found that supplementation did not reduce maternal mortality or survival of the children.