Michael Hiltzik says the medically uninsured iin America have become a political football. Opponents and supporters of healthcare reform toss assertions about them back and forth.
The report, which says 46.3 million people lacked coverage as of the end of 2008, makes the case for reform stronger than ever by punching holes in arguments that minimize the plight of the uninsured.
Includes comments by WUSTL social work and public health professor Timothy McBride.

References:

1. Sept. 17, 2009 — U.S. Census Bureau data on the medically uninsured simply can't be denied in the Los Angeles Times

In the last decade, there's been a boom in children running races that were once strictly for adults. Getting kids outside and active is obviously a good thing. But are the physical and mental demands of long-distance running safe for children? At what age is competition appropriate, and what do parents need to keep in mind? WUSTL pediatric sports medicine specialist Mark Halstead, who has been a distance runner for most of his adult life, offers advice.

References:

1. Aug. 30, 2009 — Girls Gotta Move in the Health.com

An obese eighth-grader's sudden death during a football conditioning lap has revived discussion about whether testing children's hearts before they engage in sports or strenuous activity is necessary. WUSTL cardiovascular professor Keith Mankowitz, who directs an athletes screening program, said some conditions go undetected during routine screening.

References:

1. Aug. 24, 2009 — Child athlete's death revives heart testing debate in the Associated Press

and 24 others.

"There are a lot of mixed messages that are being sent to families," says pediatrician Rachel Moon, who has probed several widely read parenting and women's magazines and found that many photos in articles and advertisements clash with what the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends parents do to keep infants safe while asleep.
WUSTL pediatrics professor Bradley Thach comments.

References:

1. Aug. 17, 2009 — What's Wrong With This Picture? Baby Is in Danger in the U.S. News & World Report online

A child psychologist at Montefiore Medical Center in New York, treats tiny babies who have "flat affect" -- no joy in the things that a baby would normally delight in. Refrence made to a WUSTL study on childhood depression [led by WUSTL psychiatry professor Joan Luby].

References:

1. Aug. 4, 2009 — Can Toddlers Get Depressed? Yes, and Parents Can Help Them Feel Better in the U.S. News & World Report online

While a number of studies in recent years have found toddlers -- and even babies -- can suffer from major depressive disorder, doctors have debated whether preschool depression was an isolated blip in a child's development or a sign of future problems. According to a new WUSTL study published in the Archives of General Psychiatry, preschoolers can suffer from major depression, and those children are likely to face depression again in elementary school.

References:

1. Aug. 3, 2009 — Toddler Depression -- Real or a Phase? in the ABCNews.com

WUSTL pediatrician Mark Manary, a doctor who has long treated malnourished people, is working with plant scientists trying to improve the nutritional content of food.

References:

1. July 29, 2009 — Scientists, doctors unite to fight malnutrition in the MSNBC.com

and 27 others.

Today, more than 85 percent of the babies born alive in this country each year are assessed by electronic fetal monitoring, amid continuing controversy over whether it does more harm than good. New guidelines on fetal monitoring, published this month, aim to bring more consistency to how doctors interpret the results and act on them. WUSTL ob-gyn professor George Macones comments.

References:

1. July 7, 2009 — Updating a Standard: Fetal Monitoring in the The New York Times

and 1 others.

Despite the well-advertised healthy lifestyle message, healthy habits are in decline, according to an authoritative national survey on health and nutrition. WUSTL epidemiology professor Ross Brownson, who is a leading expert in chronic disease prevention, comments.

References:

1. June 9, 2009 — Bad Habits Asserting Themselves in the The New York Times

and 3 others.

Parents' eating habits don't seem to influence their children's food choices as much as experts have thought, new research suggests. The findings suggest that other factors, such as peer influence and television viewing, may be more powerful influences. The results are something of a surprise, said Connie Diekman, director of university nutrition at WUSTL and past president of the American Dietetic Association.

References:

1. June 5, 2009 — Parental Eating Habits Don't Rub Off on Kids in the U.S. News & World Report online

and 10 others.

U.S. researchers suggest autism diagnoses are not occurring soon enough. WUSTL social work professor and study lead author Paul Shattuck comments.

References:

1. May 5, 2009 — Autism diagnosis may occur years late in the United Press International

and 4 others.

Babies who gain weight quickly during the first six months of life may be more prone to obesity as toddlers, Harvard researchers report. The study suggests earliest intervention may reduce risk. WUSTL nutrition director Connie Diekman comments.

References:

1. March 30, 2009 — Rapid Infant Weight Gain Linked to Childhood Obesity in the MSN.com Health & Fitness

and 8 others.

Some genetic traits are easier to defy than others. Others, such as cancer or diabetes, are not so simple to escape. Advice on how you can reduce your risk with proven tips for protecting your health from head to toe. WUSTL surgery professor Ming You, director of the Chemoprevention Program at WUSTL's Siteman Cancer Center, comments on the role heredity plays in asthma, allergies and lung cancer.

References:

1. March 12, 2009 — Control your DNA destiny in the MSNBC.com

Two Kenyan brothers are in this country studying to be doctors. They are also fulfilling their father's dream of building a clinic in their remote home village to fight AIDS, the disease that killed both of their parents. Milton Ochieng is a resident at WUSTL's medical school. Fred is at Vanderbilt.

References:

1. Feb. 8, 2009 — Fulfilling a father's dream in the CNN Newsroom (national)

Rates of infant mortality due to accidental suffocation and strangulation in bed have quadrupled since 1984, a new study shows. WUSTL pediatrics professor Bradley Thach says coroners and others are beginning to understand that many SIDS cases should be classified as suffocations.

References:

1. Jan. 29, 2009 — Infant Suffocation Deaths Are Rising in the CBS News.com

and 1 others.

Black churches that hold blood drives after informing parishioners about the importance of blood donations for children with sickle cell disease will get a big upsurge in first-time donors, new research shows. WUSTL School of Medicine sickle cell researcher Michael DeBaun comments.

References:

1. Dec. 24, 2008 — Black churches help enlist first-time blood donors in the Reuters Health Medical News

and 4 others.

WUSTL nutrition expert Connie Diekman comments on a New York proposal for an 18 percent tax on sugary sodas and juice drinks — an effort that state officials said would reduce obesity while raising more than $400 million a year for health programs.

References:

1. Dec. 17, 2008 — A Tax on Many Soft Drinks Sets Off a Spirited Debate in the The New York Times

Some drugs used in premature babies and in pregnant women at risk for preterm deliveries can kill infant brain cells, research by WUSTL scientists shows.

References:

1. Nov. 18, 2008 — Steroids can cause infant brain cell death in the United Press International

and 3 others.

Glucocorticoid drugs used to treat chronic lung damage in premature infants caused brain injury in mice and may cause cognitive and motor control problems even when they're given before birth, according to WUSTL psychiatry researchers.

References:

1. Nov. 17, 2008 — Drugs to Treat Lung Damage in Preemies May Harm Brain in the U.S. News & World Report

Certain drugs used in premature babies and in pregnant women at risk for preterm deliveries kill brain cells, new animal studies show. WUSTL scientists, led by study author and psychiatry postdoctoral fellow Kevin Noguchi and co-author and psychiatry professor Nuri Farber, presented their research at this week's Society for Neuroscience conference.

References:

1. Nov. 18, 2008 — Steroids used in preemies may kill brain cells in the USA Today

and 1 others.