Marijuana is not a ‘gateway’ drug that predicts or eventually leads to substance abuse, suggests a 12-year University of Pittsburgh study. Moreover, the study’s findings call into question the long-held belief that has shaped prevention efforts and governmental policy for six decades and caused many a parent to panic upon discovering a bag of pot in their child’s bedroom. [click link for full article]

Terry B. Strom, MD, director of the Division of Immunology at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) and Scientific Director of BIDMC’s Transplant Center, received the 2006 Homer W. Smith Award from the American Society of Nephrology at their annual meeting last month in San Diego. Established in 1964, the award is presented annually to an individual who has made outstanding contributions which fundamentally affect the science of nephrology. [click link for full article]

Former President Clinton and Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen on Monday signed an agreement to reduce prices of pediatric antiretroviral drugs in the country, the AP/International Herald Tribune reports (AP/International Herald Tribune, 12/4). Last week, the [click link for full article]

Teenagers who take a daily multivitamin supplement have a healthier diet and lifestyle than those who don’t take vitamins, reports a study in the December Journal of the American Dietetic Association.As part of the Child and Adolescent Trial for Cardiovascular Health (CATCH), the researchers analyzed data on height, weight, diet, and health behaviors for more than 2,500 U.S. high school seniors. [click link for full article]

Scientists have discovered that mutations in a gene known as SOS1 account for many cases of Noonan syndrome (NS), a common childhood genetic disorder which occurs in one in 1,000-2,500 live births. NS is characterized by short stature, facial abnormalities, and learning disabilities, as well as heart problems and predisposition to leukemia. [click link for full article]

A new study by specialists at the Johns Hopkins Children’s Center and elsewhere suggests that only one in five inner-city children with chronic asthma gets enough medicine to control dangerous flare-ups of the disease.The findings, reported in December’s Pediatrics, are disturbing, the researchers say, because preventive therapy failure leads to over-reliance on fast-acting ‘rescue’ drugs after an asthma attack strikes and to more complications and increased risk of death. [click link for full article]

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), a sleep related breathing disorder that causes your body to stop breathing during sleep, can disturb your sleep numerous times on any given night.  As a result, you may experience daytime sleepiness.  Daytime sleepiness brought on by OSA may put you more at risk for cardiovascular problems. The study, lead by Joel E. Dimsdale, MD, of the University of California, San Diego, focused on 86 patients with an average age of 47 years. [click link for full article]

In a recent clinical trial to test the efficacy of GlaxoSmithKline’s herpes medication Valtrex, 168 pregnant women were put at risk when they were given a placebo rather than an alternative herpes drug, Peter Lurie and colleagues from the consumer advocacy group Public Citizen wrote in an letter published in the Dec. [click link for full article]

Following the birth of a baby, it is common for new mothers to awaken to the sound of their baby’s cry several times a night.  Constantly getting out of bed to tend to their baby’s needs causes a disruption in the mother’s sleep, which may affect her physical and emotional well-being the next day.  However, a behavioral-educational intervention may bring some much-needed relief to both mother and baby. [click link for full article]

The Midwest Children’s Brain Tumor Center at Advocate Lutheran General Children’s Hospital awarded John Hipchen, President of the Board of Directors of the American Brain Tumor Association (ABTA), the Center’s Wings of Hope Medal. This award is presented at their annual gala to a member of the community who has made a significant impact in the care of children with brain tumors. [click link for full article]