The number of children in the Gulf Coast region after Hurricane Katrina who complained of symptoms of bronchitis, pneumonia and other lower respiratory illnesses rose in the years after the storm, according to a 49-page CDC report released on Thursday, the Washington Post reports.

Study findings presented at the May 2008 Pediatric Academic Societies and Asian Society for Pediatric Research Joint Meeting indicate that childhood and adolescent obesity negatively impacts vascular endothelial function, which relates to cardiac health.Obesity has been increasing rapidly in the U.S. during the past 20 years and obesity in adults has been linked to cardiovascular disease.

The middle school years is the time when time kids spend begin to spend less time in physical activity, a growing concern as youth obesity rates rise. A new study of middle school girls shows that after-school programs, in addition to school physical education classes, may be one answer to reducing obesity in teens.

For children of divorce, what happens after their parents split up may be just as important to their long-term well-being as the divorce itself.A new study found that children who lived in unstable family situations after their parents divorced fared much worse as adults on a variety of measures compared to children who had stable post-divorce family situations.

The Honourable Tony Clement, Minister of Health has announced unding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) for 764 health research projects across Canada, totalling over $298 million. Minister Clement was joined by Dr. Patrick McGrath, a member of CIHR's Governing Council, Dr. Po-Yin Cheung, a neonatologist and CIHR-funded researcher from the University of Alberta, and Luis and Oksana Delgado from Edmonton, whose 22 month old son Adrian received medical care from Dr.