Newswise The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) announced today that the prevalence of children in the United States with autism has increased. The newly-released statistics suggest one in 88 children have an Autism Spectrum Disorder, up from one in 110 released in 2009. Zachary Warren, Ph.D., director of the Vanderbilt Kennedy Centers Treatment and Research Institute for Autism Spectrum Disorders at Vanderbilt University, says effective early identification and treatment of autism is a public health emergency. The new CDC data is the best evidence we have to date that autism is a very common disorder. While recent estimates have varied, we have always known the individual, familial, educational and societal costs that go along with autism are tremendous, Warren said. We are now seeing autism in more than 1 percent of the population, which highlights how challenging it will be for systems of care to meet service needs. Most educational and medical systems do not have the resources capable of meeting the comprehensive needs of individuals with autism and their families across the lifespan, Warren added. Programs aimed at enhancing early identification of autism are often thought to be a critical first step in autism treatment, as intervention … Continue reading →

ATLANTA Don't miss these Health stories Where's the one place you should never kiss a baby -- or anyone else? The ear, according to a professor of audiology at Hofstra University in Hempstead, N.Y. Autism cases are on the rise again, largely due to wider screening and better diagnosis, federal health officials said Thursday. The rate of U.S. cases of autism and related disorders rose to about 1 in 88 children. The previous estimate was 1 in 110. The new figure is from the latest in a series of studies that have been steadily increasing the government's autism estimate. This new number means autism is nearly twice as common as officials said it was only five years ago, and likely affects roughly 1 million U.S. children and teens. Health officials attribute the increase largely to better recognition of cases, through wide screening and better diagnosis. But the search for the cause of autism is really only beginning, and officials acknowledge that other factors may be helping to drive up the numbers. "We're not quite sure the reasons for the increase," said Coleen Boyle of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Autism is diagnosed by making judgments about a child's … Continue reading →

Story Created: Mar 28, 2012 at 9:04 AM AKDT Story Updated: Mar 28, 2012 at 9:04 AM AKDT ANCHORAGE - Of the many bills being considered in the Alaska legislature right now, one stands out for parents of children with autism. Senate Bill 74 would mandate private insurance companies pay for treatment. The bill has the support of many agencies that work with children with special needs and plenty of parents. In Alaska nearly one out of every 100 children born will have the brain-based disorder. Bree Ann Davis has a son with autism. Steven is six years old now. She said he developed normally up till about 18 months old, when everything changed. It was like a light switch, said Davis. He wasnt the same child. He stopped talking, stopped interacting. He basically cried all night and day and we didnt know what was wrong. By age two hed been diagnosed with autism. The family said its been a rough road ever since. The disorder makes Stevens behavior extremely unpredictable. He is overwhelmed by change and new experiences. Oftentimes his frustration results in violent or antisocial behavior. Biting and hitting have gotten him suspended from kindergarten more than a … Continue reading →

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Stroke unit move has improved care 8:00am Thursday 29th March 2012 in News By Barry Nelson , Health Editor HOSPITAL bosses said the controversial closure of Darlingtons acute stroke unit and its transfer to Durham City has led to an increase in the number of patients given potentially life-saving clotbusting drugs. Before the changes, about ten per cent of stroke victims brought in were given the treatment. But in the first month of operation, the centralised stroke unit gave clot-busting drugs to 24 per cent of stroke victims. As well as treating more patients than before, the proportion given the clot-busting drugs over the whole period since the unit moved to Durham City is averaging more than 20 per cent. Dr Bernard Esisi, who heads the acute stroke service at the County Durham and Darlington NHS Foundation Trust, said: When a stroke strikes what matters is getting the right treatment quickly and in the right place. We have seen rapid improvements in standards and the care we are providing over the past three months. Proposals to centralise emergency stroke treatment at the University Hospital in Durham City were strongly opposed by Darlington MP Jenny Chapman and Darlington Borough Council. But … Continue reading →

BERKELEY HEIGHTS, N.J., March 29, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Cyclacel Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (Nasdaq:CYCC - News) (Nasdaq:CYCCP - News) ("Cyclacel" or the "Company") announced today its financial results and business highlights for the fourth quarter and full year 2011. The Company's net loss applicable to common stockholders for the fourth quarter of 2011 was $3.8 million, or $0.07 per basic and diluted share, compared to a net loss applicable to common stockholders of $3.4 million, or $0.07 per basic and diluted, share for the fourth quarter of 2010. For the year ended December 31, 2011, the Company reported a net loss applicable to common stockholders of $16.0 million, or $0.32 per basic and diluted share, compared to a net loss of $19.7 million or $0.52 per basic and diluted share, for the year ended December 31, 2010. As of December 31, 2011, cash and cash equivalents totaled $24.4 million. "We were pleased in the fourth quarter of 2011 to achieve our major objective of opening the randomized stage of SEAMLESS, a registration-directed, Phase 3 study of sapacitabine in elderly patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML)," said Spiro Rombotis, President and Chief Executive Officer of Cyclacel. "The randomized stage was initiated following … Continue reading →