Health Highlights: Sept. 19, 2007

A dramatic improvement in survival rates of children with cancer was partly responsible for this increase, said the report. It also found that in 2005:

Children with leukemia and brain cancer were most likely to be hospitalized, at 10,100 and 6,100 hospitalizations, respectively.Other leading causes of hospitalization included: bone and connective tissue cancer (3,200), Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma (1,700), kidney cancer (1,400), and Hodgkin's disease (900). Children requiring maintenance chemotherapy or radiation therapy for cancer accounted for about 53,000 hospital stays.Children ages 1 to 4 accounted for more than 26 percent of pediatric cancer hospitalizations, followed by children: ages 10 to 14 (25 percent); ages 5 to 9 (22 percent): and ages 15 to 17 (19 percent). The death rate for children with cancer in hospitals was 0.9 percent.Hospital costs for children with cancer totaled $1.7 billion.

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Many Hispanics Lack Guidance on Helping Kids with ADHD

About one-third (36 percent) of Hispanic parents in the United States wouldn't know where to seek help for children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), compared with 22 percent of non-Hispanic parents, according to a national survey released Wednesday by the National Alliance for Hispanic Health.

The survey also found that Hispanic parents see greater barriers to ADHD treatment, including social stigma and health system obstacles.

Other findings from the survey:

Many Hispanic parents (59 percent) reported that they have not received information about ADHD in the language of their preference.A large number of Hispanic parents said that not having information (54 percent), the cost of treatment (54 percent), and not wanting their child to take medication (53 percent) are major factors in preventing children with ADHD from getting treatment.About a third (30 percent) of Hispanic parents said they would worry a great deal about their child being discriminated against because of ADHD.

The survey was released to mark National Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder Awareness Day.

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U.S. Grocery Industry Calls For Tighter Food Import Controls

The U.S. grocery industry wants the federal government to increase regulation of imported food products in order to calm consumer concerns after a series of high-profile incidents, including drug-laced farmed fish and tainted pet food.