More than one in 20 US children have dizziness and balance problems

More than 1 in 20 (nearly 3.3 million) children between the ages of 3 and 17 have a dizziness or balance problem, according to an analysis of the first large-scale, nationally representative survey of these problems in U.S. children. Prevalence increases with age, with 7.5 percent of children ages 15-17 and 6.0 percent of children ages 12-14 having any dizziness …

Antidepressants double the risk of aggression and suicide in children

Children and adolescents have a doubled risk of aggression and suicide when taking one of the five most commonly prescribed antidepressants, according to findings of a study published in The BMJ today. However, the true risk for all associated serious harms–such as deaths, aggression, akathisia and suicidal thoughts and attempts–remains unknown for children, adolescents and adults, say experts. This is …

Five companies control more than half of academic publishing BY RALPH TURCHIANO

A study at the University of Montreal shows that the market share of the five largest research publishing houses reached 50% in 2006, rising, thanks to mergers and acquisitions, from 30% in 1996 and only 20% in 1973. “Overall, the major publishers control more than half of the market of scientific papers both in the natural and medical sciences and …