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Obesity ranks as top health concern for kids, poll finds

As children's waistlines continue to grow, so have concerns about childhood obesity. According to a report released today by the University of Michigan C.S. Mott Children's Hospital National Poll on Children's Health, childhood obesity is now the No. 1 health concern for kids in 2008, topping smoking and drug abuse. In 2007, childhood obesity ranked third among parents' top 10 overall health concerns for kids.

14 Jul 2008

How are homeopathic products used in childhood?

Despite recent questions concerning the efficacy of homeopathic medicine, it continues to be one of the most popular forms of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) in use today. Jackie Bishop of the Children of the 90s study looks at the use of homeopathic products in the early years of life.

13 Jul 2008

Study reveals potential reasons for truancy and school fear

A questionnaire of Swiss schoolchildren has revealed the extent of truancy and school fear. The research, published in BioMed Central's open access journal Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Mental Health, links truancy and school fear to life events, parental behaviour and school environment.

10 Jul 2008

Lipid Association responds to new cholesterol guidelines for kids

When the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) issued its recommendation on July 7 regarding the treatment of children with high cholesterol, it generated a strong response from the community of medical professionals and patients. The National Lipid Association (NLA), a group of healthcare professionals who specialize in cholesterol and heart disease issues, believes that the AAP has acted in the interests of patient care by raising the issue of lipid abnormalities in children.

10 Jul 2008

'Agro' mothers direct child's behavior

Researchers led by Steven R. Wilson of Purdue University videotaped forty mothers as they completed a ten minute play period with one of their children between the ages of three and eight years. The mothers then completed a series of questionnaires including the Verbal Aggressiveness Scale.

10 Jul 2008

Babies from frozen embryos less likely to be premature

A Danish study has found that IVF babies born from embryos that are frozen are less likely to be underweight or premature than those conceived during fresh treatment cycles.

9 Jul 2008

IVF babies at no greater risk of neurodevelopmental disorders

Scientists say contrary to popular belief, babies conceived through in-vitro fertilization (IVF) or test tubes are just as healthy as those conceived naturally.

9 Jul 2008

IVF does not lead to developmental problems in early infancy

Couples who need IVF in order to become pregnant can be reassured that this will not lead to developmental problems in early infancy, a Dutch researcher told the 24th annual conference of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology.

8 Jul 2008

Action to improve children's communication following Bercow Review

The funding comes as a result of a ground breaking independent review by John Bercow MP, commissioned by Government, which identifies that communication is the key life skill for every child - if they are to achieve at school, make friends and be successful in later life.

8 Jul 2008

Children born from thawed frozen embryos have higher birth weight than those born where fresh embryos used

Children born after a frozen, thawed embryo has been replaced in the womb have higher birth weight than those born where fresh embryos were used, Danish scientists reported to the 24th annual conference of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology today (Tuesday 8 July).

8 Jul 2008

Experts call for cholesterol drugs to be used in young children

Medical specialists in the U.S. are calling for more stringent cholesterol screenings for young children.

8 Jul 2008

Hand washing reduces infant mortality

Washing hands with soap and water in preparation for delivery significantly reduced the risk of death for infants within the first month of life, according to a study in Nepal conducted by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health.

7 Jul 2008

Single oral dose of vitamin A reduces infant mortality

A single, oral dose of vitamin A, given to infants shortly after birth in the developing world can reduce their risk of death by 15 percent, according to a study conducted by researchers at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. The study is published in the July 2008 edition of the journal Pediatrics.

7 Jul 2008

Tough action needed to protect children from the allure of smoking

A new BMA report calls on the UK Governments to introduce a range of tough measures aimed at reducing young people's exposure to positive images of smoking.

7 Jul 2008

Experts call for sex education for 4 year olds

Leading British charities are calling for sex education to be taught to children as young as four in an attempt to bring down the rising rates of abortion and sexually transmitted infections.

7 Jul 2008

Lack of sleep means kids do it hard at school

According to new study by Australian researchers, a lack of sleep can have a bad affect on the ability of children to both learn and interact at school.

7 Jul 2008

Doctors call for change in Australian motorcycle laws to protect children

A study by doctors in Victoria has found that each year between 2000 and 2004, the number of deaths and injuries among children in motorcycle-related accidents has risen annually by almost 10%.

7 Jul 2008

Fourth edition of the British National Formulary for Children

The fourth edition of the British National Formulary for Children (BNFC) arms health professionals with the information they need to tackle recent controversial health concerns in young people, including rising rates of teenage pregnancy and the increasing incidence of sexually transmitted infections.

3 Jul 2008

Seizures in newborns can be detected with bedside brain-activity monitors

Compact, bedside brain-activity monitors detected most seizures in at-risk infants, researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis showed. That means the compact units could assist clinicians in monitoring for electrical seizures until confirmation with conventional EEG (electroencephalography), the researchers assert in an article published in the June issue of Pediatrics.

2 Jul 2008