Child Health News

RSS

Sedentary children at higher risk of chronic fatigue syndrome

Childhood predictors of self-reported chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis in adults: national birth cohort study BMJ Online First.

5 Oct 2004

School physical education programs are the place to score in the battle with obesity

Researchers from the School of Human Movement Studies at UQ, believe the focus of school physical education (PE) should be to nurture “physical literacy” and PE should be compulsory from preschool to Year 12.

5 Oct 2004

A new study shows that sick children can go home from the hospital more quickly

A new study shows that sick children can go home from the hospital more quickly, less expensively and with less chance of a repeat visit if children's hospitals use a unique source of national data to check their performance against other children's hospitals and show them where they can improve.

5 Oct 2004

October marks sudden infant death syndrome awareness month

Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour signed a proclamation today recognizing October as Mississippi’s Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) Awareness Month.

4 Oct 2004

A child's risk of becoming obese may begin before birth and continue throughout infancy

A child's risk of becoming obese may begin before birth and continue throughout infancy and early childhood - critical periods for cellular growth and development, according to research results discussed during a national conference and outlined in the October supplement to Pediatrics.

4 Oct 2004

Giving flu vaccine to toddlers in the spring and fall guards against infection

Giving flu vaccine to toddlers in the spring and fall guards against infection and is easier on parents than the fall schedule of two doses administered a month apart, found researchers from Duke University Medical Center and the University of Washington.

4 Oct 2004

The biggest risk for children during Halloween is being hit by a car

While many parents painstakingly inspect the pounds of sugary loot brought home each Halloween, they need to keep in mind that candy tampering isn’t the largest concern they face.

30 Sep 2004

New warnings on antidepressants for children and adolescents highlight the need for appropriate treatments for depression

“Taking an antidepressant comes with risks. When deciding whether an antidepressant is right for a son or daughter, parents should discuss with the physician the possible alternatives, including psychotherapy. Research by the National Institute of Mental Health shows that combining talk therapy and an antidepressant is the most effective treatment for teens battling depression,”

29 Sep 2004

Schools Health Education Unit tracks trends in physical activity

New figures from the Schools Health Education Unit show that since 1991, there has been a decline in the numbers of 12-15 year olds that report playing pool and snooker.

28 Sep 2004

12% of children at risk of undetected/unreported adverse drug reactions

More than 1 in 10 (12%) children are at risk of undetected/unreported adverse drug reactions (ADRs) according to new research launched at the British Pharmaceutical Conference.

28 Sep 2004

Eating too much in childhood predicts development of bulimia nervosa in adulthood

154 sister pairs were compared. Mothers were sent questionnaires to report on their daughters' childhood feeding experiences. Lifetime diagnosis of eating disorder was obtained with a semi-structured interview.

27 Sep 2004

Grandparents play a key role in the lives of a large proportion of British children

Information was collected from 8752 families in the Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) on grandparent involvement when children were aged eight, 15 and 24 months.

27 Sep 2004

High calcium intake and vigorous exercise is the key to optimal increases in bone density

Prepubescence is a critical time for building bone mass in children. Strong bones are important for obvious reasons in growth and development. It is widely accepted that calcium intake and physical activity are two ways one can positively impact bone density.

27 Sep 2004

Economic costs of child abuse in Canada tops $15 billion

“Our goal with this research is to contribute to the reduction of child abuse in Canadian society, by increasing the awareness of how the costs and consequences of child abuse affect all Canadians,” says Katherine McKenna, professor in Western’s Centre for Women's Studies and Feminist Research.

26 Sep 2004

CDC reports that too few young children are protected against influenza

A report issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that only 4.4 percent of the nation’s children aged 6 to 23 months were fully vaccinated against influenza during the 2002-03 influenza season, the first season CDC encouraged influenza vaccination for healthy children.

26 Sep 2004

Auckland kids are five times more likely than those in other developed countries to need hospital admission for pneumonia

Pneumonia is a major problem in New Zealand. We believe a significant proportion of it is preventable. We want to know what the risk factors are so that we can find ways to reduce the number of children who get so sick they need hospital care

23 Sep 2004

One third of the children had been exposed to illegal drugs

Research, conducted by experts at the Centre for Drug Misuse Research at the University of Glasgow, involving a survey of 2,318 ten to twelve year olds in Glasgow and Newcastle, reveals a unique insight into the factors behind illegal drug use by preteen children

23 Sep 2004