Paediatrics
Weight gain in early childhood increases heart and metabolic risk in adolescence
Earlier onset of weight gain, under two-years of age, is associated with higher cholesterol, higher blood pressure, and more central fat in adolescence, compared with onset of weight gain in children aged three to five, finds a 14-year University of...Few US teens meet national recommendations for sleep, exercise and screen time
Only 1 in 20 US adolescents is meeting national recommendations for sleeping, physical activity, and screen time, with only half of as many girls (3%) compared to boys (7%) reaching all three guideline targets. The research was by The University...
Major study debunks race and class theories of intelligence
January 30th, 2019 Babies of different races are born with equal intelligence. The seven-year, global INTERGROWTH-21st Project, led by the University of Oxford, says its research debunks "substantial body of opinion" that race or class determines brain power. “At...General cognitive ability in youth predicts mental capacity later in life
Early adult general cognitive ability (GCA) – the diverse set of skills involved in thinking, such as reasoning, memory and perception – is stronger predictor of cognitive function and reserve later in life than other factors, such as higher...
Gently stroking babies 'provides pain relief'
January 9th, 2019 Gently stroking a baby reduces activity in their brain associated with painful experiences, a small UK study has found. Researchers from University of Oxford and Liverpool John Moores University, monitored the brain activity of 32 babies while they...
Safety measures 'stifling' children's physical development
December 12th, 2018 Children's physical development is being "stifled" by health and safety as teachers are too scared to let them play outside, The Daily Telegraph reports the UK’s Office for Standards in Education Children's Services and Skills (Ofsted) has warned....
Doctors swallow Lego blocks in 'the noble tradition of self-experimentation'
November 28th, 2018 A team of UK and Australian doctors who swallowed Lego and timed how long it took to pass through their bowels say the results of their research should reassure concerned parents, reports The Guardian. Researchers at the Royal Hospital London,...
GPs overwhelmingly incorrect in deciding on tonsillectomies
November 14th, 2018 An analysis of over 1.6m children from more than 700 UK general practices over 12 years found that only 13% of children suitable for tonsillectomy underwent the procedure. Of all children who did have tonsillectomies, only one in every eight...Children have 2.5 years to establish healthy gut bacteria
A child has until the age of two-and-a-half to establish healthy gut bacteria – with little change after this point, research has revealed. The study also reinforced the important role breastfeeding plays in providing good gut bacteria to babies...
Barefoot SA children have better balance but may suffer later
November 7th, 2018 South African children – who usually do not wear shoes during physical activity – have better balance and can jump farther than their German counterparts who are almost always shod, Business Insider reports a pathfinder study has found. But the...
Less aggression among the young when corporal punishment banned
October 31st, 2018 An international study shows that in countries where there is a complete ban on all corporal punishment of children there is less fighting among young people. There was 31% less physical fighting in young men and 42% less physical fighting in young...Limiting children's screen time linked to better cognition
Children aged eight to 11 who used screens for fun for less than two hours a day performed better in tests of mental ability, a study found. Combining this with nine to 11 hours of sleep a night was found to be best for performance. Researchers...
Risk-taking actions associated with lack of sleep in adolescents
October 3rd, 2018 Adolescents require 8-10 hours of sleep at night for optimal health, according to sleep experts, yet more than 70% of high school students get less than that. Previous studies have demonstrated that insufficient sleep in youth can result in learning...Popular belief that milk boosts phlegm production is 'a myth'
The widely held and persistent belief that milk boosts phlegm production and worsens respiratory conditions from asthma to the common cold, is a myth, insists a children’s health expert. There is absolutely no need to avoid giving this nutritious...
Babies given solid food sooner sleep better - large UK study
July 11th, 2018 Babies given solid food plus breast milk from three months sleep better than those who are solely breastfed, a large UK study has found, challenging the official recommendation, which is currently under review. BBC News reports that official...