Paediatrics
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...Australia releases guidelines to treatment of transgender children
Australia has become one of the first country's to release guidelines for the care of transgender and gender diverse children and adolescents. Australia has become one of the first countries to properly recognise transgender needs in healthcare,...Screen young people for depression – AAP
Young people should be screened for depression, in accordance with existing guidelines, and primary care clinicians should have the tools in place to identify and treat patients who may be suffering from depression, according to the American Academy...
Adolescence 'now lasts from ages 10-24'
January 24th, 2018 Adolescence now lasts from the ages of 10 to 24, although it used to be thought to end at 19, scientists write in The Lancet. Young people continuing their education for longer, as well as delayed marriage and parenthood, has pushed back popular...Double dose of vitamin D increases bone density in prem babies
If the standard supplementation of 400 IUs of vitamin D is increased to 800 IUs daily there are reductions in the number of premature and preterm babies with extremely low bone density, found a University of Nebraska Medical Centre...Impact of physical abuse and punishment on kids
Physical abuse was associated with decreases in children's cognitive performance, while non-abusive forms of physical punishment were independently associated with reduced school engagement and increased peer isolation. Sarah Font, assistant...
AAP guidelines on tattoos for young people
October 4th, 2017 Tattoos and body piercings are an increasingly popular form of self-expression, but it is important for young people to carefully consider the consequences and potential risks associated with body modifications, according to the first clinical...Inflammatory bowel disease in children increases cancer risk
Children diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease have an increased risk of cancer, especially gastrointestinal cancers, both in childhood and later in life, finds a study led by researchers at the Karolinska Institute in Sweden. The increase...Anti-TB drug should be given to children, study says
An innovative anti-tuberculosis drug that represents a reprieve for adults whose disease does not respond to other treatments should also be made available to children aged 12 or older, according to findings from a study reported in the US Centres...