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Paediatrics
Human trials for artificial wombs for prem babies edge closer
For parents who have buried infants born too soon, a device like the AquaWomb is a miracle in waiting – and an impossible choice,...
Eastern Cape chemo patients left in the lurch after bungle
There appears to be no end to the problems affecting the Eastern Cape Department of Health, the latest mess coming after its account with...
FDA moves to restrict fluoride supplements
The US Food and Drug Administration is a step closer to restricting the use of prescription fluoride supplements, after a directive from the Make...
Covid in pregnancy tied to increased autism risks – US analysis
American researchers have said that their recent study suggests children born to mothers infected with Covid-19 during pregnancy faced a higher risk of autism,...
Infant immunisations drop in Western Cape
The Western Cape Department of Health & Wellness has sounded an urgent alarm over a steep decline in infant vaccination coverage across the province,...
Toxic BPA found in breast milk, but no SA law to stop exposure
In South Africa, there is no law preventing toxic chemicals like bisphenol A (BPA) from being used in most food packaging, even though research...
Children’s peanut allergies plummet after new guidelines – US study
Food allergies in children dropped sharply in the years after new guidelines encouraged parents to introduce infants to peanuts, a newly-published study has said.
For...
Sugary flavours in infant food harming health – Stellenbosch study
Researchers from Stellenbosch University have called for infant food flavourings to be evaluated and for labelling regulations to be strengthened and enforced after their...
AI helps predict Kenyan child malnutrition
Globally, nearly half of the deaths of children under five are linked to malnutrition, and in Kenya, it’s the leading cause of illness and...
‘Alarming’ rise of superbugs in newborn babies – Australian study
The war against drug-resistant microbes is not going very well, warned scientists after a recent study on escalating antibiotic resistance and “superbugs” affecting newborn...
South Africa’s immunisation programme falling behind
Childhood immunisation programmes have saved millions of lives and prevented much suffering, but have lost momentum over the past decade or so, writes Elri...
US experts dispute calls for MMR jab to be split into three
A plan for vaccine makers to develop separate shots against measles, mumps and rubella to replace combination MMR vaccines, despite no evidence of any...
Inside India’s cough syrup obsession
Toxic cough syrup linked to Indian manufacturers has made numerous headlines over the years, being linked to dozens of young deaths – and now...
Less asthma risk for babies living with dogs – Canadian study
Babies growing up around dogs are less likely to develop asthma, but exposure to cat allergens does not have the same protective impact, researchers have suggested.
The...
Wits' microneedle patches offer easier treatment for HIV+ children
The University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) is developing a new generation of microneedle patches as a painless, easy-to-use alternative to deliver a simpler form...
More children obese than underweight – Unicef
Unicef has warned governments to protect children’s diets from unhealthy ingredients and to stop the ultra-processed food industry from interfering in policy decisions –...
Rare condition a dangerous complication of flu
Five weeks after Olivia Li turned four, she slipped into unconsciousness, a rare and unexpected consequence of a flu infection.
She had developed acute necrotising...
Pioneering childhood hypertension study for SA
South Africa still relies on US and European blood pressure charts for children, but Nelson Mandela University is helping to change that through a...
Pre-schoolers given ADHD meds too soon – US analysis
Nearly half of all American pre-scholars with ADHD are prescribed medication too soon – within 30 days of diagnosis – according to a retrospective analysis...
Paracetamol link to autism rears again
For more than a decade, studies of the use of acetaminophen (known as paracetamol in South Africa) in pregnancy – including a recent scientific...
Experts oppose Kennedy’s hepatitis B jab theories
Scathing American public health experts are pushing back against doubts and criticisms about the hepatitis B vaccine spread by Health Secretary Robert F Kennedy...
First malaria treatment for babies a major step – SA biochemist
Last month, the first malaria treatment for babies and children of two months up to five years was approved for use by the Swiss...
SA surgeon scoops award for paediatric brain injury research
A Cape Town surgeon is leading research that could transform how brain injuries in children are treated across the globe.
The University of Cape Town’s...
Baby girl grew a ‘micropenis’ from lying on dad’s chest
A newborn girl in Sweden started developing male-like genitalia after spending time lying on her father’s bare chest. He had been using testosterone gel,...
More than 14m children unvaccinated in 2024
United Nations health officials have said more than 14m children did not receive a single vaccine last year – about the same as the...
Penicillin jab recall jeopardises syphilis gains in the United States
Pfizer has warned of a possible shortage of Bicillin L-A, a long-acting injection of the antibiotic penicillin used for treating syphilis during pregnancy, after...
Why Amish children have significantly lower allergy rates
Whether triggered by pollen, pet dander or peanuts, allergies in this day and age seem nearly impossible to avoid. But one group appears virtually...
Breakthrough as subtypes found in autism – US cohort study
Scientists say they have taken a “transformative step” towards understanding the biology underlying autism after discovering four subtypes of the genetic condition – which they...
Childhood obesity tied to early, serious health issues – SA study
A study by the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) and Inkosi Albert Luthuli Central Hospital (IALCH) has linked childhood obesity to an escalation...
Planned C-sections tied to childhood cancer risk – Swedish cohort study
Researchers from the Swedish Karolinska Institutet have suggested that children born via planned Caesarean section procedures might have a heightened risk of developing certain childhood cancers,...
Treatment of malnourished children challenged: UK-MSF study
A study has called for another look at existing global treatment guidelines in treating children with critical levels of malnutrition, suggesting that dated recommendations...
Why it's time to change the monthly script rule for ADHD medication
Attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) affects between 5% and 7% of schoolchildren, but because doctors can only prescribe treatment for a month at a...
Common drug may reduce preterm births – Zimbabwe randomised trial
A study of almost 1 000 pregnant women in Zimbabwe found that a daily dose of a commonly used, safe and inexpensive antibiotic may...
Child cancer survivors have higher disease risk – US study
Although children are much more likely to survive cancer today than 50 years ago, as adults, unfortunately, many of them develop cardiovascular disease, secondary...
Infant with rare disease first to have CRISPR in-vivo gene editing
A research team supported by the US National Institutes of Health (NIH) has developed and safely delivered a personalised gene-editing therapy to treat an...
Pre-eclampsia risk flagged among African women
The complication of pre-eclampsia is a danger to pregnant women, which, characterised by high blood pressure and organ damage – and arising during the second...
Deadly effects of marijuana on the foetus – US meta-analysis
Using marijuana during pregnancy has been linked to poor foetal development, low infant birth weight, dangerously early deliveries and even death, according to a...
Vagal-nerve stimulator implant for baby epilepsy patient
The implantation of an epilepsy treatment device into a 5.5kg baby’s brain marks a first in such a young and low weight patient, paediatric...
Whooping cough makes a comeback in the US
Whooping cough (pertussis) cases in the United States were nearly 16 times higher in 2024 than during the Covid-19 pandemic low in 2021, warn...
Return of endemic measles may be looming for US, study says
America is hovering on the brink of a return of endemic measles – a quarter of a century after the disease was declared eradicated...