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Paediatrics
‘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...
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...
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...
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...
Study links maternal diabetes to ADHD risk in children
Experts have issued reassurances after a recent study where researchers reviewed data from 56.1m pregnancies to probe possible connections between diabetes and ADHD, autism...
Drug-resistant infections killed 3m children worldwide
A landmark study presented this week at the European Society of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (ESCMID) in Vienna has revealed that more than...
Progress in reducing child deaths under threat, UN warns
Recent funding cuts have put decades of progress in child survival at risk, say global experts, calling for increased investments, service integration, and innovations...
Early antibiotics affect newborns’ later response to jabs – Australian study
Babies who are given antibiotics early may have lower levels of antibodies and reduced immune responses to vaccines in later infancy, possibly due to...
Israeli study confirms benefits of breast milk
The debate over whether breast is best has been ongoing for decades, but recent research suggests that longer or exclusive breastfeeding might be linked...
Why autism is less diagnosed in girls – and how to change that
Historically, researchers have viewed autism as a distinctly “male” neurotype, with boys being 10 times more likely to be referred for autism assessments, according...
Bara opens R26m children’s burns unit
The NPO Surgeons for Little Lives unveiled a state-of-the-art children’s burns unit at Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital last week, with staff saying not even...
Now Trump pulls plug on childhood vaccines
The Trump administration is to halt its funding for Gavi, which helps buy vaccines for children in poor countries, and reduce its efforts to...
Unvaccinated US measles patients display vitamin A toxicity
Several children admitted to hospital with measles in Texas and New Mexico are displaying symptoms of vitamin A toxicity, doctors have said, adding that...