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Paediatrics
Mothball poisoning a significant threat for children – SA study
Childhood poisoning is a significant health concern in South Africa – especially in densely populated informal housing settlements where children are frequently exposed to...
Prenatal stress tied to faster biological ageing in babies – US study
In what is thought to be the first study to directly link prenatal stress hormones with primary tooth eruption, US researchers have said that,...
Growing concern over drop in infant immunisations
The Western Cape Department of Health & Wellness recently flagged a concerning decline in infant immunisation rates, and is intensifying its campaign to step...
Experts flag rise in premature infant blindness – SA study
Local experts have sounded the alarm after their recent study showed a spike in premature infant blindness, detracting from the progress made in the...
Award allows South Africa to lead in paediatric brain trauma research
A recent valuable Fellowship Award will enable a team of neurological experts at the University of Cape Town to not only advance science and...
Nestlé urged to ban sugar in baby foods
A group of 20 African civil society organisations, including three from South Africa, have written an open letter to Nestlé, demanding the company stop...
Measles outbreaks escalate in Western Cape
The Western Cape Department of Health & Wellness has escalated its vaccination campaigns, warning of an increase in measles outbreaks in areas like Khayelitsha,...
Pesticides damaging Western Cape children’s brains – SA-Swiss study
Routine exposure to agricultural pesticides may be affecting the brains of children living in South Africa’s farming regions, and affecting their cognitive abilities.
This is...
High BP in children climbing
The global prevalence of childhood hypertension has escalated in recent years, but with considerable variation by diagnostic approach, an updated systematic review and meta-analysis...
Child Gauge flags maternal violence and neglect in SA
The country’s maternal health system is in crisis, and domestic violence is making it worse, experts say, warning that with just 11 maternal and...
No link between Tylenol and autism in children – UK review
A wide-ranging review into paracetamol use by pregnant women has found no convincing link between the common painkiller and the chances of children being...
WHO roadmap for paediatric cancer drugs
The World Health Organisation (WHO) has released six new target product profiles for child-friendly formulations of essential cancer medicines, giving pharmaceutical manufacturers a technical...
US paediatrician group won’t back leucovorin for autism
In interim guidance posted last week, the American Academy of Paediatrics (AAP) said it does not recommend the routine use of leucovorin for children...
Two superbugs responsible for Soweto newborn deaths – Wits study
Over the past 10 years, researchers from the University of the Witwatersrand’s vaccines and infectious diseases analytics unit analysed small tissue samples of 1...
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...