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Paediatrics
Early autism signs can detected by routine prenatal ultrasound – Israeli study
A routine prenatal ultrasound in the second trimester can identify early signs of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), a study by Ben-Gurion University of the...
Physical activity 72 hours post-concussion is safe for children – PedCARE trial
Resuming non-contact physical activity three days after a concussion is safe and may reduce symptoms, as well as the risk of delayed recovery, found...
Oral immunotherapy to induce peanut allergy remission in young children – IMPACT trial
In children with a peanut allergy, initiation of peanut oral immunotherapy before age-four was associated with an increase in both desensitisation and remission, found...
Major hurdles for SA's autistic children
Children with autism face huge barriers in accessing healthcare and special schools, researchers at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) have found, and often, there’s...
Formula feeding linked to 70% higher antibiotic-resistance genes in babies
Formula feeding is associated with a 70% increase in antibiotic resistance gene (ARG) abundance in the gut microbiome of infants compared with breast milk,...
Storytelling may significantly alleviate physical and psychological pain of hospitalised children
Simple story telling to hospitalised children may help significantly to alleviate their physical and psychological pain, finds a Brazilian study reported in Scientific American.
“We...
Landmark intervention may reduce autism diagnosis rates by two-thirds
A simple video intervention for parents of at-risk babies was able to reduce the number of children diagnosed with autism at the age of...
Black South African men have been inching up over the past 30 years
Black South African men have been getting taller over the past three decades – their current adult height of black men on the 170.7cm...
Black South African men have been inching up over the past 30 years
Black South African men have been getting taller over the past three decades – their current adult height of black men on the 170.7cm...
Very preterm or very low birthweight associated with lower IQ into adulthood
The average IQ of adults who were born very preterm (VP) or at a very low birth weight (VLBW), compared to adults born full...
Clinical guide to diagnosing, in children, bruising caused by abuse
Bruising caused by physical abuse is the most common injury to be overlooked or misdiagnosed as non-abusive before an abuse-related fatality or near-fatality in...
Short-course of antibiotics suffices for children with pneumonia
A five-day course of high-dose amoxicillin will do just as well for children six months to 10 years old with common pneumonia, found research...
Kids' blood pressure measures 'substantially different' between arms
Blood pressure measurements in children and adolescents should be taken from both arms after new research showed substantial differences could be seen depending on...
SLIT associated with significant desensitisation in peanut-allergic toddlers
Peanut sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT) was associated with significant desensitisation in toddlers, ages one- to four-years, with no safety issues, a US randomised trial showed.
During...
Antibiotic use in newborns linked to reduced growth in boys in first 6 years
A Finnish study in Nature Communications has found an association between antibiotic use in the first few days of life and reduced height and...
Kindergarten readiness delivers protective edge in late teens
Kindergarten readiness forecasts a later protective edge in emerging adulthood and suggests that youngsters who begin school with the right preparedness gain a lifestyle...
Early introduction of gluten may prevent coeliac disease in children
Introducing high doses of gluten from four months of age into infants’ diets could prevent them from developing coeliac disease, a study has found....
Heavy electronic media use in late childhood linked to lower academic performance
An Australian study of 8- to 11-year olds reveals an association between heavy television use and poorer reading performance, as well as between heavy...
Siblings of SIDS infants at 10-fold risk of same death
The siblings of infants who have died suddenly and unexpectedly run 10 times the risk of dying in the same way, indicates a long-term...
Screen time has little impact on kids' social skills — compulsive social networkers excepted
Researchers compared teacher and parent evaluations of children who started kindergarten in 1998 – six years before Facebook launched – with those who began...
Leaving baby to 'cry it out' has no adverse effects on child development
An infant's development and attachment to their parents is not affected by being left to 'cry it out' and can actually decrease the amount...
Breastfeeding and risks of allergies and asthma
A study has found exclusive breastfeeding for the first three months was linked with a lower risk of respiratory allergies and asthma when children...
Kids eat more calories in post-game snacks than they burn during the game
A study led by Brigham Young University public health researchers finds the number of calories kids consume from post-game snacks far exceeds the number...
Inactivity linked to increased risk of depression in adolescents
A University College London study has found that an additional 60 minutes of light activity (such as walking or doing chores) daily at age...
Children's fingertip injuries could signal abuse
A study is the first to look at the link between children's fingertip injures and abuse or neglect. The researchers used a New York...
Combined prenatal smoking and drinking greatly increases SIDS risk — NIH study
The National Institutes of Health (NIH)-funded Safe Passage Study on Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) found that combined exposures to alcohol and tobacco have...
Higher cow's-milk fat intake associated with 40% lower risk of childhood adiposity
A systematic review and meta-analysis led by St Michael's Hospital of Unity Health Toronto found children who drank whole milk had 40% lower odds...
Targeting gut microbiota to successfully treat infant colic
A small Italian trial into infant colic found that drops containing a particular probiotic strain reduced the duration of daily crying by more than 50% in 80%...
High amounts of screen time begin as early as infancy
Children's average daily time spent watching television or using a computer or mobile device increased from 53 minutes at age 12 months to more...
Probiotics may halve gut problems and infections in very premature babies
Boosting the milk of premature babies with healthy bacteria may have helped half the number of serious gut problems and infections, according to research...
Should doctors should accept unvaccinated children as patients?
Four in 10 parents say they are very or somewhat likely to move their child to a different provider if their doctor sees families...
Current solid food guides could lead to overfeeding
Starting six-month-old infants on solid food in the amounts recommended by standard feeding guides may lead to overfeeding, according to a study by scientists...
Doctors more likely to recommend antihistamines than cough and cold medicine for kids
For respiratory infections in children under 12, physicians are increasingly more likely to recommend antihistamines and less likely to recommend cough and cold medicines,...
Midday naps: Happier children with higher IQs — cohort study
Ask just about any parent whether napping has benefits and you'll likely hear a resounding "yes," particularly for the child's mood, energy levels, and...
WHO studies: Europe's problems with breastfeeding and child obesity
A World Health Organisation study shows that, despite efforts aimed at prevention, parts of the Europe continue to struggle with comparably higher rates of...
Brain development in micro-prem infants — Two studies
Micro-premature infants who primarily consume breast milk have significantly higher levels of metabolites important for brain growth and development, according to a study presented...
A better way to treat prolonged epileptic seizures in children
A New Zealand-Australian study has delivered "robust" evidence for emergency medicine doctors to manage children with prolonged seizures without reverting to intubation and intensive...
Just a cigarette a day in pregnancy doubles Sudden Infant Death risk
Smoking any cigarettes – even only one a day – during pregnancy more than doubles the risk of unexpected sudden infant death (SUID). Quitting...
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...
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...