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Paediatrics
Breastfeeding may lower paediatric cancer risk – Danish cohort study
Exclusive breastfeeding for longer than three months has been linked to a smaller risk of childhood leukaemia, a recent population-based cohort study showing a...
Swedish researchers warn of over-use of antibiotics with newborns
Low exposure to antibiotics in newborns treated in neonatal units over a nine-year period was not associated with an increased risk of early-onset sepsis...
SIDS linked to unsafe sleep practices – US analysis
More than three-quarters of sudden infant deaths (SIDS) involved multiple unsafe sleep practices, including co-sleeping, a recent analysis suggested, with the researchers saying soft...
Hospital liable for child’s blindness
Gauteng Health can expect to fork out millions after a court confirmed a child’s blindness resulted from negligence at a state hospital after her...
‘Pandemic babies’ have stronger gut health – Irish study
Scientists have discovered that Covid-19 “pandemic babies” appear to have developed a “protection” against allergies that is unique to them, saying lockdown restrictions allowed...
Let children try standard pills before gummies – US pharmacist
The past decade has seen an explosion in the number of gummy vitamins available for both adults and children as an easy – and...
Higher risk of long-term neurodevelopmental issues for preterm babies
Previous research has found that children born early have higher risks of neurodevelopmental and behavioural disabilities in the first years of life and throughout...
One in four Scottish babies died from co-sleeping
Parents are being urged to heed advice on co-sleeping with babies after new infant death figures were released, showing that more than a quarter...
Pure fruit juice linked to higher BMI in children – Canadian study
A recent study found that consumption of 100% fruit juice – despite this being a convenient source of vitamins, antioxidants and polyphenols – led...
High temperature and humidity in pregnancy affect foetus BP levels – UK study
Recent research that analysed repeated blood pressure measurements in more than 7 000 participants has suggested that outdoor humidity and temperature levels during pregnancy...
Jab could slash RSV babies’ hospital admissions by 80% – global study
An injection could reduce by 80% the numbers of babies and young children admitted to hospitals with respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) – which kills...
Start counselling for obese children from age six – US panel
Children with obesity should receive intensive counselling to promote healthy diet and exercise habits from the age of six, a panel of US experts...
FDA warns about probiotics use for pre-term infants
The US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a general warning and a specific warning letter about the use of probiotics for pre-term...
New test could speed up child illness diagnosis – UK study
Looking at gene patterns in the blood could speed up diagnoses in sick children, particularly when trying to figure out what is causing a...
Most child deaths in poor countries preventable, study finds
A sobering 99% of deaths in children under five occur in low- and middle-income countries, say concerned researchers, who found that 82% of these...
Large US study confirms 'allergic march' in children
Eczema in babies could be an indicator that they will go on to develop more allergies, say researchers, after a large study confirmed that the...
Nasal bacterial test for children with sinusitis may cut antibiotic use
With 5m American children being prescribed antibiotics for sinusitis every year – and only half seeing a drop in symptoms afterwards – researchers suggest a...
US study identifies component in breast milk that boosts brain function
A team of researchers has discovered that myo-inositol, a small cyclic sugar molecule found in breast milk – and also in a typical adult...
WHO alert to severe E-11 infections in newborns
There has been a global rise in enterovirus-echovirus 11 (E-11) neonatal sepsis cases, with another five countries reporting infections similar to those first reported...
Call for more action as one premature baby born every two seconds globally
Preterm birth has long been a huge, worldwide health issue, which can have serious health consequences – like respiratory and cardiac problems, among others...
Diabetes in children peaks after Covid – Canadian study
Scientists have noted an unusual spike in the number of children and teenagers worldwide diagnosed with type 1 diabetes since Covid.
Based on their recent...
Lack of breastfeeding stunts growth in SA’s children
A recent survey by the Grow Great campaign in the Ehlanzeni district in Mpumalanga – which also covered Bushbuckridge, Mbombela and Thaba Chweu – found concerning...
Improper antibiotic scripts for children rife in poor countries
A study by French experts has found the prescribing of inappropriate antibiotics for children is extensive in the three low- and middle-income countries (LMICs)...
Premature babies’ death rates slashed by skin-to-skin contact – US analysis
A large analysis of multiple global studies involving more than 15 000 infants has found early implementation of skin-to-skin contact (kangaroo mother care) significantly...
New antibiotics vital to stem newborn deaths
Experts have urged the development of new antibiotics after a landmark global observational study found that more than 200 000 neonates (within 60 days...
Peanut allergy breakthrough in US skin patch trial
Signalling good news for children with peanut allergies, a global phase three clinical trial found that a year-long immunotherapy through a skin patch safely...
SA and Kenya in global trial for neonatal sepsis treatment
An international clinical trial to evaluate desperately needed new antibiotic combinations for newborn babies with sepsis has begun in three public hospitals in South...
Foetal growth stunted by cannabis in pregnancy – US study
As more people use cannabis for recreational purposes, with research showing some dispensaries even recommend it to pregnant women to ease pregnancy symptoms, especially...
Noisy incubators could stunt infant hearing – Austrian study
Researchers in Vienna say while incubators might save the lives of many babies, their data suggest that the ambient noise associated with the incubator...
Early diagnosis hope with new cystic fibrosis screening programme
A new screening programme for cystic fibrosis (CF) in on the cards for South Africa which, it is hoped, will diagnose cases in newborns...
Parents too quick to medicate children's fevers – US poll
Some parents may reach for medication too quickly when children feel warm, say researchers, cautioning that while a warm forehead is often an indication...
Genetic link finding in SIDS – Danish study
Genetics may play a role in sudden infant death syndrome, or SIDS, according to a recent study which suggests that if one child in...
US childhood obesity guidelines now include drugs and surgery
The American Academy of Paediatrics (AAP) has released new guidelines for treating childhood obesity that emphasise a need for early and intensive treatment which, for...
Magnesium sulphate shown to reduce cerebral palsy risk in preterm babies – UK study
British researchers say giving inexpensive magnesium sulphate to women at risk of premature birth can reduce the chance of a child having cerebral palsy...
Experts punt stool testing for TB in children instead of sputum tests
These days, most tuberculosis (TB) testing relies on sputum samples coughed up from the lungs, which makes sense since pulmonary TB is the most...
Paediatric antibiotics linked to autism, asthma and others – Swiss meta-analysis
Antibiotics, the most commonly used drugs in children, can lead to a host of adverse outcomes, including autism spectrum disorders and asthma, according to...
Reducing needle anxiety in children – Australian study
Tears, tantrums and distress – when it comes to needles, many children struggle with anxiety. But with vaccinations becoming more regular, finding ways to...
Commonly used treatment for birth asphyxia linked to serious adverse events – US study
When a child is born with hypoxic-ischaemic encephalopathy, commonly called birth asphyxia – poor consciousness, not crying, not sucking, not breathing on their own...
Breastfeeding improves cognitive skills for children of poorer mothers – UK study
Children of poorer mothers who breastfeed are much better at tasks involving speaking, drawing and comprehension, a British study has found, saying they do...
Migraine in children linked to anxiety, depression – Canadian meta-analysis
Children and adolescents with migraine are about twice as likely to have an anxiety or depressive disorder as those without migraine, results from a...