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Paediatrics
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...
Major study debunks race and class theories of intelligence
Babies of different races are born with equal intelligence. The seven-year, global INTERGROWTH-21st Project, led by the University of Oxford, says its research debunks...
General cognitive ability in youth predicts mental capacity later in life
Early adult general cognitive ability (GCA) – the diverse set of skills involved in thinking, such as reasoning, memory and perception – is stronger...
Gently stroking babies 'provides pain relief'
Gently stroking a baby reduces activity in their brain associated with painful experiences, a small UK study has found. Researchers from University of Oxford...
Safety measures 'stifling' children's physical development
Children's physical development is being "stifled" by health and safety as teachers are too scared to let them play outside, The Daily Telegraph reports...
Doctors swallow Lego blocks in 'the noble tradition of self-experimentation'
A team of UK and Australian doctors who swallowed Lego and timed how long it took to pass through their bowels say the results...
GPs overwhelmingly incorrect in deciding on tonsillectomies
An analysis of over 1.6m children from more than 700 UK general practices over 12 years found that only 13% of children suitable for...
Children have 2.5 years to establish healthy gut bacteria
A child has until the age of two-and-a-half to establish healthy gut bacteria – with little change after this point, research has revealed. The...
Barefoot SA children have better balance but may suffer later
South African children – who usually do not wear shoes during physical activity – have better balance and can jump farther than their German...
Less aggression among the young when corporal punishment banned
An international study shows that in countries where there is a complete ban on all corporal punishment of children there is less fighting among...
Limiting children's screen time linked to better cognition
Children aged eight to 11 who used screens for fun for less than two hours a day performed better in tests of mental ability,...
Risk-taking actions associated with lack of sleep in adolescents
Adolescents require 8-10 hours of sleep at night for optimal health, according to sleep experts, yet more than 70% of high school students get...
Popular belief that milk boosts phlegm production is 'a myth'
The widely held and persistent belief that milk boosts phlegm production and worsens respiratory conditions from asthma to the common cold, is a myth,...
Babies given solid food sooner sleep better – large UK study
Babies given solid food plus breast milk from three months sleep better than those who are solely breastfed, a large UK study has found,...
Australia releases guidelines to treatment of transgender children
Australia has become one of the first country's to release guidelines for the care of transgender and gender diverse children and adolescents.
Australia has become...
Screen young people for depression – AAP
Young people should be screened for depression, in accordance with existing guidelines, and primary care clinicians should have the tools in place to identify...
Adolescence 'now lasts from ages 10-24'
Adolescence now lasts from the ages of 10 to 24, although it used to be thought to end at 19, scientists write in The...
Double dose of vitamin D increases bone density in prem babies
If the standard supplementation of 400 IUs of vitamin D is increased to 800 IUs daily there are reductions in the number of premature...
Impact of physical abuse and punishment on kids
Physical abuse was associated with decreases in children's cognitive performance, while non-abusive forms of physical punishment were independently associated with reduced school engagement and...
AAP guidelines on tattoos for young people
Tattoos and body piercings are an increasingly popular form of self-expression, but it is important for young people to carefully consider the consequences and...
Inflammatory bowel disease in children increases cancer risk
Children diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease have an increased risk of cancer, especially gastrointestinal cancers, both in childhood and later in life, finds a...
Anti-TB drug should be given to children, study says
An innovative anti-tuberculosis drug that represents a reprieve for adults whose disease does not respond to other treatments should also be made available to...
Digit length may link to muscular strength in adolescent boys
The ratio of the length of the second (pointer) finger and the length of the fourth (ring) finger – is favourably related to muscular...
Probiotic mixture reduces sepsis by 40% in infants
A randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled study showed that sepsis and deaths in the first two months of infancy were reduced by 40%, following the administration...
Peanut allergy may be cured with probiotics and peanut oral immunotherapy
An oral treatment for one of the most deadly allergies, to peanuts, is still effective four years after it was administered, a study has...
High levels of serotonin found in infants who died of SIDS
Blood samples from infants who died of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) had high levels of serotonin, a chemical that carries signals along and...
Soccer beats swimming and cycling for bone development in boys
Playing soccer can significantly improve bone development in adolescent boys after one-year's training, compared to swimming, cycling and non-sport playing, University of Exeter research...
Most parents make medication measurement errors
More than 80% of parents make measurement errors with their children's medications, of which a third were large errors, suggesting the need for tools...