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Parental observations and perceptions important in detecting sleep problems in children

A new study from the University of Rochester has found that parental observations and perceptions of their childrens' sleep habits are a valuable supplement to objective laboratory tests in detecting obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).

20 Mar 2008

Consultation on ensuring a clean and healthy environment for children

The Health Protection Agency has published a consultation document on ways to improve the environment and health of children and young people in the UK.

18 Mar 2008

Many Australian children too fat to fit into standard car booster seats

Research by Australian scientists has revealed that many Australian children are too fat to fit into car booster seats.

17 Mar 2008

Childhood allergies interfere with sleep

New research suggests that while allergies can make children unwell during the daytime they often also interfere with their sleep.

17 Mar 2008

Fast food advertising aimed at children tackled by Australian consumer groups

An international campaign has been launched to protect children from fast food advertising.

17 Mar 2008

Review of adenotonsillectomy surgery in children

Children who gain weight rapidly after having their tonsils and adenoids removed to treat sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) may improve in the short-term, but over time they may relapse or even worsen.

17 Mar 2008

Depression is not always manifested in children as dejection and anhedonia

Depending on the age of the child, the dominant features may be weeping, irritability or defiance, as explained by Prof. Claudia Mehler-Wex and Dr. Michael Kölch of Ulm University in the new edition of Deutsches Ärzteblatt International (Dtsch Arztebl Int 2008; 105(9): 149-55).

17 Mar 2008

Call to restrict the marketing of junk food to children

Louise Baur, Professor of the Discipline of Paediatrics & Child Health at the University of Sydney and Consultant Paediatrician at The Children's Hospital at Westmead, says that parents are struggling to be heard over the bombardment of marketing aimed at their children.

17 Mar 2008

Toddlers affected most by secondhand smoke exposure at home

Secondhand smoke in the home appears to induce markers for heart disease as early as the toddler years, researchers reported at the American Heart Association's 48th Annual Conference on Cardiovascular Disease Epidemiology and Prevention.

14 Mar 2008

Vitamin D supplements in early childhood cut adult diabetes risk

Vitamin D supplements in early childhood may ward off the development of type 1 diabetes in later life, reveals a research review published ahead of print in the Archives of Disease in Childhood.

14 Mar 2008

Quit smoking during pregnancy for a happier baby

New research from the UK has revealed that women who smoke heavily during pregnancy have the most difficult babies.

13 Mar 2008

Preschoolers benefit from daycare program to prevent obesity

A preschool-based intervention program helped prevent early trends toward obesity and instilled healthy eating habits in multi-ethnic 2- to 5-year-olds, according to a report presented at the American Heart Association's Conference on Nutrition, Physical Activity and Metabolism.

13 Mar 2008

Whooping cough cases on the rise on the North Coast, NSW

A dramatic increase in the number of whooping cough cases in the North Coast Area of New South Wales has concerned health officials.

11 Mar 2008

Few docs to care for kids with diabetes

The rate of childhood obesity in the United States has more than doubled in the past 20 years, bringing with it more children at risk for developing type 1 and even type 2 diabetes.

10 Mar 2008

Contemplative brain network less complex in children

A brain network linked to introspective tasks - such as forming the self-image or understanding the motivations of others - is less intricate and well-connected in children, scientists at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have learned.

10 Mar 2008

Theories about preventing childhood allergies questioned

When it comes to preventing food allergies in children two new studies are saying that many methods currently in practice may be ineffective.

10 Mar 2008

Children of alcoholics: different brain regions effect who may or may not develop alcohol problems

Although children of alcoholics (COAs) have a greater risk of developing alcohol-use disorders (AUDs), not all COAs will develop AUDs.

6 Mar 2008

Obesity crisis will shorten the lives of Australian children by four years

New Australian research predicts that children who are fat can expect to die four years earlier than their thinner peers.

5 Mar 2008

Controlling kids' video time reduces obesity

Entrenched sedentary behavior such as watching television and playing computer video games has been the bane for years of parents of overweight children and physicians trying to help those children lose pounds.

4 Mar 2008

Black babies with very low birth weights more likely to be born in hospitals with high neonatal death rates

In New York City, black babies with very low birth weights (less than 1,500 grams, or 3 pounds, 5 ounces) are more likely to be born in hospitals with high risk-adjusted neonatal death rates, according to a Commonwealth Fund-supported study in the March issue of Pediatrics.

4 Mar 2008