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Preschoolers' nightmares less prevalent, are trait-like and associated with personality

Bad dreams in pre-schoolers are less prevalent than thought. However, when they do exist, nightmares are trait-like in nature and associated with personality characteristics measured as early as five months, according to a study published in the January 1 issue of the journal SLEEP.

2 Jan 2008

Start sex education at age five says top medical expert

One of Britain's top medical experts says children as young as five should be given sex education lessons when they start school.

2 Jan 2008

Children short of sleep three times as likely to be obese

According to new research by scientists in New Zealand children who do not get enough sleep face an increased risk of obesity and behavioral problems.

2 Jan 2008

Institutional life damages a child's intellect

A new study provides scientific proof that placing children in foster care rather than an institution can reverse the damage of severe neglect on a child's development.

20 Dec 2007

Children given more 'rope' are more active and enjoy a richer social life

Youngsters who are allowed to leave the house without an adult are more active and enjoy a richer social life than those who are constantly supervised, according to a study conducted at UCL and reported in a special edition of the journal Built Environment (19th December).

20 Dec 2007

Childhood exposure to disadvantaged neighborhoods negatively affects verbal ability

Childhood exposure to severely disadvantaged communities is linked to decreased verbal ability later in childhood, a lasting negative effect that continues even after moving out of the neighborhood, according to research that will be published this week in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

20 Dec 2007

Second-hand tobacco smoke increases allergies in children

Breathing in second-hand tobacco smoke in early infancy boosts the risk of developing allergies, suggests research published ahead of print in the journal Thorax .

18 Dec 2007

Constipation most common cause of children's abdominal pain

A new study led by a University of Iowa researcher showed that acute and chronic constipation together accounted for nearly half of all cases of acute abdominal pain in children treated at one hospital.

18 Dec 2007

Exposure to traffic pollution can lead to chronic effects in the respiratory health of children with asthma

Exposure to traffic pollution may increase respiratory problems and reduce lung volumes in children with asthma, according to researchers who studied the effects of road and traffic density on children's lung function and respiratory symptoms in the border town of Ciudad Juarez in Mexico.

17 Dec 2007

Children require more health care when their mothers are victims of domestic violence

Children whose mothers have a history of abuse by intimate partners have higher health care needs than children whose mothers have no history of abuse, according to a study conducted at Group Health, a Seattle-based health plan.

17 Dec 2007

For babies with specific complex heart defects, death risk is far lower at most experienced hospitals

Each year, thousands of babies are born with severe heart defects that must be operated on within days or weeks of their birth.

17 Dec 2007

Preemies' lung function shows prolonged impairment

Many premature babies face serious health challenges, not the least of which is breathing.

17 Dec 2007

Caesareans births linked to increased risk of newborn respiratory problems.

Babies delivered by elective caesarean section around term carry up to a fourfold increased risk of breathing problems compared with babies delivered vaginally or by emergency caesarean section, concludes a study from Denmark published on bmj.com.

13 Dec 2007

Kids more active when playground well equipped

Children play harder and longer when their child-care centers provide portable play equipment such as balls and jump ropes, more opportunities for active play and physical activity training and education for staff and students, according to researchers at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Public Health.

12 Dec 2007