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Obesity concern over Indiana Jones film marketing

Obesity experts today questioned Burger King's commitment to improve its standards on marketing to children on the day it launched its new 'Indiana Jones' campaign in the US with toys, internet games and scratch competition prizes.

19 May 2008

Separation from parents linked with learning trouble in kids

In the wake of divorce, illness, violence and other problems that can unsettle homes, countless young children are liable to experience temporary separations from one or both parents before packing their knapsack for kindergarten. Published in the May/June issue of Ambulatory Pediatrics, a new, community-wide study from Rochester, New York, warns that such kids are at increased risk for learning difficulties and that these separations are good predictors of which children may require special educational interventions to succeed.

18 May 2008

Too much water raises seizure risk in babies

It's a recurrent summer-time scenario in the pediatric emergency room and doctors from Johns Hopkins Children's are sounding the alarm on it: An otherwise healthy infant is brought in by panicked parents after suffering a seizure, which turns out to be caused by drinking too much water.

15 May 2008

Prevalence of childhood obesity levels off in France

France may be the first country in the EU to see signs of a levelling off in the national prevalence of childhood obesity, according to the results of two new surveys.

15 May 2008

Poorer children have more eye problems than those from affluent families

Children from disadvantaged backgrounds are more likely to have certain problems with their eyes compared to children from more affluent backgrounds - a study in Bristol has reported. Children from disadvantaged backgrounds are also less likely to be taken to see an optician who could correct the eye problems with glasses, or to a screening programme where children's vision is checked and any problems are referred for treatment.

15 May 2008

Serious depression affects more than 2 million teens in the U.S.

A survey released in the U.S. has revealed that in the past year in excess of 2 million American teenagers experienced a serious bout of depression.

15 May 2008

Pediatric obesity program effectively improves outcomes for kids

A multidisciplinary pediatric weight management program can improve the weight status of high-risk patients, according to Joseph Skelton, M.D., a pediatric gastroenterologist and Director of the Pediatric Weight Management program (called Brenner FIT) at Brenner Children's Hospital.

15 May 2008

Kids' sport: more than health and fitness

Children learn fair play, gender identity, self motivation and much more through participation in sport activities, a new book argues.

15 May 2008

Indiana receives CMS approval to expand SCHIP

Indiana Family and Social Services Administration Secretary Mitch Roob on Friday announced that CMS has approved an expansion of Hoosier Healthwise, the state's version of SCHIP, the AP/Chicago Tribune reports.

13 May 2008

Pediatric society leaders, health policy experts consider sisparities in children's health as top priority for political candidates

Top policy and research experts and leaders of seven pediatric societies last week convened in Hawaii at a public symposium about health care and poverty issues facing U.S. children and adolescents as part of an effort to make the issues a top priority for national and state election candidates this year, the Honolulu Star-Bulletin reports.

13 May 2008

Three quarters of child car deaths could have been prevented in Australia

In what will come as quite shocking news, Australian researchers say that almost three-quarters of child deaths in car accidents could have been prevented if seatbelts had been properly fitted.

13 May 2008

Children eat healthier when all snacks are banned

According to a study from researchers at Cardiff University, one way to encourage children to eat healthily is to ban all unhealthy snacks in schools.

13 May 2008

Would you let your child participate in medical research?

Advances in medicine - new treatments, cures, vaccines and medicines - are driven by research involving humans. But when it comes to medical research that requires children to be involved, researchers often struggle to find participants.

13 May 2008

New plan says no vaccination no school

New proposals by Britain's Labour government will see children banned from starting primary school unless they have been vaccinated.

12 May 2008

CDC report finds increase in reports of respiratory illness in children after hurricane Katrina; New Orleans Mayor pushes for city residents to leave trailers

The number of children in the Gulf Coast region after Hurricane Katrina who complained of symptoms of bronchitis, pneumonia and other lower respiratory illnesses rose in the years after the storm, according to a 49-page CDC report released on Thursday, the Washington Post reports.

11 May 2008

Childhood and adolescent obesity impacts cardiac health

Study findings presented at the May 2008 Pediatric Academic Societies and Asian Society for Pediatric Research Joint Meeting indicate that childhood and adolescent obesity negatively impacts vascular endothelial function, which relates to cardiac health.

11 May 2008

Letter from Bush administration indicates states have more flexibility to prove they enrolled 95% of currently eligible children in SCHIP

The Bush administration on Wednesday sent letters to state health officials to clarify a policy directive issued last year that restricts states' ability to expand their SCHIP programs, CQ HealthBeat reports (Carey, CQ HealthBeat, 5/7).

8 May 2008

Stopping smoking in schools

Smoking rates among teenagers can be reduced by training influential students within secondary schools to promote anti-smoking messages in their everyday conversations with their friends and peer group. This is the conclusion of authors of an article in this week's edition of The Lancet.

8 May 2008

Only one in five children have eyes tested, Australian figures show

The Optometrists Association Australia is urging parents to have their children's eyes tested as new figures show that only 19 per cent of school-aged children had their eyes tested in the past financial year.

8 May 2008