Children's health
25 Feb 2013
Can breakfast make kids smarter?
New research from the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing has found that children who regularly have breakfast on a near-daily basis had significantly higher full scale, verbal, and performance IQ test scores. In one of the first studies to examine IQ and breakfast consumption, researchers examined data from 1,269…
Bone
22 Feb 2013
Childhood ACL injuries need special care to avoid future problems
Until a child’s bones have fully matured (in girls, typically by age 14; in boys, age 16), an injury to the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL)—the primary, stabilizing ligament of the knee joint—requires special consideration, treatment and care to ensure appropriate healing and to prevent long-term complications. According to a review…
Blood
12 Feb 2013
Do non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs cause kidney failure in children?
Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), such as ibuprofen and naproxen, are commonly used to treat pain and reduce fever in children. However, the use of NSAIDs has been shown to cause acute kidney injury (AKI) in some children. A new study scheduled for publication in The Journal of Pediatrics reports the…
Children's health
12 Feb 2013
Avoid unneeded abdominal CT scans in children
A study of more than 12,000 children from emergency departments throughout the country in the Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network (PECARN) has identified seven factors that can help physicians determine the need for a computed tomography (CT) scan following blunt trauma to the abdomen. Because CT scans pose radiation…
Children's health
12 Feb 2013
ADHD medication can slow growth in teenage boys
Adolescent boys with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are more likely to be shorter and slimmer than their same-age peers, according to a new study published in the Medical Journal of Australia. Dr Alison Poulton from the University of Sydney and her coauthors investigated the influence of stimulant medication on…
Children's health
07 Feb 2013
Kids being hospitalised for arthritis
Hospitalisation rates for juvenile arthritis are increasing, according to a report released by the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (AIHW). The report, A snapshot of juvenile arthritis, examines the prevalence, treatment and experience of arthritis in children aged 0 to 15 years old. ‘Juvenile arthritis is estimated to affect…
Children's health
01 Feb 2013
Video games benefit children: study
Children could be better off playing video games over the school holidays than watching television, a QUT study shows. Dr Penny Sweetser, Dr Daniel Johnson and Dr Peta Wyeth, from QUT’s Games Research and Interaction Design (GRID) Lab, investigated the amount of time children spent watching television and DVDs compared…
Children's health
31 Jan 2013
Sweet taste comforts babies during injections
Fictional character Mary Poppins may have been correct when she sang “a spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down” at least when it comes to injections for babies, according to a new systematic review published in the international Cochrane Library. The researchers found the sweet taste of sugar may…
Children's health
30 Jan 2013
Bullying causes significant emotional and physical consequences for children with autism
Nearly 70 percent of children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) experience emotional trauma as a result of being bullied, according to findings published in the Journal of Developmental & Behavioral Pediatrics, while a significant portion were concerned for their own safety at school. The study also found that children with…
