Children's health
30 Oct 2012
New guidelines to address trauma of childhood abuse
A new set of guidelines have been launched which aim to help mental health and social service providers better understand the complex effects of trauma on adult survivors of childhood abuse. The guidelines, funded by the Federal Government and developed by Adults Surviving Child Abuse (ASCA), were launched in Canberra by Minister…
Children's health
18 Oct 2012
Kids’ screen time needs to be curbed to prevent developmental problems
Curbs on children’s daily screen time and delaying the age at which they start “the world’s favourite pastime” are urgently needed to stave off the risk of serious health and developmental problems, argues a leading psychologist and child health expert in the Archives of Disease in Childhood. In the face…
Children's health
18 Oct 2012
Bigger play areas for kids cut obesity risk
The global fight against obesity could be helped by providing support for child’s play, a researcher from The University of Western Australia has found. Research leader Dr Karen Martin studied school environments and their association with physical activity during school recess. The study found children who attended schools with more…
Children's health
17 Oct 2012
Whole genome sequencing for rapid diagnosis of genetic diseases in children
Today investigators at Children’s Mercy Hospitals and Clinics in Kansas City reported the first use of whole genome information for diagnosing critically ill infants. As reported in Science Translational Medicine, the team describes STAT-Seq®, a whole genome sequencing approach – from blood sample to returning results to a physician –…
Children's health
11 Oct 2012
Moderate iPad use won’t keep teens up at night
Teenagers who use an iPad for an hour before bed are still likely to get a good night’s sleep, new research from Flinders University shows.The study, led by sleep psychologist Dr Michael Gradisar, has found that moderate iPad use immediately before bed will not affect a teenager’s sleep, contrary to…
Children's health
11 Oct 2012
Sweets for the sweetly behaved not helpful for children's weight
Cutting screen time and not rewarding children’s good behaviour with sweets are among the steps parents could take to reduce overweight and obesity in children before they start school, according to research by the University of Sydney. The study, led by Dr Louise Hardy, from the School of Public Health…
Children's health
08 Oct 2012
Researchers investigate aggression among kindergartners
Not all aggressive children are aggressive for the same reasons, according to Penn State researchers, who found that some kindergartners who are aggressive show low verbal abilities while others are more easily physiologically aroused. The findings suggest that different types of treatments may be needed to help kids with different…
Children's health
04 Oct 2012
Lack of sleep leads to insulin resistance in teens
A new study suggests that increasing the amount of sleep that teenagers get could improve their insulin resistance and prevent the future onset of diabetes. “High levels of insulin resistance can lead to the development of diabetes,” said lead author Karen Matthews, PhD, of the University of Pittsburgh Department of…
Children's health
18 Sep 2012
Quitting smoking is tough for teens, too
A new study finds that relatively early into tobacco addiction, teens experience many of the same negative psychological effects during abstinence as adults do, with a couple of exceptions. The data can inform efforts to improve the efficacy of quitting and withdrawal treatment programs. Abstinence from smoking seems to affect…
