By: Jeremy Laurance, Health Editor, The Independent
Wednesday, 24 September 2008
The controversial drug Ritalin is being over-prescribed to children to control their unruly behaviour and should be avoided in those aged under five, the Government’s drugs watchdog said yesterday.
Instead of reaching for the prescription pad when confronted with a child who is inattentive, [...]
Archive for the ‘CHILDREN’ Category
ADHD: Ritalin over-prescribed to children
Posted in CHILDREN, Editor, RISKS, chronic disease, diagnosis, health, life, mental health, news on September 24, 2008 | Leave a Comment »
Mobile phone use ‘raises children’s risk of brain cancer fivefold’
Posted in CHILDREN, Editor, RISKS, Research, Science, cancer, health, life, news on September 21, 2008 | 6 Comments »
By: Geoffrey Lean, Environment Editor, The Independent
Sunday, 21 September 2008
Alarming new research from Sweden on the effects of radiation raises fears that today’s youngsters face an epidemic of the disease in later life.
Children and teenagers are five times more likely to get brain cancer if they use mobile phones, startling new [...]
Antibiotics to delay premature birth may harm babies
Posted in CHILDREN, Editor, INFECTIONS, Politics, RISKS, Science, Women's health, chronic disease, diagnosis, health, life, news on September 19, 2008 | Leave a Comment »
By: Jeremy Laurance, Health Editor, The Independent
Thursday, 18 September 2008
A warning about the indiscriminate prescribing of antibiotics to pregnant women to delay premature labour was issued to all doctors yesterday after research unexpectedly revealed that the practice may cause long-term harm to their babies.
The Government’s chief medical officer, Sir Liam Donaldson, wrote to GPs, [...]
Management of postnatal depression, a clinical review
Posted in CHILDREN, Clinical review, RISKS, Women's health, bmj, diagnosis, health, mental health on August 13, 2008 | Leave a Comment »
By: Charles Musters, specialist registrar in perinatal psychiatry, Elizabeth McDonald, consultant in perinatal psychiatry and Ian Jones, senior lecturer in perinatal psychiatry.
BMJ, 8 August 2008
Postnatal depression occurs after 13% of births.
The nature of the puerperal trigger is still unknown, but several psychological, social, and biological factors probably play a part. Genetic factors have been implicated
A [...]
Skin cancer toll soars among affluent young
Posted in CHILDREN, Editor, RISKS, Science, cancer, chronic disease, diagnosis, health, life, news on July 23, 2008 | Leave a Comment »
By Jeremy Laurance, Health Editor, The Independent
Tuesday, 10 June 2008
Affluent families who take their children on foreign holidays where they are exposed to intense sunlight are contributing to soaring rates of malignant melanoma among the young.
The severest form of skin cancer, which causes 1,800 deaths a year, is rising fastest in people in their [...]
Abortion rate hits record high among under-16s
Posted in CHILDREN, Editor, Politics, RISKS, Science, Women's health, health, life, news on June 22, 2008 | Leave a Comment »
By: Jeremy Laurance, Health Editor, The Independent
Friday, 20 June 2008
The abortion rate is rising fastest among the youngest girls, official figures show. Each week in 2007, 84 children under 16 in England and Wales had abortions; three were under 14.
The annual total for under-16 abortions was up 10 per cent to 4,376. Among under-14s [...]
One in four body piercings goes wrong
Posted in CHILDREN, Editor, INFECTIONS, RISKS, Science, diagnosis, health, life, news on June 16, 2008 | Leave a Comment »
By Jeremy Laurance, Health Editor, The Independent
Friday, 13 June 2008
For many young people, piercings of all parts of the body, hung with jewellery, have become an essential fashion accessory. But they carry significant risks, according to the first study to examine the complications arising from body art.
One in 10 adults in England has had [...]
Seroprotection against serogroup C meningococcal disease is inadequate
Posted in CHILDREN, INFECTIONS, RISKS, Science, Vaccinations, bmj, diagnosis, health, life, news on June 10, 2008 | Leave a Comment »
BMJ, doi:10.1136/bmj.39563.545255.AE (published 5 June 2008)
Research
By: M D Snape, senior clinical research fellow, Oxford Vaccine Group, Department of Paediatrics, University of Oxford et al.
In around 1000 adolescents who were immunised during a 1999-2000 national UK campaign, a fifth of current 11-13 year olds have inadequate immunity and need boosters, according to this observational study. Age [...]
Mosquito invasion brings disease risk to UK
Posted in CHILDREN, Editor, INFECTIONS, RISKS, Science, diagnosis, health, life, news, tagged The Independent on June 1, 2008 | Leave a Comment »
By Steve Connor, Science Editor, The Independent
Monday, 26 May 2008
An Asian mosquito species is poised to arrive in Britain, bringing with it the risk of a potentially lethal disease that the insect can pass from one person to another.
The Asian tiger mosquito has already established itself in northern Italy where it has transmitted chikungunya fever [...]
Moebius syndrome: The boy who will never smile
Posted in CHILDREN, Practice, Science, chronic disease, diagnosis, health, life on May 30, 2008 | Leave a Comment »
13 May 2008, The Independent.
He laughs and plays like any one-year-old. But a rare condition means Ceri Hughes won’t see her son’s face light up with joy.
“Moebius syndrome was first described in 1888 by a German neurologist called Paul Julius Moebius. It is a rare condition and although it is always obvious from birth, it [...]