Diets high in fats, sugars and processed foods have been linked with slightly lower IQ in young children, a study has found.

A predominantly processed food diet at the age of three is directly associated with a lower IQ at the age of eight and a half, compared to children who eat a diet rich in fresh fruit and vegetables, according to a Bristol-based Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC), which is tracking the long-term health and well-being of around 14,000 children. Read the rest of this entry »

Children living in flats have 45% more exposure to tobacco smoke than those in detached houses, a US study says.

Researchers from Harvard and Rochester Universities say that is because the smoke seeps through walls and shared ventilation systems.

They tested cotinine levels in blood samples from 5,000 children across the US for the study in Pediatrics.

Action on Smokin Read the rest of this entry »

The blood vessels of obese teenagers look more like those found in middle-aged people, say Canadian researchers.

A study of 63 children, whose average age was 13, found signs of “stiffening” in the aorta – the largest artery in the body.

The British Columbia Children’s Hospital team said it was an early indicator of heart disease. Read the rest of this entry »

Children who spend longer than two hours a day in front of a computer or TV are more likely to suffer psychological difficulties than other youngsters, a UK study suggests.

Researchers said they also found that physical exercise did not make up for too much screen time.

The University of Bristol study, published in Pediatrics, involved more than 1,000 children aged about 10. Read the rest of this entry »

Researchers have identified 76 “excess” deaths which occurred at four centres for paediatric heart surgery in England. Patients’ groups described the findings as “deeply alarming” and called for an investigation.

A report into death rates at all 11 of England’s paediatric heart surgery units reveals that Guy’s and St Thomas’ Trust in London had 24 excess deaths over an eight year period to 2008. Read the rest of this entry »

Children should learn first aid skills to help friends who become dangerously drunk, the British Red Cross has said.

Its survey of 2,500 11 to 16-year-olds found 10% had been left with a drunk friend who was sick, injured or unconscious and 14% said they had been in an alcohol-related emergency.

The Red Cross wants to promote a broad range of first aid skills, but says the effects of alcohol are a key concern. Read the rest of this entry »

Many parents are incapable of giving their children the correct dose of liquid medicines, claim Australian researchers.

Using household spoons to measure them out could mean a potentially dangerous overdose, they say.

Children under five are at the highest risk of accidental overdose. Read the rest of this entry »