Almost 1:10 adolescents non-prescription weight loss products globally

One in ten adolescents globally have used ineffective and potentially harmful non prescribed weight loss products in their lifetime, with 2% using them in the previous week. A review, of over 90 studies of 600,000+ participants, headed by Ms Natasha Hall fro0m Monash University’s School of Public Health and Preventive Medicine and published in the Journal of the American Medical Association has […]

Antibiotics for common childhood infections no longer effective

Drugs to treat common infections in children and babies are no longer effective in large parts of the world, due to high rates of antibiotic resistance. The University of Sydney led study found many antibiotics recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO) had less than 50 percent effectiveness in treating childhood infections such as pneumonia, sepsis (bloodstream infections) and meningitis. […]

Practicing mindfulness with an app may improve children’s mental health

Many studies have found that practicing mindfulness — defined as cultivating an open-minded attention to the present moment — has benefits for children. Children who receive mindfulness training at school have demonstrated improvements in attention and behavior, as well as greater mental health. When the Covid-19 pandemic began in 2020, sending millions of students home from school, a group of […]

Researchers find association between vaping and asthma among US adolescents

A new study from the Texas A&M University School of Public Health suggests that vaping increases the risk of asthma in adolescents who have never smoked conventional tobacco products. Vaping, or the use of electronic cigarettes (e-cigarettes), among adolescents has grown dramatically over the past several years. Although e-cigarettes have fewer toxins than regular cigarettes, they still contain a mixture of harmful […]

Are opioid prescription rates changing for US adolescents?

A new analysis reveals that rates of opioid prescribing to US adolescents have decreased in recent years, primarily limited to non-surgery indications. Opioid prescription rates for surgery have remained stable. The analysis, which is published in Pediatric Anesthesia, assessed data from the 2015–2020 Medical Expenditure Panel Surveys, which are nationally representative, large-scale surveys conducted annually by the Agency for Healthcare Research […]

Study shows nearly 300% increase in ADHD medication errors

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is among the most common pediatric neurodevelopmental disorders. In 2019, nearly 10% of United States (U.S.) children had a diagnosis of ADHD. Approximately 3.3 million children, or roughly 5 out of every 100 children in the U.S., are currently prescribed medication for ADHD. In a new study, published today in Pediatrics, researchers at the Center for Injury Research and Policy and Central […]

Study finds two antibiotics for children with sinusitis equally effective, but one had fewer side effects

Brigham researchers found that patients prescribed amoxicillin-clavulanate had higher rates of gastrointestinal symptoms and yeast infections than those prescribed amoxicillin Acute sinusitis is one of the most common causes for children to be put on antibiotic medications, with patients in the United States filing nearly 5 million antibiotic prescriptions every year to treat the condition. The drugs amoxicillin and amoxicillin-clavulanate […]

Researchers to explore 3D printing medication tailored to pediatric patients

Researchers at Texas A&M University will spearhead a groundbreaking project to revolutionize medication administration for pediatric patients, thanks to an approximately $3 million grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). This pioneering initiative explores using additive manufacturing, or 3D printing, to create customized tablets tailored to the unique needs of young children. The project is an interdisciplinary collaboration of […]

Treating back-to-school ear infections without antibiotic resistance

“Back-to-school” season means buying pens and paper, figuring out the new bus route, and … earaches. Doctors typically treat these infections with antibiotics, but children don’t always complete the full course, accelerating resistance to these medications. Today, researchers report developing a single-use nanoscale system that’s unlikely to generate resistance. Using a compound similar to bleach in test animals, they show […]

Community health program boosts child vaccinations in remote areas of Madagascar

Madagascar is one of the poorest countries in the world and access to health care is limited for many people. Childhood vaccinations are a crucial component of preventative care, but vaccination rates remain below the World Health Organization’s goal of reaching 95% of children. A new study from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign examines the effectiveness of a health intervention program that enlists community-based […]