Are our kids consuming too much sugar? (29 Feb 2012)
The average American now consumes some three pounds of sugar per week, against only 5 pounds per year at the turn of the last century, and rates of chronic health issues are skyrocketing.

Moms' Antidepressants May Affect Babies' Head Size (5 Mar 2012)
Pregnant women who take selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) may be more likely to deliver infants with reduced head growth - which is of concern because head size is linked to brain development - and more likely to be born early.

Excess Hygiene May Weaken Developing Immune Systems (23 Mar 2012)
New research suggests that childhood exposure to germs may help strengthen the immune system and protect children from developing allergies and asthma in later life.

Second-hand smoke exposure affects girls most (27 Mar 2012)
The negative health effects of early-life exposure to secondhand smoke appear to impact girls more than boys, and particularly those with early-life allergic sensitisation.

Jars of baby food very low in micro-nutrients, UK study suggests (13 Apr 2012)
The micro-nutrient content in commonly used ready-made baby meals is less than a fifth of the recommended daily supply of calcium, magnesium, zinc, iron and other minerals, new research suggests.

The problem with antibiotic use early in life (1 May 2012)
The use of antibiotics in early life could create a germ-reduced environment at critical phases of microbial colonization, leading potentially to autoimmune diseases such as Type 1 diabetes.

Early estrogen exposure from soy-based formula leads to adult infertility in female mice (2 May 2012)
Exposure to estrogenic chemicals in the womb or during childhood could have a long-term effect on female fertility. Limiting such exposures, including minimising use of soy-based baby formula, would be a step toward maintaining female reproductive health.

Breakthrough in child allergy prevention: probiotics (18 May 2012)
The daily intake of a specific strain of probiotics by pregnant mothers and their newborn infants halved the children's potential for developing allergies and eczema.

Traces of veterinary drugs found in baby food (18 May 2012)
The quantities are very small, but residues of drugs given to livestock were found in milk powder and in meat-based baby food.

Phthalates in PVC floors taken up by the body in infants (23 May 2012)
Phthalates - substances suspected of causing asthma and allergies, as well as other chronic diseases in children - are taken up by our bodies from PVC flooring materials, according to new research. The study shows that children can ingest these softening agents with food but also by breathing and through the skin.

Children exposed to the common pollutant, naphthalene, show signs of chromosomal damage (29 May 2012)
Children exposed to high levels of the common air pollutant naphthalene are at increased risk for chromosomal aberrations which have been previously associated with cancer.

Fatty acids in formula don't make babies smarter (30 May 2012)
Baby formula that is supplemented with fatty acids in an attempt to mimic breast milk doesn't boost infants' brainpower any more than formula without extra fatty acids, according to a new review of several studies.

Health benefits of breastfeeding are real - here's the scientific proof (30 May 2012)
Research shows that the content of breast milk changes as the child ages, naturally addressing the increased need for more fat and energy. It adapts to the toddlers developing system, providing the right nutrition at the right time.

'Safe' levels of arsenic in drinking water found to compromise pregnant/lactating mothers, offspring (31 May 2012)
Exposure to arsenic in drinking water at the level the US Environmental Protection Agency currently deems as safe in the United States (10 parts per billion) induces adverse health outcomes in pregnant and lactating mice and their offspring.

Most new moms don't meet their own breastfeeding goals (4 Jun 2012)
Two thirds of new mothers who intended to breastfeed exclusively for several months or more didn't meet their own goal.

Treatment guides for earaches, coughs, sore throats and sinusitis (collected 6 Jun 2012)
These useful patient guides were created by Oregon AWARE and the Oregon Health Authority.

Childhood CT scans can triple risk of brain cancer (7 Jun 2012)
Exposing a child to the nuclear radiation from two or three CT head scans can triple its risk of developing brain cancer later in life.

Treating childhood anxiety with computers, not drugs (11 Jun 2012)
Psychologists have turned a common computer-based test for childhood anxiety into a form of therapeutic treatment. In its initial clinical trial, the new approach was as effective as medication and cognitive therapy for children, eliminating the need for medication or expensive in-person therapeutic treatment by professionals.

Extended breastfeeding may provide infant brains with a constant source of essential fats (11 Jun 2012)
A study by anthropologists suggests that extended breastfeeding may provide infants with a constant source of DHA during the critical period of brain development.

Treating childhood anxiety with computers, not drugs (11 Jun 2012)
Psychologists have turned a common computer-based test for childhood anxiety into a form of therapeutic treatment. In its initial clinical trial, the new approach was as effective as medication and cognitive therapy for children, eliminating the need for medication or expensive in-person therapeutic treatment by professionals.

Childhood Headaches Activated By Stress (13 Jun 2012)
Stress factors are among the most important triggers of headaches and migraines in children, with school stress and nightly computer sessions ranked highest among the causes of such pain.

Breastfeeding moms' exercise OK for infant growth (19 Jun 2012)
Breastfeeding moms may be able to regularly exercise without hindering their babies' growth.

Duration and exclusiveness of breastfeeding and childhood asthma-related symptoms (Epub 20 Jul 2011, PubMed 20 Jun 2012)
Shorter duration and non-exclusivity of breastfeeding were associated with increased risks of asthma-related symptoms in preschool children.

Kids' Cereals Are Healthier, But The Ads Aren't (22 Jun 20102)
While U.S. food companies are making healthier breakfast cereals for children, they're also targeting kids with more ads for their unhealthiest products.

Many Babies Healthier in Homes With Dogs (9 Jul 2012)
Babies in homes with dogs have fewer colds, fewer ear infections, and need fewer antibiotics in their first year of life than babies raised in pet-free homes.

Scurvy reappearing in children in industrialised countries due to unbalanced diets (Apr 2012, PubMed 10 Jul 2012)
A 4-year-old boy developed scurvy as a result of an unbalanced diet without any fruit or vegetables.

Early-life exposure to PCE, chemical in drinking water, may affect vision (11 Jul 2012)
Prenatal and early childhood exposure to the chemical solvent tetrachloroethylene found in drinking water may be associated with long-term visual impairments, particularly in the area of colour discrimination, a new study has found.

Disabled Kids 4 Times More Likely to Suffer Violence (12 Jul 2012)
Children with mental, intellectual disabilities at greatest risk for sexual abuse, analysis shows.

Nut allergy risk increased by exclusive breastfeeding (14 Jul 2012)
Australian research has shown that children who only receive breast milk during the first six months have a 1.5 times higher risk of developing a nut allergy.

Study linking breastfeeding to nut allergy 'ridiculous' (17 Jul 2012)
Claims that exclusive breastfeeding and eating nuts during pregnancy are leading to an increased incidence of allergies are ridiculous and run counter to the bulk of allergy research.

New strategies for raising veggie-loving kids discovered via research (21 Jul 2012)
Looking at what has been learned from recent studies that can help to turn kids on to vegetables.

Breastfeeding protects against current asthma up to 6 years of age (Epub 30 Jan 2012, PubMed 1 Aug 2012)
Breastfeeding, particularly exclusive breastfeeding, protects against current asthma up to 6 years, and the degree of protection beyond 3 years was more pronounced in atopic children.

Snoring linked to reduced breastfeeding and later unruly behaviour (13 Aug 2012)
None of the children that were breastfed for a year or longer became habitual snorers, while one-quarter of those who were breastfed for less than a month or never were snoring at ages 2 and 3.

Vitamin D supplementation can decrease risk of respiratory infections in children (20 Aug 2012)
Vitamin D has important effects on infection risk. In almost 250 children with low blood levels of vitamin D during winter, researchers found that taking a daily vitamin D supplement cut in half the risk of a respiratory infection.

Early anaesthesia tied to language problems in kids (20 Aug 2012)
Babies and toddlers who went under anaesthesia during surgery ended up having slightly worse scores on language and reasoning tests as 10-year-olds.

Mould can cause asthma in people genetically predisposed to allergies (23 Aug 2012)
A bit of mould around the house may look harmless, but it can cause significant health problems such as asthma, especially in children who are predisposed to allergy because one or more parent had allergies. Certain types of mould are also more troublesome than others.

Breast milk promotes a different gut flora growth than infant formula (27 Aug 2012)
Unlike infant formula, breast milk fosters colonies of microbiotic flora in a newborn's intestinal tract that aid nutrient absorption and immune system development.

Omega 3 could help improve children's reading skills (10 Sept 2012)
Taking a daily supplement of DHA, an omega-3 fatty acid, could be a simple and effective way to improve reading and behaviour in healthy but under-performing children.

Children's exposure to cell phone radiation greatly underestimated (15 Sept 2012)
Exposure to cell phone radiation may have been underestimated particularly in children.

Preemies' brains reap long-term benefits from Kangaroo Mother Care (19 Sept 2012)
Kangaroo Mother Care - a technique in which a breastfed premature infant remains in skin-to-skin contact with the parent's chest rather than being placed in an incubator - has lasting positive impact on brain development. Very premature infants who benefited from this technique had better brain functioning in adolescence.

Poor air quality in classrooms related to asthma and rhinitis in primary school pupils (Aug 2012, PubMed 5 Oct 2012)
In this random sample, air quality in classrooms was found to be poor, to vary significantly between schools and cities, and to be directly related to an increased prevalence of asthma and rhinitis in schoolchildren, especially those with a background of allergies.

Inhaled anaesthesia affects children's brains more than intravenous anaesthetic (26 Oct 2012)
It has been found that children's brains are more affected by an inhaled anaesthetic than an intravenous one with increased levels of brain lactate. Lactate increases brain activation and may lead to metabolic changes associated with anxiety and delirium. This may help researchers understand why general anaesthesia may be potentially harmful to the developing brain.

Antibiotics disrupt gut flora in infants; recovery still incomplete after eight weeks (8 Nov 2012)
By altering the gut microbiota, and thus the immune system very early in life, antibiotics could negatively influence long-term health, particularly by boosting the risk of developing asthma, allergy, and obesity.

Paracetamol (acetaminophen) in infancy again tied to asthma (9 Nov 2012)
Babies given paracetamol/acetaminophen for fevers and aches may have a heightened risk of asthma symptoms in their preschool years, and the more of the drug that they are given, the more likely this is.

First study to refute a common health misconception: children's headaches rarely indicate a need for eyeglasses (14 Nov 2012)
Vision or eye problems are rarely the cause of recurring headaches in children, even if the headaches usually strike while the child is doing schoolwork or other visual tasks.

Preschool children particularly vulnerable to toxic compounds in food (15 Nov 2012)
The researchers found that family members in the study, and preschool children in particular, are at high risk for exposure to arsenic, dieldrin, DDE (a DDT metabolite), dioxins and acrylamide, all compounds that have been linked to cancer, developmental disabilities, birth defects and other conditions.

BPA and other toxins building up in the blood of children (21 Nov 2012)
BPA and seven other toxins are building up within the bodies of US children according to blood and urine studies. More comment on this research here.

Probiotics protect against respiratory infections (9 Dec 2012)
While Western doctors frequently misuse antibiotics when treating patients hospitalised with respiratory tract infections, a Chines study shows how children treated with probiotics had a 63% lower incidence of fever, a 54% reduction in cough, and a 44% reduction in runny nose.

Infant formula can trigger fatal reaction in premature babies (11 Dec 2012)
Infant formula can cause a fatal intestinal reaction, especially in premature babies, who should only be given breast milk.