children

Phthalates: Study links chemicals widely found in plastics, processed food to elevated blood pressure in children, teens

Now, new research published this Wednesday in the Journal of Pediatrics suggests that certain types of phthalates could pose another risk to children: compromised heart health. Drawing on data from a nationally representative survey of nearly 3,000 children and teens, researchers at NYU Langone Medical Center, in collaboration with researchers at the University of Washington [...]

Iodine deficiency during pregnancy may adversely affect children’s mental development

A study of around 1,000 UK mothers and their children, published in The Lancet, has revealed that iodine deficiency in pregnancy may have an adverse effect on children's mental development. The research raises concerns that the iodine status of pregnant women is a public health issue that needs to be addressed. via Iodine deficiency during [...]

Bullies and victims 3 times more likely to have suicidal thoughts by age 11

In a paper published in the latest issue of the Journal of the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, the researchers found children who are both victims and bullies ('bully-victims'), are at highly increased risk of considering suicide, or have planned and engaged in suicidal or self-harming behaviour by 11-12 years of age. These [...]

Father absence in early childhood linked to depression in adolescent girls

New research from the Children of the 90s study at the University of Bristol shows that girls whose fathers were absent during the first five years of life were more likely to develop depressive symptoms in adolescence than girls whose fathers left when they were aged five to ten years or than boys in both [...]

Up to 1 in 5 children suffer from a mental disorder, CDC says

Up to 20 percent of children in the United States suffer from a mental disorder, and the number of kids diagnosed with one has been rising for more than a decade, according to a report released on Thursday by the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention. In the agency's first-ever study of mental disorders [...]

Children who read on iPads or Kindles have weaker literacy skills

Children who read on an iPad or Kindle are falling behind in the classroom as figures showed for the first time the majority of youngsters now prefer ebooks to printed versions. The advance of technology means that young people who read on a screen have weaker literacy skills and fewer children now enjoy reading, experts [...]

Buying into NAPLAN Stress

According to Saturday’s Sydney Morning Herald, “Stuffed toys that help children deal with ‘difficult emotions’ are being spruiked as a means to 'assist with the stress of NAPLAN.’”   As an aside, it does seem ironic that the PR firm pushing these toys is called Evil Twin.   Now, I understand that Year 12 students [...]

Listen to the kids

Last Friday I spent the day at the Student Wellbeing Action Network (SWAN) Symposium co-hosted by Wellbeing Australia and the Australian Research Alliance for Children and Youth (ARACY).    The day brought together policy makers, researchers, practitioners, teachers and – most importantly for me – students to talk about how approaches to wellbeing can be [...]

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