Child Health

Here you can find selected studies on topics related to the health of babies and children.

Children who suffer from seizures may benefit from vitamin D supplements

Anticonvulsant medication is the main treatment for children who suffer from seizures. Some of this medication has negative impacts on the vitamin D balance, which means vitamin D levels need to be monitored.

Overweight children do less physical activity

Excess weight and obesity are becoming the biggest health problems in Western Europe. The study shows that it is more than just excessive calorie intake that leads to obesity; exercise habits and everyday physical activities also play a role.

A fun way to combat pain

Venipunctures are one of the most stressful situations in clinics and practices. This study gives two further suggestions and shows that the more attractive the distractions are, the better they work.

Abdominal pain and irritable bowel syndrome – how should they be treated?

Recurrent abdominal pain is one of the most common reasons for children to see a doctor. Linaclotide has now been tested in a phase 2 study on children with irritable bowel syndrome.

Eliminate the horror of food allergies?

A completely different approach, involving treatment with the monoclonal anti-IgE antibody omalizumab in children and adolescents with severe allergies to dietary proteins, has now been tested.

RSV vaccines

Maternal RSV vaccination in the late stages of pregnancy reduces the infant’s risk of having a severe RSV infection in the first six months of life. …

Urinary tract infections: Urinalysis strip testing in the first 3 months

80-90% of bacterial infections in the first 3 months of life are urinary tract infections. Paediatric emergency departments in the UK and Ireland have now studied……

Obesity can lead to premature brain atrophy

Previous studies have highlighted the risk of premature brain ageing in obese adults, seen in MRI scans through cortical atrophy. A recent comparative study...
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Placebos, or the efficacy of the ineffective

In the past, it was thought that blinding of patients was the prerequisite for measuring a placebo effect. In recent years, however, studies with adults have shown...

The prognosis is good for abdominal pain in young children

The first step in cases of young children presenting with abdominal pain or non-specific gastrointestinal complaints is the exclusion of more serious causes such as cardiac insufficiency, intestinal inflammation or food intolerance. Once they can be ruled out, clinicians will have to convince parents that…

Suspected diagnosis “febrile seizures”: What renders the need for further diagnostics unnecessary?

In cases of “febrile seizures” any inflammatory conditions must be ruled out, especially all types of meningitis. Most children presenting with febrile seizures for the first time…

Diabetes mellitus type 1: Semi-automatic insulin pumps improve glycaemic control

The purpose of automated insulin pumps, i.e. insulin pumps controlled by the glucose concentration in the subcutaneous adipose tissue, is to improve the glucose turnover rate. In a multicentre study…

Obstructive apnoea in snoring infants

In a comprehensive Finnish sleep study, polysomnographic apnoea was detected in snoring infants. To answer the question of whether there are clinical criteria for the identification of a particular risk of short-term respiratory failure...

Corticosteroids are ineffective against obstructive bronchitis

To test the efficacy of corticosteroids, infants with acute obstructive bronchitis received oral prednisolone, while infants of the control group received a placebo.

Antibiotics reduce neither the severity nor length of flu infections

Acute infections of the upper respiratory tract – i.e. colds, flu-like infections – are usually viral, but are often treated with antibiotics due to their acute nature and to prevent bacterial superinfections. A middle ground between immediate antibiotic prescription and no antibiotic prescription is…

Increased body fat mass is associated with increased blood insulin levels

A bioelectrical impedance analysis is used to measure body fat, body water, muscle mass and other body compartments. Because of the known correlation between obesity and type 2 diabetes, this method was used to determine…

Probiotics: L. fermentum ameliorates high fat diet-induced obesity in vivo

The association between the human gut microbiota and the development of obesity or obesity-related diseases has been the focus of increasing scientific attention for several years. The imbalance in the gut microbiota caused…

Viral symptoms associated with Pharyngitis lower the statistical risk of a group A Streptococcus Infection

The retrospective analysis of the electronic health records of 67,127 children and adolescents, whose chief complaint was a sore throat, led to…

Which home remedies work?

Chicken soup for colds and ginger for nausea? Do these home remedies really work and is there any scientific evidence to prove it?

Is Obesity a communicable disease?

Obesity is known to be caused by genetic, lifestyle and environmental factors. The Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR) is putting the theory that obesity is non-communicable to the test.

Clinical Study shows an association between a low Lactobacillus count in the meconium and Colic

The intestinal microbiota is attributed an increasingly important role in colic and excessive crying. Studies have shown that the meconium already contains a diverse microbiome and that colonisation of the infant intestine begins in utero.

Myopia: playing outdoors as a preventative measure

Today, half of Europe’s young people under the age of 20 are short-sighted. A study shows that, in addition to genetics…

Honey relieves Coughs

A persistent cough is distressing, disturbs the whole family’s sleep and is normally treated with one of the numerous cough medications on the market, whose effectiveness is rarely sufficiently tested. An old household remedy – honey – is another popular demulcent.