Losing track of child obesity risks

child obesity

Tackling child obesity risks becoming “lost amidst reorganisation and delays”: Responding to the National Audit Office’s report on childhood obesity which found that it is not clear that the Department of Health & Social Care’s (DHSC) current programme will be able to make the step change needed in the timescale available, Dr Layla McCay, director […]

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Youth Mental Health – Combined Minds App

Youth Mental Health Day

The 7th September is Youth Mental Health Day #YMHD. This year (2020) is the first Youth Mental Health Awareness Day and will be focused on building resilience with the theme ‘Bounce Not Break’. The social media campaign focuses on sharing with young people ways they can build personal resilience by bouncing back from challenges. The […]

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Take it Right Outside campaign success

respiratory problems

Fewer under-5s admitted to hospital during ‘take it right outside‘ smoking campaign The number of under-five-year-olds admitted to hospital with asthma related complaints dropped following the Take it Right Outside campaign in Scotland, researchers have found. Take it Right Outside was a national mass media initiative launched in 2014 encouraging smokers to smoke cigarettes outside […]

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Children with cancer and mental health

childhood cancer

Almost half of childhood cancer patients suffer mental health problems due to harsh treatments. Latest research from Children with Cancer UK reveals the widespread impact on mental health that childhood cancer treatments can have. Almost half (45%) of families say that their child’s mental health has been impacted by their cancer treatment in the short-term, […]

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Impact of the backpack on the spine

spine

Finite element study shows one book in the backpack weighs 7 books to the spine:  As we consider a return to school, we must start to think of the impact of the backpack. A finite element assessment study showed that a one-pound book in a backpack weighs seven books to the spine. When the student leans […]

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How to cycle safely

How to cycle safely? The UK Government has recently launched an extensive obesity strategy aimed at getting people fit and relieving pressure on the NHS. A campaign to encourage cycling is a key part of this plan. There is no doubt that cycling is a great way to improve your physical and mental health. However, […]

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Social distancing decreased paediatric respiratory tract infections in Finland

child social distancing

Finland declared a lockdown in response to the coronavirus pandemic in March 2020, and the ensuing social distancing measures decreased the number of paediatric emergency room visits to nearly one-third of what they used to be, according to a recent register-based study conducted in collaboration between the University of Eastern Finland, Kuopio University Hospital and […]

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Polyvagal Theory and the potency of the dorsal state

vitruvian man

So much of our focus on the Polyvagal Theory centres around honouring and validating the ventral vagus and teaching people to move up from the dorsal states and into the light of the ventral states. According to the polyvagal theory the ventral vagus – the second branch of the parasympathetic nervous system and our newest […]

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Children’s eczema rates rise due to frequent handwashing

eczema

Over half of British children are suffering with skin problems due to frequent handwashing and eczema rates are on the rise. With the increased need for handwashing since the coronavirus pandemic began, the British Skin Foundation asked 250 parents of young children about the effect this has had on their skin. The results were quite […]

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Understanding why some children enjoy TV more than others

tv

Children’s own temperament could be driving the amount of TV they watch – according to new research from the University of East Anglia and Birkbeck, University of London. New findings published today show that the brain responses of 10-month-old babies could predict whether they would enjoy watching fast-paced TV shows six months later. The research […]

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