Children’s health

Leave a comment Posted on Children's health

Life Study – a new research project to understand the lives and health of children announced!


Life Study - Research into childhood health

Life Study – Research into childhood health

Life Study, a research study which aims to understand and improve the lives of children and their families, has announced its that Leicester’s Hospitals which will host the next Life Study Centre. Read up more here.

Life Study is an internationally leading research study that will involve up to 80,000 babies born between 2014 and 2018 and their families across the UK. Life Study was happy to announce that Leicester will be the next and 2nd city to host Life Study. Life Study will provide insights into the health and wellbeing of children as well as making contributions to the health of children in the UK. The information collected will be used to support research and policies aimed at giving children the best possible start in life.

A big focus of the project is to develop a good picture of children’s lives in the UK today. Children from families of different ethnic and cultural groups have previously been underrepresented in earlier research studies which look at children. So it is vital they are included to ensure accurate research.



Professor Carol Dezateux, Scientific Director of Life Study said: “Life Study will help Leicester understand how to tackle key issues relevant to its children’s health and well-being. By working in partnership with Leicester’s Hospitals, Life Study will support research into children and families from an ethnically and socially diverse community.”

“The public health and policy priorities for child health in Leicester are closely aligned to those of Life Study. The information collected will help research into the childhood origins of important health problems such as obesity and diabetes and ultimately to inform future policies and healthcare services that meet local population needs.”

The first Life Study Centre, at King George Hospital in Ilford, was officially opened in March 2015 by actress, comedian and screenwriter Meera Syal who said “The wonderful thing about Life Study is that they are following so many families over such a long period, meaning we have a chance to answer some of those big questions about environment, genetic triggers and upbringing.”

Pregnant women planning to give birth at Leicester Royal Infirmary or Leicester General Hospital (LGH) and their partners will be invited to join Life Study and to come to the new Life Study Centre at LGH in the second half of their pregnancy, and again when their baby is 6 and 12 months old. Recruitment to the study will begin in summer 2015 and appointments will take place from September 2015.

“A large study like Life Study will bring funding into Leicester’s Hospitals over the duration of the study. To ensure that we are ready to start delivering the study as soon as possible, we and the Life Study have invested over one million pounds for facilities, equipment and staff. Life Study will be bringing around 20 new posts to Leicester’s Hospitals which include research midwives, research healthcare assistants and others. We are working hard to ensure that there is a dedicated Life Study Centre at Leicester General Hospital, with all the necessary staff ready to recruit the first study participants. We are very excited about this project and look forward to the launch later in the year.” said Professor Nigel Brunskill, Director of Research and Innovation at Leicester’s Hospitals and Professor of Renal Medicine at the University of Leicester

Leave a comment Posted on Autism, Children's health

4 Essential Water Safety Tips for Parents of Kids with Disabilities – a guest post from Patricia Sarmiento


Every child should get to experience the joy of swimming. It’s an excellent

4 Essential Water Safety Tips for Parents of Kids with Disabilities

4 Essential Water Safety Tips for Parents of Kids with Disabilities

physical activity with proven mental health benefits as well. While every parent should educate their child on water safety, parents of children with disabilities must take extra precautions.

I recently read a statistic from the National Autism Association that drowning is a leading cause of death for autistic children. That was startling, and it got me thinking about what precautions my neighbors and I should be taking to help protect the children with special needs in our neighborhood this summer.

So, where to start? First, I wanted to educate myself about general water safety. I recommend this overview resource on swimming safety for all parents. It touches on a wide variety of topics related to water safety. Then, I did some research to try and figure out the biggest areas of concern for children with disabilities. Here are a few essential tips:

Look for an adaptive life jacket. This great video from Safe Kids Worldwide is full of tips and addresses the needs of children with different types of disabilities. Its information on the importance of finding the right adaptive life jacket for your child is especially helpful.


Always be within arm’s reach. Danger in the water can pop up for any child in a heartbeat. Because some children’s disabilities may prevent them from protecting themselves, as May Institute notes, a parent or caregiver should always be close by when they’re in or around the water, even when the child is wearing a life vest.

Know what to look for in a swim program. As BrightHubEducation.com points out, swimming has many physical and cognitive benefits for children with disabilities. The article also explains how to take advantage of those benefits by finding a swim class that works for your child. It recommends looking for small classes with an experienced, trained leader.

Double check barriers. Pool fences are an important way to protect all children. Neapolitan Family Magazine suggests taking it a step further and using an alarm system that will alert you when someone has breached the area.

Time in the water can be extremely beneficial and enjoyable for children with disabilities. By following these tips, parents can feel confident in taking their child for a swim and everyone can truly enjoy the summer.

# # #

Patricia Sarmiento is a health and fitness buff. She loves blogging about health, wellness, fitness, and other health-related topics. A former high school and college athlete, she makes living an active lifestyle a goal for her and her family. She lives with her husband, two children, and their shih tzu in Maryland.

 

 

 

 

Leave a comment Posted on Children's health, Gastrointestinal disorders

Doctor Ranj Childhood Constipation and Continence Clinic – Watch our live Web TV Show


Join our live show where we’ll be busting myths about poo and other children’s continence problems

Dr Ranj with an xray

Dr Ranj with an xray

Show date: Thursday 16th April
Show time: 13.00 BST

Is poo taboo? Poo problems are common in many children and are most prevalent in pre-school children. In most cases a child suffering with a poo problem is actually suffering from constipation, which is when they poo less than 4 times a week. As parents, tackling the subject and identifying whether there is a problem with your child’s pooing habits can be difficult. And it’s not just pooing that can be problematic, other continence issues such as daytime and night time wetting are also a problem for many children and can be related to a child’s pooing issues.

Dr Ranj from Cbeebies

Dr Ranj from Cbeebies

Joining us in this special live and interactive show about childhood constipation and other bladder and bowel problems is Doctor Ranj – who not only is the co-creator and presenter of the CBeebies’ show ‘Get Well Soon’, and presenter of the kids’ health segment on ITV’s This Morning, he’s also the only TV doctor who specialises in children, young people and families and is the face of the ‘Let’s Talk About Poo’ campaign led by the children’s continence charity, ERIC (Education and Resources for Improving Childhood Continence).


We’ll be dispelling the myths about poo and other continence problems, everything from warning signs to look out for, how to deal with re-occurring problems, what treatments are available, and where to go for specialist help.

Whatever the reason for your child’s poo problem, whether it’s because they are finding it difficult to adapt to challenging situations such as starting school or they are nervous to ask to go to the loo at a friend’s house, Doctor Ranj will arm you with all the help and encouragement you need to handle your child’s pooing and wetting problems.

FOR MORE INFORMATION VISIT

Website: www.eric.org.uk/letstalkaboutpoo