Parents must fight for choice in education

President Donald Trump issued a proclamation declaring this week, Jan. 20-26, as National School Choice Week. The proclamation expresses concern about performance of U.S. students in international surveys: 24th in reading; 25th in science; 40th in math. And it ascribes the cause of these disappointing statistics to the “consequences of the limitations imposed by a largely one-size-fits-all approach to education.” It makes all the sense in the world to appreciate the value of bringing the marketplace and competition to education. Free markets serve us extremely well in delivering goods and…

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Depression in children, treating it can help improve parent’s mental health

The bond between parent and child extends far beyond sharing similar looks or behaviours as a new study suggests that treating depression in teenagers may benefit their parents’ mental health too. The findings suggest that when a teenager’s depression improved through treatment, so did the depression experienced by his or her parents. “Depression is a massive public health concern that will take a variety of approaches to better manage. We believe our study is among the first to evaluate how the emotional health of a child can impact that of…

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Dear parents, take note. Pre-schoolers with ADHD symptoms may have reduced brain size

Pre-schoolers with symptoms of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) may have reduced brain volumes in regions essential for behavioural control, says a new study. ADHD is the most commonly diagnosed form of psychopathology during the pre-school years, and during early childhood it is associated with significant long-term health. The study represents the first comprehensive examination of cortical brain volume in pre-school children with ADHD and provides an indication that anomalous brain structure is evident in the early stages of development. According to the researchers, the findings can help in determining new ways…

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Dear parents, take note. Bariatric surgery may halve heart disease risk in obese teens

Bariatric surgery can cut in half the risk of premature heart disease and stroke in teenagers with severe obesity, a study has found. The study, based on a prediction model, showed that prior to bariatric surgery the overall risk of a severely obese teen having a fatal or non-fatal heart attack, stroke, heart failure or other heart disease event over a 30-year period was 8 per cent on average. One year after surgery, the risk of a heart disease event would be cut in half — to 4 per cent…

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Dear parents, take note. Children who snore are likelier to grow up into obese adults

If your child snores, don’t ignore it. It could lead to some serious health trouble later in life. A team of researchers has shed some light on the vicious cycle of childhood obesity and snoring. Scientists at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) looked at the relationships among maternal snoring, childhood snoring and children’s metabolic characteristics – including body mass index (BMI) and insulin resistance, which reflects future risk for developing diabetes and cardiovascular disease – in approximately 1,100 children followed from gestation through early adolescence. Led by endocrinologist Christos…

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Parents, here are some effective techniques to ease your child’s vaccination pain

The pain of jabs can sometimes be a barrier to getting kids vaccinated, but according to a recent study, the pokes don’t have to be so petrifying, and parents can actually play a big role in soothing the sting. The research from York University’s OUCH Cohort at the Faculty of Health found that the amount of distress and pain felt by a preschooler during a vaccination is strongly related to how their parents help them cope before and during an appointment. In the study, researchers used the data from 548…

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