| Breastfeeding at 6 to 8 weeks after birth: quarter 1 and quarter 2 2017/18 Breastfeeding at 6 to 8 weeks after birth have been published for quarter 1 and quarter 2 2017/18. Local authorities are required to prioritise breastfeeding support locally and to increase breastfeeding initiation and prevalence. There is strong evidence that babies who are breastfed exclusively for the first 6 months have lower rates of gastroenteritis, respiratory infection, sudden infant death syndrome, obesity and allergies. Health visitor service delivery metrics: quarter 1 and quarter 2 2017/18 Good health, wellbeing and resilience are vital for all our children now and for the future of society. The Healthy child programme's 0 to 5 element is led by health visiting services who identify families that are in need of support and children who are at risk of poor outcomes. They provide expert information, assessments and interventions for babies, children and families, including first time mothers and fathers with complex needs. The Health visitor service delivery metrics cover the antenatal check, new birth visit, the 6-8 week review, the 12 month assessment and the 2-2½ year assessment. Information is presented at a local authority, PHE Centre and England level. Child development outcomes at age 2 to 2½ years - statistical release From 2015 all children in England became eligible for a Healthy Child Programme development review around their second birthday. The Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ-3) is used to measure a child's development outcomes, identifies children who are not developing as expected and supports decisions on closer monitoring of progress or targeting of services. Quarter 1 and quarter 2 2017/18 data is an extension of the indicator measuring the percentage of 2 to 2½ year reviews completed. These reports detail the percentage of children who were at or above the expected level in communication skills, gross motor skills, fine motor skills, problem solving skills, personal-social skills and in all five areas of development.
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FGM assessment tool (National FGM Centre) The National FGM Centre has created a tool for social workers to help guide the assessment of cases where female genital mutilation (FGM) is a concern. The tool includes best practice guidance and an online FGM assessment tool. National child measurement programme operational guidance 2017 (Public Health England) Guidance for local commissioners, providers and schools on running the national child measurement programme (NCMP). The guidance has been updated with the addition of a Pre-measurement leaflet for parents: school height and weight measurements. International technical guidance on sexuality education: an evidence-informed approach (UNFPA) This guidance presents the evidence base and rationale for delivering comprehensive sexuality education to young people in order to achieve the global Sustainable Development Goals. The guidance identifies the characteristics of effective comprehensive sexuality education programmes, recommends essential topics and learning objectives that should be covered in curricula for all learners, and outlines approaches for planning, delivering and monitoring comprehensive sexuality education programmes. The guidance is for practitioners involved in the design, delivery and evaluation of sexuality education programmes both in and out of school, including: government education, health and other ministries; non-governmental organizations; youth workers and young people; and other stakeholders working on quality education, sexual and reproductive health, adolescent health and gender equality. Reducing parental conflict hub (Early Intervention Foundation) This hub is for local leaders, commissioners, practitioners and researchers who are looking to reduce the impact of parental conflict on children. It provides a central repository of key 'what works' evidence and tools, including why parental conflict matters for children's outcomes, and guidance on how to take action. The hub will continue to grow as new evidence and tools are created. Practical guidance to SPOT for improving sexual and reproductive health: 2017 guidelines for local authorities (Public Health England) This guidance is a step by step guide on how to use the Spend and Outcome Tool (SPOT) for local authorities to compare spend data on sexual and reproductive health with sexual and reproductive health outcomes. The information provides an overview of spend and outcomes across key areas of business for local authorities. Meeting the health and wellbeing needs of young carers (Local Government Association) Councils are under a legal duty to identify young carers and carry out assessments that consider the impact on the child and whole family. Identifying and keeping young carers engaged and involved so that the impact of their caring responsibilities can be minimised is no easy task. Meeting these challenges requires concerted effort on many different levels. The case studies in this report show, even in difficult circumstances, there is good work already being done that we can learn from. Oral health improvement plan (Scottish Government) This document sets the Scottish Government's direction of travel for oral health improvement and NHS dentistry for the next generation. It has a strong focus on preventing oral health disease, meeting the needs of the ageing population and reducing oral health inequalities. Delivering children's centre services (Local Government Association) Funding reductions, increasing demand and a changing policy landscape mean that councils have had to review their children's centres and the services provided within them to find new, better and more efficient ways of providing services. This has included expanding support to entire families including parents and older children, acknowledging the context in which children grow up and the importance of holistic support. The case studies within this document outline the approaches taken by eight councils across England, demonstrating just some of the different ways in which councils are tackling the challenge.
Sporting future: second annual report (Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport) Sporting future set out a new government vision to redefine what success looks like in sport by concentrating on five key outcomes - physical wellbeing, mental wellbeing, individual development, social and community development and economic development. The second annual report on the strategy sets out the progress that has been made in the past year, and focuses on ten key themes and areas of progress Foster care in England: A review for the Department for Education by Sir Martin Narey and Mark Owers (Department of Education) A review of the fostering system in England which includes 36 recommendations to the government about how the outcomes of children in foster care can be improved. You can also read analysis from the independent review. In the digital home, how do parents support their children and who supports them? (London School of Economics) This is the first of a series of reports from the London School of Economics' research programme, Parenting for a Digital Future based on its nationally representative survey of UK parents of children aged 0-17. The report reveals how digital media have become integrated into family life – how parents and children use technology to connect, and create, to seek information and learn – but also reveals their worries and what they find challenging. It found that parents are broadly optimistic about the role of digital media in their children's lives, and are turning to the internet for all kinds of parenting dilemmas. However, it also reveals that they are still drastically under-supported when it comes to digital parenting advice. Key questions and findings from our e-cigarette evidence update (Public Health England) Back in 2015, the bold conclusions of PHE's previous e-cigarette (EC) report were controversial in providing qualified support for the use of ECs but have since contributed to a shift in international opinion. Many experts and professional bodies now agree that vaping is likely to be far less harmful than smoking. The latest report, which takes into account all new evidence since this point, covers regulation, EC use, ECs as a tool to help people quit smoking, and the safety of ECs, nicotine, and novel heat-not-burn tobacco products. This blog post looks at some of the key questions and findings from the report. Evidence review of e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products 2018 (Public Health England) Annual update of Public Health England's (PHE) e-cigarette evidence review by leading independent tobacco experts. The report covers e-cigarette use among young people and adults, public attitudes, the impact on quitting smoking, an update on risks to health and the role of nicotine. It also reviews heated tobacco products. A PHE press release gives a summary of the findings and recommendations. Suicide prevention: policy and strategy. Briefing paper (House of Commons Library) This House of Commons Library briefing paper examines suicide prevention policies and strategies throughout the UK. It outlines national and local approaches to prevention policy in England, as well as Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. It does so by considering the strategies of the UK Government, as well as the devolved administrations, through the lens of various policy perspectives. Where's the daddy? Fathers and father-figures in UK datasets (Fatherhood Institute) This document summarises the findings and recommendations from a review of the ways in which sixteen UK large-scale repeated cross-sectional and longitudinal quantitative datasets identify and collect data about fathers in varied forms of co-residence and relationships with their dependent and adult children. It found that studies typically gather weak information about fathers. The report recommends that adequate parenthood questions for both men and women should be viewed as a priority in data collection for research and administrative datasets, alongside other core variables such as "sex"/gender, socioeconomic group and economic activity. Multiple pregnancies following assisted conception. Scientific impact paper No. 22 (BJOG) This paper from the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) found that almost one in five (19.8%) IVF deliveries in the UK in 2011 involved a multiple birth. Meanwhile, the multiple birth rate in Sweden, a country with similar live birth rates, but a high proportion of single embryo transfer, during the same period was 4.9%. However, there have been improvements in the UK and a report published last month by HFEA shows a reduction in the national multiple birth rate from 24% in 2009 to 11% today. According to the paper, government funding of IVF is the most important factor that could maintain low rates of multiple pregnancies following treatment and reduce associated complications for mothers and babies, as well as costs to the NHS. Read more in a statement from RCOG. Building trusted relationships for vulnerable children and young people with public services (Early Intervention Foundation) Reviews of the child protection system have suggested that children who experience abuse lack a designated adult outside of the family system who is able to provide consistent support – or a 'trusted relationship'. The Early Intervention Foundation (EIF) was commissioned to provide a rapid overview of the evidence on which features of trusted relationships are critical to improving outcomes for vulnerable children and young people, and to provide policy advice on how more of these relationships could be enabled in public services. The focus of this review was on early intervention with children and young people who are vulnerable to either child sexual exploitation (CSE) or child sexual abuse (CSA). The impact of children and young people's participation on policy making (Scottish Government) Children in Scotland was commissioned by the Scottish Government to explore and evidence the nature and type of impact children and young people's participation has had on national and local policy making in Scotland. The study uses six qualitative case studies, illustrating a range of participation and engagement work across Scotland. Education in inpatient children and young people's mental health services. Research report (Department for Education) Report summarising the findings of a survey of education provision for those in inpatient children and young people's mental health services (CYPMHS). Ten years since the Byron Review: are children safer in the digital world? (NSPCC) This document reviews the 38 recommendations made in the Byron Review "Safer children in a digital world" and discusses how these were implemented. It also considers the influence of political change and online developments in the past decade, in order to contextualise the changes needed to help keep children and young people safe online in 2018. Youth online discussion forums: how do young people support each other and what do they talk about? (The Mental Elf) Masters students from the ICH Child and Adolescent Mental Health course explore a recent qualitative study into how young people use the Kooth online discussion forum for emotional and mental health issues. This research attempts to address an obvious gap based on service user preference and feedback. The data gained has showed us the kind of discussions that young people have online, and demonstrate the increased communication that young people are participating in; confirming that young people utilise these services for their confidentiality/anonymity. Local commissioning of services addressing child sexual abuse and exploitation in England: a rapid review incorporating findings from five locations (Centre of Expertise on Child Sexual Abuse) Based on interviews with commissioners, commissioning partners, service providers and local practitioner experts across the five local authority areas, this study explores the 'who, what, why and how' of commissioning practice for child sexual abuse (CSA) and child sexual exploitation (CSE) work. Highlighting current strengths and weaknesses in current CSA/CSE work, it also reveals the support that commissioners would like to receive. Independent review of full-time social action (commissioned by Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport) The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport commissioned an independent review to consider the benefits and barriers of full-time social action (currently defined as 16 hours a week or more, for 6 months or more) for young people (aged 16 - 25). The report found that committed forms of social action over an extended period have been shown to play a critical role in developing a young person's life chances, improving job prospects and wellbeing. Supporting mental health for all. London Assembly (Greater London Authority) This report finds that the prevalence of mental ill-health is significantly higher in LGBT+ communities, disabled people, Deaf people, and those with experience of the criminal justice system. And the issue is compounded by services that do not understand and meet their specific needs. 2017 survey of women's experiences of maternity care (Care Quality Commission) This report from the Care Quality Commission finds that women reported positive experiences of maternity care in 2017, and there were small incremental improvements in results across almost every question. Omnibus survey of pupils and their parents or carers: research report wave 3 (Department for Education) A summary of wave 3 responses to questions asked in the pupils and their parents or carers omnibus survey. Topics covered in the survey include: parental involvement in pupils' learning; changes to the school day; mental health and wellbeing; changes at school; plans for the future; bullying; life outside of studies; and pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). Student mental health: the role and experiences of academics (Student Minds) For many students experiencing difficulties, academics are often the first point of contact. Students may turn to academics for advice because they are approachable, accessible and they have a pre-existing relationship. However, research conducted for Student Minds, indicates that academics are struggling to respond effectively to student mental health. The report sets out 11 key findings and recommendations to ensure that students and academics are effectively and safely supported. The What Works Network: five years on (Cabinet Office) The What Works Network was created in 2013 to ensure that the best available evidence on 'what works' is available to the people who make decisions on public services. Five years on, this report looks at the impact of the Network, which has grown to include 10 independent What Works Centres. For example, research from the Early Intervention Foundation showed the impact of parent conflict on children's long-term outcomes. This research informed the decision of the Department for Work and Pensions to invest £30 million in interventions designed to resolve parent conflict in families with the most disadvantaged children. The Youth Index 2018 (The Prince's Trust) This report from the Prince's Trust takes an in-depth look into the views and outlooks of young people aged 16 to 25 and reveals that the happiness and confidence young people feel in their lives has fallen to their lowest levels since the study was first commissioned in 2009. It shows that concerns about job prospects are weighing on young minds – almost half of young people fear that there will be fewer job opportunities for their generation in the next three years, and the unpredictable political climate is making 59% of young people feel anxious about their future. Child sexual exploitation - evidence briefings (University of Bedfordshire) The University of Bedfordshire has published a series of briefing papers summarising findings from the Alexi project, a three-year evaluation of the 'hub and spoke' model of child sexual exploitation (CSE) service development in England. The four briefings are: - The role of the voluntary sector in protecting children from sexual exploitation
- Voluntary and statutory sector partnerships in local responses to child sexual exploitation
- The Children and Social Work Act: the role of voluntary sector CSE services in new safeguarding arrangements
- The challenge of outcomes measurement in CSE services.
Half of infant young carers under ten are suffering broken sleep to care for family members (Carers Trust) The UK's largest charity for unpaid carers carried out a snapshot survey of the UK's youngest carers to highlight the number of children between the ages of five and ten who undertake extensive caring duties at home and especially at night. Executive function: skills for life and learning (Center on the Developing Child at Harvard University) Every day we take on the ordinary, sometimes challenging, tasks of work, school, parenting, relationships, and managing our busy lives. How do we navigate these tasks successfully? What can send us off course? This 5-minute video explores the development and use of core capabilities—known as executive function and self-regulation skills—from early childhood into adolescence and adulthood. How can we improve support for young carers? (Healthwatch) Young carers have a lot of added responsibilities compared to other people their age. To find out what young carers need, in the last year two local Healthwatch in Leicester and North Somerset have run events and forums to listen to their experiences. Their work identified four areas where young carers said they could be better supported. Risky behaviours: prevalence in adolescence. Initial findings from the Millennium Cohort Study Age 14 Survey (Centre for Longitudinal Studies) The Centre for Longitudinal Studies has published findings from a study of data collected from more than 11,000 14 year-olds across the UK looking at their experiences of a range of different risky activities, including drinking, smoking and drug-taking. A comparison of answers with an earlier study carried out when participants were aged 11 found: increases in the rates of both binge drinking (having five or more drinks at a time on at least one occasion) and smoking among the group - less than 1% had been binge drinking by age 11, compared to almost 11% at age 14; and 3% had tried a cigarette by the time they were 11, increasing to 17 % by age 14. Evaluation of universal infant free school meals (Education Policy Institute) In 2014, the Universal Infant Free School Meals (UIFSM) policy was introduced, stipulating that all children in England's state funded schools in reception, year 1 and year 2 should be entitled to a free school lunch. This report looks at the impact that the policy has had on take up of school meals, how the policy has been implemented in schools, the costs to government and the cost-savings to parents, and views on the educational, social and health outcomes for children. Transition from child and adolescent mental health services to adult mental health services. Interim bulletin (Healthcare Safety Investigation Branch) This bulletin relates to an investigation into the transition from Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services to Adult Mental Health Services. It looks at the impact the issue of safety has had, or is having, on people and services across the healthcare system. It also describes the way mental health services are commissioned and delivered. UK schools online safety policy and practice assessment 2017 (UK Safer Internet Centre) The UK Safer Internet Centre has published a report about schools' online safety policy and practice. Findings from almost 10,000 schools across England includes: 97% of secondary schools and 90% of primary schools said they had at least basic levels of filtering and monitoring in place, almost 90% of secondary schools and 80% of primary schools had an online safety education programme in place, and 55% of secondary schools and 50% of primary schools had no training in place for governors around online safety. Impact of world events on children (Mental Health Foundation) The Mental Health Foundation has released findings from a YouGov survey about the impact of world events on children. This follows its publication of a guide to help parents talk to their children about worrying events. Survey findings include: 39% of parents were concerned that their children were becoming more anxious about world and national events, 24% had noticed their children seeking reassurance, and 13% reported that their children had asked to avoid activities such as using public transport or going to busy public places following worrying events. Access to high performing schools in England (Education Policy Institute) This report by the Education Policy Institute looks at the density of high quality secondary school places across England, comparing high quality places in 2015 with 2010 in order to identify whether geographic access to high performing schools is improving. Further child and maternal health data can be found on Public Health England's Fingertips tool. The child and maternal health section brings together a range of publicly available data, information, tools and resources. Find guidance on using these statistics and other intelligence resources to help you make decisions about the planning and provision of child and maternal health services on.GOV.UK.
Looked-after children in foster care: analysis (Department for Education) This document sets out analysis from the independent review into foster care in England by Sir Martin Narey and Mark Owers. It follows a closed consultation seeking views on the current state of foster care in England and how to improve the prospects of children in care. Local tobacco control profiles for England: February 2018 update (Public Health England) The Local tobacco control profiles data update for February 2018 has been published by Public Health England (PHE). This update contains: more recent data for 11 indicators including smoking attributable hospital admissions; inequalities breakdowns for all of these indicators. Updated indicators include: still birth rate; neonatal mortality; premature births; low birth weight of term babies; hospital admissions for asthma (under 19 years); and more. Public health outcomes framework: February 2018 data update (Public Health England)
The Public health outcomes framework (PHOF) data update for February 2018 has been published by Public Health England (PHE). The data are presented in an interactive tool that allows users to view them in a user-friendly format. The data tool also provides links to further supporting and relevant information to aid understanding of public health in a local population. This update contains: more recent data for 60 indicators; 3 new indicators; 1 indicator with a revised definition; revised back series data for 1 indicator; equalities and inequalities breakdowns for 35 indicators. The PHE blog What's new in the February PHOF update? summarises what's been learned since the last update, including how child health has improves across a range of indicators. Local Alcohol Profiles for England: February 2018 update (Public Health England) Public Health England (PHE) has published an update to Local Alcohol Profiles for England (LAPE). This interactive tool presents a range of alcohol-related indicators and allows users to view and analyse data in a user-friendly format. This release includes: an update of 13 alcohol-specific and alcohol-related hospital admissions indicators; further data breakdowns by age group and condition. Updated indicators include admission episodes for alcohol-specific conditions - under 18s. New survey shows half of all schoolchildren feel sad or anxious every week (Barnardo's) Barnardo's has released figures from a YouGov survey of 12 to 16 year-olds in England. Findings include: 48% of 12 year olds surveyed reported feeling sad or anxious at least once a week; by the age of 16, 70% reported feeling sad or anxious at least once a week with 22% having negative feelings as much as once a day. Local authority interactive tool (LAIT) (Department for Education) The local authority interactive tool has been updated. The tool presents information in interactive tables and charts with the local authority's rank and position in England. It includes data on: children looked after by local authorities; child protection; special educational needs and disability (SEND); pupil attainment; children's health; post-16 circumstances; judgements from Ofsted.
Child development outcomes at age 2 to 2½ years - statistical release (Public Health England) From 2015 all children in England became eligible for a Healthy Child Programme development review around their second birthday. The Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ-3) is used to measure a child's development outcomes, identifies children who are not developing as expected and supports decisions on closer monitoring of progress or targeting of services. Quarter 1 and quarter 2 2017/18 data is an extension of the indicator measuring the percentage of 2 to 2½ year reviews completed. These reports detail the percentage of children who were at or above the expected level in communication skills, gross motor skills, fine motor skills, problem solving skills, personal-social skills and in all five areas of development.
Breastfeeding at 6 to 8 weeks after birth: quarter 1 and quarter 2 2017/18 (Public Health England) Breastfeeding at 6 to 8 weeks after birth have been published for quarter 1 and quarter 2 2017/18. Local authorities are required to prioritise breastfeeding support locally and to increase breastfeeding initiation and prevalence. There is strong evidence that babies who are breastfed exclusively for the first 6 months have lower rates of gastroenteritis, respiratory infection, sudden infant death syndrome, obesity and allergies.
Health visitor service delivery metrics: quarter 1 and quarter 2 2017/18 (Public Health England) Good health, wellbeing and resilience are vital for all our children now and for the future of society. The Healthy child programme's 0 to 5 element is led by health visiting services who identify families that are in need of support and children who are at risk of poor outcomes. They provide expert information, assessments and interventions for babies, children and families, including first time mothers and fathers with complex needs. The Health visitor service delivery metrics cover the antenatal check, new birth visit, the 6-8 week review, the 12 month assessment and the 2-2½ year assessment. Information is presented at a local authority, PHE Centre and England level. Statistics on NHS Stop Smoking Services in England April 2017 to September 2017 (NHS Digital) This quarterly report presents provisional results from the monitoring of the NHS Stop Smoking Services in England during the period 1 April 2017 to 30 September 2017. It includes information on the number of people setting a quit date and the number who successfully quit at the 4 week follow-up. It also presents in depth analyses of the key measures of the service including pregnant women and breakdowns by age group, gender, ethnic group and type of pharmacotherapy received and regional analyses at region and local authority levels. Children's engagement with the outdoors and sports activities, UK: 2014 to 2015 (Office for National Statistics) Analysis of the UK Time Use Survey to provide insight into the amount of time children spend engaging with the outdoors or participating in sports activities. Preliminary vaccine coverage estimates for the meningococcal B (MenB) immunisation programme for England, update from August to December 2017 (Public Health England) This report presents Meningococcal B (MenB) vaccine coverage data for one and two doses of vaccine by six months and 12 months and three doses by 18 months of age, evaluated at the end of December 2017. It updates previous data reported for the period to end of July 2017. Vaccine coverage estimates for the school based meningococcal ACWY (MenACWY) adolescent vaccination programme in England, to 31 August 2017 (Public Health England) Vaccine coverage data estimates and commentary relating to the national MenACWY vaccine, introduced in response to an increase in cases of invasive meningococcal disease capsular group W (MenW) disease. Psychological therapies: reports on the use of IAPT services, England October 2017 Final (NHS Digital) This statistical release makes available the most recent Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) monthly and quarterly data, including activity, waiting times, and outcomes such as recovery. IAPT is run by the NHS in England and offers NICE-approved therapies for treating people with depression or anxiety. Youth Justice annual statistics: 2016 to 2017 (Ministry of Justice) This publication looks at the Youth Justice System (YJS) in England and Wales for the year ending March 2017 in terms of the number of children and young people (those aged 10 – 17) in the system, the offences they committed, the outcomes they received, their demographics and the trends over time. Proven reoffending statistics: January 2016 to March 2016 (Ministry of Justice) This bulletin provides key statistics on proven reoffending for adult and juvenile offenders who were released from custody, received a non-custodial conviction at court, or received a caution in the period January to March 2016 in England and Wales. Compilation of child poverty local indicators, update to September 2017 (End Child Poverty Coalition) The End Child Poverty Coalition has published new figures on the level of child poverty in each constituency, local authority and ward in the UK, providing a new Child Poverty map of the UK. The figures reveal that there are now constituencies within the UK where more than half of children are growing up in poverty – compared to one in ten, in the areas with the lowest child poverty rates. The full versions of some of these resources may only be available with a paid subscription. Contact your local library service or Athens account administrator to see if you are able to access them through your organisation.
"It's a long-term process": description of daily family life when a child has a feeding disorder (Journal of Pediatric Health Care) Pediatric feeding problems occur in 25% of the general pediatric population and up to 80% of those who have developmental delays. When feeding problems place the child at nutritional risk, families are typically encouraged to increase their child's intake. Family mealtime can become a battle, which further reinforces problematic feeding behaviors from the child and intensifies well-intentioned but unguided parental mealtime efforts. Family has an essential influence on feeding; however, studies to date neglect to address the family context of feeding difficulty. In this study we describe, in the context of everyday life, family management of feeding when a child had a significant feeding problem. Social media, social capital and adolescents living in state care: a multi-perspective and multi-method qualitative study (The British Journal of Social Work) This paper represents a step change. It will illustrate how adolescents living in state care use social media purposefully as active digital participants. The paper starts by outlining fundamental features of social media. The concept of social capital, literature concerning its relationship with social media and the applications of these phenomena to adolescents living in state care are then discussed. The context of the data generation is then outlined. From the analysis of a multi-perspective and multi-method qualitative data set, the potential role of social media in assisting the accrual, and use, of social capital during and beyond one's time in care is illustrated. The paper concludes by offering expansive ways for social policy and social work practices regarding social media to be underpinned by offline best-practice ideas. School-based assessment of mental health risk in children: the preliminary development of the Child RADAR (Child and Adolescent Mental Health) Screening young people for risk of mental health difficulties in schools is an effective method to facilitate monitoring and early intervention. This study is a preliminary report on the adaptation of the Youth RADAR screening instrument for primary school children. Specifically designed to be used in schools, the Child RADAR assesses a child's balance of risk and protective factors known to be associated with the development of mental health problems. The study concluded: The Child RADAR shows preliminary promise as a school-based screener of mental health risk. Further evaluation is required to demonstrate the generalizability of the instrument across different populations. Is preventing peer victimization sufficient? The role of prosocial peer group treatment in children's socioemotional development (Social Development) Despite extensive research on the harmful effects of peer victimization, little is known about whether prosocial treatment from peers contributes to healthy socioemotional development. To address this issue, 366 third and fourth graders (170 boys; Mage = 9.34) were followed over three time points. Children completed measures of prosocial peer treatment, peer victimization, depressive affect, and friendship quality. The findings of the study underscore the importance of prosocial peer group treatment and the need to broaden the goals of anti-bullying interventions to include the promotion of positive peer interactions. Variations in children's affective subjective well-being at seven years old: an analysis of current and historical factors (Child Indicators Research) There is a growing amount of evidence on children's subjective well-being in general, but research on this topic with younger children is still scarce. In the UK, Wave 4 of the Millennium Cohort Study asked questions about positive and negative affect to a nationally representative sample of over 13,000 children aged around seven years old. The study also contains other information reported by children about their friendships, family relationships, experiences of school and of being bullied; and extensive data gathered from parents across four survey waves starting when the child was nine months old. This paper analyses the extent to which variations in children's positive and negative affect (happiness and sadness) at the age of seven years old are associated with contemporaneous factors reported by children (e.g. bullying) and parents (e.g. household income, parent-child relationships). It also analyses the extent to which socio-economic and family factors earlier in childhood can predict children's affective subjective well-being at seven years old. Associations between social capital and maternal depression: results from a follow-up study in China (BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth) This study aims to investigate the association between social capital and depressive symptoms among Chinese primiparas at different time-points from their late pregnancy to postpartum. It concluded that social capital was associated with depression at all three time-points during and after pregnancy. More attention should be given to social capital in the maternal health promotion programs of community pregnancy health care management. Education and indoor smoking among parents who smoke: the mediating role of perceived social norms of smoking (BMC Public Health) Parents with less formal education are more likely to smoke indoors, causing socioeconomic disparity in children's exposure to second-hand smoke. However, little is known about the roles of social factors in the socioeconomic gradients of indoor smoking. This study tested the potential mediating role of perceived smoking norms on the associations between education and indoor smoking among parents who smoke. The authors concluded that perceived smoking norms, household smoking status, and a worksite smoking ban could be vital targets of a strategy aimed at reducing the socioeconomic disparity in parental home smoking behaviours. Socioeconomic position and occupational social class and their association with risky alcohol consumption among adolescents (International Journal of Public Health) The objectives of this study were to compare different measures of socioeconomic position and occupational social class and to evaluate their association with risky alcohol consumption among adolescents attending the last mandatory secondary school (ages 15–17 years). It concluded that occupational social class seems to be as good as the other indicators to assess adolescents' socioeconomic position. Adolescents with high socioeconomic position and those belonging to upper social classes reported higher levels of risky alcohol consumption. Epidemiological trends and risk factors for tobacco, alcohol and drug use among adolescents in Scotland, 2002–13 (Journal of Public Health) This study estimates trends in prevalence, and patterns, of individual and multiple substance use between 2002 and 2013 amongst adolescents in Scotland. The study concluded that further effort is required to tackle heavy alcohol and heavy illicit drug use amongst adolescents in Scotland. Prevention strategies should be informed by the risk profiles of substance misusers and evidence around the clinical and cost-effectiveness of preventive interventions. Parents' knowledge, attitudes and beliefs regarding sun protection in children: a qualitative study (BMC Public Health) Existing qualitative research exploring parents' attitudes and beliefs underpinning children's sun protection is from Australia, which has the highest melanoma incidence rates globally, and thus benefits from widespread sun protection awareness campaigns. Parents' sun protective behaviour may, therefore, differ between Australia and the UK. This study investigates the topic in a UK context, using qualitative methodology to gain detailed insights into a relatively under-researched area. The aim of the study was to explore parents' knowledge and understanding of sun protection in children, and factors that motivate and challenge them in this area. Finally, it aimed to determine if and how ethnicity and skin type influence these attitudes and beliefs. This study found parents to be motivated and concerned about children's sun protection, irrespective of children's ethnicity, and aware of appropriate protective behaviours. It indicates key challenges which could be targeted in future campaigns in order to improve sun protection in children and reduce uncertainty and anxiety regarding sun safety amongst parents. Effectiveness of active school transport interventions: a systematic review and update (BMC Public Health) Active school transport is a promising strategy to increase children's physical activity. A systematic review published in 2011 found large heterogeneity in the effectiveness of interventions in increasing active school transport and highlighted several limitations of previous research. The authors provide a comprehensive update of that review. The review concluded: Interventions may increase active school transport among children; however, there was substantial heterogeneity across studies and quality of evidence remains low. Future studies should include longer follow-ups, use standardized outcome measures (to allow for meta-analyses), and examine potential moderators and mediators of travel behavior change to help refine current interventions. Neurodevelopment in young children born to HIV-infected mothers: a meta-analysis (Pediatrics) HIV-infected (HIV+) children have worse neurodevelopmental outcomes compared with HIV-uninfected children. However, little is known regarding the differences in neurodevelopment between young HIV+ children, HIV-exposed but uninfected (HEU) children, and HIV-unexposed and uninfected (HUU) children. This study aimed to systematically review and meta-analyze data on neurodevelopmental performance between young HIV+, HEU, and HUU children. Public health failure in the prevention of neural tube defects: time to abandon the tolerable upper intake level of folate (Public Health Reviews) This study concludes that the maximum suggested intake of folate (1mg/day) is based on 'flawed' analysis. The RCOG responded to this article in terms of its significance in helping to remove barriers to folic acid fortification of foods such as flour. Bullying, mental health and friendship in Australian primary school children (Child and Adolescent Mental Health) Frequent bullying predicts adolescent mental health problems, particularly depression. This population-based study with young Australian primary school children aimed to determine the frequency and mental health correlates of bullying, and whether friendship could be protective. Family and carer smoking control programmes for reducing children's exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews) Children exposed to cigarette smoke (environmental tobacco smoke) are at greater risk of lung problems, infections, and serious complications including sudden infant death syndrome. Preventing exposure to cigarette smoke in infancy and childhood might significantly improve children's health worldwide. Parental smoking is a common source of cigarette exposure for children. Older children are also at risk of exposure to cigarette smoke in child care or educational settings. Maternal anaemia and folate intake in early pregnancy (Journal of Public Health) The World Health Organization recommends that women take 400 µg of folate supplementation daily throughout pregnancy. This study examined the relationship between total folate intake from the diet and supplements at the first prenatal visit and haematological indices at this visit and subsequently. The authors concluded that in a country where folic acid food fortification remains voluntary, these findings support the recommendation that women should start folic acid supplementation before pregnancy and continue folic acid after the first trimester. Countdown to 2030: tracking progress towards universal coverage for reproductive, maternal, newborn, and child health (Review) (The Lancet) Building upon the successes of Countdown to 2015, Countdown to 2030 aims to support the monitoring and measurement of women's, children's, and adolescents' health in the 81 countries that account for 95% of maternal and 90% of all child deaths worldwide. In this paper, the authors analyse progress towards improvement of intervention coverage, equity, and drivers of reproductive, maternal, newborn, and child health in the Countdown countries, summarise key gains, highlight areas for further action, and show how Countdown priorities are evolving in response to the sustainable development goals and universal health coverage challenge. Online information for parents caring for their premature baby at home: a focus group study and systematic web search (Health Expectations) Online resources are a source of information for parents of premature babies when their baby is discharged from hospital. The objectives of this study were to explore what topics parents deemed important after returning home from hospital with their premature baby and to evaluate the quality of existing websites that provide information for parents post-discharge. Maternal sensitivity to distress, attachment and the development of callous-unemotional traits in young children (The Journal of Child Psychology & Psychiatry) Callous-unemotional (CU) traits are characterized by a lack of responsiveness to the emotions of others, particularly negative emotions. A parenting environment where the child's own distress emotions are sensitively responded to may help foster the child's ability to respond to the emotions of others. The authors tested whether maternal sensitivity to distress, and other parenting characteristics, were associated with CU traits over the preschool period, and examined whether this was mediated via infant attachment status. Health-related physical fitness and physical activity in elementary school students (BMC Public Health) Currently, almost one-third of U.S. children are overweight or obese. To effectively combat the obesity epidemic, the 2008 American Physical Activity Guidelines recommend that school-aged children and adolescents participate in at least 60 min of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity each day. However, most children are not engaged in the recommended amount of physical activity. This study examined associations between students' physical fitness and physical activity, as well as what specific physical fitness components were more significant correlates to being physically active in different settings for boys and girls. Saving babies' lives project impact and results evaluation (SPiRE): a mixed methodology study (BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth) Reducing stillbirth and early neonatal death is a national priority in the UK. Current evidence indicates this is potentially achievable through application of four key interventions within routine maternity care delivered as the National Health Service (NHS) England's Saving Babies' Lives care bundle. However, there is significant variation in the degree of implementation of the care bundle between and within maternity units and the effectiveness in reducing stillbirth and improving service delivery has not yet been evaluated. This study aims to evaluate the impact of implementing the care bundle on UK maternity services and perinatal outcomes. School, peer and family relationships and adolescent substance use, subjective wellbeing and mental health symptoms in Wales: a cross sectional study (Child Indicators Research) Positive relationships with family, friends and school staff are consistently linked with health and wellbeing during adolescence, though fewer studies explore how these micro-systems interact to influence adolescent health. This study tests the independent and interacting roles of family, peer and school relationships in predicting substance use, subjective wellbeing and mental health symptoms among 11–16 year olds in Wales. It presents cross-sectional analyses of the 2013 Health Behaviour in School-aged Children survey, completed by 9055 young people aged 11–16 years. Physical activity, diet and other behavioural interventions for improving cognition and school achievement in children and adolescents with obesity or overweight (Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews) The aim of this Cochrane Review was to find out if healthy weight interventions can improve thinking skills and school performance in children and teenagers with obesity. Cochrane researchers collected and analysed all relevant studies to answer this question. This updated review provides some evidence that school programmes that encourage healthier child weight may also provide 'co-benefits' of thinking skills and school performance. However, we need more high-quality healthy-weight interventions that test thinking skills and school performance, as well as health outcomes. Early childhood preventive intervention and educational attainment at 35 years of age (JAMA Pediatrics) Educational attainment is the leading social determinant of health, but few studies of prevention programs have examined whether the programs are associated with educational attainment outcomes after the mid-20s, especially for large-scale programs that provide a longer duration of services. The aim of this study was to examine the association between a preschool to third grade intervention and educational attainment at midlife and differences by program duration, sex, and parental educational level. This study indicates that an established early and continuing intervention is associated with higher midlife postsecondary attainment. Replication and extension of findings to other locations and populations should further strengthen confidence in the health benefits of large-scale preventive interventions. Tools for a systematic appraisal of integrated community-based approaches to prevent childhood obesity (BMC Public Health) Evaluation and monitoring methods are often unable to identify crucial elements of success or failure of integrated community-wide approaches aiming to tackle childhood overweight and obesity, yet difficult to determine in complex programmes. Therefore, the authors aimed to systematically appraise strengths and weaknesses of such programmes and to assess the usefulness of the appraisal tools used. Stress during pregnancy and gestational weight gain (Journal of Perinatology) The objective of this study was to evaluate the association between prenatal stress and gestational weight gain. It concluded that lower reported stress, as measured by the Life Experiences Survey, was associated with a greater chance of women achieving adequate gestational weight gain. This relationship highlights the potential for interventions directed toward psychosocial support to have salutary effects upon gestational weight gain. Early parenting support and information: a consumer perspective (Infant Mental Health Journal) The transition to parenthood is a period of both joy and challenge for most parents. There is a recognized need to support parents during this period, yet existing interventions have shown limited evidence of efficacy. This study takes a consumer-focused approach to examine the needs and preferences of parents both prenatally (n = 77) and postnatally (n = 123) for parenting support. The implications for developing interventions and engaging families are discussed. The presentation of a short adapted questionnaire to measure asthma knowledge of parents (BMC Pediatrics) The aim of this study is to establish asthma knowledge of parents of children (0–18 years) with asthma at the outpatient clinic. The study concluded that education of parents concerning the working mechanism, indications and use of asthma medications are an essential part of asthma education. Asthma education should be repeated frequently to parents of children with long-term airway problems or diagnosed asthma. Special attention must be paid to parents with only high school education or less. Association of parental supply of alcohol with adolescent drinking, alcohol-related harms, and alcohol use disorder symptoms: a prospective cohort study (The Lancet Public Health) Some parents supply alcohol to their children, reportedly to reduce harm, yet longitudinal research on risks associated with such supply is compromised by short periods of observation and potential confounding. This study aimed to investigate associations between parental supply and supply from other (non-parental) sources, with subsequent drinking outcomes over a 6-year period of adolescence, adjusting for child, parent, family, and peer variables. The study concluded that providing alcohol to children is associated with alcohol-related harms. There is no evidence to support the view that parental supply protects from adverse drinking outcomes by providing alcohol to their child. Parents should be advised that this practice is associated with risk, both directly and indirectly through increased access to alcohol from other sources. Interventions for increasing fruit and vegetable consumption in children aged five years and under (Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews) Insufficient consumption of fruits and vegetables in childhood increases the risk of future chronic diseases, including cardiovascular disease. The objectives of this study were to assess the effectiveness, cost effectiveness and associated adverse events of interventions designed to increase the consumption of fruit, vegetables or both amongst children aged five years and under. The study concluded that the evidence for effective interventions to increase eating of fruit and vegetables by children aged five and under remains sparse. Child-feeding interventions appear to increase vegetable intake by children (by 4.03 g), but this conclusion is based on very low-quality evidence and is very likely to change when future research is undertaken. Advocacy for Improving Nutrition in the First 1000 Days To Support Childhood Development and Adult Health (Pediatrics) This article from the American Academy of Pediatrics explains how maternal prenatal nutrition and the child's nutrition in the first 2 years of life (1000 days) are crucial factors in a child's neurodevelopment and lifelong mental health. Does adiposity mediate the relationship between socioeconomic position and non-allergic asthma in childhood? (Epidemiology & Community Health) Despite its high prevalence, early onset and chronic nature, the causes of asthma are not clearly established. This study examined a plausible but untested relationship in the development of non-allergic asthma; an asthma phenotype closely linked to deprivation and other preventable risk factors. The authors concluded that adiposity (overweight) at age 7 does not mediate the relationship between socioeconomic position and non-allergic asthma. The results suggest that improving socioeconomic conditions and promoting healthy weight are both important in reducing the development of non-allergic asthma in early to mid-childhood. Timing of probiotic milk consumption during pregnancy and effects on the incidence of preeclampsia and preterm delivery: a prospective observational cohort study in Norway (BMJ Open) The aim of this study was to investigate whether the timing of probiotic milk intake before, during early or late pregnancy influences associations with preeclampsia and preterm delivery. It concludes: If future randomised controlled trials could establish a causal association between probiotics consumption and reduced risk of preeclampsia and preterm delivery, recommending probiotics would be a promising public health measure to reduce these adverse pregnancy outcomes. The future of crisis mental health services for children and young people (Editorial) (Child and Adolescent Mental Health) This editorial review looks at the future of mental health services for children and young people. Infant formula feeding practices and the role of advice and support: an exploratory qualitative study (BMC Pediatrics) Infant formula feeding practices are an important consideration for obesity prevention. An infant's diet is influential on their later risk of developing overweight or obesity, yet very little is known about infant formula feeding practices. It is plausible that certain modifiable practices may put children at higher risk of developing overweight or obesity, for example how much and how often a baby is fed. This study aimed to explore parents' infant formula feeding practices to understand how parents use infant formula and what factors may influence this practice. Anxiety, depression and relationship satisfaction in the pregnancy following stillbirth and after the birth of a live-born baby: a prospective study (BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth) Experiencing a stillbirth can be a potent stressor for psychological distress in the subsequent pregnancy and possibly after the subsequent birth. The impact on women's relationship with her partner in the subsequent pregnancy and postpartum remains uncertain. The objectives of the study were 1) To investigate the prevalence of anxiety and depression in the pregnancy following stillbirth and assess gestational age at stillbirth and inter-pregnancy interval as individual risk factors. 2) To assess the course of anxiety, depression and satisfaction with partner relationship up to 3 years after the birth of a live-born baby following stillbirth.
Finding out if easy guides to screening meet the needs of pregnant women who have learning disabilities (Public Health England) Do you work with women with learning disabilities? Can you help us with our online survey? Publishing easy guides is one way PHE aims to reduce inequalities, by allowing everybody to get the information they need to make informed decisions about screening. With support from PHE Screening, NHS England is beginning an evaluation of how information on antenatal and newborn screening is provided to women with learning disabilities in London. We would like feedback on the 'Screening tests for you and your baby: easy guides' from anyone involved in the antenatal and newborn screening pathway. Please complete the short survey which closes on 1 March 2018.
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