Behind the Headlines

Family meals 'help kids get their five-a-day'

Thursday Dec 20 2012

'Family meals aid five-a-day: Eating together at the table boosts children's intake of fruit and vegetables,' the Daily Mail reports. The news is from a study that aimed to explore the influence that the home...

Secondhand smoke increases childhood meningitis risk

Friday Dec 14 2012

"Meningitis link to smoking in pregnancy: Cigarettes can treble child's chance of developing the disease," the Daily Mail reports. The headlines follow the publication of a review that has looked at whether children exposed...…

One primary school child in three 'too fat'

Thursday Dec 13 2012

Obesity in children was in the headlines today, with most papers reporting that, among children in their final year at primary school, one child in three is overweight or obese. The stories come from the latest figures on children’s weight…

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Parents 'need to drink less' in front of their kids

Monday Dec 10 2012

A study into the impact of parental drinking habits was in the papers today, with the Independent reporting that parents “should drink alcohol less in front of the children” and the Daily Mail claiming that women drinkers “pass on bad habits...

Childless couples who wanted kids 'die younger'

Thursday Dec 6 2012

Childlessness “may increase likelihood of early death” BBC News has reported. The story is based on a study of more than 21,000 Danish couples seeking IVF treatment. Researchers found that women who did not go on to have a child...

Premature birth survival rates on the rise

Wednesday Dec 5 2012

'Premature babies study shows survival rates on rise' is the headline in The Guardian, which is one of many sources reporting the news that survival rates for babies born between 22 and 25 weeks have risen overall since 1995...

Whooping cough vaccine for pregnant women

Friday Nov 30 2012

"Pregnant women are to be given the whooping cough vaccine for the first time following the biggest outbreak of the disease for 20 years and the deaths of 10 babies," The Daily Telegraph has reported…

Tool to predict babies likely to become obese

Thursday Nov 29 2012

“Parents can learn whether their newborn is at risk of becoming fat using a simple online calculator,” The Daily Telegraph has reported. The story is based on a study that looked at whether a baby’s chances of becoming obese in childhood…

Car exhaust fumes 'link' to autism

Tuesday Nov 27 2012

A potential link between pollution and autism is being widely reported in the media, with The Sun headline claiming 'Exhaust fume link to autism in infants and The Daily Telegraph reporting that 'Traffic fumes linked to autism...

Yawning while in the womb may offer insight into baby’s health

Thursday Nov 22 2012

'Ultrasound scans that catch unborn babies yawning in the uterus may help doctors monitor the normal development of children in the womb' The Guardian suggests. As an new study offers the theory that yawning may be a sign of nervous system development…