Behind the Headlines

Your guide to the science that makes the news

All teens should be vaccinated against rare strain of meningitis

Monday Mar 16 2015

All teens should be vaccinated against new strain of meningitis

"A vaccination for meningitis is to be offered to all 14-18 year-olds in England and Wales, after a spike in a rare strain of the disease," The Guardian reports. The strain – meningitis W (MenW) – is described as rare, but life-threatening…

Is education the best form of teen contraception?

Monday Mar 9 2015

"Getting a good education could be the best form of contraception for teenagers," The Independent reports after a study of recent data from England found an association between improved GCSE results and lower rates of teenage pregnancy…

Over two hours screen time a day may raise a child’s blood pressure

Thursday Feb 26 2015

Over two hours screen time a day ups a child’s blood pressure

"Watching TV for more than two hours a day increases the risk of raised blood pressure in children," The Daily Telegraph reports. A large study, involving more than 5,000 children who were followed up over two years…

Peanut butter for non-allergic babies may reduce later allergies

Tuesday Feb 24 2015

Peanuts can be a choking hazard for young children

"The cure for peanut allergy – peanuts, from the age of four months," says The Guardian. This is bad advice...

Impact of daytime naps on children's sleep quality uncertain

Wednesday Feb 18 2015

Impact of daytime naps on toddlers’ sleep quality uncertain

“Daytime naps ‘should stop at the age of two’: Children have poorer quality sleep if they rest during the afternoon,” is the inaccurate headline on the Mail Online…

Obesity damage to eggs may be reversible

Wednesday Feb 11 2015

Obesity damages women’s eggs, effect may be reversible

"Damaging effect of obesity on a woman’s eggs can now be reversed," is the misleading headline from the Mail Online today. The over-egged headline refers to a mouse, not human, study looking at obesity and fertility…

Teen screen time linked to less sleep

Tuesday Feb 3 2015

"Teenagers sleep less when they have more computer screen time says study," The Guardian reports. A Norwegian study found an association between the use of any type of electronic screen device in the evening and disrupted sleep patterns…

Child obesity rates are 'stabilising'

Friday Jan 30 2015

"The rise in childhood obesity … may be beginning to level off," BBC News reports. Researchers examined trends in child and adolescent rates of overweight and obesity using electronic GP records from 1994 to…

Thousands of UK women could benefit from 'three-person' IVF

Thursday Jan 29 2015

"Thousands of women could benefit from 'three-parent' baby technique," The Independent reports. A modelling study estimated the technique, which is currently illegal, could be used for thousands of women with genes linked…

Sugary soft drinks linked to earlier periods in girls

Wednesday Jan 28 2015

"Sugary drinks may cause menstruation to start earlier, study suggests," The Guardian reports. A US study found that girls drinking more than one and a half drinks a day had their period around three months earlier than girls drinking two or less a week…