Private school pupils 'dominate'

Pupils need inspirational teachers, the charity says

Forty-two per cent of the UK's top scientists and scholars were privately educated and the trend looks likely to continue, a report suggests.

A study by the Sutton Trust educational charity looked at the schools and universities attended by 1,700 top scientists and scholars.

It also found 51% of medics, 70% of judges, 54% of leading journalists and 32% of MPs went to independent schools.

The charity says less-privileged children should be given equal chances.

Private schools educate about 7% of children in the UK and about 9% of 17-year-olds. About 14% of university entrants are from independent schools.

In the study, analysts looked at the educational backgrounds of 1,700 of the 2,200 fellows of the Royal Society and British Academy.

They found 56% of the fellows had studied at Oxford or Cambridge universities.

Chairman of the Sutton Trust, Sir Peter Lampl, said: "This report is yet more evidence of the uneven life chances in Britain.

"Students from the independent sector are substantially more likely to reach the top of our most coveted professions and succeed in influential walks of life."

The researchers concluded that the access to research-led universities - where students could go on to become leaders in their field - was "skewed towards those from better-off backgrounds".

They based this finding on recent GCSE, A-level and university entrance data.

"Private school pupils are up to five times more likely to achieve an A* grade at GCSE in core academic subjects and account for more that one third of top grades in key A-levels like physics, chemistry, economics and history", they wrote.

Sir Peter said it should be a priority to provide bright students from poorer homes with the same opportunities as more privileged young people.

"This means giving them the opportunity to study core academic subjects at GCSE and A-level, as well as raising their aspirations towards the most highly-selective university courses.

"We must also ensure that inspirational teachers in shortage subjects like physics, maths and foreign languages are encouraged to teach in schools serving less well off communities."

What Your Child's Teacher Won't Tell You

Adapted from interviews with teachers by N. Samuel

©2009 Jupiterimages Corporation

1. My first year of teaching, a fifth-grader actually threw a chair at me. I saw him recently, and he told me he just graduated from college. That’s what makes it all worthwhile.

2. I have parents who are CEOs of their own companies come in and tell me how to run my classroom. I would never think to go to their office and tell them how to do their jobs.

3. We don’t arrive at school 10 minutes before your child does. And we don’t leave the minute they get back on the bus. Many of us put in extra hours before and after school.


4. We are not the enemy. Parents and teachers really are on the same side.

5. The truth is simple: Your kid will lie to get out of trouble.

6. Encourage your child to keep reading. That’s key to success in the classroom at any age.

7. We can tell the difference between a parent helping their child with homework and doing it for them (especially when they’re clueless in class the next day).

8. Teaching is a calling. There’s not a teacher alive who will say she went into this for the money.

9. Just because your child says he did his homework doesn’t mean it’s true. You must check. Every night.

10. Teaching is not as joyful as it once was for many of us; we get jaded too. Disrespectful students and belligerent parents take a toll on us.

11. Parents give their kids the pricey gadgets and labels, but what kids really crave is for you to talk to them. They want to know you are interested in their lives.

12. We spend money out of our own pockets to buy things our students need, such as school supplies and even shoes.

13. Supportive, involved parents are crucial. But some are “helicopter parents”--they hover too much.

14. Having the summer off is great, but many of us have to take on extra jobs--teaching summer school, tutoring--to make ends meet.

15. Success is not achieved by just making kids memorize flash cards and prepping them for an Ivy League school. Sensible parents know there is a college for every kid, and that responsibility and good citizenship are what really drive success.

16. Nobody says “the dog ate my homework” anymore, but we hear a lot of “I left it on the kitchen table.” And then Mom will send in a note to back up the story.

17. We wish parents would make their kids own up to their actions instead of pressuring us to bend the rules.

18. Please stop doing everything for your child and allow them to make mistakes. How else will they learn? Kids are not motivated to succeed because they feel their parents will bail them out every time.

19. There are days when I just want to quit, but then that one smile from that one kid, changes it all.

Sources: American Federation of Teachers; interviews with elementary and middle school teachers in California, Connecticut, Georgia, Iowa, Minnesota, New York, and Texas.

ADHD brain chemistry clue found

US researchers have pinned down new differences in the brain chemistry of people with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

They found ADHD patients lack key proteins which allow them to experience a sense of reward and motivation.

The Brookhaven National Laboratory study appears in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

It is hoped it could help in the design of new ways to combat the condition.

For far too long there has been an assumption that children with ADHD are deliberately wilful Andrea Bilbow ADDISS

Previous research looking at the brains of people with ADHD had uncovered differences in areas controlling attention and hyperactivity.

But this study suggests ADHD has a profound impact elsewhere in the brain too.

Researcher Dr Nora Volkow said: "These deficits in the brain's reward system may help explain clinical symptoms of ADHD, including inattention and reduced motivation, as well as the propensity for complications such as drug abuse and obesity among ADHD patients."

The researchers compared brain scans of 53 adult ADHD patients who had never received treatment with those from 44 people who did not have the condition.

All of the participants had been carefully screened to eliminate factors which could potentially skew the results.

Dopamine pathway

Using a sophisticated form of scan called positron emission tomography (PET), the researchers focused on how the participants' brains handled the chemical dopamine, a key regulator of mood.

In particular they measured levels of two proteins - dopamine receptors and transporters - without which dopamine cannot function effectively to influence mood.

ADHD patients had lower levels of both proteins in two areas of the brain known as the nucleus accumbens and midbrain.

Both form part of the limbic system, responsible for the emotions, and sensations such as motivation and reward.

Patients with more pronounced ADHD symptoms had the lowest levels of the proteins in these areas.

It suggests that teachers need to make sure that school tasks are interesting and exciting, so that children with ADHD are motivated to remain interested Professor Katya Rubia

Dr Volkow said the findings supported the use of stimulant medications to treat ADHD by raising dopamine levels.

The findings also support the theory that people with ADHD may be more prone to drug abuse and obesity because they are unconsciously attempting to compensate for a deficient reward system.

Andrea Bilbow, of the ADHD charity ADDISS, said the study might help convince people who argue that ADHD is more to do with bad parenting than any concrete medical difference.

She said: "The findings of this new research will go a long way to helping us understand the presentation of symptoms but more importantly it may give teachers more of an idea of what interventions should be used in the classroom in order to accommodate children with ADHD.

"For far too long there has been an assumption that children with ADHD are deliberately wilful which has led to mismanagement and ultimately permanent exclusions from school."

Professor Katya Rubia, of London's Institute of Psychiatry, said: "This study widens our horizons. It shows that ADHD is not just about abnormalities in the attention systems of the brain, but also abnormalities in the motivation and emotion centres.

"It suggests that teachers need to make sure that school tasks are interesting and exciting, so that children with ADHD are motivated to remain interested."

Parents 'ignoring eye sun danger'

Optometrist Dr Susan Blakeney gives her tips for choosing protective shades

Three in four parents are risking their child's eyesight by exposing them to bright sun without appropriate protection, experts warn.

Nearly a third of parents in Britain do not buy their children sunglasses, a poll of 2,000 people for the College of Optometrists revealed.

Of those who do, nearly half put price before protection and only a quarter buy sunglasses from a trusted brand.

The College recommends choosing dark glasses with a CE mark for quality.

Sunglasses don't need to be expensive to offer good protection but it is important for parents to check that the pair they buy carry a CE Mark Optometrist Dr Susan Blakeney

People with light coloured eyes are most at risk from sun damage and those with blue eyes should always wear sunglasses, the experts advise.

UV rays from sunlight can damage the retina and the lens of the eye and can lead to long-term damage.

Too much exposure is linked to conditions like cataracts and age-related macular degeneration.

Wearing cheap sunglasses with no UV filters poses an even greater danger than wearing none at all because the pupils will dilate allowing more harmful rays into the eye.

BUYING TIPS Buy good quality dark sunglasses from a reputable seller Look for the standard CE mark for quality Ensure they are a good fit - children should not be able to peep over the top Bands can be worn to keep the sunglasses on - particularly useful for the sporty

And the risk is cumulative, meaning the more UV exposure a person has the higher their risk will be.

Dr Susan Blakeney, optometric adviser at the College of Optometrists, said: "I am shocked to see that so many parents aren't ensuring that their child's eyes are protected in the sun, and am equally astounded to see that of those who do, many are opting for 'cheap and cheerful' over quality.

"Sunglasses don't need to be expensive to offer good protection but it is important for parents to check that the pair they buy carry a CE mark."

She said most children would happily wear sunglasses but said a sunhat to shade the eyes would also work, particularly for infants who may pull the glasses off.

However, research has shown mixed results about whether UV causes significant damage.

Consultant paediatric ophthalmologist Michael Clarke said the issue was controversial.

The Royal College of Ophthalmologists recommends children wear protective sunglasses if they are likely to be exposed to a lot of UV light, such as during a day at the beach.

Very young children should not be exposed to bright sunshine at all, says the college.

Middle-Income Family Spends $221,000 To Raise Baby: Report

It's no secret that raising children can be expensive, but how about nearly a quarter of a million dollars expensive?

A government report released Tuesday says a middle-income family with a child born last year will spend about $221,000 raising that child through age 17.

The report by the USDA's Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion identified housing as the largest single expense, followed by food and child care/education costs. The $221,000 in expenses rises to about $292,000 when adjusted for inflation.

USDA economist Mark Lino, who co-authored the report with Andrea Carlson, often hears people say children cost a lot when the annual findings are issued.

"I tell them children also have many benefits, so you have to keep that in mind," he said.

Families with more income spend more money on child-related costs, the report said. A two-parent family that earns less than $57,000 annually will spend about $160,000 on a child from birth through high school. Those with an income between $57,000 and $99,000 spend about $221,000 and those with higher incomes are expected to spend roughly $367,000 through age 17.

Most single-parent households in the U.S. make less than $57,000 and are expected to spend about 7 percent less on child-rearing costs compared to two-parent households in that same income group, according to the report.

Costs of raising a child are highest in the urban northeast and lowest in the urban south and rural areas.

The USDA report helps courts and states determine child-support guidelines and foster care payments. It does not address costs specifically related to childbearing and paying for college.

One of the largest changes over time has been the increase in costs related to care for young children.

The report was first issued in 1960, when such costs were largely negligible, but with more working families turning to outside help with child care, it has grown to be a significant expense for many families. The report does not give total costs related to early child care.

A mother of three, Raben Andrews of St. Louis, said the government figures sounded right to her. "Well, that's not half of it," joked the 42-year-old public school teacher. "I still have to put the little buggers through college."

Autism 'hits body language skill'

Problems processing visual information may stop those with autism interpreting body language, harming their ability to gauge others' emotions, a study says.

Researchers say people with autism have problems recognising physical displays of emotion, but also general difficulty perceiving certain sorts of motion.

They suggest in Neuropsychologia this may contribute to problems with social interaction, characteristic of autism.

The National Autistic Society said the UK study was an interesting one.

A team from the University of Durham studied 13 adults with autism and found the patients had difficulty identifying emotions such as anger or happiness when shown short animated video clips.

Silent movies

The characters had no faces, nor did they speak, so the participants were asked to judge the emotion based on the body language of the figure alone.

Along with 16 adults with no autism diagnosis, they were also shown a number of dots on a computer screen and asked which way they were moving. A proportion of dots moved noticeably to the left or right, while the others moved randomly.

The way people move their bodies tells us a lot about their feelings or intentions, and we use this information on a daily basis to communicate with each other Anthony Atkinson Lead author

The performance of the autism group was significantly below that of the others in both tests, leading researchers to speculate that there may be serious differences between the ability to process visual information.

They point to an area of the brain needed for the perception of motion called the superior temporal sulcus, and cite previous research which has found that this area responds differently in people with autism.

"The way people move their bodies tells us a lot about their feelings or intentions, and we use this information on a daily basis to communicate with each other.

"We use others' body movements and postures, as well as people's faces and voices, to gauge their feelings," said Anthony Atkinson, who led the research.

"People with autism are less able to use these cues to make accurate judgements about how others are feeling.

"We now need to look further to see how exactly this happens and how this may combine with potential difficulties in attention."

It is thought as many as half a million people in the UK have a form of autism, a lifelong developmental disability which can severely affect how a person makes sense of the world around them.

Gina Gomez De La Cuesta, of the National Autistic Society, said the study was an interesting one.

"It certainly takes us on. We know of these problems with emotion recognition but to start to unpick the reasons why is helpful. There appear to be difficulties at the very basic processing level.

"But we really need to see this repeated in more people and then we can start thinking about how we act on it."

Study nails secret of child sleep

He may not have had enough exercise today. Researchers have confirmed what parents have long believed - running around in the day means your child may well fall asleep faster at night. But the study of 500 children provides a figure: for every hour they sit, they need three minutes longer to nod off. Interestingly, it was not relevant what the child did while they sat. TV was no more detrimental than quietly reading. And the Archives of Disease in Childhood found those who took longer to get to sleep were no worse behaved. Experts from Monash University in Melbourne and the University of Auckland looked at 519 seven-year-olds. The majority fell asleep within 45 minutes, and the average "sleep latency" - the time it took - was 26 minutes. Sleepyhead Children who were very physically active during the day tended to take less time to fall asleep, but the more prominent association was between being sedentary and taking longer to drift off. Those who fell asleep faster also tended to sleep for longer. There has been much discussion about the impact of reduced sleep duration on children. "As short sleep duration is associated with obesity and lower cognitive performance, community emphasis on the importance of promoting healthy sleep in children is vitally important," the researchers wrote. Activity is not the be all and end all, and shouldn't be encouraged right before bedtime Mandy Gurney Sleep specialist "This study emphasises the importance of physical activity for children, not only for fitness, cardiovascular health and weight control, but also for sleep." They did not however find any evidence of bad behaviour, as measured by professional charts, among those who took longer to fall asleep. Nor did they find any significantly different sleep latencies for children who went to bed after 9pm. Mandy Gurney, founder of children's sleep clinic Millpond, said the research was useful confirmation of the benefits of exercise for sleep as well as fitness and weight. "But activity is not the be all and end all, and shouldn't be encouraged right before bedtime. What's essential is a routine wind-down hour, a quiet time before bed. A warm bath, but no longer than 10 minutes, and then straight into a darkened bedroom. "That way you make the most of the the natural sleep trigger of the warm water, and you can cap it all off with a bedtime story."

Unraveling how children become bilingual so easily

The best time to learn a foreign language: Between birth and age 7. Missed that window?

New research is showing just how children's brains can become bilingual so easily, findings that scientists hope eventually could help the rest of us learn a new language a bit easier.

"We think the magic that kids apply to this learning situation, some of the principles, can be imported into learning programs for adults," says Dr. Patricia Kuhl of the University of Washington, who is part of an international team now trying to turn those lessons into more teachable technology.

Each language uses a unique set of sounds. Scientists now know babies are born with the ability to distinguish all of them, but that ability starts weakening even before they start talking, by the first birthday.

Kuhl offers an example: Japanese doesn't distinguish between the "L" and "R" sounds of English — "rake" and "lake" would sound the same. Her team proved that a 7-month-old in Tokyo and a 7-month-old in Seattle respond equally well to those different sounds. But by 11 months, the Japanese infant had lost a lot of that ability.

Time out — how do you test a baby? By tracking eye gaze. Make a fun toy appear on one side or the other whenever there's a particular sound. The baby quickly learns to look on that side whenever he or she hears a brand-new but similar sound. Noninvasive brain scans document how the brain is processing and imprinting language.

Mastering your dominant language gets in the way of learning a second, less familiar one, Kuhl's research suggests. The brain tunes out sounds that don't fit.

"You're building a brain architecture that's a perfect fit for Japanese or English or French," whatever is native, Kuhl explains — or, if you're a lucky baby, a brain with two sets of neural circuits dedicated to two languages.

It's remarkable that babies being raised bilingual — by simply speaking to them in two languages — can learn both in the time it takes most babies to learn one. On average, monolingual and bilingual babies start talking around age 1 and can say about 50 words by 18 months.

Italian researchers wondered why there wasn't a delay, and reported this month in the journal Science that being bilingual seems to make the brain more flexible.

The researchers tested 44 12-month-olds to see how they recognized three-syllable patterns — nonsense words, just to test sound learning. Sure enough, gaze-tracking showed the bilingual babies learned two kinds of patterns at the same time — like lo-ba-lo or lo-lo-ba — while the one-language babies learned only one, concluded Agnes Melinda Kovacs of Italy's International School for Advanced Studies.

While new language learning is easiest by age 7, the ability markedly declines after puberty.

"We're seeing the brain as more plastic and ready to create new circuits before than after puberty," Kuhl says. As an adult, "it's a totally different process. You won't learn it in the same way. You won't become (as good as) a native speaker."

Yet a soon-to-be-released survey from the Center for Applied Linguistics, a nonprofit organization that researches language issues, shows U.S. elementary schools cut back on foreign language instruction over the last decade. About a quarter of public elementary schools were teaching foreign languages in 1997, but just 15 percent last year, say preliminary results posted on the center's Web site.

What might help people who missed their childhood window? Baby brains need personal interaction to soak in a new language — TV or CDs alone don't work. So researchers are improving the technology that adults tend to use for language learning, to make it more social and possibly tap brain circuitry that tots would use.

Recall that Japanese "L" and "R" difficulty? Kuhl and scientists at Tokyo Denki University and the University of Minnesota helped develop a computer language program that pictures people speaking in "motherese," the slow exaggeration of sounds that parents use with babies.

Japanese college students who'd had little exposure to spoken English underwent 12 sessions listening to exaggerated "Ls" and "Rs" while watching the computerized instructor's face pronounce English words. Brain scans — a hair dryer-looking device called MEG, for magnetoencephalography — that measure millisecond-by-millisecond activity showed the students could better distinguish between those alien English sounds. And they pronounced them better, too, the team reported in the journal NeuroImage.

"It's our very first, preliminary crude attempt but the gains were phenomenal," says Kuhl.

But she'd rather see parents follow biology and expose youngsters early. If you speak a second language, speak it at home. Or find a play group or caregiver where your child can hear another language regularly.

"You'll be surprised," Kuhl says. "They do seem to pick it up like sponges."

Nursery Equipment Safety for Newborn Babies

What to look for when buying things for baby

Some parents buy just a few essential pieces of nursery equipment for their newborn baby, such as a crib and a stroller. Others purchase the whole kit and caboodle: carrier seat, bassinet, change table, playpen, and more. Here are a few safety considerations when choosing nursery equipment for your newborn baby.

Cribs

Your newborn baby’s crib is one of the most important purchases you will make in terms of nursery equipment. As with most nursery equipment, if you buy a new crib labelled with the initials of your national safety association, you can be quite confident that it meets national safety requirements. However, you need to be especially diligent about safety concerns if your baby will be using a “previously enjoyed” crib. In Canada, crib safety standards changed in September 1986, so you should only use a crib that was manufactured after that date. When choosing a crib, make sure it meets the following safety requirements:

• slats spaced no more than 6 cm apart, so your baby’s head cannot squeeze through
• no missing or cracked slats
• a snugly fitting mattress with less than two finger widths between the edge of the mattress and the side of the crib
• corner posts that are no higher than 1.5 mm, to prevent your baby’s clothing from getting entangled on the posts
• head- and footboards that do not have cutouts where your baby’s head can become entrapped
• drop-side latches that stay securely in the raised position and are not easily released
• screws and bolts that are secure and tightly fastened

Never leave your baby in a crib with the drop side down. Place the crib away from blinds or curtains where your baby can become entangled in the cords. When your child reaches 90 cm or about three feet in height, or can climb over the sides of the crib, she should be moved to a bed.

Bassinets and cradles

A bassinet or cradle should have a sturdy bottom, a wide base, and no protruding staples or other hardware that can harm your newborn baby. The mattress should be firm and fit snugly. The legs of the bassinet or cradle should be sturdy and strong. If the legs can fold, they should have locks to prevent folding while in use. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions and make sure not to use the bassinet or cradle if your baby is above the height or weight requirement of the device.

Carrier seats

A carrier seat should have a wide, sturdy base and a non-skid bottom to prevent slipping. The seat should come with an easy to use buckle or strap that secures your newborn baby’s crotch and waist. Carrier seats should not be used as car seats.

Change tables

Change tables need to have safety straps to prevent falls. Choose a table that has easily accessible drawers and shelves. Always strap your newborn baby into the change table and never leave her on the table unattended.

Playpens

A wooden playpen should have slats spaced no more than 6 cm apart. If there are staples, they should not be missing or loose.

If you choose a mesh playpen, make sure that the openings in the mesh are no more than 7 mm wide and that there are no tears, holes, or loose threads. The mesh should be securely attached to the floor plate and top rail.

Never leave your baby in a drop-side playpen with the drop side down. Your baby might roll into the area between the mattress and the dropped mesh side and suffocate. Even newborn babies can roll unexpectedly and become hurt in this way.

Playpens are not designed for sleeping. Do not leave your baby sleeping in a playpen.

Strollers

Make sure that your baby’s stroller has a wide base to prevent tipping. The brakes should securely lock the wheels. The seat belt should be securely attached to the frame and the buckle should be easy to use. Always use the seat belt when you take your newborn baby out in the stroller.

If your stroller has a shopping basket, make sure it hangs low in the back, directly over the rear wheels for stability. If your stroller does not have a shopping basket, do not hang items on the stroller, as this could cause tipping.

Pacifiers

When choosing a pacifier, make sure that its shield is large and firm so it will not fit in your baby’s mouth. The shield should contain ventilation holes so your baby can breathe if it does get into her mouth. Make sure that the pacifier nipple does not have any holes or tears and that the nipple cannot easily break off in your baby’s mouth. Do not attach strings or cords to the pacifier, and never hang a pacifier around your baby’s neck.

Toys

Rattles, squeeze toys, and other toys should be removed from your newborn baby’s crib while she sleeps, to prevent suffocation. If you do wish to use a toy in the crib, make sure it has no small parts that could be considered a choking hazard and no strings longer than 18 cm. If the label on the toy has a warning that it should be removed from the crib by a certain age, make sure to do so when your baby reaches that age. Remove crib gyms when your baby is able to pull or push up on her hands and knees.

When using toys and rattles outside the crib, make sure they are made of sturdy construction and will not break apart easily. Avoid toys and rattles that have small parts that can detach and become lodged in your baby’s throat.

Safety considerations for older babies

If your newborn baby is less than one month of age, she is still too young for back carriers and high chairs, and she probably will not need gates or a toy chest yet. Safety considerations for these items will become important as your baby gets older.

• Back carriers: A back carrier should not be used until your baby is four or five months old, when her neck is strong enough to withstand jolts. When choosing a back carrier, make sure it contains a restraining strap for your baby, and that the frame is covered with padding, especially near baby’s face. Also check that the leg openings are small enough to prevent your baby from slipping out, but large enough to prevent chafing.
• Gates: Make sure that the slats are spaced closely enough that your baby’s head cannot become stuck between them. Accordion-style gates are especially prone to causing head entrapment. Also make sure that the gate is strong enough and secured tightly enough to resist the strength of a child.
• High chairs: The chair should have a wide, stable base and a tray that locks securely. If this is a folding chair, it needs to have an effective locking device so that the chair will not collapse when in use. Ensure that the chair has an easy-to-use child restraining strap, and that any such straps are separate from the tray itself. When using the chair, always buckle in your baby, to prevent her from sliding under the tray and falling or strangling.
• Toy boxes: Toy boxes without lids are preferable. If you choose a toy box with a lid, make sure it does not have a latch, which could trap a child inside. A spring-loaded lid is safer than a free-falling lid, to avoid head injuries. Make sure that the toy box has ventilation holes in case your baby gets trapped inside.

Nursery equipment to avoid

Baby bath rings or seats and baby walkers are not recommended for use due to safety concerns. Baby walkers are banned in Canada; it is illegal to import or sell them, even second-hand. If you have one, Health Canada recommends that you destroy it and throw it away so it cannot be used again.

Modern signs of childhood obesity

 

Times have changed.

“When we started the clinic 15 years ago, we primarily saw kids who had congenital heart problems; problems they had inherited,” says Brian McCrindle, chief of the paediatric cholesterol and cardiac clinics and a cardiologist at Toronto’s SickKids Hospital. “Today we’re seeing obesity as the cause of these problems. And it’s not just my clinic. Across the board, gastroenterologists are seeing an increase in fatty livers; endocrinologists are seeing a boom in diabetes.”

Dr. McCrindle could well have added juvenile heart attack, high blood pressure, insulin resistance, unsafe cholesterol levels, and stroke to this inventory, all on the rise and caused in large measure by unhealthy weight gain in children. “The implications of what happens when kids become overweight is like putting the pedal to the floor in accelerating atherosclerosis,” he says, adding yet another obesity-related condition to the list.

Childhood obesity has become so bad that a new populist label has been coined to describe what happens when kids suffer with three or more symptoms. “This cluster of risks is loosely defined as ‘metabolic syndrome’,” Dr. McCrindle says, explaining that these risks together make children more susceptible to further problems.

Lifestyle changes for long-term health

Dr. McCrindle blames the epidemic on calorie-dense, sugary foods marketed directly to kids. This, he says, comes at a time when physical activity is being programmed out of school and an explosion of media-based pursuits is replacing outdoor activity. “It takes two minutes to eat a chocolate bar, and 40 minutes of running to use up those calories.” He says schools must teach children fitness routines for life, otherwise heart conditions and other “diseases of the old" will more and more become diseases of the young. “We need a coordinated action plan.”

Dr. McCrindle advises parents to make sure their children are snacking on fruits and vegetables. He says the only thing children over the age of two should be drinking is low-fat milk or water with their meals. He also says there should be limits set on computer and other passive activities. “If possible, being active with your children is the best example you can set,” he says.

The alternative to being active and eating right

Bariatric surgery, where the stomach is surgically reduced up to a tenth of its size, is now performed routinely in the U.S. on children. A smaller stomach means less food can go in it at any one time. The surgery is a last-ditch attempt at weight loss and like any operation, should not be taken lightly.

Botox for babies

Toxin's uses more than just skin deep

The temporary paralysis induced by Botox injections, making them effective at reducing wrinkles on the face, has other, less superficial uses. In addition to righting crossed eyes, reducing excessive drooling, and relieving chronic headache pain, Botox is now commonly used to control involuntary muscle spasms and contractions in children with cerebral palsy (CP) and other disorders.

"I've seen two-year-olds trying to stand up, legs crossed, bent at the knees and on their tippy-toes wanting to walk," says Dr. Ellen Wood, paediatric neurologist at IWK Health Centre in Halifax, describing some of her pre-Botoxed CP patients. "Over a couple of months with therapy, some of those children are walking on their own."

Botulinum toxin

Botox is a commercial name and the popular short form for a protein molecule called Clostridium botulinum toxin, of which there are several types. When injected into a muscle, type A binds to specific presynaptic nerve terminals, essentially shutting them down, causing paralysis and muscle relaxation. Over time, neurotransmission resumes after new nerve endings sprout and reform contacts with muscle fibres. This takes from three to six months.  

"It's the brain's job to tell the muscles to relax. In CP, the brain isn't doing that so you get the constant contraction," says Wood. This effect can be mild or severe, and can take place on different parts of the body, although contracted leg muscles are common. "They may just walk on their tip-toes, or their legs may cross over in scissoring pose to the point their hips come out of the joint."

The process starts with a needle

"Just the calf muscle of one leg is four Botox injections," says Wood, adding the number of needles goes up from there. "These are intra-muscular injections, which are normally painful, and they need to be in the right place." For most kids, especially the younger ones, this means a general anaesthetic and sleeping thourhg the procedure. "If you don't, you might get the first one in the right place but the rest, no. Not with a screaming child."

Although the kids wake up feeling the same, within a few days changes are noticed. Botox's maximum effect comes in a couple of weeks. The relaxation Botox provides creates a window in which the muscles can grow and other therapies can be used to help stretch out muscles, making them more mobile.

"We might put the child's leg in a cast to help with muscle stretching and the Botox may mean just one surgery, or perhaps surgery avoided, rather than multiple operations," says Wood, adding the ongoing process is ultimately dependent on brain function. "In the long term, we don't know what will happen. We are building them up physically and giving them opportunities. If they have the ability in the brain, we can deal with the legs. Sometimes the brain can't coordinate movement and this is why the treatment doesn't always work."

But often it does, which is a special experience for Wood. "As child neurologists we don't ever make anyone better. We are dealing with injured brains. We are not used to dramatic change," she says. "But when the first child I did came back a month later walking with help, that was pretty neat."

Not bad for the most toxic protein known to humanity.

No proof' for filling baby teeth

Children can be afraid of going to the dentist Filling rotten baby teeth may be an unnecessary trial for children to endure, experts say. Some 40% of five-year-olds in the UK have tooth decay and at least one in 10 of these is treated with fillings. But anecdotal evidence from 50 dentists gathered by Manchester University researchers suggests filling baby teeth may not offer significant benefits. Advisers to the NHS are now beginning a study on treatment options to provide dentists with clear guidelines. Experts already know there is wide variation in care which means that a young child with signs of tooth decay could have no treatment, a filling or the tooth pulled out depending on which dentist they attend. At the moment there is no clear [treatment] winner and we do not know which is best to recommend Dr Gail Topping University of Dundee Without any clear guidelines, dentists currently have to rely on their experience and judgement to decide whether or not to intervene. If the child is in severe pain and having sleepless nights, and the parent is confident that their child will cope with and benefit from the treatment, then the choice may be clear. But when the decay is not causing symptoms, it can be difficult to decide what is in the child's best interests given that their tooth will ultimately fall out by the time they are 11 anyway. Indeed, anecdotal evidence gathered from the case notes of 50 dentists suggests filling baby teeth may achieve nothing but expose children to the discomfort of an injection and the sound of the drill. Dental phobia Professor Martin Tickle, of the University of Manchester, found no difference in the numbers of extractions for pain or infection whether baby teeth had been filled or not. And when he surveyed the parents of all five-year-olds living in Ellesmere Port and Chester in 2003, he found only 6% would want their child to have a filling if they had symptomless decay in a baby tooth. You do not want to upset the child and make them phobic of future treatments Kamini Shah British Association for the Study of Community Dentistry In comparison, a third would want the dentist to monitor the tooth but provide no treatment. Experts working for the Health Technology Assessment Programme plan to recruit over 1,000 children from across the UK to take part a study that will compare the outcomes of three treatment options. They are conventional drilling and filling, no fillings or a painless paint-on tooth treatment that merely seals and contains the decay. Lead investigator Dr Gail Topping, of the University of Dundee, said: "This is a really big question to answer. "At the moment there is no clear winner and we do not know which is best to recommend. There is no guidance or mandate. "At the moment, dentists are doing what they believe is the right option for the child on a case by case basis." She said dentists would welcome evidence-based guidelines because the treatment decision can be a difficult one to make. Softly, softly Kamini Shah, dentist and honorary secretary of the British Association for the Study of Community Dentistry, said: "There are two schools of thought, one being that baby teeth can cause pain and sleepless nights and so dentists should fill. "The other is that actually the evidence around filling baby teeth is questionable. "Sometimes you need to adopt a pragmatic approach rather than go in with all guns blazing. "If a child is very uncooperative but has a mouthful of non-symptomatic holes you might decide to apply a fluoride varnish to stabilise the disease rather than to do conventional fillings." Painted on with a small brush, the banana-flavoured varnish is totally painless and can slow or even stop the decay if applied often enough. Sophie Waller had an extreme phobia of dentists, an inquest was told Dr Shah said: "That way you gain the child's confidence and can work on prevention. You do not want to upset the child and make them phobic of future treatments. "The problem arises when children come in aged three or four and it is their first experience of the dentist and it is because they are in pain. "In that scenario you can well imagine that they might not be most cooperative." She said in extreme cases, and when the decay was so bad it necessitated treatment, a child might be referred for anxiety management or have the teeth removed under general anaesthetic. Recently, an eight-year-old girl starved to death because of an apparently severe dental phobia. Sophie Waller, from St Dennis in Cornwall, is thought to have been so traumatised by her phobia that she refused to open her mouth after having eight teeth removed under general anaesthetic. The full trial will run for four years from 2011 across England, Scotland and Wales, with a feasibility study starting in the coming months.

No rush to lose extra baby pounds

Victoria Beckham was back in shape shortly after giving birth to her boys

Trying to copy celebrities who are back in skinny jeans weeks after giving birth is unrealistic and dangerous, new mothers are being warned.

It can take women six months or even a year, not weeks, to shed the weight they put on in pregnancy, say experts.

Crash diets and intensive exercise programmes are not only likely to fail but can harm mother and baby.

The advice comes from Germany's Institute for Quality and Efficiency in Health Care.

According to the Institute, women are under too much pressure to lose weight quickly after giving birth, when many need some of that extra weight to provide nourishment for the baby.

For about half of all women, the weight will not go away as quickly The Institute's director Professor Peter Sawicki

And celebrities who snap back to their normal weight within weeks of having a baby are not a true reflection of real life.

Stars like Nicole Kidman and Victoria Beckham were back in their skinny jeans weeks after giving birth, while model Heidi Klum was on the catwalk in her underwear weeks after having her baby.

No rush

The Institute's director Professor Peter Sawicki said: "Often, the extra effort women have to make to look after a new baby and breastfeed after giving birth means the kilos just melt away without effort.

"But for about half of all women, the weight will not go away as quickly."

Those new mothers still in their maternity wear weeks later should not rush to do punishing exercise classes, says the guidance, but should instead follow a sensible diet and build up slowly to more strenuous exercise.

We would discourage a rush to lose weight after pregnancy Louise Silverton of the Royal College of Midwives

"Even though many magazines have 'get your bikini body back quickly' diets on their covers, promising women they can achieve their ideal weight in time for summer, it is not getting quick results that counts the most.

"This is particularly true after pregnancy. It is normal for it to take three to six months for women to lose the weight they gained in pregnancy," it says.

Professor Sawicki said women could avoid weight problems after birth by eating sensibly during pregnancy.

"It is not a good idea to 'eat for two' in pregnancy and forget about your weight until after the baby is born if you are at all overweight - or prone to overweight - already."

Louise Silverton of the Royal College of Midwives agreed with the advice.

"We would discourage a rush to lose weight after pregnancy, it places undue strain on the mother's body when she needs her strength to look after her baby, and the evidence suggests that slow and sustained weight loss, if needed, is the sensible option.

"Also, following the birth and to breastfeed well, women need a good diet with adequate energy intake, so restricting the amount of food they eat simply to lose weight should be avoided."

UK guidance on weight management for mothers after childbirth is due to be published by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence next year.