Things in the Illingworth Library - July

Our New Temporary Home 

June 2023 was all about change in the Illingworth Library! 

The Library has been on the move: we are now in our new temporary home, on the first floor at 26 Northumberland Road (the Estates building). We are open from 9am – 4.30, Monday – Friday, with study spaces for 6-8 people. Laptops are available to use; please email or call to book a study space. This will be our home until the Helipad build is completed.

We will continue to provide all your Library services:  Literature searches, training (where you are, on Teams, or at at Northumberland Road), and supplying articles to support your work and learning. Our click and collect service enables you to borrow books; you can return items to Northumberland Road or to the book return box in the restaurant.

New Assistant Librarian

The other change is that I (Ruth Flagg-Abbey) have joined the Library as Assistant Librarian, following Jess's departure in April. I have started to settle in, and am enjoying being part of the Library team here. I am looking forward to meeting Sheffield Children's colleagues over the coming months. I will be publishing the monthly blog, hoping to keep the eclectic blend of information and interest. As a Librarian, I am always looking for new ways to access information. And old ways too, as you can see. 

Things in the news

Free sight tests in special schools

Sight tests carried out in special schools will be delivered free of charge, following this recent announcement from the Department of Health and Social Care and NHS England. The scheme is due to start in 2024 to 2025 and should support around 165,000 pupils. Children in special schools are 28 times more likely to have serious eye problems than the general population and they experience more barriers to accessing eye services; this can only be good news.

Sharp rise in eating disorders: "The only thing we could control was what you ate and how you looked"

The BBC reports on a 'staggering rise' in the incidence of eating disorders among teenage girls between 2020 and 2022. During the pandemic, prolonged access to social media, more focus on body image and less face-to-face contact may have led to feelings of low self-esteem and psychological distress, particularly among adolescent girls, according to the study. Social media may also have exposed young people to content which increased the risk of developing an eating disorder.  

Caring for the carers

The King's Fund has published a report looking into the role of unpaid carers, with the  aim of finding ways to improve the support which they receive. The 2021 Census found that 4.7 million people are caring for another person, so this question touches many of us personally as well as professionally. 

Young people who have a long wait for a cancer diagnosis have a reduced quality of life

A report from The National Institute for Health and Care Research suggests that longer times to cancer diagnoses were associated with lower quality of life, anxiety, and depression among young people. These findings are part of the BRIGHTLIGHT cohort study of 830 young people aged 12 – 24 years which the researchers say was the first large study of the psychological and quality of life experiences of times to diagnosis among young people. 

Things to do in July in Sheffield

For garden and wildlife lovers

The Marvellous Meadows event on July 2nd 10.30am - 4 pm will give an inside view of the work of Green Estate, including tours of the Pictorial Meadows beds (booking essential). Green Estate recently received a King's Award for Sustainable Development, as reported here.

The Manor Lodge is also open and is well worth a visit, although maybe not to stay for the 14 years that Mary Queen of Scots spent in Sheffield (some of it in the Lodge) as an unwilling ‘guest’ of the Duke of Norfolk.  (Sundays, April – September 10am – 4pm). 

For the curious

'Sounds of the Stacks' in the University of Sheffield's Western Bank Library from 17th - 21st July is open to all and sounds intriguing: "This site-specific installation temporarily transforms Western Bank Library’s Level 2 into an interactive sound environment. You are invited to walk through the stacks and explore a collection of low-volume compositions made with sounds related to the building ranging from the quiet turning of pages and the rattling of book trolleys to recordings of fairground organs from The National Fairground and Circus Archive."

For music fans

Sheffield in July must mean that it's time for Sheffield's contribution to the music festival scene: Tramlines. If you get a bit misty-eyed about the good ol' days when Tramlines was free, then there are two whole days of free music at the People's Park in Heeley at Pax in the Park over the weekend of 21st - 23rd July. The lineup includes the Oughtibridge Brass Band and John Otway, so there's surely something for everyone! 

It's a Sheffield Thing

As I am a functional cook at best (to quote my oldest friend: 'Ruth, that's not really cooking; that's catering'), we have a new feature for the 'and finally' slot.

Like most newcomers to Sheffield (I've only been here for 17 years), I am constantly surprised by the wealth of small businesses in and around the city.  So I hope to highlight one of these every month, to spread the word about the joy of shopping locally. To start, what else but a bookshop? 

In the most unlovely of locations, on the ring-road in Shalesmoor is Kelham Island Books and Music. Don't be put off by its exterior which is '1970s awful': pop in for five minutes, you may well be there an hour later, browsing along its well-ordered shelves and finding a bargain copy of that natural history book you've been meaning to read for ages. 

Things in the library 3 Sept...

 Things to read... 

Our next Reading Group meeting will be on 4th Oct still online via Teams. A book that I particularly enjoyed when I read it a couple of years ago so I am interested in what other people think of it. The book is Bear Town by Fredrik Backman and don't be put off thinking it is about sport - anyone who knows me will know I have no interest in sport! 

It is a dazzling, profound novel about a small town with a big dream—and the price required to make it come true.

People say Beartown is finished. A tiny community nestled deep in the forest, it is slowly losing ground to the ever encroaching trees. But down by the lake stands an old ice rink, built generations ago by the working men who founded this town. And in that ice rink is the reason people in Beartown believe tomorrow will be better than today. Their junior ice hockey team is about to compete in the national semi-finals, and they actually have a shot at winning. All the hopes and dreams of this place now rest on the shoulders of a handful of teenage boys.

Being responsible for the hopes of an entire town is a heavy burden, and the semi-final match is the catalyst for a violent act that will leave a young girl traumatized and a town in turmoil. Accusations are made and, like ripples on a pond, they travel through all of Beartown, leaving no resident unaffected.

 

Things about pre-eclampsia... 

 A blood test which identifies pre-eclampsia in pregnant women, a condition that is potentially life- threatening if not diagnosed and closely monitored, is being supported and spread across the region by the Yorkshire & Humber Academic Health Science Network (AHSN).

The test eliminates the risk of poor prediction of pre-eclampsia and reduces the risk of unnecessary hospitalisation for women who will not go on to develop the condition. This creates the potential to free up hospital beds and provides both an improved patient experience and wellbeing and financial benefit for the NHS.

Things about CAMHS ..

CAMHS National Summit 2021: transforming mental health services for children and young adults. This online conference, organised by Social Care Conferences, takes place on 16 November 2021. Further information: Social Care Conferences

Things about sepsis... 

Clinicians at Portsmouth’s Queen Alexandra Hospital are leading medical trials of a blood test that could help to save thousands of UK lives a year by predicting sepsis days before patients show any symptoms. Sepsis is the immune system’s overreaction to an infection or injury and is associated with life-threatening organ dysfunction. Worldwide, an estimated 49 million people a year contract sepsis, while in the UK almost 2 million patients admitted to hospital each year are thought to be at risk of developing the condition.  

Presymptom Health believes the technology can predict whether a patient will develop sepsis around 3 days before symptoms appear, enabling clinicians to treat them much sooner and manage them more effectively. 

Things about baby boxes... 

The Scottish Government has published a report evaluating the Baby Box scheme which provides families with a range of essential items including information leaflets designed to inform and support positive parenting behaviours. Findings from a survey of 2,236 parents, and 870 health visitors, midwives and family nurses include: the estimated take up of baby boxes in Scotland is over 90%; 84% of parents surveyed said they had found the leaflet on safe sleeping useful; and 37% of parents felt they had learned about bonding with their baby through playing, talking and reading as a result of reading a leaflet included in the box.

Things about babies...

Delighted to announce that we have two new members of the Reading Group Lily & Evie both born in the last few weeks. Congratulations to both sets of parents and their families. 

Things about autism... 

The National Autistic Society and Mind have published a good practice guide to help mental health professionals adapt talking therapies for autistic children and adults. The guide incorporates the views of over 1,500 autistic people and almost 1,000 family members who responded to a mental health survey in October and November 2020.

Things about body image and eating disorders... 

The NSPCC has released figures on Childline counselling sessions to children about eating and body image disorders. Figures for 2020/21 show that: there were 4,986 counselling sessions on body image and eating disorder issues. This included a 13% increase in counselling sessions to 12- to15-year-olds compared with 2019/20, and a 7% increase in counselling sessions to 16- to 18-year-olds.

The Royal College of Psychiatrists has released findings following analysis of NHS England data on the number of children and young people waiting for eating disorder treatment. Figures show that at the end of the first quarter of 2021/22: 207 children and young people under the age of 19 were waiting for urgent treatment, up from 56 at the same time last year - a 270% increase; and 1,832 were waiting for routine treatment, up from 441 at the same time last year – a 315% increase. Figures also show that the number of under-19s receiving urgent and routine treatment has also increased by 160% and 93% respectively on figures for the same period last year.

Things to eat...

A recommendation from Sarah this week... nutty plum and sloe gin crumble.

Things in the library 8th January...

 Happy New Year to you all from the Library Staff

Things about child health...

Below you can find the joint Commissioners’ (England, Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland) reports to the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child.

Every five years, the Committee examines the whole UK on how well it is meeting its promises under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC). The reports on this page are submitted to the Committee. They assess how the UK Government and devolved administrations have progressed towards giving every child the opportunities and protections enshrined in the UNCRC.

The “Report of the Children’s Commissioners of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland to the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child”, including a “Covid-19 annex”, identifies emerging trends and key issues regarding children’s human rights in the UK. Some of these draw on previous concluding observations while others reflect worrying trends caused by the UK’s departure from the European Union (Brexit) and the Covid-19 pandemic.

The report “Are we there yet?” is based on engagement with children and young people in all four nations, and it aims to provide the Committee with children and young people’s voices about their experiences on the delivery of their rights. A summary report goes alongside it.

Things about children and justice... 

This report from the Children's Commissioner looks at the issues around children in the justice system.

The past decade has seen a welcome reduction in the numbers of children getting caught up in the criminal justice system. Since 2010, the numbers receiving a caution or sentence have fallen by 83% and the number of children in custody has fallen by 73% to 571 in August 2020. But there are still hundreds of children ending up in our courts and prisons. By comparison, in 2015, there were only 13 children aged 15-17 in prison in Sweden, Norway, Iceland, Finland and Denmark combined.

We know how and why many of these children end up involved in violence and crime. The blueprint is there for all to see – children growing up in turmoil and experiencing trauma, but not receiving the support and protection they need. Or worse, targeted by those who wish to exploit their vulnerabilities for personal gain. Our under-resourced system of child protection was not designed to safeguard against risks outside the family home and is creaking under the pressure of trying to keep kids safe.

Many of these children have been let down by the systems that should be keeping them safe from harm before they ever set foot inside a police station. Over half (56%) of children sentenced are currently or have previously been a ‘Child in Need’ (assessed as needing additional support from the state) and 7 in 10 have identified mental health needs. 85% of boys in young offender institutions have previously been excluded from school. When compared to their peers, children in residential care are at least 13 times more likely to be criminalised.

At every stage of a child’s journey through the criminal justice system, opportunities are being missed to get to the root causes of offending and put children’s best interests at the heart of the response. When children’s home staff call the police on a child for damaging property, rather than ground them or dock their pocket money as a parent might. Or when they meet a police officer unable to recognise vulnerability and trigger a safeguarding response. Or when the courts remand children to custody before they’ve even been tried – last year almost a third of children in custody were on remand, two thirds of whom never went on to receive a custodial sentence. Ultimately, the system fails to see the child first and the ‘offender’ second, which reduces the opportunity for real change. This appears to be particularly true for Black children, who are over four times more likely to be arrested than White children. Despite accounting for only 18% of the general population, children from BAME backgrounds now make up almost half (49%) of the entire population of youth custody.

The number of children in custody in this country is half the size of a secondary school and yet custodial institutions are failing to even keep children safe, let alone rehabilitate them. Levels of violence are high, and over a third (35%) of children have felt unsafe in Young Offender Institutions and Secure Training Centres. This violence leads to incidences of restraint and a situation where children are spending hours at a time shut in their cells, rather than accessing the education or support they need to turn their lives around.  Too many children are set up to fail when they leave, because not enough is done to find them the right place to live, or get them the treatment or education they need on release.  Is it any wonder that 7 in 10 children released from custody reoffend within a year?

We need a radical new approach to preventing children becoming involved in crime and turning children’s lives around when they have spiralled out of control. This means: stopping gangs from exploiting vulnerable children; identifying children at risk of getting involved in crime and diverting them away from that path; reducing the numbers of children in custody to an absolute minimum and transforming secure care for children so that rehabilitation is at its heart.

This about unhealthy food and drink... 

It was announced in December that promotions on food and drinks high in fat, salt or sugar (HFSS) in retailers will be restricted from April 2022. Offers for unhealthy foods like ‘buy one get one free’ and promotions in prominent locations in stores and online to be restricted from April 2022. Free refills of sugary soft drinks will also be prohibited in the eating-out sector. Restrictions will apply to medium and large stores. The new rules, designed to support the nation to make healthier choices, will prohibit retailers from offering multibuy promotions such as ‘buy one get one free’ or ‘3 for 2’ offers on these products. Unhealthy promotions will also no longer be featured in key locations, such as at checkouts, store entrances, aisle ends and their online equivalents. Promotions often appear to help shoppers save money. However, data shows that these deals actually increase purchases of promoted products by almost 20%. They encourage people to buy more than they need or intended to buy in the first place

Things to attend... 

Our next Reading Group will be on 3rd Feb at 18:30 meeting by Microsoft Teams - please contact us if you want to be added to the mailing list or if you want the link to join a specific group. Our next book is the modern classic by George Orwell Nineteen Eighty-Four. Interesting parallels with our world today I think and 'fake news'.

...and also Journal Club

The next meeting will be on 12th January 13:00 - 14:00pm meeting virtually & physically from the Education & Skills Centre, F Floor Stephenson Wing discussing the paper 'Intracranial injuries on computed tomography head scans in infants investigated for suspected physical abuse: a retrospective review'. Please contact the library fo attending information and a copy of the paper. Bring your own muffins!

Things about eating disorders... 

The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (RCPCH) is alerting parents and guardians to look out for signs of eating disorders in children and young people.  The College spoke to paediatricians from around the country working in the field allll had seen an increase in cases in the last year, and all put this down to the effects of the pandemic on young people’s lives. 

A number of factors are thought to have contributed to increased stress, deterioration in young people’s mental health and an intense focus for some on eating and exercise during the pandemic. These include: isolation from peers during school closures, exam cancellations, loss of motivating extra-curricular activities such as sports, dance/drama/youth clubs; an increased use of social media with young people concentrating on unrealistic ideas of body image; being forced to quarantine (a particular problem for many students newly arrived at university); worries about families’ economic problems; illness or death of loved ones, and fears about contracting the virus.

Dr Elizabeth Allison, Lead Consultant Paediatrician for eating disorders at Sheffield Children’s Hospital (medical lead in the region for the community eating disorders service): 

“We’ve seen around twice the number of referrals for medical outpatient reviews and around twice the numbers of inpatient medical admissions for patients with Anorexia Nervosa in 2020 compared to 2019 and these numbers appear to be continuing to rise even further since September.  The lockdown in the COVID-19 pandemic has created a fertile ground in which eating disorders can flourish. This is maybe due to the confinement away from young people's normal social and educational structure and also perhaps due to the increased exposure to social media influences. We are concerned that we may continue to see this trend continue over the next year or more." 

Things to make...

Our latest Reading group book that was much enjoyed was The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes. How much more fun it would have been if we had all had some of this  Apple Cake with Bourbon Honey Glaze to eat along with it (scroll down the page for the recipe). This blog suggests recipes based on various books and I think we should embrace this idea when we can return to physical meetings.

Things in the library 21st Sept...

Things about social media...

A briefing paper, Social media, young people and mental health, from the Centre for Mental Health looks at evidence about the impact of social media use on the mental health of young people. It finds that while many studies have focused on the risks and potential harm caused by social media use, there is also evidence of potential benefits. And only by building a three-dimensional picture of the many ways young people interact with social media will we be able to reduce the risks and make the most of the opportunities they present.

The briefing notes that the potential risks to wellbeing include addiction or dependency on social media, often as a substitute for other kinds of social interaction, unhelpful comparisons and jealousy, and bullying. Potential benefits may include the creation of new social connections and opportunities to encourage greater mental health literacy and help-seeking.

The briefing calls on government departments, social media companies and charities to work together to find ways of preventing or mitigating the risks and maximising the benefits to young people’s mental health. This may include changing the way social media platforms work, but also supporting schools and families to help children and young people to navigate social media safely and making greater use of the opportunities to promote good mental health and speedy help-seeking.

Things about CBT...
This study investigated possible predictors of long-term treatment outcomes in youth with mixed anxiety disorders treated in community mental health clinics. Outcomes were loss of all inclusion anxiety diagnoses, loss of the principal inclusion anxiety diagnosis, and changes in youth- and parent-rated youth anxiety symptoms. Predictors encompassed youth, parent and demographic factors, and post-treatment recovery. The most consistent finding was that low family social class predicted poorer outcomes. Higher treatment motivation was associated with better outcome whereas a diagnosis of social anxiety was associated with poorer outcome. Identified predictors extend on previous findings from efficacy trials, and the results indicate a need for more specific treatment protocols.


Things about eating disorders...
This review addresses the question of whether the offspring of parents with past or present eating disorders have adverse outcomes. Given the relatively high incidence of eating disorder history in individuals of childbearing age, research into its potential effects on children is necessary. However, the methodological shortcomings and a limited evidence base caution in drawing conclusions. Nevertheless, mental health services should address the possible problems that these children face and offer tailored programs.

Things about health in England...

The second annual report combining data and knowledge with information from other sources to give a broad picture of the health of people in England in 2018. This report summarises the health of people in England in 2018 and provides an update to the first Health Profile for England (published 2017). A new addition for this year’s report is the inclusion of forecast data for several key indicators, for the 5 years up to 2023 and a separate chapter on the health of children in the early years.  As a society, people are living longer but often in poorer health and stubborn inequalities persist. Good health is about much more than good healthcare – a high-quality education, a warm home, and a good job are just as important to a healthy standard of living.

Things about Artificial Intelligence...

A new ‘state of the nation' report about the use of Artificial Intelligence in health and care has found that we are only beginning to unlock the potential of AI. The report spotlights some of the opportunities AI creates and shows where it is already being used in projects across the country. It also considers some of the barriers to wider deployment of AI and proposes solutions, including the creation of a “code of conduct” for the sector.

Things about a sustainable health workforce...

The toolkit is aimed at policy-makers, human resources for health (HRH) planners and professionals, and other stakeholders, such as education institutions and those implementing policy. It is intended to support 'Towards a sustainable health workforce in the WHO European Region: framework for action', which adapts the Global strategy on human resources for health: workforce 2030 to the context of the WHO European Region. It is framed around four strategic domains mirroring the themes of the global strategy – education and performance, planning and investment, capacity-building, and analysis and monitoring – and proposes policy options and implementation modalities. The toolkit is formulated to provide Member States with information and signpost to practical materials, such as HRH assessment, policy and planning tools, analytical approaches and case studies, to support their efforts to strengthen HRH in a sustainable way, including through investment in capital and recurrent expenditure. It is not intended to be an exhaustive list or compendium.

Things about music...

Sheffield Makes Music this year forms part of the  Festival of the Mind events and celebrates the brilliant musical creators, contributors and talent our city has to offer. As part of the national celebrations for BBC Music Day they will be joined by BBC 6 Music's Steve Lamacq who will broadcast his 6 Music drive time show live from the Spiegeltent in Barkers Pool. Throughout the day all around the city centre they will be weaving the sounds of our city via a series of acoustic performances, Opera on the Town Hall steps and various brass, strings and voices in the St Paul's Place pop up band stand. Date: Friday 28 September 2018, 1pm-late

Things to make...

A recommendation from Sarah this week for Vegeree a kedgeree without fish but with roasted aubergines. There are two recipes on this link ...scroll down for the Vegeree.

Things in the library 6th October...

Things about children and research...
A recent article in British Journal of Occupational Therapy discusses 'Using children and young people as advocates to inform research design'. The key messages from the paper were that:

• Involvement of young advocates with physical disabilities and communication difficulties was helpful to research study design.
• Occupational therapy researchers should involve advocates at a collaborative level throughout the research process.

Things about volunteering and wellbeing...

'The health and 

wellbeing impacts 

of volunteering with 

The Wildlife Trusts' has been published. 

This study, carried out by the Green Exercise Team at the University of Essex, analysed data relating to the participation of 139 people in Wildlife Trusts projects between February 2016 and February 2017. It assessed changes in participants’ attitudes, behaviour and mental wellbeing over the course of 12 weeks, as a result of taking part in nature conservation volunteering programmes run by 5 Wildlife Trusts across the North, Midlands and South West of England. The principal finding was that the mental wellbeing of participants improved significantly over the 12-week period, and that improvements were greatest for people who had not previously taken part in Wildlife Trust activities. At the start of the study period, 39% of participants reported low wellbeing, compared to UK norms. After 12 weeks, this had reduced to 19%. Participants also reported enhanced levels of positivity, health, nature relatedness, pro-environmental behaviour, levels of physical activity and increased contact with greenspace.

Things about eating disorders and IBD...

Research has shown that there is an association between Inflammatory Bowel Disease, anxiety and mood disorders, however little is known about their association with Eating Disorders. This review article 'Inflammatory Bowel Disease and Eating Disorders: A systematized review of comorbidity' highlights the following:

• Symptomatology overlaps between Inflammatory Bowel Disease and Eating Disorders.
• Comorbidity should be considered in the differential diagnosis.
• Crohn's Disease and Anorexia Nervosa is the most frequent reported comorbidity.
• A delayed diagnosis of this comorbidity may lead to poorer prognosis.
• A multidisciplinary approach would be necessary to manage these cases.

Things about ADHD...

A review article published in the open access Journal of Lipids asked 'Do Omega-3/6 Fatty Acids Have a Therapeutic Role in Children and Young People with ADHD?'  They conclude "ADHD is a debilitating neurodevelopmental disorder that can impact heavily on children and young people’s behaviour, mental health, education, and social/family lives. Whilst conventional medications have a role to play in the management of ADHD symptoms, new clinically trialled evidence indicates that omega-3/6 supplementation programmes can provide a promising adjunctive therapy, lowering the dose of psychopharmacologic medications needed and subsequently improving compliance with these." 

Things about Reading Group...

Our friendly group met this week to discuss the book 'Room' which we gave a score of 71%. Our next book is one that is actually aimed at older children but it has a wider appeal. So if you want to join us on 1st November at 17:15 for about 1 hour then the book to read is Neil Gaiman's 'The Graveyard Book'. all welcome - drinks and nibbles provided.

At our December meeting we will be having a 'Winter Miscellany' accompanied by seasonal fare. Come along to share in poems/readings with a Winter/Christmas theme and suggestions of what books you would like to read over next year. So if you would like to join us and influence what we read then put the date 6th December in your diaries now.

Things about Libraries...

To celebrate the first ever Libraries Week, the Illingworth library will be holding drop-in sessions each day during the week 9th  to 14th October at 11.00 and 15:00. Come along for cakes, coffee and a chat. Sign up for a 'Book a Librarian' session and discuss how the library can support you in your work.

Things nutty...

(C) www.woodlandtrust.org.uk

Now is the time to forage for wild hazelnuts...though its unlikely that the squirrels will have left any ripe ones for you to find. However some wholefood shops may sell fresh ones - they may also be known as cobnuts (slightly bigger) or filberts. If you are not lucky enough to get fresh nuts then supermarket dried hazelnuts can be used in many recipes both sweet and savoury. They go particularly well with chocolate and with pears; but for something savoury that would be a quick starter/lunch  or a vegetarian main course try Mushrooms baked with hazelnuts and pecorino. 

Things in the library 12 May

Things about baby brains...
This week ground-breaking scans of newborn babies’ brains were published which researchers from all over the world can download and use to study how the human brain develops. The images are beautiful too!
The images are part of the Developing Human Connectome Project (dHCP), a collaboration between King’s College London, Imperial College London and the University of Oxford, which will uncover how the brain develops, including the wiring and function of the brain during pregnancy and how this changes after birth. The dHCP researchers are sharing their images and methods online so that other scientists from around the world can use the data in their own research. It is hoped that pioneer studies into normal and abnormal development, by studying well-phenotyped and genotyped groups of infants with specific genetic and environmental risks, could lead to explanations of conditions such as Autistic Spectrum Disorder or Cerebral Palsy.
Using Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scanners at Evelina London Children’s Hospital, the team has developed new techniques which enable images of the brains of foetuses and babies to be captured.  Researchers have overcome problems caused by babies’ movement and small size, as well as the difficulties in keeping vulnerable infants safe in the MRI scanner, so that they can now produce highly detailed and rich information on brain development.

Things about paediatric nursing...
An article 'The History of Children’s Nursing and Its Direction Within the United Kingdom' was published in 'Comprehensive Child and Adolescent Nursing' this month. This article presents an account of the “evolution of children’s nursing" and also considers the future direction of children’s nursing within the UK. Full text not available via NHS Open Athens account but SCH staff may contact the library if you would like us to obtain it for you. You can do this via this online form.



Things about poverty...
A report published this week from RCPCH and Child Poverty Action group 'Poverty and child health: Views from the frontline' .More than two-thirds of paediatricians surveyed said poverty and low income contribute "very much" to the ill health of children they work with.
They are calling on whoever forms the next Government to tackle poverty urgently through:

• the restoration of binding national targets to reduce child poverty, backed by a national child poverty strategy
• the adoption of a ‘child health in all policies’ approach to decision making and policy development, with Her Majesty’s Treasury disclosing information about the impact of the Chancellor’s annual budget statement on child poverty and inequality
• the reversal of public health cuts to ensure universal early years services, including health visiting and school nursing, are prioritised and supported financially, with additional targeted help for children and families experiencing poverty
• the reversal of cuts to universal credit which will leave the majority of families claiming this benefit worse off.

Things by our clinicians...

Some familiar names in this book 'Esophageal and Gastric Disorders in Infancy and Childhood' so we have purchased the e-book of this title so it is available to SCH staff via their NHS Athens login or by searching for it in our library catalogue. 

We also try to add all the SCH article publications we find to our Delicious site...if your recent publications are not there let us know!

Things about eating...

This study 'Infantile Anorexia and Co-parenting: A Pilot Study on Mother–Father–Child Triadic Interactions during Feeding and Play' is pilot research that investigates mother–father–child triadic interactions, during feeding and play, in families with children diagnosed with Infantile Anorexia , in comparison to families with normally developing children.

Things about monitoring heart rates... 

A systematic review of studies assessing novel methods of measuring HR in newborns and infants in the neonatal unit was published this week in Acta Paediatrica. 'A systematic review of novel technology for monitoring infant and newborn heart rate'.  Two investigators completed independent literature searches. Identified papers were independently evaluated, and relevant data were extracted and analysed. Conclusion: This systematic review identified seven new technologies, including camera-based photoplethysmography, reflectance pulse oximetry, laser Doppler methods, capacitive sensors, piezoelectric sensors, electromyography and a digital stethoscope. Clinicians should be aware of several of these, which may become available for clinical use in the near future.

Things about French bread...

(c) Clotilde Dusoulier

Apparently there is a competition each year in Paris to find the best baguette...the winning baker gets to be the official provider of baguettes for the Palais de l’Élysée,  where the president lives and works. This means that the Président de la République eats that baguette daily, but more important, it is the bread served for all the official meals with ambassadors and foreign dignitaries. More fascinating information about the baguette and the best places in Paris to buy them from one of my favourite food bloggers also a recipe to make your own sourdough baguette.

Things in the library 5 Dec

Things going live
A new system to help doctors and nurses spot children suffering from abuse and neglect has successfully gone live. Homerton University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and Lancashire Teaching Hospitals Trust are the first hospitals in the country to use the new Child Protection - Information Sharing (CP-IS) system which is designed to help avoid tragic cases such as Baby P being repeated. Read about it here
The system will now be rolled out across the country, connecting emergency departments, out of hours GPs, walk in centres and local authorities through a national system that will alert clinical staff to those at risk of abuse or neglect.

Things pledged
Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has set to pledge an extra £150m of funding to help children with eating disorders.The aim is to invest in preventative therapy to cut the need for hospital treatment.The money, earmarked in this year's Autumn Statement, comes after figures show that admissions for eating disorders among young people have been rising in England.

Things in the press...be careful 
A pill to cure binge drinking and dementia according to Daily Mail The science was covered by the Mail Online, which exaggerated the findings in this open-access article by implying the rat results also applied to humans and binge drinking, as well as Alzheimer's and other "brain diseases". This may be the case, but it is too early to say with any confidence or assurance. The study did not test the effects of the drug, even in animal models of Alzheimer's or non-alcohol-related brain diseases. Read the true story here.

Using evidence as a basis for best practice is what we are about in the library. Don't forget we can do literature searches for you or with you and you can also attend our journal club. For other sources of evidence check out our webpage here

Things to huddle over
It's good to talk, we're always told. And now child health expert Dr Peter Lachman says "huddles" - informal meetings of hospital staff - are a simple way of improving children's hospital care. Based on a model pioneered in Cincinnati Children's Hospital, the RCPCH have conducted trials of quality improving techniques including the huddle. Read about it here

Things that went ..SNAP!
No not the knicker elastic..anyone else old enough to actually remember knicker elastic???...anyway I digress... last weekend completely coincidentally Gill & Sarah made the same dish at home and pronounced it excellent so we thought that should be this weeks recipe. Goat's cheese & thyme stuffed chicken - fresh thyme preferable to dried and I used pancetta slices instead of streaky bacon..both worked well.