Things in the library 5th July...

Me...

I am back after a two week break...sorry for the interruption to the blog service.

Things about bringing up children...
In this Policy Statement, the American Academy of Pediatrics provides guidance for pediatricians and other child health care providers on educating parents about positive and effective parenting strategies of discipline for children at each stage of development as well as references to educational materials. This statement supports the need for adults to avoid physical punishment and verbal abuse of children.

Things about chronic illness...

Psychological therapies appear to show promise in helping improve self-reported parenting behaviour of parents of children and adolescents with cancer, chronic pain, diabetes or traumatic brain injury. Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and problem-solving therapy (PST) appear particularly valuable in supporting this. Psychological therapies also seemed beneficial in improving the mental health of parents who have children with cancer and chronic pain, but not in studies of children with diabetes. Parenting a child with a chronic illness can pose challenges to family life, causing emotional strain for both the parents and children concerned. Skills for adapting to this can help improve parenting behaviour and the mental health and well-being outcomes for families of children with chronic illness. This Cochrane systematic review analysed 44 trials of varying quality, which included over 4,600 parents. The results may help support healthcare practitioners working with families where children have chronic illness.

Things about refugee & immigrant children...
Immigrant and refugee children are at increased risk for physical, developmental, and behavioral health challenges. This article provides an overview of physical, developmental, and behavioral health considerations for immigrant and refugee children within an ecological framework that highlights family, community, and sociocultural influences. Experiences and exposures relevant to immigrant and refugee children are discussed. Clinical pearls are provided for topics of chronic disease, nutrition, infectious disease, developmental screening, and mental health assessment. Interdisciplinary and community partnerships are emphasized as a means to decrease barriers to care and facilitate family navigation of complex social, educational, and health care systems.

Things about children & social media...
Barnardo's have published a report Left to their own devices: Young people, social media and mental health .
They say:

At the moment, not enough is known about the impact of social media on the most vulnerable children in the UK.
Research
We’re calling on the Government to commission more research on the impact of social media to help establish a solid evidence base. This research should specifically include the experience of vulnerable children and young people.
Education
The Government should ensure that all children and young people are able to access education and guidance on social media use. Advice should also be available for professionals, parents and carers.
Mental health support
A proportion of future funding for the NHS (as detailed in the NHS 10 Year Plan) should be used to deliver mental health support in all schools.
Regulating the internet
The Government should make the internet safe for children, including the most vulnerable - by introducing duties on tech companies and specific guidance on dangers like cyber-bullying. 

Things about prevention...
The RCPCH has published a Prevention vision for child health with five crucial priorities.

• Tackling inequalities with greater focus on the most vulnerable children, young people and families
• Investment in the workforce, in particular in school nurses and health visitors
• Greater coordination of services, strategies, plans and programmes that are designed to prevent negative outcomes
• A moratorium on public health funding cuts
• A life course approach, recognising that good prevention starts before birth

Things about movement...

The National Institute for Health Research have published a themed review Moving Matters - Interventions To Increase Physical Activity This review focuses on National Institute for Health Research (NIHR)-funded research evaluating interventions to increase physical activity for individuals and populations. This features over 50 published and ongoing studies. Evaluations range from programmes in schools and communities to changes in transport and the environment, which are designed to promote greater activity.

Reading Group...

The next book we are reading is 'The Librarian' by Salley Vickers and will be discussing this on Wed 7th August at 17:15 in the Illingworth library - drinks and nibbles provided as normal. Do feel free to join us for casual chat about what we are reading. At last our specialist subject!

Things to eat...

Salad season has finally arrived and we can stop eating warm comfort food. I do tend to make mine up from whatever is available (if the guinea pig hasn't eaten them first!) but this Paul Hollywood recipe for Spicy Squash Salad has some of my favourite foods in it so it's on my regular list of favourites.