Things in the library 24 Sept...

 Things about health... 

The fourth annual profile combining data and knowledge with information from other sources to give a broad picture of the health of people in England in 2021. Includes sections on Child Health and also the effect COVID-19 has had on health in England.

Things coming soon... 

The interviews were held for my replacement this week so, providing all the paperwork goes through correctly, an excellent new member of staff will be joining the library with good experience of doing this type of job. I am sure you will make them feel very welcome. They will also lower the average age of the library staff ! 

Things about adoption... 

The All-Party Parliamentary Group for Adoption and Permanence has published a report looking at the experiences and needs of adopted children and their families. Findings include: a child’s needs must be comprehensively assessed and form the basis of a support plan that is put in place from the start; support for families should be proactively provided to meet their needs; children’s continuing relationships with former foster carers, social workers, birth family members and their local community can be critical to placement stability; and adopted children require ongoing and evolving support throughout their childhoods.

Things about bread... 

The addition of folic acid to food has been a successful public health policy in a number of countries worldwide such as Australia, New Zealand and Canada, resulting in falls in neural tube defects. Folic acid will be added to non-wholemeal wheat flour across the UK to help prevent life-threatening spinal conditions in babies, the government and devolved administrations have announced.

Adding folic acid will mean foods made with flour, such as bread, will actively help avoid around 200 neural tube defects each year – around 20% of the annual UK total.

Things about safeguarding... 

The Child Safeguarding Practice Review Panel has published a review of the circumstances involved in cases where babies under-one-year-old have been harmed or killed by their fathers or other males in a caring role. 

Findings include: a range of risk factors were common in many of the cases, a lack of information sharing was a key factor that prevented practitioners from responding to risk to babies, and many services aimed at new parents are predominantly focused on the mother. 

Recommendations include: the government should fund pilots to develop holistic work with fathers and the engagement of fathers must be embedded in prospective and current family-focused programmes. NSPCC Learning has published a CASPAR briefing summarising learning from the review.

Things about getting to school... 

Children who walk or cycle to school may have a healthier body weight than those who arrive by car. A new study followed more than 8,000 schoolchildren over a period of years. The findings showed that even using public transport instead of taking the car led to a reduction in body fat.

It is widely accepted that physical activity helps people of all ages stay at a healthy weight. Walking or cycling (active travel) to school is likely to help children achieve this but, before this study, there was a lack of adequate evidence.

As children get older, they become more independent and often have more choices about how they get to school. Researchers found that children who switched to walking and cycling to school between the ages of 7 and 14 had healthier body weights than those who continued to travel by car. The findings also suggest that the beneficial effects of walking or cycling may be greater for children from the most deprived areas. 

Obesity is a major public health problem in the UK. More than one in five children in the last year of primary school are overweight and as a result are likely to have poorer physical and mental health.

This research underlines the importance of encouraging active travel. This means providing safe and effective infrastructure to encourage people to walk, cycle, or use public transport. Finding ways of supporting children and families from lower income households to walk or cycle could help these groups overcome some of the health inequalities they face. 

Things to make... 

I do love Autumn (by retiring in Autumn my plan was always to visit New England during the Fall ... maybe one day)  and it's nice to get the nip in the air to prompt me to cook some suitable autumnal food. This vegetarian lasagne is a lovely recipe I have made before and will be featuring in next week's menu at our house. 

Things in the library 2nd July...

 Things about child development... 

The Association for Child and Adolescent Mental Health (ACAMH) has a membership comprising a diverse group of clinicians, practitioners and world-leading child mental health researchers, working across an array of child and adolescent mental health domains. As part of the ACAMH educational series of talks on child development Dr. Max Davie, Community Paediatrician specialising in child development, has recorded two talks on this topic which you can watch or read the transcript. In the first he focusses on what mental health professionals working with children and young people need to know about child development, the second is on neurodevelopmental assessment. ACAMH members can get a CPD certificate for watching either - details on the website.

Things about weight and wellbeing... 

Announced yesterday the NHS Digital Weight Management Programme – backed by £12 million of government funding – will offer free online support via GP and primary care teams referrals for adults living with obesity, who also have a diagnosis of either diabetes, high blood pressure or both, to help manage their weight and improve their health.  

Alongside this, the government is providing £30 million of new funding to councils across England to roll out expanded management services for adults living with obesity. Services can be delivered face to face, remotely or digitally. With 98% of councils accepting the funding, individuals will be able to sign up for this help via their primary care services or in some areas refer themselves via their local authority.

In most areas, services will include 12-week sessions, with dietary advice, physical activity guidance and support to help people start and maintain healthier habits. 

An additional £4.3 million of new funding has also been allocated to 11 local authorities to support the expansion of child weight management services in 2021 to 2022. They will trial new ways to improve access to services for up to 6,000 children identified as living with excess weight or obesity. 

New rules on advertising unhealthy foods online and before 9pm on TV across the UK after public consultation. Regulations will come into force at the end of next year to introduce a 9pm watershed for advertisements of foods high in fat, salt and sugar (HFSS). These new regulations will apply to food and drink products of most concern to childhood obesity and will ensure the healthiest in each category will be able to continue to advertise. This approach means foods such as honey, olive oil, avocados and marmite are excluded from the restrictions.

Things to attend... 

It is Reading Group next week and the book we are discussing is 'American Dirt' by Jeanine Cummins. If you would like to join us online from 18.30 - 19.30 please contact the library for the joining link.

Our next book (4th August) will be quite a contrast 'Little Women' by Louisa May Alcott. A comment often made by members of the Reading Group is that they have enjoyed a book which they would have never otherwise chosen.

Things to book... 

NHS Diversity, Equality and Inclusion Digital Conference takes place as a digital event in October, organised by Westminter Insight, covering such topics as:

• how to improve equality, diversity, and inclusion to create a sense of belonging for all NHS employees
• how to implement data tracking, reporting, and transparency around targets to help improve equality, diversity and inclusion in the NHS
• Creating diverse NHS leadership to ensure they better reflect the communities they serve
• Ensuring a zero-tolerance policy towards bullying and harassment to support staff

Just one thing... 

A recent fascinating series of radio programmes...

If time is tight, what's the one thing that you should be doing to improve your health and wellbeing? Michael Mosley reveals surprisingly simple top tips that are scientifically proven to change your life.

• Count your blessings
• Hot baths
• Standing on one leg
• Green spaces
• Intelligent exercise
• Learning a new skill
• Cold showers
• Eating bacteria
• Early morning walks

Several of these could be combined (though please don't stand on one leg in the shower!). The website explains the science and you can listen to the episodes. 

Things to make... 

Wimbledon means strawberries... but not necessarily with cream. Balsamic vinegar is fabulous with strawberries (as is black or pink pepper). This recipe marinates strawberries in balsamic vinegar and combines them with halloumi and fresh cucumber. 

Things in the library 22 Nov...

Things about sepsis...
Research undertaken by Imperial College London, has shown that digital monitoring significantly reduces hospital stays and chance of death related to sepsis. The digital sepsis alert system at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust was introduced in 2016 and monitors a number of symptoms to help identify sepsis before it becomes a problem. Alerts are sent to clinicians via a pop-up warning on their electronic health records and/or on a dashboard, which highlights any patient with an active alert when they open a patient's record.

The study found that the chance of death in hospital due to sepsis dropped by 24%, as well as 35% higher chance of receiving timely antibiotics to fight the infection. Early diagnosis of sepsis is crucial and allows teams in hospitals to determine the best course of action for the patient. Dr Anne Kinderlerer, consultant rheumatologist at Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust and co-author of the study, said:

"More patients are surviving sepsis at our hospitals and it is testament to the alert and treatment plans we have working hand in hand to help us ensure that patients are treated with antibiotics and other interventions in order to save more lives.”

Further research will be done in the future to determine whether these results are the same with a larger patient group.

Things about what you eat...
Does it matter what we eat for our mental health? Emerging findings from intervention studies suggest that diet (often combined with lifestyle) modification has potential in the prevention and treatment of mental health and may modify drug treatment effects. This is one of the findings from  an article in European Neuropsychpharmacology on Nutritional psychiatry.

Things about seafood...
The relationship between seafood eaten during pregnancy and neurocognition in offspring has been the subject of considerable scientific study for over 25 years. Evaluation of this question led two scientific advisory committees to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGAC), the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations with the World Health Organization (FAO/WHO), Health Canada, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to conclude through 2014 that seafood consumed by pregnant women is likely to benefit the neurocognitive development of their children. This article "An abundance of seafood consumption studies presents new opportunities to evaluate effects on neurocognitive development" provides the history, context and rationale for reexamining these questions in light of currently available data. This article "Relationships between seafood consumption during pregnancy and childhood and neurocognitive development: Two systematic reviews." states

"Assessment of seafood as a whole food integrates inherently integrates any adverse effects from neurotoxicants, if any, and benefits to neurocognition from omega-3 fats, as well as other nutrients critical to optimal neurological development. Understanding of the effects of seafood consumption on neurocognition can have significant public health implications."

Things about an app...

An advert suggesting that children could gain likes and followers to progress through an app has been banned by the UK's advertising watchdog. The Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) ruled that the phrase "get likes and followers to level up" could have a "detrimental effect on youngsters' mental health and self-esteem". The ad was "likely to cause harm" and was "irresponsible", it added. PopJam argued that its app encouraged "positive digital engagement".

The ASA said in its ruling: "We considered [the ad] explicitly encouraged children to seek likes and followers in order to progress through the app". It acknowledged that there were other ways of advancing in the app, but said that these were not explained in the ad.

"We considered that the suggestion that the acquisition of likes and followers was the only means of progression was likely to give children the impression that popularity on social media was something that should be pursued because it was desirable in its own right."

According to an Ofcom report, 78% of 12 to 15 year olds feel pressure to look popular on social media.

More things about social media...
An interesting blog about 'sharenting', in this post Professor Stacey Steinberg considers these questions and outlines three categories of risk in relation to ‘sharenting’ that she has identified in her research. She also gives some 'best practices' that can guide parents as they share information about their children online.

Things about DNA...
Plans for the National Health Service to sequence the DNA of every baby born in the UK, starting with a pilot scheme of 20,000 children, were announced by health minister Matt Hancock recently. This article in the New Scientist discusses the ethical issues around this topic.






Things about climate change...

The Lancet Countdown is an international, multidisciplinary collaboration, dedicated to monitoring the evolving health profile of climate change, and providing an independent assessment of the delivery of commitments made by governments worldwide under the Paris Agreement.






Things to eat...
These individual fish pies or Mediterranean fish gratins look like a really nice idea - or you could make one big one.

Things in the library 26th October...

Things which shouldn't be here...
We seem to have a lot of lost clothing at the moment...surely someone is missing their coat and one sock...not all left by the same person as far as we know. Please ask around if any colleagues have lost anything or seem unsuitably dressed! The items will be taken to the General Office next week.




Things about neurodevelopmental disability...
This systematic review sought to assess the effectiveness of parenting interventions to increase parental self-efficacy (PSE) levels in parents of young children with neurodevelopmental disabilities. Although written with low and middle income counties in mind the review covered studies from many countries so their findings may be of interest. The evidence suggested that parent training programmes have a significant effect on the enhancement of self-efficacy levels for parents of children with neurodevelopmental disabilities. The data offers three insights for healthcare providers who provide parent training. This review suggests that parents of children younger than 5 years of age are most likely to report a change in PSE levels following parent training. Secondly, data from this review confirm licenced interventions to have greater benefits to PSE than non-licenced interventions. This is not surprising as interventions with copyrights or trademark licencing have traditionally been developed and refined over several years, and their development is usually supported by published evidence of their efficacy. The final clinical implication is that healthcare practitioners other than psychologists are successfully able to implement training programmes that
enhance PSE.

Things about palliative care...
A cross-party group of MPs and Lords has examined how well the government is meeting its end of life care choice commitment to babies, children and young people in England with life-limiting and life-threatening conditions. The commitment outlines six ways the government aims to support people approaching the end of their lives – but the reality is that the quality of palliative care children and families can access is patchy and depends on where in England they live. The report End of Life care : strengthening choice is available.

Things about servants...

(C) Chatsworth Estate

Hidden away in a part of Chatsworth – one of the most renowned English country houses – is an archive containing thousands of letters, diaries and correspondence from servants and staff who lived and worked at the estate between the 18th and 20th centuries. To uncover these stories and shed new light on the lives of servants and staff at Chatsworth, three PhD students from the University of Sheffield’s School of English have studied the previously untouched section of the archive for the first time. From dairy maids, to gardeners, upholsterers to governesses, findings from the research are changing our understanding of the lives of servants and staff at country house estates. Fascinating examples can be seen here and click here to access the database.

Things matched...
So all our volunteers for the Randomised Coffee trial have been matched and some have already made arrangements to meet...if you missed out this time we may run it again if it proves to be a success.

Things to make...
I'm feeling smug as I managed to make my Christmas cakes yesterday (though slightly nervous as they are the first ones made in my new oven)...it's the only Christmassy thing I do in October. With Halloween next week and lots of pumpkin 'insides' to use up there are some good recipes here from cake to soup

Don't forget we change the clocks this weekend - back 1 hour.

Things in the library 2nd February...

Things long lost...

We had a package delivered to the library this week, on opening it we found a bound copy of Sheffield Children's Hospital Annual reports for 1930 - 1948. Accompanying the volume was a note of apology from a doctor who had been clearing out their office and found the volume which they think they have had for over 30 years. These make fascinating reading covering the war years and the time when W.R.S. Stephenson was Chairman of the Board of Management (after whom this building is named). From the Rules  & Regulations 1930
"Patients may present themselves for admission from 10.00 to 11.45 am - no one will be admitted after 11.45. No child may be visited until one month after admission excepting in the case of serious illness. The visiting day is Saturday from 2.15 to 3.15 pm."

Also in 1930 a new nurses home was opened (13 Broomfield Road) costing £2164 8s 11d and concern was raised about the 80% of medical beds being occupied by Rheumatic Children.

Cots were sponsored and paid for by numerous individuals and organisation eg in 1933 Messrs Cole Brothers Ltd maintained a cot annually to be known as the 'Uncle Jumbo Cot'.
On the 19th October the Countess of Fitzwilliam handed over to the hospital a 'Wireless Installation' subscribed for by readers of a local newspaper. [Note to our younger readers this was a radio]

There are regular reports from the Knitting Circle (making woolies for the patients) and the Linen League who sewed clothes, sheets and other items for the hospital. The interestingly named ultra-violet and massage departments had plenty of patients.

In 1947 the board decided to appoint a full-time paediatric surgeon for the first time; the average length of stay of an in-patient was 17 days and the average number of beds occupied daily was 158. They looked forward to being called upon to play a vital role in the forthcoming comprehensive National Health Service.

Things about tuberculosis...
A disease that would have been well known in the Children's Hospital of the past is still with us, the World Health Organisation aims to end the TB epidemic by 2035 this article discusses the recent trends and advances in childhood tuberculosis.


Things about the NHS...

The Kings Fund have published a report on how public attitudes have changed to the NHS during the last three decades. Conclusion: Through the BSA survey, the British public has shared its views on the NHS for the past 34 years, which covers almost half of the NHS’s 70-year history. Remarkably, despite substantial technological, economic and social change, the belief that the NHS should be available to all and free at the point of use has remained largely stable unlike views on welfare. In contrast, the public has also shown marked differences in their level of satisfaction with the NHS over the same period. As the NHS turns 70, they want to explore further why the public feels the way it does. Later this year, The King’s Fund will be carrying out a series of deliberative events with the public, to explore the relationship between the public and the NHS. They will be asking people what their expectations of the NHS are, where responsibility for health should lie and what is the implicit contract between users and the health service in terms of rights and responsibilities? They hope to find out more about the public’s current relationship with the NHS and feed into the debate about what it might (or should) look like in future.

Things about early nutrition...
Maternal prenatal nutrition and the child's nutrition in the first 2 years of life (1000 days) are crucial factors in a child’s neurodevelopment and lifelong mental health. Child and adult health risks, including obesity, hypertension, and diabetes, may be programmed by nutritional status during this period. Calories are essential for growth of both fetus and child but are not sufficient for normal brain development. Although all nutrients are necessary for brain growth, key nutrients that support neurodevelopment include protein; zinc; iron; choline; folate; iodine; vitamins A, D, B6, and B12; and long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids. Failure to provide key nutrients during this critical period of brain development may result in lifelong deficits in brain function despite subsequent nutrient repletion. Read more about this in Advocacy for Improving Nutrition in the First 1000 Days To Support Childhood Development and Adult Health a policy statement from American Academy of Pediatrics.

Things about care leavers...
The Care Leavers Association (CLA) has published findings from a study into the health needs of care leavers. Recommendations from a survey of the health needs of 418 care leavers of all ages include: the health needs of looked after children and care leavers to be a distinct section in the Joint Strategic Needs; that a young person in care has a comprehensive health assessment at entry into care which is then monitored and updated on a regular basis; the commissioning of a range of mental health and wellbeing services that specifically support looked after children and care leavers.
The CLA has also produced a Commissioning Toolkit for care leavers to guide commissioners to better meet the needs of care leavers through the commission process, and a short guide, created by care leavers, on how to work with adolescent children in care and care leavers.

Things to keep you warm...
I love making soups in the winter and usually thrown in whatever I think will work. A soup based around butternut squash is always popular - you can add a sprinkle of cheese or some fried bacon bits on top just before serving or use creme fraiche or yogurt as in this recipe.

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 4th November

Things about safeguarding...
Just time to book to attend a conference in Leicester on 16th Nov. The conference's purpose is to increase awareness, understanding and inclusion in regards to disabilities within our communities and challenge misinformation, negative perceptions and myths regarding disability.  Include Me TOO have organised this conference in partnership with Strengthening Faiths Institution of  with the support from several leading organisations in this field, NSPCC, Faith Forum London, Barnardo’s FGM Centre, Respond, SCWA (Stop Child Witch Accusation), Forced Marriages Unit and (NWG) National Working Group tackling child sexual exploitation and Jeena.

Things studying chronic fatigue in children
Funded by the NIHR, the FITNET-NHS study is a randomised controlled trial comparing two treatments for children with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME) who do not have access to a local specialist CFS/ME service. The study will investigate whether FITNET-NHS (online CBT) is effective in the NHS, and whether it offers value for money compared to Activity Management.
More information is available here.

NICE things
Atopic eczema in under 12s: diagnosis and management - surveillance report 2016
This Surveillance Report focuses on a summary of selected new evidence relevant to NICE clinical guideline CG57. The appendix includes summaries and references for all new evidence considered.

Things in review
Chronic pain in children: "Interventional Procedures for Chronic Pain in Children and A
dolescents: A Review of the Current Evidence". This review discusses the role of interventional procedures in the treatment of chronic pain in children and adolescents. Due to lack of scientific evidence, significant controversy surrounds the utility of invasive techniques for managing pediatric chronic pain states. Email the library for a copy of the paper

Neurodevelopment in children: "The role of systemic inflammation linking maternal BMI to neurodevelopment in children". Children of obese mothers are at increased risk of developmental adversities. Maternal obesity is linked to an inflammatory in utero environment, which, in turn, is associated with neurodevelopmental impairments in the offspring. This is an integrated mechanism review of animal and human literature related to the hypothesis that maternal obesity causes maternal and fetal inflammation, and that this inflammation adversely affects the neurodevelopment of children. We propose integrative models in which several aspects of inflammation are considered along the causative pathway linking maternal obesity with neurodevelopmental limitations. The full text of the article is available here.

Things to eat for bonfire night
Catherine wheel toad-in-the-hole with honey & mustard onions. Perfect for a cold autumnal bonfire evening, this combination of sausage and Yorkshire pudding in a pretty coiled design is sure to be a family hit