Researchers, Christopher Mayes, Deana Leahy and Kristen Lyons ask "Has selling ‘good bugs not drugs’ for kids’ health gone too far?" Does your child have a “gut-friendly” lunchbox? It’s Healthy Lunchbox Week, a back-to-school initiative of Nutrition Australia. School lunches are essential for long-term child health...
Here’s how you and your child’s school can help, report Christine Grové and Kelly-Ann Allen With COVID-related school closures and long periods of remote learning, many kids across Australia have not physically been at school for most of the past two years. Because of the...
Staff and children in preschool and childcare aren’t being protected like in schools. We need a national plan, writes Thea van de Mortel By late January, more than 400 early learning centres were closed across the country due to the Omicron wave, and many more were...
Lea Waters reports how positive psychology can unlock your child’s potential and enhance their well-being It’s widely accepted in today’s culture that good parenting requires a balance of warmth and control. Research shows that parents who respond to the needs of children in loving ways, whilst...
‘Welcome to our world’: families of children with cancer say the pandemic has helped them feel seen, while putting them in peril, writes Jenny Davies. For billions of people across the world, life as we knew it stopped in 2020. Families and friends were separated. Masks mandated....
5 things research from twins taught us about health, behaviour and what makes us unique, reports Jeffrey Craig Researchers often compare the differences between identical and fraternal twins to better understand health and behaviour. The first major insight is that genes and environments almost always combine to...
Once a form of ‘social camouflage’, school uniforms have become impractical and unfair, writes Johanna Reidy As the start of a new school year looms, school uniforms are being dusted off or new ones bought. At the same time, age-old debates about the pros and cons...
Empathy is vital for social functioning. However, new research demonstrates that children who are particularly empathic are also more anxious, report Kate Bray and Associate Professor Sarah Whittle Empathy is our ability to share and understand the emotions of other people. Most experts agree that there are...
Australia’s leading use of digital technologies in youth mental health services could help inform Australia’s Privacy Act review, with lessons for mental health services along the way Researchers Dr Piers Gooding, Dr Rys Farthing and Emily Painter report that in 2018, a Melbourne high school mistakenly...
Prader Willi, Angelman and Dup15q syndromes leave a devastating effect on families. Early diagnosis for these disorders can now be tested through screening at birth. Research at a Glance: A Melbourne-led study has found a new test designed to simultaneously screen newborns for three rare genetic...
