Search

One in eight children have asthma, a chronic disease of the airways in the lungs. It results in shortness of breath, chest tightness, wheezing and coughing.

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is the most commonly diagnosed childhood mental health disorder, affecting about 1 in 20 children. It can impact their behaviour, learning and social skills.

Characterised by varying degrees of difficulties in communication skills and social abilities, one in every 100 individuals will have a diagnosis of an autism spectrum condition. While autism is known to run in families, the exact causes remain unknown.

Convenient, readily available and helping create a close and loving bond between baby and mother, breastfeeding is highly regarded for optimising infant health and preventing chronic disease in adulthood.

Bronchiolitis is a respiratory infection, usually occurring in babies under six months of age. It causes them to wheeze and can lead to pneumonia. Researchers are focusing on vaccines against the virus which commonly causes it.

We know from research that the risk of death from respiratory disease is 14 times higher for adults with cerebral palsy than for other adults. Respiratory disease is the most common cause of premature death in children and young people with cerebral palsy and one of the main causes of hospitalisation.

Cancers in children are very different from cancers in adults - in most cases they appear to strike simply at random. They also develop differently and can spread more rapidly and aggressively. And because cancers in children are not obviously linked to their lifestyles, much work is needed to pinpoint their cause.

Melanoma, also known as malignant melanoma, occurs when abnormal skin cells multiply rapidly in an uncontrolled way.

Brain tumours are the second most common cancer in children (after leukaemia).

Here’s what we know so far about the impact of COVID-19 on children.