News

We use our members' expertise and experience to promote child health and inform our responses to current news.

News

We can’t be complacent in stubbing out smoking among young people

18 March 2020

The overall rates of smoking among UK adults and young people have declined in recent decades. Legislation around the consumption, sale and advertisement of cigarettes has become tighter, and wide-reaching public health campaigns have taken effect.

News

Professional bodies’ response to government advice for pregnant women to reduce social contact

17 March 2020

Royal Colleges respond to new coronavirus guidance for pregnant women.

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Medicines safety alert – apraclonidine use in infants below six months of age

17 March 2020

The RCPCH/NPPG Medicines Committee has recently been informed of a severe adverse reaction in a six-month old child with anisocoria who had been administered apraclonidine 1% to help exclude Horner syndrome.

News

COVID-19 - message from the President, 13 March

13 March 2020

Russell updates members on how the College is responding to COVID-19. In this message, which has been emailed to all members, he outlines the College's actions towards COVID-19 and highlights advice and guidance for our members.

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We need to address staff shortages across the child health workforce

11 March 2020

Staff shortages are among the most high-profile issues facing the NHS today—a scarcity that is felt within the paediatrics workforce.

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By raising awareness of young carers, we can give them the support they need

10 March 2020

A few years ago, I got the chance to speak with young carers about their experiences. Together, we created superhero characters to explain some of the many things that they do—and some other things they would like to do. As the RCPCH’s children and young people’s engagement manager, I get to meet wi...

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We need to take a public health approach to youth violence—it’s not just a criminal matter

9 March 2020

Knife crime gets a lot of attention in the UK press and we should take this worrying trend seriously. But we should also remember that it’s only part of the story. In reality, stab wounds make up a small proportion of the total hospital admissions attributed to violent incidents, and much of the med...

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We can improve outcomes for children in care by taking practical actions now

8 March 2020

There are many reasons why a child or young person might need to be looked after by the state, including abuse and neglect, family dysfunction, and a family in acute stress—all social disadvantages that arise more often in economically challenging times.

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We need to invest in better smoking cessation services for pregnant women

7 March 2020

A good start in life is critical for health—and this story begins before birth. The WHO states that monitoring maternal and child health during pregnancy is critical, and that smoking is one of the most important modifiable lifestyle choices during this period.

News

We must join forces to create integrated physical and mental health teams

6 March 2020

Mental health and wellbeing have entered the collective conscience of paediatric medicine, with widespread speculation that social media use and rising academic stress are among the many new challenges impacting this generation of children and young people.