Science Media Centre

A wide-ranging series of initiatives designed to tackle childhood obesity was unveiled by the Government yesterday afternoon. The package is made up of 22 initiatives, which are either new or an expansion of existing programmes. The focus is on food, the environment and being active at each life stage, starting during pregnancy and early childhood. […]

Laundry ‘pods’ containing concentrated detergent pose a serious poisoning risk to young children, according to a new US study. Research published this week in the journal Pediatrics found that in 2012 and 2013, U.S. poison control centres received reports of 17,230 children younger than 6 years of age swallowing, inhaling, or otherwise being exposed to […]

Compared to good hand washing practice, using hand sanitisers does not reduce school sick leave in children, suggests New Zealand-led research published in PLOS Medicine this week. The study, led by Associate Professor Patricia Priest and colleagues from the University of Otago, involved almost 2,500 pupils at 68 primary schools in Christchurch, Dunedin and Invercargill. […]

The latest report from the Growing Up in New Zealand longitudinal study, ‘Now We Are Two‘, has delved deep into the not-so-private lives of the average toddler The report, released this week, provides new insight into the lives of two-year-olds in New Zealand – describing health and safety, emotional and behavioural development, and early learning […]

Experts gathering in Auckland this week have one health concern firmly in their sights: Australasia’s obesity epidemic. The  Australia and New Zealand Obesity Society Annual Scientific Meeting is designed to bring together clinicians, scientists, policy makers and patients to work toward an integrated approach to improve the management and prevention of obesity in Australasia, and […]

New Zealand’s immunisation program has drastically reduced the prevalence of many potentially life-threatening communicable diseases, but it wont rest on it’s laurels when there is still room for improvement. This week is New Zealand’s National Immunisation Week, promoted by the Ministry of Health as a part of a larger World Health Organisation initiative. An awareness […]