Children's Health: Children born in the summer more likely to be healthy adults ♦ First-born in family more likely to be nearsighted ♦ Antibiotic stewardship reduces C. diff in hospitalized children

First-born in family more likely to be nearsighted; priority of education may be factor First-born individuals in a sample of adults in the United Kingdom were more likely to be nearsighted than later-born individuals in a family, and the association was larger before adjusting for educational exposure, suggesting that reduced parental investment in the education of children with later birth orders may be partly responsible.

Antibiotic stewardship reduces C. diff in hospitalized children Hospitalized children were three times less likely to become sick with Clostridium difficile (C. diff), a serious bacterial infection that can occur after prolonged antibiotic use, following implementation of an antibiotic stewardship program, a new study found. These programs reduce the misuse of antibiotics and therefore C. diff, and also result in antibiotic cost savings.

Poor infant sleep may predict problematic toddler behavior A recent study finds a definite link between poor infant sleep and compromised attention and behavior at the toddler stage.

Children born in the summer more likely to be healthy adults Women who were born in the summer are more likely to be healthy adults, suggests new research. The authors of the study, which involved almost half a million people in the UK, say more sunlight -- and therefore higher vitamin D exposure -- in the second trimester of pregnancy could explain the effect, but more research is needed.