Children's Health: Infants under 12 months most at risk of physical abuse ♦ Increase in infant deaths attributed to crib bumpers ♦ Food odors activate impulse area of the brain in obese children

Infants under 12 months most at risk of physical abuse Infants under the age of 12 months are most at risk of serious physical abuse, reveals a large study of severely injured children. Compared with children whose injuries had been accidental, the injuries of abused children were more severe and tended to involve the head/brain.

Increase in infant deaths attributed to crib bumpers The number of infant deaths and injuries attributed to crib bumpers has spiked significantly in recent years, prompting researchers to call for a nationwide ban on the bedding accessory.

Food odors activate impulse area of the brain in obese children The area of the brain associated with impulsivity and the development of obsessive-compulsive disorder is activated in obese children when introduced to food smells.

Lack of protein in rare childhood disease also has role in cancer An expert who has treated rare childhood diseases has found that a protein that is missing in one such disease is also silenced by many cancers. Looking at how the lack of the protein affects the sick children also provides a “lens” on cancer.