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Child health is closely linked to academic achievement and attainment and is also important for growth and social, mental and physical development. Poor health amongst children may also be linked to poverty and social exclusion.

Common childhood illnesses

Minor illnesses and infections are very common amongst children because their immune systems are not fully developed, which means that they are more susceptible to illness. The most common childhood illnesses include:

• Coughs and colds: coughs and colds often spread very quickly, especially once children start nursery and school. Viruses cause coughs and colds and there is no cure, however, taking pain relief will help to ease the symptoms and children should get plenty of rest and drink lots of water. Symptoms of colds and flu include sore throat, runny nose, itchy eyes, sneezing, sore ears and aches and pains.
• Sore throat: sore throats are usually associated with coughs, flu and colds.
• Ear infection: ear infections are very common amongst children and the main symptom is pain. Antibiotics can be given to treat ear infections.
• Asthma: asthma is becoming increasingly common and although many children grow out of asthma, some will continue to suffer during their adult years. Symptoms of asthma include wheezing and breathing difficulties. In some cases, asthma can be very serious and potentially life threatening, so it is important for children to carry their inhaler with them at all times.
• Eczema: eczema is a very common skin condition, which usually affects young children and, although many children grow out of eczema, it can still affect adults. There are many different treatments for eczema, including lotions and topical creams.

Promoting good health amongst children

It is impossible to prevent children from becoming ill but there are some simple steps parents and guardians can take to reduce the risk of their children getting ill. These include:

• Diet: diet is really important and figures show that more and more children are eating ready-made and fast foods, which have little nutritional value and are often high in salt, saturated fat and sugar. Childhood obesity is becoming increasingly common and is a major concern for the future. A healthy diet will help to boost your child’s immune system, making them more resistant to illnesses and infections. A good diet will also be beneficial for growth and development and is linked to academic achievement and better concentration. A healthy diet should include plenty of fruit and vegetables, complex carbohydrates, plenty of calcium-rich foods, protein and a moderated intake of fat.
• Health checks: make sure you take your child for regular health and dental check-ups. It is also important to take your child for their immunisations and you will receive a letter telling you when your child’s immunisations are due. Immunisations are important because they protect children from a host of childhood diseases.
• Exercise: figures show that children are doing les exercise and more sitting around in front of computer games and the television. Exercise is very important for children as it facilitates growth and development of strong muscles and bones and is beneficial for the organs. Exercise is also a great way for children to release energy, have fun and meet other children. The Department of Health recommends at least one hour of physical exercise everyday for children and this can include many different activities, from playing in the garden or walking to school, to going on a bike ride or swimming.

It is estimated that around 3.9 million children are living in poverty in the UK, with this equating to almost 1 in 3 children. According to the children’s charity Barnardo’s, child poverty is the most significant threat to the safety and wellbeing of children and families in the UK.

What is poverty?

Poverty is a difficult concept to define and as a result of this there are many different definitions, which have been suggested. The general consensus is that poverty is a lack of basic needs and services, including shelter, clean water and food. However, there are also many definitions, which include material needs and sometimes an income of half the national average is used to define poverty.

According to the House of Commons Scottish Affairs Committee, there are three different definitions of poverty; these include absolute poverty, relative poverty and social exclusion. Absolute poverty is defined as a lack of basic resources, which are needed to ensure good health and wellbeing; relative poverty relates to income in comparison to the national average and also involves a lack of material possessions. Social exclusion is a term used to define what can happen when an individual experiences a combination of factors, including unemployment, poor health, low income and relationship breakdown.

How does poverty affect children?

Research has shown that poverty can have long-lasting implications for children, as poverty can affect their physical and mental development and their emotional and social wellbeing. Figures from Barnardo’s show that one third of children go without at least one thing that they need on a daily basis; for example, they may not have clean clothes every day or they may miss a meal.

Poverty may affect children in the following ways:

• fewer opportunities
• poor health (children who grow up in poverty are more likely to suffer from poor health in both their childhood and adult life)
• lower life expectancy
• social exclusion
• less participation in society
• increased risk of unemployment
• lower rates of educational achievement
• higher risk of crime
• difficult behaviour

Tackling child poverty

The government is committed to reducing the number of children living in poverty and is working towards a target of eradicating child poverty completely by the year 2020. The Child Poverty Act was introduced to tackle child poverty and help to lift children living in poverty out of poverty and given them the support they need. As part of the Child Poverty Act, a Child Poverty Commission has been appointed to oversee the strategies to reduce child poverty and offer advice to the government.

Choosing a course

Choosing a course can be difficult because there are so many different courses available and there is often not enough time to look around all the universities you are interested in and spend time getting a feel for the place. It is useful to start looking at universities and courses well in advance of when you have to submit your final application. Take a look at prospectuses, websites and medical blogs, written by students, and narrow your choices down to a manageable number. you can then attend open days and visit the universities you are most interested in.

When you visit a university, make sure you make the most of your trip. Look around all the departments and facilities that interest you, get a feel for university life and take the opportunity to talk to lecturers and students about the course and the university. It is also a good idea to have a look around the town or city and ask about the training facilities on offer. As a medical student, you will spend a lot of your time on placement and this may make the difference when you come to choose a course. If you choose a larger, inner city university you may find that the training facilities are better than if you choose a university in a smaller town.

Getting onto a medicine course

Medicine is notoriously competitive. The number of people wanting to study medicine at university is increasing every year and getting good grades is no longer enough to secure a place on a degree programme. Almost all universities expect at least 2 A grades at A level and many expect straight A’s. In addition, it is important to make your UCAS application stand out from other candidates, so make sure you include information about additional talents and skills, interests, work experience and responsibilities. Make sure you prepare for your interview. Read through practice questions and rehearse being interviewed by your teachers, friends or relatives.

Life as a medical student

Medicine is the most intensive undergraduate degree programme. Unlike many degree programmes, which only require around 10 hours of formal study each week, medicine requires full-time study and you may be in lectures and seminars for around 30 hours a week. In addition to formal study, you will also be expected to do additional study and reading and you will be set assessments to complete throughout the year. Depending on the university you choose, you will also spend time in clinical settings learning practical skills and gaining experience. Some universities start this training from day one, while others leave it until much later in the course.

Life as a medical student is not easy and it can be difficult to juggle work and social life. However, there are plenty of opportunities to get involved in university life and make the most of your students days.

Postnatal depression is a condition that women can develop after giving birth, usually in the first four to six weeks, but sometimes the symptoms cannot appear for many months. Many women are not even aware they are suffering from the condition, as the symptoms can often be similar to those shared by many, healthy new mothers, tiredness, lack of sleep and feeling low. However, it is important that friends and family monitor the mental health of new mums, to make sure that they are not struggling with postnatal depression. It is quite a common condition, with one in ten mothers in the UK suffering from PND at some point after giving birth and even new fathers can be affected too.

Causes and symptoms

Postnatal depression is more likely to occur in women who have had stressful pregnancies or deliveries, though researchers are not sure why this should be. Other factors that can induce postnatal depression can include concerns about coping with the baby, money problems, lack of support at home and previous mental health conditions. Genetics are also thought to play a part in the development of postnatal depression, if you or someone in your family, have suffered from the condition before, then you are more likely to have similar symptoms again. The symptoms of postnatal depression are similar to regular depression, such as low mood, feeling irritable and tearful, panic attacks and difficulty sleeping. As well as these signs, women or men with postnatal depression may also feel unable to cope, overwhelmed by their new responsibilities and show little or no interest in their new baby. In some severe cases, women may have thoughts about harming their baby or themselves. In these situations, it is important that medical attention is sought as soon as possible.

Diagnosis and treatment

The only way to diagnose postnatal depression is by talking to your GP and having him ask you questions about how you are feeling and how you are coping with the baby. Your doctor may decide to carry out some simple medical tests to rule out other physical conditions, like an under active thyroid or anaemia. Women may be reluctant to seek medical help, as they might worry that they will be seen as a bad or unfit mother. Partners or families must do their best to reassure them that seeing their doctor is the best thing for both them and their baby. The most important element in the treatment of postnatal depression is plenty of support for the new mother or father from their friends or family. Your family doctor may decide that some counselling would be a good idea, and in some severe cases they may also decide to prescribe an anti-depressant. According to research, tricyclic anti-depressants are the safest type of tablets for breast feeding mothers to take.

Children and young people are just as likely to suffer from mental health problems as adults. Although psychotic conditions are rarer among young people, some diseases, such as schizophrenia, first show themselves in the late teens or early twenties. Children and teenagers are more likely to be diagnosed with conditions such as depression or anxiety, as exam pressures or social factors, influence their self esteem.

Eating disorders

Although eating disorders can affect people of any age, they are very prevalent among teens and young adults. Although they used to mainly be seen in girls, boys are now succumbing to media pressures to look good and are increasingly struggling with anorexia or bulimia. Anorexia is not just an eating disorder, but is also a major mental health problem. It is not just about starving yourself to lose weight, but a significant problem with body image. Anorexics believe they are fat, no matter what they see in the mirror or what friends and family tell them. This can develop into a phobia of putting on weight or eating which means that the sufferer slowly starves to death. Treatment for anorexia is both psychological and physical, the mental health problems need to be dealt with before the patient can start to put on weight safely. Bulimia is another eating disorder, which is also considered to be a mental health problem. Young people with bulimia try to control their weight by binge eating before making themselves sick or using laxatives. Symptoms not only include weight loss, but also depression while the forced vomiting can cause damage to your teeth. Treatment, again, needs to be both psychological as well as physical, with therapists attempting to rebuild the patient’s damaged relationship with food.

Self-harm

Self-harm is most common amongst teenagers and young people, and is more common in girls than boys. It is a way of coping with emotional problems and stress, rather than  a serious attempt at suicide. Types of self harm can include cutting or burning the skin, while alcohol or substance abuse can, in some cases, be described as self harm. Recent statistics show that 6% of 15 -year-olds have self harmed at least once in their lives. While the most common age to start self harming is between 15 and 19, some children as young as 11 have been diagnosed as suffering from this mental health problem. While the actual wounds or damage can be treated quite simply, it is important that the reasons why the teenager or young person has felt the need to self harm are examined by a mental health professional. Counselling or therapy can help teach them technique to better deal with their emotional problems, rather than resorting to self harm.

Cancer is a very common condition. Almost 300,000 new cases of cancer are diagnosed in the UK every year and 1 in 3 people will be affected by cancer. Cancer is a serious disease, which kills thousands of people every year. However, thanks to research and advances in technology and science, more and more people are surviving cancer.

Why is research so important?

Research is vital. It literally makes the difference between life and death. The aims of cancer research projects are varied but all programmes and projects work towards the same goal: to find a cure for cancer. There is currently no cure for cancer and thousands of people die from the disease every year. As a result of this, research is extremely important. Research is used to determine causes and risk factors, trial new treatments and find treatments that are safe and more effective than those currently used to treat cancer patients and identify ways of preventing cancer. Research is also important for introducing screening programmes and allowing doctors to test for cancer.

What kinds of cancer research projects are carried out?

There are hundreds of different cancer research projects being carried out across the world at the moment. Projects may focus on many different aspects of cancer, including causes and risk factors, symptoms, treatments, side-effects of different treatments, complications, screening and prevention. There are different types of research study. Some are focused on theoretical research, while others focus on practice. Clinical trials are perhaps the most commonly known form of research project.

How is research funded?

Research projects are funded by a variety of different means. Projects may be funded by academic institutions, organisations, charities and benefactors. You can donate to charities to help fund research projects in a variety of different ways, to making a one-off donation and setting up a direct debit to doing a sponsored run, cycle or climb, for example.

How can I find out about cancer research?

The easiest way to find out about cancer research is to search online. Charities offer a wealth of information about cancer research and cancer in general, and there are also medical blogs, which provide information about funding, research projects and medical issues related to cancer.