Seven days in medicine: 20-26 Feb 2019
BMJ 2019; 364 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.l876 (Published 28 February 2019) Cite this as: BMJ 2019;364:l876
Child health
UK military “must stop child recruitment”
The UK should end its practice of recruiting adolescents to the armed forces, experts argued in BMJ Paediatrics Open.1 Reem Abu-Hayyeh, of the campaign group Medact, and Guddi Singh, an integrated child health specialist, said that one in four UK army recruits is under 18 and that the UK is the only country in Europe and the only permanent member of the UN Security Council to recruit children to the military. Such a policy causes specific health harms during a critical period of development, they said, adding that clinicians can join the calls for a change in state policy.
All pupils in England will get health education
From 2020 all children in England will be taught how to look after their mental and physical wellbeing, including online safety and how to recognise when classmates may be struggling, under new guidance from the Department of Education for introducing compulsory health teaching. Two other subjects—relationship education for primary pupils and relationship and sex education for secondary pupils—will also be introduced. The new curriculum will cover self care, such as getting enough sleep and spending time outdoors and with friends, as well as nutrition, staying active, and recognising early signs of physical illness.
Supplements
Few children’s multivitamins have enough vitamin D
Few …
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