Child and family health

Babies and children are not small adults. This is not true just for the typical diseases of childhood. Children will recover from many illnesses without any medical help, while other problems will require specialist help. Childhood and the years of adolescence are also important for establishing future health, and healthy lifestyles.

Feature: Acute middle ear infection in babies and children
Sleepless nights are quite common for most parents of young children. The reason is sometimes a middle ear infection bothering their child. It can be very unsettling when a child is in pain and crying in the middle of the night. Our article and fact sheet aim to help mothers and fathers better understand this condition and to let them know what can help against middle ear infection.
Feature: Amblyopia
Normally, the brain processes the information coming in from both eyes equally. In some children, however, one eye is favored by the brain because it provides a better image. If this happens, the other eye is neglected. This problem is known as amblyopia. Read our fact sheet to find what the treatment options are and how you can help your child cope with it.
Feature: Bed-wetting in children and young people
Bed-wetting in children and teenagers is more common than you might think. About one in six five-year-old children sometimes notice too late that their bladder is full. But because nobody likes to talk about it, these children often feel like they are the only ones with this problem. A child’s bed-wetting is often burdensome for parents and siblings too.
Feature: Migraines in children and young people
Some children or teenagers have such bad migraine attacks that they cannot go to school and also miss out on many fun activities. The good news is that there is a lot that can be done so that the attacks are less frequent and less of a problem. Read our information for young people to find out how to prevent migraine attacks and how best to cope with them when they happen.
Feature: Preventing depressions in children and young people
Young people often feel sad, down or distressed. That's normal. Sometimes, though, it is more than normal blues: many children and young people get depressed. But depression can be prevented or at least recognised early.
Feature: Prevention in babies and small children
Which children have a higher risk of allergy? Can pregnant women do anything that will reduce the risk of allergy in their child? Is childhood immunisation the cause of the increase in allergies? We let you know what parents can do to try to prevent their children getting allergies.
Feature: Sleeping disorders in teenagers
Teenagers who have slept poorly on more than three nights a week for longer than one month might have a sleeping disorder. However, chances are good that they can get a handle on this problem. We explain why having a cigarette before going to bed might disturb your sleep, why sleeping pills are not a good solution, and what treatments can help if the sleeping problems do not go away on their own.
Feature: The common cold
What is the common cold? How is it different from the flu? The cold is an infection that is usually caused by viruses and develops over a few days. It usually starts with a scratchy or sore throat.

Fact sheets

Children

Fact sheet: Head lice

They are small, stubborn and unpleasant: head lice – tiny parasites that bite your scalp (the skin on your head), which can be very itchy. Apart from this, though, they are not dangerous and do not cause any bodily harm. They usually affect children, who pass them on to others. With the help of certain substances and strategies you can get rid of the small bloodsuckers. There are chemicals against head lice, but they do not always work and many people would rather not use them because of their ingredients. But for some time now there have also been non-chemical alternatives. Here we will present the different treatment options. more...

Research summaries

baby yawning

Allergy and food intolerance: Can soya baby formulas prevent them?

Soy formula has not been shown to protect high-risk babies from developing allergies or food intolerance. more...
Oranges

Common colds: Can vitamin C prevent or relieve them?

Taking vitamin C every day to try to prevent colds does not protect most people from colds. It only slightly shortens the amount of time that they are ill. Starting to take vitamin C at the first sign of a cold does not affect the course of the cold. more...
Couple

Common colds: Does echinacea work?

It is not clear whether echinacea extracts can prevent colds. Some echinacea products might help to reduce the length and severity of a cold if taken at the very beginning. Because the available products are very different to one another, more research is needed. Adverse effects are rare. more...
Glass and tablet

Common colds: Is it better to take antibiotics or not?

It does not make sense to use antibiotics for simple colds. These drugs have no proven benefit, and can have adverse effects. more...
Woman with a glass of water

Common colds: Should we follow the "drink more fluids" advice?

There is no medical reason to drink more than you feel like drinking when you have a cold. more...
Sick child with mother

Common colds: What happens if you wait before trying antibiotics?

If there does not appear to be any medical need for antibiotics to treat a simple cold, waiting one to two days can avoid unnecessary adverse effects. more...
Photo of family brushing teeth

Dental caries: Do fluoride tooth products prevent tooth decay in children and young people?

Fluoride tooth products, especially toothpaste, protect children against plaque and tooth decay. more...
sisters drawing

Dental caries: Do fluoride toothpaste, mouthwashes or gels reduce more tooth decay?

Brushing with fluoride toothpaste every day protects children and young people from tooth decay just as effectively as fluoride mouthwashes and gels applied directly to the teeth. more...
Boy brushing his teeth

Dental caries: Do tooth sealants help in children and young people?

Using sealants on the molars (back teeth) can clearly reduce the risk of tooth decay. more...
Girl in hospital bed

Pre-surgery: How long do children need to fast before an operation?

Some hospitals do not let children have anything to drink for two hours before an operation. Others do not allow them to drink for more than five hours, but such a long fast has not been proven necessary. Children who are allowed to drink water or clear juice up to two hours before an operation feel better and stay calmer than children who have to fast longer. more...
Man with scarf

Sore throats: Do antibiotics help?

Antibiotics can shorten the symptoms of sore throats caused by infections by less than a day. There are adverse effects, though, so that weighing up the pros and cons is an individual exercise. more...
Photo

Babies with high risk of allergy: Could prebiotics in infant formulas make a difference?

Infant formulas containing prebiotics might be able to prevent the development of eczema in babies who are at high risk of allergies, but they have not been tested enough to be sure. So far, none of the breast milk substitutes has been shown to provide better protection than breastfeeding. more...
Photo of baby with mother

Chronic middle ear infection: Are ear tubes an appropriate treatment?

Treating prolonged middle ear infection with tympanic effusion with ear tubes (grommets) can temporarily improve hearing somewhat. But they no longer have a benefit after about half a year because hearing gets better without this procedure during that time anyway. more...
Photo of a girl

Earache: What medications help in inflammations in the auditory canal?

Some ear drops, which are only available on prescription, seem to ease earache due to an inflammation of the external auditory canal very effectively. There is no evidence that disinfectant drops, which are available as over-the-counter-medications, are similarly effective. more...
Photo of mother with child

Eczema: Does eliminating particular foods reduce the symptoms?

There is no strong proof that elimination diets in babies or children can reduce their eczema if they do not have established food allergies. There has been very little research on elimination diets for adults with eczema. more...
Photo of child

Middle ear infection: Will antibiotics help relieve the symptoms in babies and young children?

Middle ear infection will usually clear up by itself within a few days, with or without treatment. However, for babies under two years of age who have an infection in both ears, antibiotics can speed up recovery. Antibiotics could also help if the baby's ears are leaking fluid because of infection. more...
Photo of boy

Migraine in children and teenagers: Are there ways of preventing migraines without using medication?

Relaxation training plus biofeedback or behavioural training might be able to reduce migraines in children and teenagers. No specific diet has been shown to definitely prevent migraines in children, although eliminating some foods that trigger migraines might help. more...
Photo of child

Migraine in children and teenagers: Can taking medications or herbal products prevent attacks?

There is some research showing that several medications or herbal products might be able to prevent migraines in children and young people. However, there is not enough data on their safety and effectiveness for them to be licensed for use by children and teenagers in Germany. more...
Photo of child

Migraine in children and teenagers: Which drugs can relieve the symptoms?

The painkillers ibuprofen and acetaminophen (paracetamol) can relieve migraine attacks in children and teenagers and only rarely cause adverse effects. Sumatriptan nasal spray is also effective for children over the age of 12, but it causes more adverse effects. more...
Baby's ear

Screening programmes: What effects could hearing tests for newborns have?

If all newborn babies had screening tests for hearing impairment, hearing problems could be diagnosed and treated earlier. This could improve early speech development in children who are born with hearing impairments. more...
Photo of woman

Asthma: Can specific immunotherapy reduce the symptoms, and how safe is it?

Specific immunotherapy (“desensitisation”) can reduce the number of asthma attacks in people with allergic asthma. When injected, mild reactions in the tissue around the injection site are common. There is a small chance of a dangerous reaction to the injection that would need immediate medical treatment. more...
photo of grandfather and grandchild

Influenza: How much protection do flu vaccinations offer?

In most years healthy people are unlikely to get influenza, whether or not they are vaccinated. However, vaccination can reduce the risk of getting influenza by half or more. This can make a big difference in years when the risk of infection is high. more...
Photo with child

Screening programs: Are there more advantages than disadvantages to having eye tests for all preschool children?

It is important to find out whether children have vision problems, but not enough research has been done to be able to determine the benefits and harms of routine eye tests in preschool children. more...

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