Infections raise risk of mental disorders in kids

Infections like bronchitis in children and adolescents have been linked with an increased risk of developing a mental illness later in life, a study has shown. In the Jama Psychiarty study, researchers found being hospitalised for a serious infection increased the risk of hospital contact due to mental disorders by 84 per cent. The risk…

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Launch of multidisciplinary alliance aiming to curb Asia Pacific’s fragility fractures

A ground-breaking multi-stakeholder alliance charged with countering fragility fractures threatening the world’s most populated, and fastest ageing region, will be unveiled in Sydney, Australia today. Formation of the Asia Pacific Fragility Fracture Alliance coincides with an article published in MJA Insight calling for an urgent, cross-disciplinary, multi-sector response to the mounting medical emergency facing Asia’s…

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Chickenpox vaccine significantly curbing childhood infection

Introduced to Australia in 2005, the chickenpox (varicella) vaccine has substantially reduced the incidence of this common childhood infection, according to a new report. Communicable Diseases Intelligence examined the impact of the chickenpox vaccine administered to children at 18 months of age. Pre- vaccine availability, Australia had an estimated 240,000 chickenpox cases each year, including…

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