Children and young people

New NHS treatments helping extend survival for babies with rare muscle-wasting disease

Nearly three in four babies born with a rare muscle-wasting disease are now surviving for two years or more thanks to advances in NHS treatment, new data shows. Around 70 children are born with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) each year in the UK, a rare genetic condition that causes muscle weakness, progressive loss of movement […]

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Vision-saving drug to be routinely offered on NHS to prevent blindness in premature babies

Premature babies are to be routinely offered a “life-changing” treatment to prevent blindness on the NHS for the first time, the head of the health service has announced today. The drug, ranibizumab, could save the eyesight of babies born with a condition known as retinopathy of prematurity (ROP), which affects blood vessels in the retina, […]

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NHS surgeons safety plea after surge in kids swallowing dangerous objects

Leading NHS children’s doctors are encouraging parents to be alert to the dangers of small toys this Christmas after surgeons have had to perform life-saving operations to remove button batteries, magnetic balls and Christmas cracker toys, in previous years. The number of children being admitted to hospital after ingesting small objects has doubled over the […]

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