Preventable Diseases in Children are Reaching Epidemic Proportions

Tuesday 13th April 2010

From obesity to alcohol misuse, from rotting baby teeth to hearing problems caused by passive smoking – Alder Hey is treating younger and younger children for health problems which are ultimately preventable. Many are the result of children's lifestyles and are, according to the experts, causing them unnecessary suffering.

More than £1m and hundreds of hours of treatment time are being spent tackling conditions such as obesity, tooth decay, alcohol abuse and the problems caused by passive smoking.

Steve Ryan, Medical Director at Alder Hey, said "It just shouldn't be happening. These children should not be suffering from these problems and they should not be here at this hospital. People are starting to say maybe this is a generation where children will be dying before their parents.

"I think that we've never been here before. We've never faced this epidemic. It didn't happen in history. There were cholera epidemics, measles epidemics, whooping cough epidemics …( this) is subtle. It is in the background. But it's massive."

Panorama BBC1 9PM, Tuesday 13th April 2010