Daily roundup 5 June: Depression, Facebook video, and nursery care

Children of mothers suffering depression during pregnancy are three times more likely to develop the condition themselves, reports the Daily Mail. Researchers have found that exposure to stress hormones in the womb can have lasting impact on a child’s brain. The study also found that children whose mothers were depressed during pregnancy are also more likely to suffer abuse.


The NSPCC has criticised Facebook over its decision not to remove a “disturbing” video of a baby being repeatedly dunked into a bucket of water. BBC News reports that the charity is calling on government to create a new organisation with the power to hold internet companies to account.


Thousands of children are missing out on free nursery care in Scotland, it has been claimed. The Scotsman reports that the Scottish Government has increased free entitlement to about three hours a day but working parents say they can’t access this because the system is so restrictive. An expert group will be convened next week to examine the problem in greater detail.


Parents have been warned to stop their children using phones and computers before school because it damages their concentration. The Daily Mail reports that clinical psychologist Linda Blair said use of computer screens can affect children's sleep by reducing melatonin levels, and also raises levels of the stress hormone cortisol.


Nearly 600 children in East Yorkshire have had rotting teeth removed in the past year, reports the Hull Daily Mail. The total includes more than a dozen two-year-olds and more than 100 children under the age of five. Around 43 per cent of five-year-olds in Hull have tooth decay, compared with an average of 28 per cent nationally.