Daily roundup 6 April: Tooth decay, abuse investigation, and Fortnite

A child in England has a tooth removed in hospital every 10 minutes due to preventable tooth decay, according to data published by Public Health England. With the government's soft drinks industry levy coming into effect today, the organisation has launched a campaign reminding parents that sugary drinks, including juice drinks, energy drinks, cola and other fizzy drinks, are one of the main sources of sugar in children's diets.


The Royal National Institute of Blind People is under investigation after an allegation of sexual abuse was made at its flagship school. The Telegraph reports that the chief executive of the charity, Sally Harvey, has stood down over the crisis, which follows a damning Ofsted report about the Pears Centre for Specialist Learning, a school and children's home for young people who are blind or partially sighted. The Charity Commission has described the situation at the centre as "deeply concerning". 


A popular online game called Fortnite is putting children at risk from online paedophiles, the National Crime Agency has warned. The Telegraph reports that the organisation said voice and text chats between players over the internet cannot be turned off, meaning that parents are unaware their children are chatting to strangers online. The game, which features up to 100 players battling to be the last person alive in a player vs player combat, is proving hugely popular in the UK, with many young people said to be disrupting school lessons because they are so addicted.


Nursery children are to receive free fruit or vegetables as part of a new Scottish government healthy eating package that will also see low-income families given targeted help to buy nutritious food. The Scotsman reports that ministers propose to use new ­Holyrood welfare powers to increase the amount of money low-income families can spend on healthy foods, as well as extend the range of items that can be purchased.


Children whose parents are cousins are around three times more likely to take medication for mood disorders such as depression and anxiety at some point in their lives, new research suggests. The Daily Mail reports that researchers from Queen's University Belfast found that such individuals are also more than twice as likely to be prescribed antipsychotic drugs, which treat conditions like schizophrenia.


Six people, five of them teenagers, are in hospital following five separate knife attacks in London on Thursday. The Guardian reports that a 13-year-old boy was one of the victims of the attacks on Thursday, suffering serious wounds after being stabbed in east London. Three young people have been arrested on suspicion of grievous bodily harm in connection with that attack, Newham police said.


Christian, Muslim and Jewish leaders have joined forces to call for a policy limiting benefits to families with more than two children to be scrapped. The Guardian reports that the "two-child policy", introduced a year ago, allows families to claim child tax credits or universal credits only for their first two children unless there are special circumstances. But religious leaders say the policy will lead to a rise in child poverty and abortions.