Children with disabling conditions seem to be at increased risk of registration for child abuse and neglect, although the pattern of registration varies with the specific disabling condition. The strong association with registration noted for conditions such as conduct disorder and learning difficulties is likely to arise, in part, because these conditions share a common etiologic pathway with child abuse and neglect.

Aims: To study the relation between risk of cerebral palsy and socioeconomic status. Methods: A total of 293 children with a diagnosis of cerebral palsy out of 105 760 live births between 1 January 1982 and 31 December 1997 were identified from the special conditions sub-file of the West Sussex Computerised Child Health System. Results: There was a linear association between risk of cerebral palsy and socioeconomic status (SES) measured by the Registrar General's social class (RGSC) and enumeration district (ED) ranked into quintiles by the Townsend Deprivation Index derived from 1991 census data. Fifty one per cent and 30% of cases of cerebral palsy were statistically ''attributable'' to inequality in SES using the RGSC and ED quintile respectively. A linear association was also noted for singleton live births. The association between risk of cerebral palsy and ED quintile persisted in a logistic regression model that included birth weight and gestational age, although that between RGSC and cerebral palsy no longer reached conventional levels of statistical significance after adjustment. Conclusions: A strong association was observed between socioeconomic status and the risk of cerebral palsy, which was only partly accounted for by the known social gradients in birth weight and gestational age.T he negative impact of socioeconomic deprivation has been shown for many aspects of child mortality and morbidity.1-3 The relation between socioeconomic status (SES) and the risk of cerebral palsy is not clear. An observed association between SES and cerebral palsy might suggest aetiological factors and pathways to prevention as well as being important in the planning of services and the allocation of resources.Low birth weight and prematurity are the strongest risk factors for cerebral palsy. 4 Given the observed association between these factors and SES, 5-7 an increased prevalence of cerebral palsy with low SES is expected. However, studies have produced conflicting results. Table 1 summarises the results of studies conducted in developed countries. In developing countries, there is a higher proportion of children with postnatally acquired cerebral palsy with a more clearly established socioeconomic gradient.West Sussex has a population of 750 000 with roughly 8000 births per year. Compared with national figures, fewer belong to ethnic minority groups and there is a lower rate of unemployment. However, there is a wide variation in SES with areas of deprivation. 8In the present study, population based, routinely collected data from West Sussex are used to: N Examine the relation between the prevalence of cerebral palsy and SES and between SES and the type and severity of cerebral palsy N Examine the degree to which any relation between SES and the prevalence of cerebral palsy is mediated by socioeconomic differences in birth weight and gestation.

Background and aim It is widely acknowledged that children should participate in healthcare decisions, service development and even setting research agendas. Dental traumatology is a major component of paediatric dentistry practice and research. However, little is known about young patients’ contribution to new knowledge in this field. The aim of the study was to establish the extent to which children are involved in contemporary dental trauma research and to evaluate the quality of the related literature. Material and methods A systematic review of the dental trauma literature was conducted from 2006 to 2014. The electronic databases, MEDLINE and Scopus, were used to identify relevant studies. The selected papers were independently examined by five calibrated reviewers. Studies were categorized by the degree of children's involvement and appraised using a validated quality assessment tool. Results The initial search yielded 4374 papers. After application of the inclusion and exclusion criteria, only 96 studies remained. Research on children accounted for 87.5% of papers, and a proxy was involved in 4.2%. Children were engaged to some degree in only 8.3% of studies, and there were no studies where children were active research participants. In the quality assessment exercise, papers scored, on average, 57% (range = 14–86%). Conclusion There is scope to encourage more active participation of children in dental trauma research in the future. Furthermore, there are some areas where the quality of research could be improved overall.

Enamel opacities can appear as white, cream, yellow or brown patches. They can result from developmental or acquired conditions. The diagnosis, severity of the opacity and patient's desire for treatment guide the clinician when choosing the correct management option. Microabrasion is indicated for surface opacities, whereas bleaching can treat opacities deep within the tooth. When these techniques have failed to achieve the desired result, camouflaging the opacity with composite resin may be useful. Novel techniques, such as infiltrating or sealing the opacity, can alter enamel's refractive index, offering further treatment choices. CPD/Clinical Relevance: There are many conservative treatments available which can improve the appearance of enamel opacities.

The results of this study suggest that lower levels of fetal growth and shorter gestational duration are associated with increased likelihood of child protection registration in all categories including sexual abuse independent of maternal age or socioeconomic status. This study does not permit comment on whether poor fetal growth or preterm birth predispose to child abuse and neglect or the association arises because they share a common pathway.

Recurrent oral ulceration is common and may present in childhood. Causes of recurrent oral ulceration are numerous and there may be an association with underlying systemic disease. Recurrent aphthous stomatitis (RAS) is the most common underlying diagnosis in children. The discomfort of oral ulcers can impact negatively on quality of life of a child, interfering with eating, speaking and may result in missed school days. The role of the general dental practitioner is to identify patients who can be treated with simple measures in primary dental care and those who require assessment and treatment in secondary care. Management may include topical agents for symptomatic relief, topical corticosteroids and, in severe recalcitrant cases, systemic agents may be necessary.

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Dry mouth has a profound effect on the oral environment and alters susceptibility to oral disease. It is well-recognized in adults but affected children may not report symptoms even when severe oral dryness is present, potentially leading to late diagnosis and missed opportunities to prevent caries and other adverse sequelae. This article describes the causes and clinical signs of salivary hypofunction in children and young people and documents some associated emotional and social impacts on patients and their families. It is illustrated by four cases where the underlying diagnoses were 22q11 micro-deletion syndrome, congenital salivary gland aplasia, sarcoidosis and medication-induced. CPD/Clinical Relevance: An awareness of the possible presentations, underlying causes and impacts of dry mouth in children and young people will enable vigilant dental practitioners to diagnose the problem at an earlier stage, so that appropriate enhanced preventive care and additional support can be offered promptly.