Surge in eating disorders in kids

A TOP Calderdale children’s doctor says more young people are coming into West Yorkshire’s hospitals with mental health issues - including eating disorders - since the start of the pandemic.

Dr Sal Uka, Consultant Paediatrician at Calderdale and Huddersfield NHS Foundation Trust, says he has never seen such a surge in eating disorders as has happened since Covid-19 hit.

He warned that the consequences of the pandemic and lockdowns have had a real impact on children’s lives, and more young people are presenting with mental health problems.

“At this moment in time, each children’s ward across West Yorkshire and Harrogate will have a number of children and young people on there with a mental health problem, such as an eating disorder like anorexia, who simply are waiting for their next bed to be available to help treat them for this,” said Dr Uka, who is also Medical Lead for West Yorkshire Association of Acute Trusts (WYAAT).

“I’ve never seen such a surge in eating disorders as we are seeing at the moment.”

In a video posted on social media by WYAAT, Dr Uka said doctors across West Yorkshire and Harrogate are seeing more young people coming to hospital with Covid-19, including some showing typical complications of the virus.

He also said the last few weeks has seen an increasing need for urgent and emergency care, and that has included for children. Some of that has come from parents wanting reassurance by seeing a health professional in person.

And there has been an increase in respiratory viruses, in particular RSV, he said, Innovative work is underway,including a pilot promoting early discharge where babies and children can recover at home.

“I’ve never see such a surge in eating disorders as we are seeing at the moment.”