Spoilt Rotten (Parenting Documentary) - Real Stories

From obesity to alcohol misuse, from rotting baby teeth to hearing problems caused by passive smoking – Britain’s largest children’s hospital is treating younger and younger patients for health problems which are ultimately preventable. Many are the result of kids’ lifestyles and are, according to the experts, causing them unnecessary suffering. With unprecedented access to Alder Hey Children’s Hospital in Liverpool, this documentary meets the kids, the pediatricians treating them and follows them home in an attempt to uncover the root cause of their problems. It is clear that some of the basic health messages from the doctors are not getting through to parents. The A&E is a busy department and having to deal with cases such as drunk children is not only time consuming for staff, but can be upsetting for other young patients too. Operations on dental, glue ear and obesity cases are helping clog up a system that’s already under considerable strain. The hospital estimates they spend around a million pounds a year on treating preventable conditions, enough to buy them a new MRI scanner.