Children's Health

Half overweight teens have heart risk

Half the nation’s overweight teens have unhealthy blood pressure, cholesterol or blood sugar levels that put them at risk for future heart attacks and…    

Breast-fed babies’ gut microbes contribute to healthy immune systems

A new multi-university study reports that differences in bacterial colonization of the infant gut in formula-fed and breast-fed babies lead to changes in the…    

Study says children exposed to tobacco smoke face long-term respiratory problems

For more than three decades, researchers have warned of the potential health risks associated with exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS), especially among children…    

Bluetooth baby

Checking the heart of the unborn baby usually involves a stethoscope. However, an inexpensive and accurate Bluetooth fetal heart rate monitoring system has now…    

Children at risk as “button” battery use grows: study

Children face a growing risk from “button” batteries, according to a U.S. study showing a near doubling of emergency room visits in the past…    

Kids’ TV time tied to unhealthy food choices

Kids and teens who watch a lot of television are less likely to get their fruits and veggies and more likely to snack on…    

Kids with cerebral palsy may benefit from video game play

Like their healthy peers, children with disabilities may spend too much time in front of a video screen. For children with cerebral palsy (CP),…    

Why underweight babies become obese

It seems improbable that a baby born underweight would be prone to obesity, but it is well documented that these children tend to put…    

New Report Shows 15 Million Babies Born Too Soon Every Year

The first-ever national, regional, and global estimates of preterm birth reveals that 15 million babies are born too soon every year and 1.1 million…    

Children with juvenile arthritis have higher rates of bacterial infection

Children with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) have higher rates of hospitalized bacterial infection than children without JIA according to an observational study appearing in…    

More babies born to painkiller-addicted moms

A baby is born every hour with signs of opiate drug withdrawal, according to a new U.S. study - and the number of newborns…    

Black Children Less Likely to Get Pain Meds in ER

Black children seen in the emergency department for abdominal pain are less likely to receive pain medication than white children, according to a new…    

Racial differences found in care of children in ED

Black children are less likely than white children to receive medication for abdominal pain in the emergency department (ED) even when they report severe…    

Low-income moms under stress may overfeed infants

Efforts to prevent obesity among low-income infants should focus not only on what babies are being fed but also the reasons behind unhealthy feeding…    

Better health in adulthood starts with early prevention in childhood

Preventing chronic diseases and disorders that begin in infancy will improve the health of children and adults, according to research being presented on Saturday,…    

Is the obesity tide turning among preschoolers?

In eastern Massachusetts, the number of kids under age six who are obese declined significantly in recent years - a trend that might be…    

Obesity rates declining among Massachusetts infants and toddlers

Researchers at the Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute found a drop in obesity rates among Massachusetts infants and preschoolers, reports the Boston Globe.

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Emergency room CT exams have increased in children with abdominal pain

Computed tomography (CT) utilization in pediatric patients with non-traumatic abdominal pain increased in emergency departments each year between 1999 and 2007, according to a…    

A physician’s guide for anti-vaccine parents

In the limited time of an office visit, how can a primary care physician make the case to parents that their child should be…    

IVF Babies May Face Later Cardiac Risks

Children conceived using assisted reproductive technology, including in vitro fertilization, may be at risk for premature cardiovascular disease, a small study found.

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Fewer Kids Die in Accidents

The overall death rate from unintentional injury among children and teens fell 29% from 2000 to 2009, a review of U.S. mortality data showed.…    

Video Game Helps Kids Battle Depression

For depressed teenagers, a computer game may provide an alternative to in-person counseling, researchers found.

In a multicenter trial in New Zealand,…    

Poll shows strong voter support for school nutrition standards

Eighty percent of American voters favor national standards that would limit calories, fat, and sodium in snack and à la carte foods sold in…    

5 S’s can help ease pain of infant vaccines

Watching your baby get a vaccine can be painful for parents, too.

But a new study, published in the medical journal Pediatrics,…    

Tough Home Life for Toddlers Tied to Obesity

Girls who face multiple social stressors at home as toddlers are more likely to be obese by age 5, researchers found.

Among…