Health News

The most important part of a holiday meal is not the turkey, the stuffing, or the homemade apple pie. It's not even the gifts you may exchange. What is it? Family. Sharing a meal with your family provides a valuable opportunity to strengthen bonds and create lasting memories. It's a time to reconnect and share what's going on in each other's lives. This is especially true during the holidays, when families come together to celebrate.

Halloween face painting for little trick-or-treaters may need to be reconsidered, according to a new report released this week.

A new study reveals good news and bad news about infant car seats: while these safety devices have saved countless young lives, they are also responsible for thousands of injuries when improperly used outside of motor vehicles.

Since the H1N1 influenza virus spread to the U.S. in April, health experts have recognized a curious trend: Older adults are less affected by the virus than young people. According to recent health reports, most cases of H1N1 infections are among people ages 5 to 24.

As the first doses of the H1N1 swine flu vaccine leave the manufacturers, federal health officials continue to stress the product's safety.

The growth charts widely used in pediatricians' offices are not easily understood or interpreted by many parents, a new survey finds. The results of the survey are reported in the medical journal Pediatrics.

Cigarettes flavored with vanilla, berry, or chocolate flavors, aimed at enticing young people to smoke, are no longer available in the US.

A new study reported in the journal Pediatrics shows that bathtubs can be a dangerous place for children. Bath safety often focuses on avoiding burns and drowning, but it is actually slips, trips, and falls that account for most bathing-related injuries in children.

As college students head back to campus, clusters of H1N1 swine flu outbreaks are being noted on many campuses. School administrators are working on efforts to encourage students to take preventative steps to keep the virus from spreading further.

According to two new research studies, listening to what your children have to say is just as important as talking to them. This interaction is key to their language development. Speaking to your child is still important, but it seems that the give and take of conversation matters more. 

In addition to automobile exhaust, a new study finds that parents with high stress levels can also affect a child's risk for developing asthma.

Just one in five teens is getting the recommended eight hours of sleep each night.

Now that summer has officially arrived, millions of Americans will be picnicking in grassy fields and camping in the woods.

Two new studies highlight the complex genetic roots of autism. The first says inheriting abnormal mutations of two common genes can raise the risk for developing the disease.

On Monday, US health officials reported swine flu cases in all 50 states, with the total number of people infected probably surpassing 200,000.

A new study has found that medication labels on children's over-the-counter (OTC) cold medicine can be confusing to parents.

According to researchers from the University of Arizona, smoking during pregnancy "biologically primes" a fetus to become a regular smoker as a teen and young adult.

Experts say that safe driving education should be part of routine physicals for teens. Pediatricians are advised to ask teenagers during regular physical exams if they are driving.

 This morning, confirmed cases of swine flu in the United States climbed to 642 in 41 states. Federal health officials say the revised numbers indicate they are catching up on a backlog of lab tests, rather than a sudden rise in new infections.

The number of confirmed cases of swine flu, or H1N1 influenza, in the United States has increased to 64, as reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) late Tuesday morning.

When Dr. Earl S. Ford read that the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) was recommending that children as young as eight be given cholesterol-lowering statins, he decided to check on the numbers.

Children face a number of potential hazards as they suit up for youth sports, but many can be avoided with help from attentive parents. April is National Youth Sports Safety Month, and experts want parents to be aware of the ways they can help protect children from harm.

According to a recent Harvard report, rapid weight gain in newborns during the first six months of life may also raise their risk for obesity as toddlers.

Kids who spend more time outside - and away from the television set - are less likely to develop myopia, the inability to see things clearly at a distance.

An apple a day while you are pregnant may indeed keep the doctor away. But the real beneficiary could be your unborn child, say researchers in the journal Thorax.

Taking a few minutes to relax, calm down, and simply enjoy life can do more than soothe frayed nerves or a troubled mind - it may save your life.

Measuring hormone levels produced by the placenta during pregnancy may predict whether a woman is likely to develop postpartum depression, suggests a report published in the Archives of General Psychiatry.

The peanut butter recall continues to heat up as products containing peanut butter are being pulled from store shelves.

Although genetics likely play a role in whether or not someone becomes overweight or obese, a family's lifestyle also has a major impact on the chances of a teenager developing a weight problem, a new study shows.

The risk of catching a cold increases when you get fewer hours of quality sleep a night, researchers reveal.  

During the holiday season, the nation's blood supply tends to dip dangerously low because of a decline in donations.

Research findings suggest an increase in sleep means a sharper teenage driver.

The leading children's medical organization in the United States says that it has doubled the amount of vitamin D recommended for infants, children, and adolescents.

On the shelves of reputable stores, shiny toys that seems perfectly safe are displayed in bright friendly packaging, but looks can be deceiving.

Young children who wheeze when they have rhinovirus infection - the most common cause of colds - are at much greater risk of developing asthma later during childhood, says a study in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine.

Rates of food allergies in children, such as milk, peanuts, and fish, are rising rapidly in the US.

A specific neurochemical imbalance found in adults with primary insomnia makes it more difficult for their brains to settle down for sleep, a new study says.

People who make vegetable juice part of their daily diet are more likely to get recommended daily servings, according to a new research study.

It is that time of year when your kids want to dress up like Superman, Spider-Man or their favorite character from the latest blockbuster movie.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has updated its recommendations about giving the flu vaccine to children for this year's upcoming flu season.

Breastfeeding offers a host of benefits to both mother and baby, including a stronger immune system for the baby and faster weight loss for mom.

In some cases, exposing your children to the joys of exotic pet ownership may also mean exposing them to infections and injuries.

For babies ready to graduate from breast milk or formula to cow's milk, the longstanding recommendation has been that they receive whole milk, instead of reduced-fat or fat-free milk.

A new study has found that grapefruit juice, long known to boost the absorption of certain medications, is not the only juice that does not mix well with medications, according to the researcher who first identified the ill effects of grapefruit juice.

New research suggests that high school football coaches are getting a lot better at spotting a concussion and managing the problem, although there is still room for improvement.

At least 40 percent of American infants and toddlers are not getting enough vitamin D, according to a report in Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine.

A leading group of pediatricians has released new guidelines that advise kids as young as 8 years old should be given cholesterol-lowering medications in hopes of preventing heart problems later in life.

Backyard fireworks can produce their own thrills, but mainly for young boys who love to blow stuff up. And therein lies the danger.

The American Heart Association (AHA) has issued recommendations that call for cardiovascular screening before prescribing stimulant treatment for all children diagnosed with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has alerted consumers that the recent outbreak of salmonella contamination seems to be linked with certain types of raw red tomatoes and products containing these tomatoes.

US blood collection centers face a conundrum: at a time of decreasing blood donations, a new study shows that an important source of current and future donations, 16- and 17-year-olds, are more likely to bruise, faint, or experience other complications when they donate.

Secondhand smoke causes signs of cardiovascular damage in children, especially the very youngest, say researchers at an American Heart Association (AHA) meeting.

Sunscreens are one of the most popular protections people use as the summer sun sizzles and threatens to burn their skin with harmful ultraviolet rays.

Doctors coaching new nursing mothers will find little practical advice to share from some of the classic obstetrics textbooks, a new study suggests.

New statistics reveal that more than a quarter of American toddlers may be under-vaccinated.

Teens who are passengers in automobiles that crash are more likely to die than younger children in the same setting, according to a study in the Archives of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine.

While social networking Web sites such as MySpace and Facebook have been singled out as places where teens could face sexual harassment, most of the unwanted solicitation actually happens in chat rooms and via instant messaging, says a study in the journal Pediatrics.

While riding an all-terrain vehicle (ATV) may seem like a fun activity for your child, too often it can end in a serious injury and a trip to the emergency room, say Radiological Society of North America researchers.

February is Wise Health Consumer Month, a great time to look at how the consumer makes healthy lifestyle choices and ensures consumer information is accurate and appropriate. But how can you evaluate the overwhelming amount of health information that floods the Web?

A new study found that more than 80 percent of infants tested had been exposed to phthalates - a potentially harmful group of chemicals.

Children whose mothers are chronically stressed during their early years have a higher asthma rate than their peers, regardless of their income, gender, or other known asthma risk factors.

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Association of Children's Museums are teaming up on a program to combat the obesity epidemic among America's children.

When shopping for Christmas toys, it is tempting to succumb to the latest and greatest new toy fad. However, this may not be the best choice for your child, according to two recent publications. .

Youngsters at high risk for developing type 1 diabetes might be able to prevent the disease by eating foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids, a new study suggests.

Asthma control and prevention of attacks are the focus of new national asthma guidelines released by the US National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute's National Asthma Education and Prevention Program (NAEPP). These are the first new guidelines released in a decade on asthma care.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)  released a new report that recommends all children should be screened for autism at 18 and 24 months. Screening should be done whether parents or physicians suspect the disorder is present or not.

Some simple safety measures can help ensure a happy Halloween for both children and adults, according to experts at Prevent Blindness America, a nonprofit organization based in Chicago, and other organizations.

Gastroesophageal reflux, or GERD, can strike even the youngest person. Just ask Priscilla Dunstan.

A new study of identical twins suggests that children who spend more time in the sun have a lower risk for developing multiple sclerosis, or MS, as adults.

Unlike Harry Potter, most Muggle children are not charged with saving the world by fighting the evil Lord Voldemort.

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is an identifiable disease linked to changes in production of the brain chemical dopamine, two new reports suggest. Dopamine is a chemical substance, called a neurotransmitter, found in the brain that regulates movement, balance, and walking.

simple, affordable, and routine hearing test given to an infant soon after birth may identify babies at risk for sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS), a new US study finds.

Repeated pitching affects movement in a young man's arm, according to research that shows that regularly throwing a baseball hampers one kind of motion, while boosting another.

Researchers have begun to take a serious look at the long-term health consequences of children's inactivity by using cholesterol levels as a window into these youngsters' futures.

When at least one parent in a household smokes, infants have levels of a toxin called cotinine that are over five times higher than those with non-smoking parents, a British study finds. Cotinine is created as the body tries to get rid of the nicotine in inhaled smoke.

Parents do not seem to be heeding expert pediatrician guidelines that urge a ban on TV watching for their very youngest children, says a report in the journal Pediatrics.

US colleges and universities are experiencing a surge in the number of students seeking mental health services, says a report from a meeting of the Anxiety Disorders Association of America (ADAA).

If you think young children spend their summers running around and keeping trim, think again. A new study finds that kindergartners and first-graders put on more weight during summer vacations than during the school year.

Over a 13-year period almost 1.6 million US children needed to visit the emergency room due to soccer-related injuries, according to a report in The American Journal of Sports Medicine.

Girls are most likely to gain weight early in adolescence, between the ages of nine and 12, according to a report in The Journal of Pediatrics.

Sleep problems do not just plague teenagers who burn the candle at both ends or adults anxious about paying their bills.

Two new studies spotlight both the difficulty parents often have in keeping children away from the TV and also the potential health rewards for children in cutting down on TV and other media, according to the journal Pediatrics.

Injury rates for US high school athletes in nine popular sports have declined dramatically over the past 10 years, according to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The American Academy of Pediatrics has a new attitude about consumption of milk and milk products by children with lactose intolerance: Hey, give it a try.

Toddlers of women who smoked during pregnancy begin to show a pattern of behavior problems as early as 18 to 24 months of age, according to a study in the journal Child Development.

If your young child has an ear infection that will not go away, it may be caused by a slime-like substance in the middle ear that experts call bacterial "biofilm," says a report in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

A new study reported in Pediatrics suggests that waiting to introduce babies to cereal grains might not be a good idea if you want to prevent food allergies.

Childhood obesity is growing at an alarming rate, but experts say parents are more powerful than they imagine at helping kids fight the problem.

The vaccine to prevent serious infections such as invasive pneumonia and meningitis has significantly reduced the rate of these illnesses, say researchers in the New England Journal of Medicine.

As teenage girls age, they drink less milk and more soda, which translates into lower intakes of calcium and higher body-mass indexes, say researchers in The Journal of Pediatrics.

Moderate amounts of parental conflict can cause distress in the lives of children, disrupting their sleep and causing negative feelings in their day-to-day lives, according to two studies reported in Child Development.