Children's Health News

April 26, 2023 — A new analysis shows that many melatonin gummies contain far more melatonin than their labels indicate. The researchers said the mislabeled products pose a serious risk for teens and children, pointing to recent data that shows young people are increasingly using – and being poisoned by – the lightly regulated supplement.

April 24, 2023 — Sleep problems during the transition from childhood to adolescence could lead to later psychiatric and behavioral symptoms.

April 24, 2023 — The diaper analysis was the first step in a study that aims to identify causes of chronic inflammatory diseases such as asthma, eczema, and allergies. The researchers were surprised by the sheer number of viruses that they found.

April 21, 2023 — Suspected suicide attempts by poisoning in 10- to 19-year-olds that were reported to poison centers increased by 30% in 2021.

April 19, 2023 — A new study suggest that even slightly longer meals -- even 10 minutes longer -- can promote healthy eating in kids.

April 11, 2023 — A new study suggests wireless pacemakers could be a safe and effective short-term option for children with slow heartbeats.

March 27, 2023 — New research suggests taking melatonin may afford a good night's sleep and, as a result, lower the odds depressed or anxious children will harm themselves.

March 20, 2023 — A new study suggests that recent government efforts to limit human exposure to hormone-disrupting “forever chemicals” may miss the mark and not provide much protection.

March 15, 2023 — The pandemic increased anxiety and depression among children; other leading safety concerns include staff shortages, violence in health care facilities, and medication list discrepancies.

March 8, 2023 — A new study reports opioids pose the greatest poison risk to children in the U.S., accounting for more than half of poisoning deaths in infants and toddlers.

March 8, 2023 — Half of young kids in the U.S. don't eat vegetables daily, a new report says.

March 6, 2023 — A discredited 1998 study that falsely proposed a link between the MMR vaccine and autism is still having a negative effect on child vaccination rates in the United States and the United Kingdom more than two decades later, medical experts say.

February 24, 2023 — Exposure to “forever chemicals” widely used in consumer products disrupts important biological processes in children and young adults, a new study says.

February 22, 2023 — New guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatricians on childhood obesity have been well received by many. But some experts question whether the recommendations might have unexpected consequences.

February 21, 2023 — Many parents are giving children fever-reducing medication when it’s not recommended, a new poll shows.

February 16, 2023 — In 2020, suicide was the second leading cause of death in youngsters and young adults (ages 10 to 34) and the 12th leading cause of death in the U.S..

February 13, 2023 — The body mass index of school children dropped after the Health, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 improved nutrition standards for school breakfasts, lunches, and snacks, a new study says.

February 7, 2023 — Some previous researchers linked conception via IVF to an increased risk of congenital abnormalities, autism spectrum disorder, developmental delay, and intellectual disability.

January 30, 2023 — The U.S. Surgeon General says 13 years old is too young to begin using social media.

January 25, 2023 — The FDA is asking baby food manufacturers to reduce the amount of lead in products by 25%.

December 20, 2022 — Pediatricians are giving advice on what parents should use as alternatives to children's pain relievers as shortages of these medications persist nationwide. Suggestions include alternative medicines, natural remedies, and when to know if your child should seek further medical attention.

December 20, 2022 — The Ohio measles outbreak continues to expand, with cases now totaling 81 – a 37% increase in the course of just 2 weeks. The lead health official where the outbreak is occurring said the driving force behind the spread is vaccine hesitancy.

December 19, 2022 — Nearly half of U.S. teens said they have been cyberbullied, according to a new Pew Research Center survey. The most common type of cyberbullying reported was “offensive name-calling,” which 32% of the teens said happened to them.

December 15, 2022 — An outbreak of potentially deadly bacteria in at least four states has federal officials on alert. They said parents should be on the lookout for its symptoms, which include flesh-eating disease and toxic shock.

December 8, 2022 — This year, the U.S. Public Interest Research Group’s 37th annual toy safety report, “Trouble in Toyland 2022,” is focused solely on recalled toys. Some of these toys can still be purchased online after they were recalled for being dangerous. It’s a reminder to all that buying some toys online can come at a heavy price.

December 7, 2022 — Measles has sickened 59 children in an outbreak that began in November and now spans four Ohio counties.

December 1, 2022 — There has been no ebb in the flurry of respiratory illnesses infecting America’s youngest children. More pediatric wards across the country are announcing crises as beds reach capacity, the pediatric death toll jumped significantly in the past week, and sometimes children are being infected with more than one virus at a time.

November 16, 2022 — Working parents will be relieved to know that young children who spend extended hours in childcare centers are not at greater risk for behavior problems, according to a new study.

November 14, 2022 — Emergency room visits for “suicidal ideation” among 5- to 19-year-olds increased 59% from 2016 to 2021, and hospitalizations rose 57% from fall 2019 to the fall of 2020, according to the study published today by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

November 11, 2022 — RSV is sweeping through children and crowding hospitals and outpatient pediatrician offices. But children are still sick with colds and other infections and viruses. Parents should understand the critical signs of when their child needs medical attention right away, and when it’s safe to stay home.

November 11, 2022 — The respiratory illness RSV causes 1 in 50 deaths in children under age 5, mostly in low-income and middle-income countries, a new study says.

November 1, 2022 — That’s the take-home message in a new CDC report, which found that nearly 90% of outbreaks of acute gastrointestinal infections in schools and child care settings result from person-to-person contact.

October 25, 2022 — An unprecedented increase in cases of the airway virus is overwhelming hospitals and sending many young children to emergency rooms. Here, doctors offer advice for how to manage the surge.

October 12, 2022 — Australian scientists who reviewed nearly 70 studies and reports on cardiovascular risks from electronic gaming identified 22 children and teens who lost consciousness while playing video games and experienced heart rhythm problems and other cardiac complications.

October 11, 2022 — How this a now 9-year-old girl inspired a family-run project and the launch of Cancer Bears, a non-profit that has already sold more than 1,000 bears in over 30 states and abroad.

October 11, 2022 — Respiratory illness is on the rise among American children, and it’s not just because of coronavirus, experts say. This year’s increase in respiratory illness which typically rises in the winter, has started earlier and stronger than normal.

October 10, 2022 — A new stem cell treatment appears to be effective at reversing paralysis and other abnormal functions of spina bifida in newborns, according to a clinical trial underway at UC Davis Health.

September 30, 2022 — The American Academy of Pediatrics says children with head lice don’t need to be sent home from school.

August 30, 2022 — More children accidentally swallowed button batteries in recent years – with more than twice as many battery-related ER visits from 2010 to 2019 compared to 1990 to 2009, according to a new study published online in the journal Pediatrics.

August 18, 2022 — Studies show that children born near sites where fracking occurs are 2-3 times more likely to develop leukemia.

August 12, 2022 — A new study finds that homemade baby food contains as many toxic metals as food bought in the store.

August 11, 2022 — The polio virus has been found in wastewater in New York state, but experts say the United States is well-protected from widespread transmission of the disease.

August 11, 2022 — When scientists tried find out what growing pains actually are, they found out that no one really knows. The definitions were as random and all over the place as the very pains that kids complain about.

July 15, 2022 — Parechoviruses are common in children. Between ages 6 months and 5 years, symptoms include an upper respiratory tract infection, fever, and rash. But infants younger than 3 months may have more serious, and possibly fatal, infections

July 11, 2022 — While it sounds like science-fiction, 3D ‘bioprinting’ uses stem cells to create live tissues humans can use. And it’s farther along than you think.

July 6, 2022 — The agency said the devices are being marketed for children with developmental and physical delays despite a lack of evidence that they’re safe and effective.

June 24, 2022 — With suicide rates among young people rising in recent years, the American Academy of Pediatrics is now recommending adolescents 12 and up be screened for suicide risk as a part of regular preventive care.

June 16, 2022 — Legendary singer Dolly Parton is donating $1 million to pediatric infectious disease research at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, the organization announced on Wednesday.

February 10, 2020 — The age of breast development -- which represents the first clinical sign of female puberty -- has declined an average three months per decade between 1977 and 2013, according to analysis of data combined from 30 different studies.