Health & Parenting News

January 23, 2023 — The majority of youngsters who play video games do so as a form of entertainment, but about 5% to 6% of video game users do so to the point where it interferes with their lives.

January 13, 2023 — If you only saw the headlines, you might think that when a youngster is a few pounds overweight, their pediatrician will prescribe a weight loss drug or bariatric surgery. The reality is much less alarming. The guidelines take a deep dive into evidence-based treatments at various levels.

December 14, 2022 — While using mobile devices to soothe children's outbursts is fine sometimes, new research suggests that doing so too often could delay a child’s ability to manage their emotions productively.

November 28, 2022 — Measles vaccinations have dropped sharply since the COVID pandemic, with about 25 million children missing their first dose of measles vaccine in 2021 and 14.7 million missing their second dose, the World Health Organization and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a joint report.

November 19, 2022 — More women gave birth at home in America last year, continuing a pandemic trend and reaching the highest level in decades.

November 14, 2022 — The average amount of time children spent staring at screens during the COVID-19 pandemic rose 52%, a new study says. The increase amounts to an average of 84 more minutes per day looking at televisions, computers, and phones.

October 30, 2022 — The liquid form of the antibiotic amoxicillin, often used to treat ear infections and strep throat in children, is in short supply. The FDA officially listed the shortage on Friday.

October 18, 2022 — A new study suggests that strict parenting causes changes in children’s brains that increase their risk of mental health issues, including depression, later in life. The University of Leuven study involved 23 boys and girls in Belgium

October 11, 2022 — Amazon faces a lawsuit that accuses the company of selling so-called “suicide kits” with a deadly chemical that teens have used to take their own lives.

September 21, 2022 — Among children's textiles that were tested, concentrations were found to be highest in school uniforms, especially those labeled 100% cotton.

September 13, 2022 — Though enterovirus D68 primarily causes acute respiratory illness, in rare cases, it can lead to a neurologic compilation involving limb weakness.

September 9, 2022 — Recent research suggests kids who walk, skateboard or ride their bikes to school when they are young are more likely to keep it up as they get older, reaping the health benefits.

September 7, 2022 — Corporal punishment has been condemned for decades by organizations focused on children’s health, but some school districts still use it.

August 24, 2022 — A New Orleans-based filmmaker argues that Black children’s trauma was ignored, and links it to the city’s ongoing struggles with violence

August 16, 2022 — The brand 4moms is recalling more than 2 million infant swings and rockers after a 10-month-old died due to strangulation and another child was injured, according to a recall alert from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

August 16, 2022 — A new study suggests that racial segregation may be compounding detrimental effects of lead on Black children.

August 15, 2022 — Many parents surveyed said drivers who don't follow the rules should be banned from school parking areas.

August 11, 2022 — A new study cataloged at least 28 deaths and 479 injuries from more than 130 weather-related bounce house incidents worldwide – figures the researchers say likely underestimate the problem.

July 26, 2022 — A new study finds young Americans became 30% more likely to die as a result of gun violence over the past decade, largely due to gun-related suicides.

July 15, 2022 — The 3-year-old is the 11th hot car death this year. Experts say it’s preventable.

July 8, 2022 — Meet Kyra, a virtual influencer. She's not real but is collecting an online following of viewers. It is a new marketing trend some psychologists warn is manipulative.

June 30, 2022 — Drowning is the leading cause of unintentional death for children ages 1-4, with 425 such events in 2020, according to the CDC

June 28, 2022 — School shootings from 2020 to 2021 climbed to the highest point in 2 decades, according to a new report from the National Center for Education Statistics and the Bureau of Justice Statistics.

June 21, 2022 — Social media “patient influencers” are becoming a popular method of direct-to-consumer advertising for pharmaceutical and medical companies. Is that a good thing?

June 10, 2022 — Because many children have been away from the water during the past two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) is urging parents to redouble safety efforts this summer.

June 3, 2022 — A new study finds the number of kids accidentally poisoned by the over-the-counter sleep aid melatonin has soared by 530% over the past decade.

May 27, 2022 — Besides asking schools for specifics about safety protocols, some parents are reaching out to lawmakers, and others asking for gun legislation changes.

May 27, 2022 — FDA Commissioner Robert Califf has proposed creating a national stockpile for baby formula to use for potential shortages in the future.

May 26, 2022 — The husband of Irma Garcia, one of the teachers killed in the Texas elementary school shooting, has died, family members said.

May 25, 2022 — For children who survive mass shootings, the outcome over the next few days, months and years depends on many factors, but how parents address the trauma both immediately and long-term can make a huge difference, experts say.

April 26, 2022 — Researchers say the number of U.S. teens carrying handguns has risen by 41% over the past two decades -- with notable increases seen among white teens from higher-income families.

January 26, 2022 — After losing her daughter, a mother aims to find a cause behind sudden unexplained death in childhood.

December 14, 2021 — Experts in adolescent and child psychology, as well as pedestrians, are shocked that the World Professional Association for Transgender Health’s Standards of Care 8 appear to show a radical leaning towards "gender-affirmation."

November 17, 2021 — A new study reveals American teens are increasingly turning to Instagram to share graphic images of their own attempts to harm themselves.

November 15, 2021 — A young boy who was injured at the Astroworld Festival in Houston has become the 10th person to die from a huge crowd surge at the event.

October 28, 2021 — Major companies like Barbie and Lego highlighting diversity in their products have a major impact on young girls of color, particularly their beliefs about themselves and their possibilities for the future.

September 30, 2021 — Jamie Spears, Britney Spears’s father, was officially suspended as conservator of her estimated $60 million estate on Wednesday.

September 27, 2021 — Lack of sleep may be tied to long-term health effects and can increase stress.

September 9, 2021 — According to one accounting, at least 14 school shootings have occurred in the U.S. since March, and 151 students, teachers, and others have been killed and 323 have been injured in school shootings since 1999.

September 8, 2021 — Jamie Spears, the father of pop star Britney Spears, filed a petition on Tuesday seeking to end the 13-year court-ordered conservatorship which gives him financial control of her career and finances.

July 23, 2021 — While this is the third time Foluke Gunderson has participated in the Olympics, this is her first as a mom.

June 30, 2021 — Just ahead of Independence Day, a nationwide chlorine shortage is putting a damper on summer plans for backyard pool owners and community aquatic centers across the country.

April 6, 2021 — Under a new law in Utah, biological fathers are now required to pay at least 50% of the out-of-pocket medical costs related to a woman’s pregnancy, including prenatal care.

September 24, 2020 — The new internet dare, broadcast widely on teen-friendly TikTok, urges kids to overdose on the over-the-counter antihistamine Benadryl to achieve a hallucinatory state.

July 6, 2020 — If you've hesitated to get a dog because your kids are very young, new research suggests that the preschool years might be a good time to add a furry friend to the family.

June 11, 2020 — Parents have to be comfortable talking about disparities -- not just differences -- and these conversations need to happen early and often.

May 26, 2020 — For parents hoping their "picky" eater will grow out of it, a new study may be unwelcome news.

March 4, 2020 — A purse, backpack or diaper bag can contain a hodgepodge of medications and supplements, cosmetics, hand sanitizers, candy, coins and other items that attract little hands. That can also set the stage for accidents, sometimes deadly.

February 6, 2020 — Researchers tested nearly 100 19-month-olds and found that even when they were hungry, many retrieved a piece of fruit dropped by someone they didn't know and offered it to them.