News Articles

• Reading With Your Toddler? Books May Beat Screens

  

  Toddlers are more likely to interact with their parents when they're sharing a paper children's book rather than a tablet, University of Michigan researchers found. More...

• Are Your Holiday Gifts on the 'Noisy Toy List'?

  

  A screeching rubber chicken tops this year's list of noisy toys that pose a threat to children's hearing. More...

• Many Kids, Teens Think Girls Don't Care About Computer Science

  

  The misconception that girls are less interested than boys in computer science and engineering begins at a young age in the United States. More...

• Most Parents Say Their Kids Aren't Thankful Enough: Poll

  

  As American families sit down to celebrate Thanksgiving, a majority of parents say they want to raise grateful kids but they don't think they're succeeding. More...

• Pandemic Curbed Kids' Efforts to Lose Excess Weight

  

  A new study is highlighting yet another consequence of the COVID-19 pandemic: It has likely made it even harder for kids with obesity to manage their weight. More...

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• AHA News: Family-Based Programs Targeting Childhood Obesity Can Be Good for Parents, Too

  

  Family-based programs to encourage healthier eating and physical activity have long been regarded as an effective way to put children diagnosed as overweight or with obesity on a path to a better future. More...

• Teen Social Media Posts About Cutting, Other Self-Harm Are Soaring

  

  American teens are increasingly turning to the social media giant Instagram to share graphic images of their own attempts to harm themselves, a new study reveals. More...

• Wealthier Parents More Likely to Get COVID Vaccines for Young Kids: Poll

  

  In a finding that suggests a family's income influences parents' views on COVID vaccines for their younger kids, a new survey shows the more money parents make, the likelier they are to get their kids a shot. More...

• No Evidence Violent Video Games Lead to Real Violence: Study

  

  Will boys fixated on gore-filled video games become violent in real life? Many parents may worry that's the case, but new and reassuring research finds violent video games don't trigger actual violence in kids. More...

• For Kids Afraid of Needles, These Tips May Help Ease COVID Shots

  

  Most kids fear needles, but a few simple steps can help your young one get their COVID-19 shots with the fewest tears shed, experts say. More...

• U.S. Adolescents' Daily Screen Time Doubled During Pandemic

  

  As teens dramatically stepped up their screen time during COVID-19 lockdowns, their well-being took a hit, a new study reveals. More...

• Pediatricians Offer Advice on Keeping Trick-or-Treaters Safe

  

  As COVID-19 continues to grip the United States, parents need to plan ahead to keep their children safe on Halloween, experts say. More...

• Many Parents Worry That Kids Fell Behind in Schooling During Pandemic

  

  It is a fear that millions of parents have been harboring since the pandemic began: Will their children fall behind in school due to disruptions caused by lockdowns, closings and social distancing? More...

• Be Your Teen's Best Partner as They Learn to Drive

  

  Parents of teen drivers can play a crucial role in making their children safe drivers, the Governors Highway Safety Association says. More...

• As COVID Cases Drop, Fauci Tells Families to Enjoy Halloween

  

  It's okay for American children to go trick-or-treating this Halloween, Dr. Anthony Fauci says. More...

• Kids With Food Allergies Are Often Targets for Bullies

  

  Life is challenging enough for teens and pre-teens with food allergies. But bullying often comes with the territory, making their situation worse. More...

• As Kids Turned to Screens During Pandemic, Their Mental Health Suffered

  

  It should come as no surprise that researchers discovered that kids who exercised more and used technology less during the pandemic had better mental health outcomes. More...

• Active Learning Best for Students: Study

  

  Whether you're a kid or a college student, you'll learn more with interactive activities, discussions, movement and even AI-enhanced technologies than you will just sitting still and listening, a new study suggests. More...

• Infant Deaths Spark Baby Loungers Recall

  

  The death of eight babies has prompted the Boppy Company and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) to recall more than 3 million baby loungers, they announced Thursday. More...

• Watch Their Backs -- Don't Overload Those Schoolbags

  

  After more than a year at home, children are heading back to classrooms across the country. But they're also toting heavy bags on their backs again. More...

• Tips to Helping Your Teen Get Enough Zzzzzs

  

  Close to 8 in 10 high school students don't get enough sleep on an average school night, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. More...

• Kids Piled on Extra Pounds During Pandemic

  

  During lockdowns, American kids gained more weight than before the pandemic, and the number who became obese also increased, researchers report. More...

• Pandemic Had Many Young Athletes Reconsidering Their Sport

  

  The pause in youth sports caused by the COVID-19 pandemic wound up shaking some budding athletes to their core, a new U.S. survey shows. More...

• As Classes Resume, Some Health Tips From the CDC

  

  Students face a number of challenges as they head back to school this fall -- from potential exposure to COVID-19 and other illnesses to injuries on the playing field. More...

• Parents, Look Out for Mental Health Issues as College Kids Return to Class

  

  This year of pandemic isolation and anxiety has been tough for many, but an expert says college students are at particularly high risk for mental health issues as they transition from adolescence to adulthood. More...

• Get Your Kids on a School-Ready Sleep Schedule

  

  After a year of learning online in their pajamas at home, many kids may struggle to wake up early for class as schools reopen this fall, an expert says. More...

• AHA News: Protecting Children's Mental Health as They Head Back to School

  

  Experts say heading back to school will be anything but routine this year. Which means parents and teachers will need to take extra steps to protect children's mental health. More...

• How Your Kid's Education Could Make You Healthier

  

  If you're a parent, here's another reason to encourage your kids to get a good education: Children's educational successes or failures can impact their parent's physical and mental health, new research suggests. More...

• Drowning Deaths for U.S. Kids Have Fallen 38% Since 1999

  

  Newly released numbers for 1999 through 2019 show steady progress in reducing the number of young lives lost to drowning. More...

• Parent's Words Key to Young Kids' Fears Around Vaccination

  

  What's the best way to help your young child handle the stress of getting shots? New research claims that perfectly timed encouragement makes all the difference with vaccinations. More...

• Summer Drowning Deaths Can Happen Quickly: Know the Facts

  

  The best way to prevent drowning in children and teens is to guard against the danger on multiple fronts, a leading pediatricians' group says. More...

• Why Handwriting Still Beats Typing, Videos at Helping Folks Learn

  

  New research suggests that despite the ease of using a computer for typing notes or watching videos, people learn certain skills significantly better and faster when writing them by hand. More...

• Sharing Bed With Baby: Dangerous, and It Won't Boost 'Attachment,' Study Shows

  

  Whether to share your bed with your infant at night has been the subject of heated debate: The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) advises against it, recommending room-sharing but not bed-sharing, while others promote the practice as part of an idea called attachment parenting. More...

• Child Drownings in U.S. Pools, Spas Are on the Rise

  

  Pool and spa drowning deaths among U.S. children are spiking upwards, and restrictions related to the COVID pandemic may also mean that fewer kids are getting the swimming lessons that might keep them safe, the Consumer Product Safety Commission warns. More...

• AHA News: As the Pandemic Wanes, Get Kids on the Road to Good Health This Summer

  

  Nice weather and a receding pandemic should make for a joyous, memorable summer, especially after a year of lockdowns, frustration and discouraging news. For kids, and their parents, it's also a chance to get back on the road to normal after a long COVID-19 detour. More...

• 'Boomerang Kids': When an Adult Child Moves Back Home

  

  It's a scenario fraught with potential conflict: Moving back home as an adult can be tough -- on both the grown children and their parents. More...

• Strike Out Kids' Overuse Injuries This Baseball Season

  

  Young baseball players are at risk for overuse injuries, but there are ways to play it safe and prevent such problems, the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) says. More...

• Most Parents OK About School Rules for Kids' Return to Sports: Poll

  

  In the survey, about three-quarters of parents said their child's teams mostly did the right thing while resuming sports during COVID. Thirteen percent said officials were too strict, and 14% said they were too lenient. More...

• What Will Summer Camp Look Like This Year?

  

  It's nearly time for summer camp, and the experience is expected to be especially important for America's children because of the pandemic. More...

• 1 in 4 Parents Won't Vaccinate Their Kids Against COVID-19: Poll

  

  More than one-quarter of U.S. parents don't plan to vaccinate their kids for COVID-19, and roughly as many oppose school-required coronavirus shots, a new study finds. More...

• Boys Who Spend Lots of Time Online More Likely to Cyberbully

  

  Here's yet another reason to keep your teenager from spending countless hours online and on popular social media: New research suggests it increases cyberbullying, particularly among teen boys. More...

• Why Are Half of U.S. Kids With Mental Health Issues Not Getting Treatment?

  

  Lack of treatment for kids who struggle with depression, anxiety and/or several adverse childhood experiences is more severe among children of parents with only high school-level educations and children of color, with Black kids found to be the least likely to have access to behavioral health services. More...

• Nearly Half of U.S. Schools Now Offer In-Person Learning

  

  Nearly half of the public schools in America are now holding in-person classes, with white children far more likely to be in those classrooms than Black, Hispanic or Asian students, the first federal data on the state of education during the pandemic shows. More...

• Pandemic Has Many Kids Struggling With Weight Issues

  

  Lost routines, economic insecurity and grief are making things more challenging for children who struggle with their weight, whether it's with obesity or anorexia, according to doctors at Stanford Children's Health in California. More...

• Virtual Learning Has Taken a Toll on Kids' & Parents' Mental Health

  

  A new government report confirms what many moms and dads already know: Parents and kids are struggling mightily to cope with the stresses of distance learning. More...

• CDC Says 3 Feet of Social Distancing Now OK in Most Classrooms

  

  In a move that should make reopening schools an easier task, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday lowered its social distancing recommendation for most classrooms to 3 feet. More...

• Is Your Teen Unmotivated at School? That Might Change

  

  If your teen seems disinterested in school, new research suggests there's a good chance that things will get better over time. More...

• Social Media, Binge Eating Often Go Together for Kids

  

  "Children may be more prone to overeating while distracted in front of screens. They may also be exposed to more food advertisements on television," said study author Dr. Jason Nagata. More...

• Stressed and Distracted, Kids and Their Teachers Say Virtual Learning Isn't Working

  

  Meltdowns are familiar to any parent of young children, but when they occur during a school day -- with other young siblings trying to learn through a screen and two parents working remotely -- chaos ensues. More...

• When Kids Misbehave, 'Verbal Reasoning' Can Sometimes Backfire

  

  Most parents know that child behavior experts recommend against spanking, but new research suggests that so-called "positive" discipline methods don't always work either. More...