News Articles

• AHA News: What Parents Can Do When Kids With Congenital Heart Defects Grow Up

  

  "As part of the process, parents or caregivers need to change their role as the primary caregiver to the person that's in more of the supportive role. Someone who's still there to help, but not the person that's necessarily calling the shots," said John, who also is an associate professor of pediatrics at George Washington University. More...

• Poll Finds Most Parents Would Use CBD to Treat a Child — Is That Wise?

  

  Cannabidiol (CBD) products are wildly popular among older adults for treating chronic pain and anxiety, and a new poll suggests that nearly three-quarters of U.S. parents think CBD might also be a good option for their kids when other meds don't work. More...

• FDA Warns of Infant Formula Powders Tied to Infections

  

  Several powdered infant formula products have been recalled by Abbott Inc., following reports of four infants developing bacterial infections after consuming the products, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration said Thursday. More...

• Kids' Poisonings Rise as More Parents Bring Pot Edibles Home

  

  These THC-loaded products, often sold as gummies, cookies and brownies, have fueled a four-year increase in the number of emergency calls for young children who mistakenly think they're yummy treats. More...

• U.S. Kids Still Dying From Toppling TVs, Furniture

  

  Since 2000, there have been nearly 600 tip-over deaths involving furniture, TVs or appliances, and 81% of those victims were children 17 and younger. More...

45 More

• AHA News: Amid a National Mental Health Crisis For Kids, Here's How Parents Can Help

  

  School closures. Family strains. Isolated and quarantined friends. Even when young people haven't directly experienced COVID-19, the pandemic has strained their mental health. Often severely. More...

• The 'Oreo Test' and Other Ways to Help Kids' Oral Health

  

  Worried your kid isn't brushing his or her teeth properly? You might want to try the Oreo test. More...

• Screens Near Bedtime Bad for Preschoolers' Sleep

  

  It's crucial to keep preschoolers away from screens and other sources of light in the hour before bedtime if you want them to get a good night's sleep, researchers say. More...

• Many Kids Aren't Wearing Helmets While Sledding, Poll Finds

  

  When American kids do downhill skiing or snowboarding, they almost always wear a helmet, their parents say, but they're far less likely to do so when cruising down a neighborhood hill on a sled. More...

• Kids' Behavior Worsened With Remote Learning: Study

  

  As the Omicron variant surges and U.S. schools deal with a substitute teacher shortage and related pandemic fallout, don't be surprised if a return to remote or hybrid learning leads your kids to act out, a new study warns. More...

• Later School Start Times Boost Parents' Health, Too

  

  New research suggests that students aren't the only ones who benefit from later start times: Their parents also catch a break. More...

• Parents Underestimate How Much Time Teens Spent Online During Pandemic

  

  Parents significantly underestimated their teens' social media use -- especially girls' -- during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, the study showed. More...

• Mom & Dad's Holiday Stress a Downer for Kids, Poll Finds

  

  Many parents want to make the holiday season magical for their kids, but for some the stress they feel trying to live up to that ideal may actually be doing the opposite. More...

• Pandemic Saw Big Declines in Kids' Use of Drugs, Alcohol, Vaping

  

  There may be a silver lining to the COVID-19 pandemic, with U.S. health officials reporting an "unprecedented" decline in teens' use of alcohol, marijuana, other illegal drugs and vaping. More...

• 'Baby Talk' Is Really Helping Baby Learn

  

  You may feel silly doing it, but baby talk helps your infant learn the basics of human language, a new study suggests. More...

• 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...

• 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...