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4 Flu Vaccine Doses for Kids This Fall -- but Where and When
Nancy Shute
This may go down in history as the most confusing flu season ever, given that a vaccine for the new H1N1 swine flu isn't yet available, but the plain old seasonal flu vaccine is. Talk about a recipe for pandemonium at the pediatrician's office!
Neurofeedback: An ADHD Treatment That Retrains the Brain
Megan Johnson
A controversial treatment for overcoming attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is getting new respect. Called neurofeedback therapy, it supposedly retrains the brain to produce electrical patterns associated with calm and focus. While the technique is costly, time consuming, and far from proven, its promise is tantalizing.
Nutritious Meals Make Better Grades
Joanne Capano
Nutrition is important for all of us, especially our children. What children eat does make a difference, especially in school, reports a study published last year in the Journal of School Health, a journal published on behalf of the American School Health Association.
Trick-or-Treat? Conquer Sugar by Offering Kids Sweeter Alternatives
Lilian Presti
In an age when close to one in five kids in the U.S. is overweight or obese, should we be rethinking our manner of celebrating Halloween, or simply carry on with what we've been doing? The answer appears to lie somewhere in the middle, according to childhood obesity experts ...
Strong Genetic Component May be Associated with Asperger Syndrome
Robert Voigt, M.D., Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, Mayo Clinic
Asperger syndrome is a developmental disorder that affects a child's ability to socialize and communicate effectively with others. Children with Asperger syndrome typically exhibit social awkwardness and an all-absorbing interest in specific topics. Doctors and researchers don't understand exactly what causes Asperger syndrome, there seems to be a strong genetic component associated with this disorder
Healthy, Natural School Lunch is Easier Than You Think
Andrea Donsky and Randy Boyer
As you cruise down the supermarket aisles with kids asking for all sorts of junk for their school lunches, it can be difficult to resist the urge to grab those pre-packaged, all-in-one lunch meals. But healthy, homemade lunches that your kids will want to eat are actually easier than you might think.
Newborn Screening Can Identify a Variety of Treatable Conditions
Dietrich Matern, M.D., and
The blood taken from your baby after she's born will be examined to find out if she has any of a variety of treatable conditions. This procedure, called newborn screening, is very important because these conditions can be most effectively treated when they are identified early, before symptoms appear.
Drug-Free Approaches to Managing ADHD
Megan Johnson
For decades, Ritalin and similar stimulants have reigned over other treatments for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, also known as ADHD or ADD. The meds are seemingly tried and true, with numerous studies backing their effectiveness. However, the latest results from the Multimodal Treatment Study of Children with ADHD found that stimulants' effects wane over time. Here's 9 Drug-Free Approaches to Managing ADHD ...
What Parents Should Know About Swine Flu Shots
Nancy Shute
The questions I asked at my daughter's well-child doctor visit this week were not happy ones: They were all about what to do if the swine flu pandemic gets much worse this fall and she becomes sick. I left the pediatrician's office just as worried.
School Lunches Go Vegetarian
Zach Miners
A new nationwide survey by the School Nutrition Association says almost 2 out of 3 U.S. schools now offer vegetarian fare for lunch on a regular basis. That's a 40 percent increase since 2003, the first year veggie meals were tallied by the nonprofit group. However, rising prices are hitting districts hard ...
The Huge Health Toll Obesity Takes on Kids
Sarah Baldauf
Chronic disease in
Vitamin D and Kids: How Much Sun Should They Get to Stay Healthy
Nancy Shute
Right after I coated my kid with SPF 70 sunscreen and dropped her off at camp this morning, I picked up the newspaper and read: "Millions of Children in U.S. Found to be Lacking Vitamin D." Sunscreen was listed as a main culprit for the deficiency, which can put children at risk of developing high blood pressure, high blood sugar, heart disease, and weak bones. Yikes! ...
Keep Kids Hydrated in Summer Weather
Joanne Capano
Once summer hits, many kids want to spend all day, every day playing outside. In addition to wearing cool clothing, sunscreen, hats and sunglasses, it's important to send kids outdoors with enough water to drink to avoid becoming dehydrated.
How to Use Tylenol So It's Safe for Your Kids
Nancy Shute
Too much Tylenol can be a very dangerous thing, for kids and adults. So much so that the Food and Drug Administration is considering banning infant Tylenol as part of its efforts to reduce the risk of potentially fatal liver damage. But we parents can take steps on our own to make sure we're using Tylenol safely
Summer Safety: 8 Reasons Kids End up in the ER & How to Prevent It
Sarah Baldauf
Summer has arrived. And for all its pleasant, warm-weather pastimes -- pool parties, barbeques, bicycling, and more -- an emergency department near you is feeling the usual seasonal spike in children's unintended injuries. No wonder summer is known in the medical business as trauma season.
How Positive Psychology Can Increase Your Happiness
Lindsay Lyon
You can thank your parents -- in part -- for how happy you are; roughly half of human happiness is genetically determined. Another 10 percent comes from your life circumstances, like how happy you are with where you live. according to longtime happiness researcher Sonja Lyubomirsky, a professor of psychology.
Teens Who Think They'll Die Young Take More Risks
Teenagers tend to wildly overestimate the odds of dying young, and teenagers who think they'll be dead before age 35 are far more likely to abuse drugs, attempt suicide, get arrested, or contract HIV. Scientists have known for quite a while that teenagers tend to think that an early death is much more likely than the infinitesimally small risk it really is.
Avoid Tick-Borne Illness
Harvard Health Letters
The deer tick (also called the black-legged tick), which can carry and transmit the bacterium responsible for Lyme disease. Considered somewhat rare in the mid-1980s, Lyme disease is now the most common vector-borne illness in the United States. About 20,000 cases are reported annually to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
5 Nutrition Facts About Milk & Healthy Kids
By Kerry Hannon
Here are five things you should know about your kids and milk.
Infant Rotavirus Vaccine Reduced Diarrhea-Related Hospitalizations, ED Visits, and Outpatient Visits
The pentavalent rotavirus vaccine is safe and effective and greatly reduces resource use and expenditures related to diarrheal illness in infants younger than 1 year of age.
Medscape Medical News
Changes in Growth Seen in Children on Peginterferon for Chronic HCV Infection
Even 1 year off-treatment, linear growth has not recovered in children younger than 16 years of age given peginterferon alfa for chronic hepatitis C virus infection.
Medscape Medical News
Dutch Pull Pfizer Vaccine Batch After Infants Die
Dutch authorities say they have banned use of a batch of Pfizer Inc's (PFE.N) Prevenar, or Prevnar, after three infants died within two weeks of receiving the anti-infection vaccination.
Reuters Health Information
A Successful Campaign Against Antibiotic Overuse
Antibiotic overuse was addressed by a multiyear national program that was successful in reducing use. Commentary offered by John G. Bartlett, MD.
Medscape Infectious Diseases
Video Intervention May Improve Treatment for Partners of Teen Girls With Pelvic Inflammatory Disease
In a randomized controlled trial, girls assigned to a community-specific video intervention were 3 times more likely to have their partners treated than those in the control group.
Medscape Medical News
U.S. States, Counties Struggle to Deliver H1N1 Shots
States and counties will be struggling to vaccinate people against the swine flu pandemic well into December and January -- long after the first peak of the virus in the United States, officials said on Wednesday.
Reuters Health Information
Hospitalization, Death From H1N1 Influenza Can Occur at Any Age
Infants had the highest hospitalization rates from H1N1 influenza, but persons aged 50 years or older had the highest mortality rates once hospitalized.
Medscape Medical News
Exploring Genetic Susceptibility to Autism: An Expert Interview With Hakon Hakonarson, MD, PhD
Dr. Hakon Hakonarson reviews the latest findings on genetic susceptibility to autism spectrum disorders and discusses what impact they might have on clinical practice in the future.
Medscape Genomic Medicine
Children With Developmental Coordination Disorder and ADHD at Risk for Depression, Anxiety Symptoms
A population-based study shows that children with DCD, especially those with comorbid ADHD, are at a significant risk for mood and anxiety symptoms compared with typically developing children.
Medscape Medical News
Polypharmacy Linked to Higher Hospital Readmission Rates in Suicidal Adolescents
Suicidal adolescents admitted to hospital who receive 3 or more different classes of psychotropic medications are at increased risk for early readmission, new research suggests.
Medscape Medical News
Evidence-Based Guideline for Suctioning the Intubated Neonate and Infant
Endotracheal tubes may be standard equipment in NICUs, but standardized criteria for keeping them patent and preventing complications having been lacking -- until now.
Neonatal Network
Smoke-Free Homes for Smoke-Free Babies: The Role of Residential Environmental Tobacco Smoke on Low Birth Weight
Is there a dose-response relationship between residential environmental tobacco smoke exposure and risk of having a low birth weight infant?
Journal of Community Health
Very Early Bone Marrow Transplant Best for Severe Combined Immunodeficiency
Most infants with severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) do well with related donor marrow transplants, researchers report. However, those transplanted in the first few months of life tend to have even better survival rates, fewer clinical problems, less need for booster transplants, and better nutritional status.
Reuters Health Information
Recommended Childhood Vaccines Safe for Children With Inborn Errors of Metabolism
A preliminary study found no evidence of serious adverse events, including autism, in children with inborn errors of metabolism who received recommended childhood immunizations.
Medscape Medical News
Three-Day Course of Antibiotics May Be Effective After Pediatric Tonsillectomy
In a small, randomized trial, a 3-day course of antibiotics was as effective as a 7-day course in terms of postoperative analgesic use and resumption of normal diet and activity.
Medscape Medical News
Preemies Raise U.S. Infant Mortality Rate
A high percentage of premature births are contributing to the nation's high infant mortality rate.
WebMD Health News
Psychiatric Training in Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders "Inadequate"
Training in fetal alcohol spectrum disorders is inadequate, and a significant proportion of psychiatric trainees believe drinking during the third trimester of pregnancy is safe.
Medscape Medical News
Physicians Are Talking About: A Death Foretold
Would you operate on a patient who experienced a premonition of death? Is this a contraindication surgery? Medscape Physician Connect members discuss whether to ignore or heed premonitions.
Medscape Family Medicine
Comparative Efficacy of Influenza Vaccines -- Inactivated vs Live Attenuated
This multi-year study sheds light on the differences between vaccine formulations, and why vaccine types work better in some age groups than in others.
Medscape Pediatrics
Many Common Loci Associated With Early- and Adult-Onset Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Colonic expression of interleukin-27 is lower in patients with Crohn's disease than in normal control subjects.
Medscape Medical News
Medscape Pediatrics Headlines
Latest medical news, articles, and features from Medscape Pediatrics
Rough Road For Military Families With Special Needs
Deployments are usually hard on families. Spouses must become single parents for months on end, managing households with little outside help. These challenges become even more daunting for families with special needs children.
Flu Precautions: Making Sense Of CDC Advice
With swine flu spreading through schools across the U.S., more and more parents need to care for sick kids at home. The CDC has advice on its Web site, but some of it seems tough to follow. Should parents really wear masks and isolate sick children?
Rice Krispies Are No Substitute For Swine Flu Vaccine
Kellogg is pulling claims that Rice Krispies and Cocoa Krispies cereals boost kids' immune systems.
Report: U.S. Trails In Infant Mortality
A report from the National Center for Health Statistics shows that the U.S. ranked 30th in the world in infant mortality rates, mainly because of a higher rate of pre-term births than most countries in Europe. Analysts say these studies don't take sufficiently into account the U.S. population mix.
Preterm Births Boost U.S. Infant Mortality Rate
Infant mortality in the U.S. is worse than in 29 other countries, including practically all of Europe, Canada and Australia, says a report just out from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Almost 7 infants die for every 1,000 born in America, a 36 percent rise since 1984. A high number of babies born too soon is largely to blame.
Flu Study Reassures Pregnant Women, Children
New data show the new H1N1 flu vaccine is safe and effective in pregnant women and children. Ongoing studies of the swine flu vaccine confirm that pregnant women do just fine with one dose but young children will need two. The government has set up an independent panel to monitor what happens to people who have been vaccinated. The working group will report back regularly.
Pneumonia Leads Global Scourges In Kids
A consortium of health groups aims to reduce the 2 million deaths of kids from pneumonia each year.
School Nurse On Sniffly Front Lines Of Swine Flu
One school nurse in Sacramento, Calif., is at the center of the H1N1 swine flu epidemic, dabbing the noses of sick kids and comforting panicked parents as they push for vaccine, information and support.
U.S. Lifts Ban On Entry For Those With HIV
In 1987, at a time of widespread fear and ignorance about HIV, the Department of Health and Human Services added the disease to the list of communicable diseases that disqualified a person from entering the U.S. The law effectively has kept out thousands of students, tourists and refugees and has complicated international adoptions.
Antipsychotic Drugs Add To Kids' Weight
Researchers found children gained from about 10 to 19 pounds, depending on the drug brand, in 11 weeks.
Journalist's Vaccine Article Draws Hate Mail
Journalist Amy Wallace's piece in the November issue of Wired magazine about the passionate, and sometimes angry, debate over whether vaccines cause autism drew some vitriolic response. Wallace says vaccines have done such a good job of removing the visible threat of childhood diseases that some people see vaccination as the greater risk.
Can You Make Your Baby Smarter, Sooner?
Disney's offering refunds to millions of parents who purchased Baby Einstein videos, hoping to give their infants an educational jump-start. Videos have been discredited, redirecting emphasis on the importance of interaction between parents and babies for proper development.
Bill And Melinda Gates Have A New Message For Americans
The main message the couple wants to get across to Americans? People in developing countries want the same things Americans do for their children, starting with good health.
H1N1 Vaccine Supply Delayed, But Coming
President Barack Obama has declared swine flu a national emergency. Thousands of Americans have stood in long lines, hoping to receive the vaccine, but it is in short supply. Still, some parents question the vaccine's safety, and whether their children need it.
Why 'Chase The Flu Shot' Is An Unfair Game
In her weekly commentary, host Michel Martin explains her family's recent scramble to get a flu shot for her children. Martin says the experience shed light on what's wrong with the U.S. health care system.
NPR Topics: Children's Health
NPR reports on children's health and medical news including health insurance, new treatments for diseases, and child product safety recalls. Subscribe to the RSS feed.
Insect Repellent Helps Prevent Insect-Borne Diseases - Naturally
Many people are changing their perceptions about mosquitoes - from an itchy annoyance to a potential health risk. Already this year, reports of mosquito-borne encephalitis (West Nile and St. Louis) have been recorded in central Florida and Louisiana. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 20,000 confirmed cases of insect-related illnesses in humans are reported each year.
Got Kids? Keep Them Cool This Summer
With June 21 -- summer's official start -- just around the corner, the experts at DANNON Natural Spring Water are offering these tips to help keep your children healthy and hydrated this summer and beyond.
Stress and the Expectant Working Mom
For nearly one million working women who become pregnant each year, juggling stress in the workplace along with stress that comes with being pregnant can be a tall order. First among them is how to work and manage a healthy pregnancy at the same time.