Children's Health

Peggy Orenstein speaks on the TED stage.

Peggy Orenstein: How Should We Talk To Our Kids About Sex?

9:45am April 06, 2018

by NPR/TED Staff

Author Peggy Orenstein warns if parents don't educate kids about sex — the media will. She says that leads to risky behavior — and keeps young women from expecting equality in sexual relationships.

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Aala El-Khani: How Do You Help Kids Cope With Trauma?

9:45am April 06, 2018

by NPR/TED Staff

Children in war zones experience unimaginable hardship, says Dr. Aala El-Khani. She says parents must play a major role in helping children survive — even thrive — in the wake of trauma.

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Velva Poole works to reunite children with parents who have been grappling with substance use disorder. Mentoring the parents, she says, is a big part of the state-sponsored program's success.

Opioid Treatment Program Helps Keep Families Together

12:58pm March 28, 2018

by Lisa Gillespie

A mentoring program in Kentucky expedites treatment for some parents who lose custody of their children. The goal is to help parents get and stay sober, and reunite them with their kids within a year.

How do LGBTQ adults experience discrimination and how does it impact their health? Experts discuss the issue in a webcast from Harvard's Chan School of Public Health.

Forum: How Discrimination Damages Health In LGBTQ Communities

1:18pm March 21, 2018

by Joe Neel

How do LGBTQ adults experience discrimination and how does it impact their health? Join us for a discussion with experts in a webcast from Harvard's Chan School of Public Health at noon ET Wednesday.

A woman carries water at Kparatao village, near Tchamba in the northern region of Togo.

How Happy Is The Country With The Biggest Gains In Happiness?

9:54am March 20, 2018

by Menaka Wilhelm

Togo ranked last in 2015's World Happiness Report. This year, it moved up 17 spots — the most improved country in the world. What's the perspective from the ground?

Scientists are finding that, just as with secondhand smoke from tobacco, inhaling secondhand smoke from marijuana can make it harder for arteries to expand to allow a healthy flow of blood.

Are There Risks From Secondhand Marijuana Smoke? Early Science Says Yes

11:09pm March 19, 2018

by Marissa Ortega-Welch

Now that marijuana is legal in more than 20 states, we all may be exposed to more marijuana on the street. Researchers warn that secondhand smoke from pot poses risks to the heart, lungs and arteries.

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Mounting research suggests that African-American and Latino children with autism are diagnosed late because of bias on the part of health care providers or a lack of information among patient families.

Black And Latino Children Are Often Overlooked When It Comes To Autism

4:42pm March 19, 2018

by Casey Rentz

Research suggests that African-American and Latino children with autism are diagnosed later in life because of healthcare provider bias and families' lack of access to care, among other reasons.

Wendy Root Askew with her husband Dominick Askew and their son. When the little boy (now 6) was born, Root Askew struggled with postpartum depression. She likes California's bill, she says, because it goes beyond mandatory screening; it would also require

Lawmakers Weigh Pros And Cons Of Mandatory Screening For Postpartum Depression

7:38am March 19, 2018

by April Dembosky

California's legislature will soon take up a bill requiring doctors to screen new mothers. Many doctors oppose the idea, and similar laws elsewhere haven't increased the number of moms treated.

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A girl's hand reaches for sugar cubes. "We told people to load up on processed carbohydrates and gave sugary beverages a pass," said Dr. David Ludwig on what science got wrong about childhood obesity.

The Call-In: Childhood Obesity Rates Are At Their Highest Since 1999

3:12pm March 18, 2018

by Lulu Garcia-Navarro

On this week's Weekend Edition Call-In, NPR's Lulu Garcia-Navarro hears from listeners about childhood obesity and speaks with Dr. David Ludwig of Boston Children's Hospital.

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Health & Safety

Revolutionary Pediatrician T. Berry Brazelton Dies At 99

5:17pm March 15, 2018

Pediatrician T. Berry Brazelton revolutionized the way parents interacted with their babies and young children. His career spanned more than half a century and included dozens of books, hundreds of publications and a TV show. He died Tuesday, just shy of his 100th birthday.

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