Children's Health

Fleas carry the bacteria that cause cat-scratch fever, so if your kitty is flea-free, you should be in the clear.

Don't Kiss That Kitty: Cat-Scratch Fever Is Making People Sicker

2:13pm September 15, 2016

by Erin Ross

Doctors have long thought that cat-scratch fever is no big deal, but an analysis finds that more people are getting sicker from it. Small children are especially at risk, as are people in the South.

Many kids rely on school for food their families can't afford. Two reports suggest one group is falling through the cracks: teens. Dogged by hunger, teens may try a wide range of strategies to get by.

Skipping Meals, Joining Gangs: How Teens Cope With Food Insecurity

7:00am September 15, 2016

by Natalie Jacewicz

Many kids rely on school for food their families can't afford. Two reports suggest one group is falling through the cracks: teens. Dogged by hunger, teens may try a wide range of strategies to get by.

Overhead view girl playing with cellphone on hardwood floor in bedroom

Trying To Get The Kids To Put Down Those Phones? Here's Help

4:24pm September 14, 2016

by Katherine Hobson

You can nudge your kids' relationship with digital technology in a more healthful direction, but warning: It's going to require parents to change, too.

Infants born with microcephaly are held by mothers at a meeting for mothers of children with special needs in Recife, Brazil.

What Doctors Learned From 42 Infants With Microcephaly

11:54am September 14, 2016

by Susan Brink

A new study from Brazil provides an early snapshot of what the future could hold for children infected with Zika, then born with the brain defect.

How Boko Haram Is Keeping Polio Alive In Nigeria

9:44am September 14, 2016

by Jason Beaubien

Last year the country was declared polio-free. Now there are three new cases. And Boko Haram militants are the biggest obstacle to getting rid of the virus.

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For the rural poor, finding dental care can be difficult to impossible.

A Good Dentist Is Hard To Find In Rural America

11:27am September 12, 2016

by Alison Kodjak

A Wisconsin clinic provides free dental care so that poor rural residents can get their teeth fixed. But in most states people aren't so lucky. Millions of people have no access to dental care.

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#NPRreads: 3 Great Stories To Bounce Around This Weekend

9:28am September 10, 2016

Correspondents, editors and producers from our newsroom share the pieces that have kept them reading, using the #NPRreads hashtag. Each weekend, we highlight some of the best stories.

A boy in the Philippines is vaccinated for dengue fever on April 4. In a new survey, only 2 percent of people polled in the Philippines thought vaccines were unsafe.

Who Has More Faith In Vaccine Safety: Parents In France Or Bangladesh?

7:00am September 10, 2016

by Diane Cole

A survey of nearly 66,000 people worldwide reveals where parents have the most — and least — confidence in vaccines.

Half of all children with mental illness show symptoms before they turn 14, says child psychologist Rahil Briggs.

Screening Mental Health In Kindergarten Is Way Too Late, Experts Say

1:06pm September 09, 2016

by Kavitha Cardoza

One program in the South Bronx sees children as young as 6 months old to look for issues. Some experts think it's important to catch problems as early as possible.

Since marijuana doesn't benefit mother or baby it should be avoided, researchers say. But there is stronger evidence for the harms of alcohol and tobacco.

Pot And Pregnancy: No Harm Seen At Birth, But Many Questions Remain

6:22pm September 08, 2016

by Katherine Hobson

A review of studies on the effects of using marijuana while pregnant found no harms to newborns. But other studies have found an increased risk of thinking problems and ADHD in older children.