Children's Health

World Health Organization Focuses On Zika-Linked Microcephaly Cases

4:39pm February 08, 2016

NPR's Audie Cornish talks to David L. Heymann, chair of the World Health Organization emergency committee on the Zika virus, about what it's doing about the spread of the virus.

UNICEF: 200 Million Women And Girls Have Suffered Genital Mutilation

1:13pm February 06, 2016

by Camila Domonoske

Saturday is the U.N.'s "Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation." The Secretary-General is calling for an end to FGM, and UNICEF has released a report on the prevalence of the practice.

December brought storm clouds to the Porter Ranch neighborhood in Southern California's San Fernando Valley.

Families Near The Huge Gas Leak Wonder: Is Home A Safe Place To Be?

7:57pm February 05, 2016

by Kelly McEvers

Most health officials say the small amounts of benzene and other components of the natural gas still leaking in Southern California are probably not a health threat. Still, some parents worry.

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Women Blast CDC's Advice To Use Birth Control If Drinking Alcohol

8:07pm February 04, 2016

by Allison Aubrey

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is getting flamed for saying that sexually active women should be on birth control if they drink alcohol, or stop drinking before getting pregnant.

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The city of Flint, Mich., may not have enough money in the future to pay for repairing broken water mains and replacing sewer lines.

Unpaid Water Bills In Flint Could Hinder Repairs

11:16am February 04, 2016

by Steve Carmody

Michigan's governor wants to spend $30 million to pay water bills in Flint. A lawsuit is seeking five times that in refunds and damages for people who paid for lead-tainted drinking water.

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Scientists have the ability to use DNA from three adults to make one embryo. But should they?

Babies With Genes From 3 People Could Be Ethical, Panel Says

6:44pm February 03, 2016

by Rob Stein

An independent federal panel says the experimental procedure needs to be proven safe, and even then should only be tried with male embryos because of concerns about passing down genetic errors.

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R&B singer Kem helps Mwamini Wallace carry bottled water to her vehicle in Flint, Mich., last month.

Michigan Governor Wants $30 Million To Help Pay Bills For Lead-Tainted Water

4:31pm February 03, 2016

by Merrit Kennedy

Flint residents are still being billed for water that's unsafe to drink. Tens of thousands of petitions have demanded a moratorium on residents' drinking water bills.

When a baby is born by cesarean section, she misses out on Mom's microbes in the birth canal.

Health & Safety

Researchers Test Microbe Wipe To Promote Babies' Health After C-Sections

7:25pm February 01, 2016

by Rob Stein

A small study suggests that slathering newborns with their mothers' microbes after cesarean sections could help create healthy microbiomes. Reducing childhood illness later on is the goal.

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Some doctors have been hesitant to recommend the HPV vaccine for boys and girls.

CDC Endorses A More Effective HPV Vaccine To Prevent Cancer

5:02pm February 01, 2016

by Tara Haelle

An HPV vaccine that protects against nine strains of the virus that causes cancer gets the nod from the CDC. So does a vaccine for a rare but often lethal form of meningitis.

To Rebuild 'The Collapse Of Parenting,' It's Going To Be A Challenge

2:30pm January 31, 2016

by NPR Staff

Parents struggle with the balance of being a friend versus being a taskmaster. Their job, says Dr. Leonard Sax, is to "keep your child safe" and "give kids choices in some domains but not in others."

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