Children's Health

A woman breast-feeds her child as she waits to donate milk to a milk bank in Lima. The donations are used for babies whose mothers can't provide breast milk.

To Save The Lives Of Babies And Mothers, Ask For Advice From Peru

8:01pm October 23, 2015

by Susan Brink

Each year, nearly 6 million children die of preventable and treatable conditions. Nearly 300,000 mothers die of complications from pregnancy and childbirth. Yet a new report offers reason for hope.

Kids and parents often shy away from talking about their struggles at the doctor's office. But the American Academy of Pediatrics is now urging its members to screen kids for food insecurity during well-child visits.

Are You Hungry? Pediatricians Add A New Question During Checkups

3:17pm October 23, 2015

by Allison Aubrey

An estimated 7.9 million kids in the U.S. don't have enough to eat at home. A new policy urges the nation's pediatricians to screen kids for food insecurity during regular well-child visits.

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Don't presume the doctor's going to bring up the HPV vaccine at a well-teen visit.

Doctors, Not Parents, Are The Biggest Obstacle To The HPV Vaccine

4:13pm October 22, 2015

by Tara Haelle

Though the HPV vaccine prevents cancer, doctors hesitate to suggest that preteens get vaccinated at routine visits, a study finds. Or they're offering it for teens they think are sexually active.

Fresh vegetable cups prepared for the National School Lunch Program at Washington-Lee High School in Arlington, Va.

As Schools Buy More Local Food, Kids Throw Less Food In The Trash

7:51pm October 20, 2015

by Dan Charles

Kids in America's schools are eating more local food, although it makes up only a small part of the average meal. Advocates say local food doesn't have to cost more, but buying it does take more time.

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A Child Who Feels 'Left Behind' Can Still Get Ahead

3:03pm October 20, 2015

by Linda Poon

But the kid has to have a plan. That's the lesson from a study of rural Chinese children whose parents have left the village to work in faraway cities.

Researchers have used MRI scanners to learn that preemies are born with weak connections in some critical brain networks.

Weak Brain Connections May Link Premature Birth And Later Disorders

9:31pm October 19, 2015

by Jon Hamilton

Brain scans found abnormally weak connections in the brains of premature infants may make them more prone to develop autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and other emotional disorders.

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'Becoming Nicole' Recounts One Family's Acceptance Of Their Transgender Child

5:04pm October 19, 2015

When Kelly and Wayne Maines adopted identical twin boys in 1997, they didn't anticipate raising one of their sons as a daughter. They tell their story, with author Amy Ellis Nutt, in Becoming Nicole.

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Health & Safety

The Uniting Power Of Sharing Patient Progress Online

10:38am October 18, 2015

by Stina Sieg

For those who are ill, Facebook helps friends and family keep up with a patient's progress. But when that patient is a very ill child, the challenges of how to navigate social media are different.

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McTeacher's Nights: Teachers Unions Say No To School Fundraisers

7:19pm October 15, 2015

by Allison Aubrey

The fundraising events cast schoolteachers as servers at local McDonald's. Supporters say the events bring families and teachers closer. Critics say they turn teachers into billboards for fast food.

Young Teens Suffer Most From Turbulent Mood Swings

3:41pm October 15, 2015

by Lynne Shallcross

The sturm und drang of early adolescent emotions can be rough on everyone in the family. Fear not, developmental psychologists say — it's almost certainly going to get better. In a few years.