Children's Health

Accessible swing:There are many versions of accessible swings. Most of them provide additional back support, and they may include a safety harness. Some swings allow wheelchair users to board without leaving their wheelchairs.

Playgrounds For All Children: Here's How To Find One

1:11pm September 12, 2014

by Anya Kamenetz

For kids with disabilities, a simple activity like going down a slide can be a challenge. An NPR crowdsourcing project maps inclusive playgrounds — fun and safe for all — across the country.

A class for beginning flutists, crammed into an office building boardroom, labor over "Hot Cross Buns." It's part of Harmony Project, a nonprofit program offering music lessons in a wide range of instruments — flute, trombone, trumpet, oboe, violin, cel

This Is Your Brain. This Is Your Brain On Music

11:55am September 11, 2014

by Cory Turner

A new study suggests that learning to play a musical instrument helps improve the brain's ability to process language. That means music lessons could give kids from low-income communities a big boost.

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Does smoking pot make it less likely that you'll go to college?

Heavier Teen Pot Smoking Linked To Problems In Young Adults

3:59pm September 10, 2014

by Nancy Shute

Daily smokers are less likely to graduate from high school or college and are at higher risk of suicide, according to an analysis of three long-term studies of teenagers in Australia and New Zealand.

Helen Down holds her 14-month-old daughter, Amelia, for an MMR shot in Swansea, Wales, April 2013. The vaccination was in response to a measles outbreak.

Get The Measles, Get Ready To Be Out For Two Weeks

2:52pm September 09, 2014

by Nancy Shute

Many people think of measles as a mild childhood illness. But people who got the measles during outbreaks in the United Kingdom say they were so sick they missed two weeks of school or work.

During nationwide polio campaigns, hundreds of thousands of health workers go door to door, giving children two drops of the polio vaccine.

The Hidden Costs Of Fighting Polio In Pakistan

11:06pm July 29, 2014

by Jason Beaubien

The effort to end polio is taking a toll on Pakistan's already overstretched health system. With more children dying of measles and diarrhea, some question whether the focus on polio is worth it.

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Marvin Ramos, now 18, was overwhelmed when his daughter, Hailey, was born. But now he says he's determined to be the best father he can be. "I haven't run away," he says, "and I never want to."

Teen Tries To Be The Parent His Own Dad Never Was

8:40pm July 07, 2014

by NPR Staff

Marvin Ramos' father says Ramos ruined his life by having a child at 17. But while he struggles, Ramos, now 18, is determined to be an active part of his daughter's life.

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In New York, three-quarters of all students qualify for free or reduced-price meals, but a third of those simply don't participate.

Why NYC Is Afraid Of Free Lunch For All

7:45pm June 10, 2014

by Beth Fertig

A federal program to extend free lunch to all kids has the city worried it could lose federal dollars to pay for other things.

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Protesters rally outside the Department of Children and Families in Hartford, Conn., in April. The state's decision to send a transgender teen to adult prison has galvanized juvenile justice and LGBT advocates.

When States Can't Control Violent Youth, Is Prison The Answer?

8:18pm May 15, 2014

by Lucy Nalpathanchil

A Connecticut judge has approved a rare request from the state's child welfare agency: to move a transgender teen to adult prison, even though she has not been charged with a crime.

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On the outskirts of Islamabad, a Pakistani health worker vaccinates an Afghan refugee against polio.

The Comeback Of Polio Is A Public Health Emergency

4:25pm May 06, 2014

by Jason Beaubien

The paralyzing virus had seemed on the verge of disappearing. But this year cases are being reported in 10 countries. The World Health Organization has responded with strict vaccination rules.

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Fair Or Not, Getting Kids To Eat Their Vegetables

6:23pm April 27, 2014

Pediatric nutritionist Dr. Deb Kennedy, author of The Picky Eating Solution, talks with NPR's Eric Westervelt about catering to kids who put up fights at the dinner table.

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