Children's Health

According to a study published in Pediatrics, boys are entering puberty six months to two years earlier than they did in past studies.

Health & Safety

Like Girls, Boys Are Entering Puberty Earlier

11:23am December 26, 2012

by Patti Neighmond

Boys are entering puberty six months to two years earlier than they did in past studies. Caucasian boys tend to begin puberty, on average, at around 10 years old while African American boys tend to begin puberty at 9.

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Ronan at 2 years old. "I know Ronan's purpose in life was to shed light on this disease," says his mother, Maya Thompson. "This is why I will continue to fight for childhood cancer for the rest of my life."

Finding New Meaning In The Loss Of A Son

6:00pm December 24, 2012

by Barbara Bradley Hagerty

Maya Thompson's son Ronan died of cancer three days before his fourth birthday. During his illness, she began a raw and sometimes angry blog that drew millions of readers. Thompson has since started a foundation and is funding clinical trials to find a cure for childhood cancer.

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The contents of a box of some of the new foods containing caffeine collected by the Center for Science in the Public Interest.

Not Just For Coffee Anymore: The Rise Of Caffeinated Foods

8:45am December 19, 2012

by Allison Aubrey

Are we getting "Jack'd"? A surge in new caffeine-containing foods leads to new questions about just how much caffeine we're getting in our daily lives. Some advocates are calling for labeling, and they raise concerns about children's and teens' consumption.

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A boy in Lima, Peru, receives a hepatitis B vaccine during an immunization drive in 2008. The United Nations is considering a ban on the preservative thimerosal, which is often used in hepatitis B and other vaccines in developing countries.

Health & Safety

Doctors Argue Against Proposed Ban On Vaccine Preservative

8:55am December 17, 2012

by Jon Hamilton

The preservative thimerosal keeps vaccines from going bad in places where there is no refrigeration. Anti-vaccine activists say it should be banned because it contains mercury, but public health officials insist it's safe.

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After Trauma, Maintaining Normalcy For Children

7:04pm December 15, 2012

LeVar Burton, host of the children's television show, Reading Rainbow, wrote a blog post Friday about how parents should speak to their kids in the aftermath of the latest school shooting. He joins host Guy Raz to discuss the importance of talking to kids and maintaining a normal routine.

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Maribel Ramos, 13, has both sickle cell disease and an abnormality of blood vessels called moyamoya. Both put her at risk of stroke, and, together, they add up to a 95 percent chance of a major stroke.

Health & Safety

As Childhood Strokes Increase, Surgeons Aim To Reduce Risks

3:08pm December 10, 2012

by Richard Knox

Stroke is usually a problem that comes with age, but a surprising number of children have strokes, too. Many kids have conditions that put them at higher risk. But surgeons have developed a technique that cuts the risk in some of these kids by giving part of the brain a new blood supply.

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Rabbi A. Romi Cohn, a noted mohel, prepares an infant for circumcision at Congregation Shaare Zion in Brooklyn on Sept. 4. Cohn opposes a New York City rule requiring parental consent for a type of circumcision ritual practiced by some Orthodox Jews.

New York, Orthodox Jews Clash Over Circumcision

8:25pm December 03, 2012

by Joel Rose

Several Jewish leaders are suing New York City to block a new rule regulating a circumcision ritual known as metzitzah b'peh. City health officials say the ritual, practiced by some Orthodox Jews, can spread the herpes virus to infants. But critics say the law infringes on their freedom of religion.

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