With Cases Soaring, Guns Are Now Leading Cause of Death for U.S. Kids

• Denise Mann HealthDay Reporter
• August 21, 2023
• Full Page

Guns are now the leading cause of death among kids in the United States.

That's the chilling message from a new study that looked at numbers of U.S. children killed by guns from 2018 to 2021. During this time, there was close to a 42% jump in firearm-caused deaths.

Social Media Is Parents' Top Concern as Kids Head Back to School: Poll

• Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
• August 21, 2023
• Full Page

When U.S. parents express their concerns about their school-aged children, social media use and the internet are at the top of the list.

Mental health issues are another top worry, according to the University of Michigan Health C.S. Mott Children's Hospital National

Fracking Tied to Lymphomas, Asthma in New Study

• Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
• August 16, 2023
• Full Page

Research into a possible link between childhood health problems and natural gas wells in western Pennsylvania is wrapping up with some answers.

Children who lived near these wells were more likely to develop rare lymphoma, the research found.

In addition, residents...

Step Up to a New School Year: Tips for Buying Shoes for Your Kids

• Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
• August 8, 2023
• Full Page

Buying back-to-school shoes should be more about the right fit than the right look -- but with luck you can combine the two.

Shoes play a big part in how kids' feet function and should be selected with care, say orthopedists at the Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) in ...

As Kids Head Back to School, New Survey Finds 71% Faced Challenges Last Year

• Steven Reinberg HealthDay Reporter
• July 28, 2023
• Full Page

As kids prepare to return to school, a new poll warns that the many children who found the last school year challenging are likely to be apprehensive this time around.

The online survey, conducted by the Harris Poll on behalf of the nonprofit On Our Sleeves Movement for ...

Many Child Car Seats Are Improperly Installed, Even Those Deemed Easy to Manage

• Steven Reinberg HealthDay Reporter
• July 27, 2023
• Full Page

Many parents in the United States aren't installing child car seats correctly, a new study finds.

Errors in car seat installation are common, even for seats that have a 5-star rating for features like ease of use, researchers found. The study found that fewer errors wer...

Nasal Swab for Bacteria Might Slash Antibiotic Prescribing in Kids

• Steven Reinberg HealthDay Reporter
• July 26, 2023
• Full Page

Testing children with a suspected sinus infection for three common bacteria might cut unnecessary antibiotic prescribing, a new study suggests.

Only half of kids with sinusitis -- inflammation or swelling of the sinuses -- show any improvement with antibiotics, whic...

1 in 6 Kids Haven't Gotten All of Their Vaccines. Why?

• Denise Mann HealthDay Reporter
• July 25, 2023
• Full Page

Most early childhood vaccines require three or four doses for best protection, but more than 1 in 6 toddlers aren't getting them all, leaving them vulnerable to potentially deadly infections, a new study finds.

There are many reasons that kids aren't completing their vac...

EPA Awards $58 Million to Help Schools, Daycare Centers Remove Lead From Drinking Water

• Steven Reinberg HealthDay Reporter
• July 25, 2023
• Full Page

The Biden administration on Monday awarded $58 million in grants to help schools and daycare centers remove lead from drinking water.

The announcement came during an event in Boston.

"I am excited to join local leaders in Boston to announce $58 million...

Kids Who Plant Themselves in Front of TV More Likely to Have Metabolic Syndrome as Adults

• Sarah D. Collins HealthDay Reporter
• July 24, 2023
• Full Page

Here's another reason to get your kids up and moving: Excessive TV watching in childhood leads to a higher risk of metabolic syndrome at age 45, a new long-term study finds.

"What's really important about this is that even if these sedentary kids decided somewhere along...

1 in 5 Kids Had Long COVID Symptoms Months After Infection

• Amy Norton HealthDay Reporter
• July 21, 2023
• Full Page

Close to one-fifth of kids with COVID-19 may still have lingering symptoms months after their initial infection, new research finds.

The review, of 31 international studies, found that over 16% of children and teenagers with COVID had problems such as sore throat, persis...

Here's How to Make Summer Sports Camp a Safe Adventure for Your Kid

• Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
• July 19, 2023
• Full Page

If your child is in sports camp this summer, you'll want them to have fun and stay safe.

The National Athletic Trainers' Association (NATA) offers some tips on dealing with existing medical conditions, staying hydrated and heat safe, avoiding weather dangers and protecti...

Does Your Child Have Asthma? Here's How to Prepare Them to Go Back to School

• Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
• July 19, 2023
• Full Page

Whether your child attends a year-round school or one on a traditional calendar, parents can take steps to make classroom reentry healthier for kids with asthma.

Asthma causes an estimated 13.8 million missed school days each year, according to the Respiratory Health Ass...

Safety Videos Might Make Kids More Careful Around Guns, Study Suggests

• Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
• July 18, 2023
• Full Page

Shootings are the leading cause of death among U.S. children, surpassing even car crashes. But a new study suggests there may be a sensible way to reduce those firearm tragedies.

Researchers found that kids who had watched a one-minute gun safety video were more lik...

FDA Approves New Drug to Protect Against RSV in Infants

• Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
• July 17, 2023
• Full Page

MONDAY, July 17, 2023 (HealthDay Now) -- Parents now have a new long-acting drug to protect their children against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), a common germ that hospitalizes as many as 3% of children under the age of 1 in the United States each year.

The U.S. Foo...

Fewer Kids Are Being Prescribed Antipsychotic Meds

• Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
• July 7, 2023
• Full Page

The use of antipsychotic medication in children is continuing to plummet, likely because of better policies and education, new research shows.

The study found a 43% drop in antipsychotic prescriptions for Medicaid-enrolled children in 45 states, a stark contrast from the...

Taking ADHD Meds Won't Raise a Kid's Odds for Drug Abuse Later: Study

• Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
• July 6, 2023
• Full Page

Stimulant medications like Ritalin are commonly prescribed to help treat the symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, but there have been concerns the drugs may lay the groundwork for later substance abuse.

New research may now set those worries at ease.

Kids Who Read for Pleasure Grow Into Better-Adjusted Teens: Study

• Amy Norton HealthDay Reporter
• June 28, 2023
• Full Page

Young children may be fascinated by electronic devices, but a new study suggests that old-fashioned reading may help them grow into better adjusted middle schoolers.

The study, of more than 10,000 U.S. "tweens," found that those who'd begun reading for fun early in child...

FDA Approves New Drugs to Treat Type 2 Diabetes in Kids

• Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
• June 21, 2023
• Full Page

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday approved two drugs that have been used in adults with type 2 diabetes for years for use in children aged 10 and up.

The approvals of Jardiance (empagliflozin) and Synjardy (empagliflozin and metformin hydrochloride) provid...

It's Rare, But Kids Can Get an Alzheimer's-Like Illness

• Sue Benzuly, RN HealthDay Reporter
• June 21, 2023
• Full Page

When people think about Alzheimer's disease, they usually associate it with seniors who have had a long and fulfilling life.

Sadly, two rare conditions that imitate the symptoms of Alzheimer's strike infants and children. Two of these disorders, Niemann-Pick Disease Typ...

Child Development Stages and Milestones: What to Expect

• Sue Benzuly, RN HealthDay Reporter
• May 30, 2023
• Full Page

From their first smile to their first step to the first day of school, children go through a remarkable transformation on their way to adulthood.

Here, experts explore the five developmental stages, from infancy to adulthood, and take a deeper look at the developmental m...

ER-Based Pharmacies Could Improve Kids' Care, Pediatricians' Group Says

• Amy Norton HealthDay Reporter
• May 30, 2023
• Full Page

When parents rush their kids to an emergency room in the dead of night for an asthma attack or high fever, they are often discharged with a prescription. The problem is, there may be nowhere to fill it promptly.

Now, a new