Kids and parenting

Surprises in landmark U.S. adoption survey

The first federal survey of both men and women on adoption challenges some stereotypes and offers some surprising findings: Minority women are trying to adopt at a higher rate than white women. Only 1 percent of single women put their babies up for adoption. Men adopt at twice the rate women do, ...

10 infant deaths in Arizona tied to cold meds

At least 10 infant deaths in Arizona in 2006 were linked to over-the-counter cough and cold remedies — underscoring the danger of giving the medications to children younger than 2, researchers report. The investigators found that of 21 infants who died unexpectedly and had autopsy data available, 1...

Immigrant kids even less active than U.S.-born

Many immigrant children get even less vigorous exercise than their U.S.-born counterparts, the largest study of its kind suggests. Plenty of earlier evidence shows that U.S. children are pretty inactive. The new study of nearly 70,000 children simply found even lower levels of activity among immigr...

Parents and teenagers meet on Facebook

Julia McGovern was shocked when her mom sent her a "friend" request on Facebook. She had been on the social networking site for four years and had no idea her mother even knew what it was. "It was my world," says Julia, 18, of Hopkinton, Mass. "She was still just emailing." Not anymore. Parent ......

Report: No risk to children from artificial turf

Children aren’t at risk for lead exposure from synthetic athletic fields, according to a report Wednesday from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. The commission evaluated synthetic athletic fields after lead was detected on some New Jersey fields, raising worry about exposure to children...

Pediatricians nix heart tests for ADHD drugs

The nation's largest pediatricians' group says most children getting attention-deficit drugs don't need heart screening with electrocardiogram tests, challenging advice from a leading heart doctors' association. The new policy from the American Academy of Pediatrics renews a debate over the safe ......

Kids' cell phones: Cancer caution adds to debate

When Amy Morris' twin boys, then 11, went on an academic trip to Washington last year, she agreed to give them cell phones at the program's request. But this summer she was dismayed to learn that girls at her 8-year-old daughter's day camp were using cell phones they'd taken along in their backpack...

Nearly 3 percent of teen girls assaulted

About 3 percent of 12- to 17-year-old girls are physically or sexually assaulted by a boyfriend or date, a U.S. study suggests. In interviews with a nationally representative sample of U.S. teens, researchers found that 2.7 percent of girls and 0.6 percent of boys said they had been the victim of se...

When teen years hit, sluggishness sets in

One of the largest studies of its kind shows just how sluggish American children become once they hit the teen years: While 90 percent of 9-year-olds get a couple of hours of exercise most days, fewer than 3 percent of 15-year-olds do. What’s more, the study suggests that fewer than a third of t...

Teachers get nurse duty as schools are squeezed

During the past two school years, teacher Julia Keyse had to enforce an unusual rule in her kindergarten and first-grade classroom: No interrupting while she pricked Caylee’s finger to check her blood sugar and adjusted her insulin pump. “They were so good. They would just sit and wait,” Keyse s...

Background TV harms tots’ attention spans

Having the television on in the background while pre-schoolers play with their toys disrupts their efforts to sustain attention, even when they don’t pay much attention to it, and may harm their development, researchers report in current issue the journal Child Development. Pediatricians recommend...

Why Are We Seeing So Many Obese Children?

Obesity rates, which have already reached epidemic proportions in many western countries, are continuing to rise and so it is not surprising that we are seeing an increasing number of overweight children. The dangers of childhood obesity today are all too clear, but what leads to child obesity? As w...

Alternative Breast Enhancement Treatments - The New Kids on the Block

It seems that "comedy" shaped breasts, those silicone injected, pneumatic centres of attention for every Barbie-esque individual (especially those in LA) are going out of fashion due to the wealth of choices available to women who want to improve their breast size. With new treatments coming out e ....

Childhood Obesity Facts

Childhood obesity is a serious problem. It can give rise to numerous physical as well as psychological problems in children. Of course, increase in weight is normal as the child grows up. But if it is more than healthy body weight, then your child can be considered as obese. Obesity in children can ...

How Successful Is Surgery For Children With Sleep Apnea?

For many years the first line of defense for children with sleep apnea and other forms of sleep-disordered breathing has been to remove both their tonsils and adenoids in a procedure known as an adenoidtonsilectomy and follow-up studies normally carried out about six weeks and three months after sur...

3 Tips for Preventing Acne in Children

Young adults and teenagers generally come to accept breakouts as a fact of life. But contrary to popular wisdom, pre-adolescent children can suffer from acne, too. This is often especially frustrating and embarrassing, since it is unexpected, and since in many cases the child will be alone among his...

Children and Candida

While it is well known that many adults battle with candida overgrowth in their bodies, experts are finding that some childhood conditions may be caused or exacerbated by Candida albicans. From chronic sickness to rashes and yeast infections to even autism, the yeast overgrowth in one’s body can gr...

Game Therapy for Children

Playing means to kids what speaking means to grown-ups. It is a good environment for them to express their feelings, to explore human relationships, to confess their wishes, describe their very own experiences, and to achieve a feeling of fulfillment. The problems children may come across do not exi...

Using Sign Language with an Autistic Child

In recent times a growing interest has been directed to teaching sign language to autistic children who have failed to develop speech. Sign language is a language which relies on movements of hands, arms or body and facial expressions in order to communicate. This is commonly used by deaf people or ...

Attention Deficit Disorder in Children - Child Support Guidelines

What is ADHD? Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder is a common disorder that affects many children under the age of seventeen. The disorder is related to the nervous system of children. This disorder results in a condition when the affected child is unable to pay attention or interest to the tas...