Stressed and Distracted, Kids and Their Teachers Say Virtual Learning Isn't Working

• Serena McNiff HealthDay Reporter
• March 2, 2021
• Full Page

For Morgan Compton, 7, who has attended school remotely for nearly a year, the stress of the pandemic manifests itself in meltdowns.

On one particular day, Morgan "threw a fit and decided to go upstairs," said her mother, Tracy Compton. Hearing the sound of his daug...

Dogs and Kids Are 'In Sync,' Study Shows

• Cara Murez
• February 25, 2021
• Full Page

It is an image as heartwarming as any: Young children giggling as the family dog climbs all over them and licks their faces. But new research suggests the bond may be more than playful.

"The great news is that this study suggests dogs are paying a lot of attention to the...

Even for Preschoolers, Healthier Hearts May Mean Healthier Brains

• Robert Preidt
• February 23, 2021
• Full Page

The link between heart-lung fitness and brain health may begin at an early age, new research shows.

The study revealed that 4- to 6-year-olds who could walk farther during a timed test also scored higher on tests of thinking abilities and other measures of brain function...

Meeting the Challenges of Type 1 Diabetes in the Teen Years

• February 20, 2021
• Full Page

Diabetes is never an easy disease to manage, but coping with type 1 diabetes can be a particularly difficult challenge for teens.

The transition from childhood to adolescence can be hard on both kids and parents, the JDRF (formerly the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundati...

Mental Illness in Childhood Could Mean Worse Physical Health Decades Later

• Ernie Mundell and Robert Preidt HealthDay Reporters
• February 18, 2021
• Full Page

As if suffering from a mental illness as a child isn't tough enough, new research suggests it could predict higher odds for physical ills in later life.

There was one silver lining to the findings, however.

Knowing that childhood mental illness is a factor, "you ca...

Fertility Treatments Might Affect Kids' Growth, But Not for Long

• Robert Preidt
• February 18, 2021
• Full Page

The growth patterns of kids born through fertility treatment differ initially from those conceived naturally, but those growth rates do catch up over time, a new study finds.

In-vitro fertilization and other forms of "assisted reproductive technology" (ART) has long been...

Mom's Heart Health While Pregnant Could Influence Her Child's Health for Years

• Amy Norton HealthDay Reporter
• February 17, 2021
• Full Page

WEDNESDAY, Feb. 17, 2021 (HealthDay News) -- In a finding that suggests heart health starts in the womb, a new study shows that the state of a woman's heart during pregnancy may predict her kids' health by the time they reach adolescence.

Researchers f...

As Social Media Time Rises, So Does Teen Girls' Suicide Risk

• Alan Mozes HealthDay Reporter
• February 16, 2021
• Full Page

As the amount of time young teenage girls spend glued to Instagram, TikTok and other social media sites goes up, so does their long-term risk for suicide, a new study warns.

The finding stems from a decade spent tracking social media habits and suicide risk among 500 tee...

U.S. Schools Can Reopen, With Safeguards in Place: CDC

• Dennis Thompson HealthDay Reporter
• February 12, 2021
• Full Page

It may be safe for many of America's kids to head back to classrooms, experts at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced on Friday.

According to the agency's new operational guidance, schools can safely reopen if they employ five key "layered mitiga...

Is Any Amount of Coffee Safe for Baby During Pregnancy?

• Denise Mann HealthDay Reporter
• February 12, 2021
• Full Page

Too much coffee during pregnancy could lead to kids with behavior problems later on.

That's the key takeaway from new research that examined 9,000 brain scans from 9- and 10-year-olds as part of the largest long-term study of brain development and child health.

"Th...

AHA News: Hoping to Find Out Her Baby's Sex, She Learned of a Serious Heart Defect

• American Heart Association News
• February 12, 2021
• Full Page

Latisha Wilborne was excited. She and her husband had tried for a year to get pregnant, and now, 20 weeks pregnant, she was at a doctor's visit with her two sisters where an ultrasound would determine if she was having a girl or boy. A party to celebrate the news was just days...

Antibiotics in Pregnancy Tied to Higher Odds for Asthma in Kids

• Amy Norton HealthDay Reporter
• February 11, 2021
• Full Page

Children whose mothers used antibiotics in pregnancy may have a slightly heightened risk of asthma, a new study suggests.

Experts were quick to point out the finding does not prove cause and effect, and the reasons for the antibiotic use -- rather than the drug -- might ...

Fetal Surgery Is Changing Lives for Kids With Spina Bifida

• Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
• February 10, 2021
• Full Page

Spina bifida is a diagnosis no parents-to-be want to hear as they await their child's birth, and the idea of performing surgery on a baby while it is still in the womb can be terrifying. But new research shows that performing the delicate procedure before the baby is born, and...

Very Low COVID Transmission in Day Care Centers: Study

• Robert Preidt
• February 9, 2021
• Full Page

Children in day care centers had low coronavirus infection rates early in the pandemic, and are unlikely sources of COVID-19 transmission, a new study from France finds.

COVID-19 can infect people of all ages, but children tend to develop mild, if any, symptoms, and very...

When Kids Misbehave, 'Verbal Reasoning' Can Sometimes Backfire

• Cara Murez HealthDay Reporter
• February 4, 2021
• Full Page

Most parents know that child behavior experts recommend against spanking, but new research suggests that so-called "positive" discipline methods don't always work either.

For example, the common tactic of "verbal reasoning" with an unruly child "was associated with a mi...

How Your Neighborhood Can Hamper Your Teen's Sleep

• Cara Murez
• February 3, 2021
• Full Page

Living in a noisy neighborhood with less green space negatively affects teens' sleep, which may lead to poorer memory and thinking skills, according to a pair of studies.

In a study on residential environment, researchers found that as noise levels steadily increased, so...

Pandemic May Be Affecting How Parents Feed Their Kids

• Robert Preidt
• February 1, 2021
• Full Page

There have been good and bad changes to U.S. children's diets during the COVID-19 pandemic, researchers say.

"Providing healthy meals and snacks to our kids can be a challenge even when we're not experiencing a pandemic," said senior study author Susan Carnell. She's an ...

Do Touchscreens Make Your Toddler More Distractible?

• Robert Preidt
• January 28, 2021
• Full Page

Too much screen time can make your toddler more distractible, British researchers warn.

The use of smartphones and tablets by babies and toddlers has soared in recent years.

"The first few years of life are critical for children to learn how to control their attent...

The Family Cat Could Be Good Medicine for Kids With Autism

• Denise Mann HealthDay Reporter
• January 19, 2021
• Full Page

Cats have a long history of boosting people's moods and brightening their days. And that's probably true for kids on the autism spectrum as well, new research shows.

The small study suggests that adopting a shelter cat may help reduce separation anxiety and improve ...

How Divorce Harms Kids, and How to Lessen That Harm

• Alan Mozes HealthDay Reporter
• January 19, 2021
• Full Page

Kids who see their parents bicker during a separation or divorce are more likely to develop a fear of abandonment, new research warns.

And even if a youngster feels close to one or both parents, that fear can still undermine his or her mental health down the road.

...

Sperm Samples May Help Predict Autism Risk in Offspring

• Robert Preidt
• January 14, 2021
• Full Page

Biomarkers in sperm may help identify men at risk of fathering children with autism, researchers say.

For the study, investigators examined sperm epigenetics -- the molecular processes that affect gene expression -- in 13 men who fathered sons with autism and 13 who had ...

Is Self-Control the Key to a Long, Healthy Life?

• Alan Mozes
• January 7, 2021
• Full Page

If your children are well-behaved, do they stand a greater chance of having healthy, happy lives as adults?

A new study says yes.

After tracking just over 1,000 New Zealanders from birth to the age of 45, investigators found that kids who were goal-oriented and bet...

Pediatricians' Group Says School Is Priority, With Proper Safety Measures

• Cara Murez
• January 6, 2021
• Full Page

A prominent U.S. doctors' group reaffirmed its recommendation this week that having kids physically in school should be the goal, while also outlining safety protocols needed to allow schools to be open.

In its COVID-19 guidance for safe schools, the American Academy of ...

Kids With Congenital Heart Disease Face Higher Odds of Mental Health Issues

• Denise Mann
• January 5, 2021
• Full Page

Kids born with heart defects may be more likely to develop anxiety, depression and/or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), regardless of the severity of their heart condition.

Congenital heart defects are the most common type of birth defect in the United Sta...

Fewer Food Allergies in Kids If Mom Drinks Milk While Breastfeeding: Study

• Denise Mann
• January 4, 2021
• Full Page

Mothers who drink cow's milk while breastfeeding may reduce their child's risk of developing food allergies, a new Swedish study suggests.

"This is a compelling first step in defining a potential relationship between maternal diet and allergy risk," said Dr. Peter Lio, a...

Masks Don't Mask Others' Emotions for Kids

• Robert Preidt
• December 29, 2020
• Full Page

Children can still read the emotional expressions of people wearing masks during the COVID-19 pandemic, researchers say.

"We now have this situation where adults and kids have to interact all the time with people whose faces are partly covered, and a lot of adults are wo...

Could Going Vegetarian Lower Kids' Asthma Risk?

• Steven Reinberg
• December 28, 2020
• Full Page

Compounds in meat may trigger wheezing in some children that can potentially lead to asthma or other respiratory conditions, a new study suggests.

These compounds, called advanced glycation end products (AGEs), are released as meat is cooked at high temperatures while gr...

Do Genes Doom Some Kids to Obesity? Probably Not, Study Finds

• Cara Murez
• December 21, 2020
• Full Page

While childhood obesity is a significant challenge, German researchers have uncovered some hopeful news while investigating the impact of genes.

Though some "obesity genes" do play a minor role in the success of weight loss interventions, environmental, social and behavi...

Type 2 Diabetes in Youth Is Especially Unhealthy: Study

• Amy Norton
• December 15, 2020
• Full Page

The earlier in life type 2 diabetes arises, the deadlier it is, a new analysis finds.

The study, which pooled the results of 26 previous ones, revealed a clear pattern: The younger people were when they developed type 2 diabetes, the greater their risk of complications l...

New Clues to Crohn's Disease in Kids

• Robert Preidt
• December 14, 2020
• Full Page

Important clues about Crohn's disease in children have emerged in new research.

Scientists analyzed gene expression in individual cells in the inner lining (epithelium) of the intestines of human fetuses, six to 10 weeks after conception.

Then, they examined tissue...

Why a Newborn's First Breath Is So Important

• Cara Murez
• December 10, 2020
• Full Page

New research on what happens as a newborn is delivered and takes its first breath may shed light on a potential contributor to sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS).

A team led by doctors from the University of Virginia School of Medicine discovered a signaling syste...

Sports Might Be Good Therapy for Boys With Behavioral Issues: Study

• Dennis Thompson
• December 8, 2020
• Full Page

Participation in organized sports could help reduce behavior problems in very young boys, a new study of Irish kids suggests.

One-year-old boys with developmental delays were less likely to have developed emotional problems or poor conduct by age 5 if they regularly atte...

'Body Issues' Raise Depression Risks for Teens

• Robert Preidt
• December 8, 2020
• Full Page

Body dissatisfaction significantly increases teens' risk of depression, researchers say.

The degree of heightened risk ranged from 50% to 285%, according to the report published online Dec. 8 in the Journal of Epidemiology & Community Health.

"These findin...

Parents, Don't Worry if Baby's Sleep Is Erratic

• Robert Preidt
• December 7, 2020
• Full Page

New parents can relax: Research suggests it's normal for infants' sleep patterns to vary widely.

"Although previous research has shown that infants start sleeping through the night at different stages of development, little is known about individual sleep patterns night ...

Birth Defects Tied to Rise in Lifelong Cancer Risk

• Robert Preidt
• December 3, 2020
• Full Page

Major birth defects are associated with an increased, lifelong risk of cancer, researchers say.

It has been known that people with major birth defects have a greater risk of developing cancer as children and teens, but it wasn't clear whether the risk extends into adulth...

Does Parents' Nagging Kids About Screen Time Even Matter?

• Cara Murez
• November 23, 2020
• Full Page

Parents' constant refrain, telling their teens to turn off the TV, stop playing video games or put down the cellphone, may not be necessary.

And new research suggests those worried about their kids becoming addicted to technology may even be able to breathe a sigh of rel...

Are Healthy Kids Getting Too Many Heart Tests?

• Cara Murez
• November 4, 2020
• Full Page

Not every kid needs an electrocardiogram (ECG) before playing sports or as part of routine exams, child health experts say.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) is advising parents and pediatricians to avoid unnecessary tests, and has released a list of common medic...

Why Kindergarten Matters

• Robert Preidt
• November 3, 2020
• Full Page

Being well-prepared to start kindergarten provides lifelong benefits, a new Canadian study shows.

It included 2,000 children born in the province of Quebec in 1997 and 1998. At age 5, their knowledge of numbers and their receptive vocabulary (recognition of written or sp...

Newborn Brain Bleeds Resolve by Age 2

• Robert Preidt
• November 3, 2020
• Full Page

Here's some good news for new moms: Babies born with asymptomatic brain bleeds have normal brain development by the time they reach the age of 2, researchers report.

MRIs were used to examine the brains of 311 newborns in the Early Brain Development Study at the Universi...

AHA News: Can Video Games Help You Level Up Your Health?

• American Heart Association News
• October 28, 2020
• Full Page

You might assume that portraying video games as bad for your health would be as easy as shooting ducks on an old Nintendo.

Even a professional gamer like Noah "Nifty" Francis, 22, admits players aren't known for having great habits. Francis, who plays Counter-Strike: Glo...

Newborn Brains Don't Process Emotions Like Adults

• Steven Reinberg
• October 28, 2020
• Full Page

Newborns don't have the brain circuitry to process emotions, a new study finds.

Brain scans of newborns found that the area of the brain that experiences emotions isn't connected in a mature way to areas that process visual or auditory stimuli, researchers say.

In ...

Fewer Painful Procedures Could Help Preemies' Brain Development: Study

• Steven Reinberg
• October 21, 2020
• Full Page

Giving fewer needle sticks to premature newborns in the intensive care unit may improve growth of a key brain area, a new study suggests.

The thalamus relays sensory data from the body to the rest of the brain, where it registers as pain, touch or temperature.

Big Babies May Face Higher Lifelong A-Fib Risk

• Robert Preidt
• October 19, 2020
• Full Page

Parents are usually pleased when their newborn seems big and strong, but new research suggests that large babies may be at higher risk for the heart rhythm disorder atrial fibrillation later in life.

Atrial fibrillation (a-fib) is the most common heart rhythm disorde...

Bringing the Forest to Kids' Daycare May Boost Young Immune Systems

• Amy Norton
• October 15, 2020
• Full Page

Want to give your kids an immune system boost? Try letting them play in the dirt more often, a new study suggests.

Researchers in Finland found that when they brought nature into daycare playgrounds -- including forest soil and vegetation -- preschoolers' immune func...

Music Classes Strike a Chord in Kids' Brain Development: Study

• Robert Preidt
• October 9, 2020
• Full Page

Learning to play a musical instrument helps fine-tune kids' brains, researchers say.

In a new study, 40 children (aged 10 to 13) performed memory and attention tasks while their brain activity was monitored with functional MRI. This type of imaging scan detects small...

Depressed Teens May Struggle in School

• Steven Reinberg
• October 8, 2020
• Full Page

By about age 16, teens diagnosed with depression have substantially lower educational attainment, a new British study finds.

Targeted educational support might be of particular benefit to teens from poor backgrounds and boys, but all children with depression can ben...

Early School Sports Reduce ADHD Symptoms Years Later for Girls

• Serena Gordon
• October 6, 2020
• Full Page

Girls who played after-school sports in elementary school seem to have fewer symptoms of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) once they reach middle school, a new study suggests.

The research included both boys and girls, but the effect of sports on atten...