Federal health officials are reviewing safety data on COVID vaccines in pregnant women and children, and may also reconsider recommendations for older adults. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is analyzing reports of possible birth defects after vaccination during pregnancy, while also preparing a presentation on deaths in children following COVID vaccination.  The meeting…  read on >  read on >

Cases of self-harm involving 6- to 12-year-olds have risen sharply, and researchers warn that common household products are often involved. Their findings appear in the Sept. 8 issue of Pediatrics, the journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Researchers analyzed more than 1.5 million reports made to U.S. poison control centers from 2000 to 2023. …  read on >  read on >

Your morning cup of coffee might harm the quality of a blood donation provided later in the day, a new study says. Caffeine appears to impair donated blood in ways that reduce the effectiveness of future transfusions, researchers report in the journal Haemotologica. Specifically, they found that red blood cells are more prone to damage…  read on >  read on >

Kids are more likely to become couch potatoes — or enthusiastically active — based on what they see their parents doing day-to-day, a new study says. The example set by moms and dads appears to contribute to sedentary or active behavior in their children, researchers report in the journal Sports Medicine and Health Science. “Parents’…  read on >  read on >

Using alcohol, tobacco, marijuana or other substances during pregnancy can harm the developing fetus, even when the risks are not always obvious, a West Virginia University psychiatrist warns. “Many substances can harm a fetus, including substances many falsely perceive to be harmless, like marijuana,” said Dr. Aliana Abascal of the Department of Behavioral Medicine and…  read on >  read on >

Busy moms might be sending their babies the wrong signal if they feed evening breast milk that was expressed in the morning, a new study suggests. The composition of breast milk changes throughout the day, including hormones thought to influence babies’ wake/sleep patterns, researchers reported today in Frontiers in Nutrition. A mother might unintentionally disturb…  read on >  read on >

Parents of college students headed back to campus might have some fundamental misunderstandings regarding their young adult’s mental health challenges, a new report said. About 1 in 5 college students reported that their mental health had declined since high school, according to the 2025 College Student and Graduate Behavioral Health Report  issued by UnitedHealthcare. In…  read on >  read on >

Expert consensus on the treatment of preschoolers diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is clear: Try behavioral therapies for six months before prescribing medications. However, a new study found this guideline was followed in only 14.1% of U.S. cases involving children ages 3 to 5.  “We found that many young children are being prescribed…  read on >  read on >