Many U.S. parents don’t take proper precautions to protect their children from fireworks-related burns and injuries, claims a new survey released just ahead of the Fourth of July. The poll of more than 2,000 parents of children ages 3-18 was conducted this spring and found that more than half said someone in their family or…  read on >  read on >

Getting a COVID-19 vaccine during pregnancy can help protect both mother and baby. But does it matter which vaccine or at what stage of pregnancy a woman receives her shots? New research suggests it does, and that getting immunized earlier in pregnancy may be better. In their study, investigators focused on maternal immune responses to…  read on >  read on >

While kids in a classroom are likely to be familiar with all their classmates after a short time, the children they are assigned to sit near are likely to become their closer friends, a new study suggests. Researchers from Florida Atlantic University found that after seat assignments changed, students were more likely to become friends…  read on >  read on >

Neck floats marketed for babies to use in water can lead to serious injury or death, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration warned this week. The inflatable plastic rings are especially dangerous for infants who have developmental delays or special needs, such as those with spina bifida, spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) type 1, Down syndrome…  read on >  read on >

New research confirms the dangers of too much screen time for kids and teens: Those who play sports, take music lessons, or socialize with friends after school are happier and healthier than children who are glued to a screen during these hours. “Screen time, where you are sitting and watching TV or playing computer games…  read on >  read on >

The United States is deploying an enhanced nationwide vaccination strategy to counter the continuing spread of monkeypox, federal public health officials announced at a White House briefing on Tuesday. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is rapidly expanding access to hundreds of thousands of doses of the Jynneos vaccine, targeted to smallpox and…  read on >  read on >