Using tablets as ‘e-babysitters’ for toddlers could lead to more tantrums, which in turn can have harried parents trying to calm a child by handing them a tablet, new research shows. This type of “vicious cycle” played out during the early years of many of the Canadian youngsters tracked in the study. The bottom line,…  read on >  read on >

Pregnant women and new moms have better access to treatment for mood disorders, thanks to Obamacare, a new study finds. More women received treatment for their pregnancy-related depression or anxiety after the Affordable Care Act (ACA) went into effect in 2014, researchers reported Aug. 9 in the journal JAMA Network Open. However, researchers said more…  read on >  read on >

There’s a good chance that if one child in a family has autism, another will also develop the disorder, a new study suggests. Children are seven times more likely to be diagnosed with autism if an older sibling has the disorder, researchers reported recently in the journal Pediatrics. “Pediatricians and family members have to keep…  read on >  read on >

An interactive text-message support program can help teenagers quit vaping, a groundbreaking new clinical trial finds. Teens who subscribed to the anonymous program, called This Is Quitting, were 35% more likely to report not vaping nicotine by the end of a seven-month study, researchers reported Aug. 7 in the Journal of the American Medical Association.…  read on >  read on >

Plenty of women know that having an IUD inserted in their uterus can be an excruciating experience, but new government guidance issued Thursday may soon make the experience less painful for many. For the first time, updated recommendations from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advise doctors to counsel women about pain control…  read on >  read on >

In an historic move, the Environmental Protection Agency on Tuesday banned the use of a pesticide that can harm fetuses. Known as dimethyl tetrachloroterephthalate (DCPA or Dacthal), the weedkiller is used on a variety of crops, including broccoli, onions, kale, Brussels sprouts and cabbage. However, when a pregnant woman is exposed to the chemical, it…  read on >  read on >

There’s a hint of good news for parents concerned about teen mental health: After 57% of U.S. teen girls surveyed in 2021 said they felt “persistent sadness,” that number declined somewhat by 2023, to 53%, new government data show. In the latest biennial poll of over 20,000 high school students nationwide, called the Youth Risk…  read on >  read on >