A growing number of U.S. kids are attempting suicide by medication overdose — with the biggest increase seen among preteens, a recent study shows. Researchers found that between 2015 and 2020, there was a 27% increase in overdose suicide or attempted suicide among U.S. children and teenagers. While teens accounted for most of those incidents,…  read on >  read on >

It’s a startling statistic: A new study finds the number of kids accidentally poisoned by the over-the-counter sleep aid melatonin has soared by 530% over the past decade. For most children, the overdose only causes excessive sleepiness, but for some it can result in hospitalization and even death, the researchers found. “The largest increases were…  read on >  read on >

Adults who get COVID-19 could have antibodies circulating in their blood for nearly 500 days after infection, new research suggests. “We now have a good estimate of how long antibodies last after a COVID-19 infection,” said study author Michael Swartz, an associate professor and vice chair of biostatistics at the University of Texas Health Science…  read on >  read on >

Kids who play team sports may win some mental health benefits, but the same may not hold true for those in solo sports, a large, new study suggests. A number of previous studies have linked team sports to better mental well-being for children and teenagers, and the new research is no exception: Overall, it found,…  read on >  read on >

Children whose mothers had rising levels of depression during pregnancy appear to have an increased risk of behavioral problems, researchers say. “Our findings suggest that increases in mother’s symptoms of depression from preconception to postpartum contribute to children’s lower attention and behavioral control, which can raise the risk of problems across the life span,” said…  read on >  read on >

Children who have had COVID-19 aren’t protected against the Omicron variant, but vaccination does cut their chances of infection, a new study shows. “I hear parents say, ‘Oh, my kid had COVID last year,’” said senior study co-author Dr. Adrienne Randolph, from Boston Children’s Hospital. “But we found that antibodies produced by prior infections in…  read on >  read on >

Breastfeeding may literally help your baby breathe more easily, according to new research that found the longer an infant is fed mother’s milk exclusively, the lower the baby’s chances of developing asthma. “Breastfeeding for at least six months was the most protective but, importantly, it is likely that shorter amounts also provide some protection against…  read on >  read on >