Parents of Black teens with autism worry that their kids’ condition might put them at greater risk during interactions with police. A new study published Dec. 16 in the journal Autism shows that behaviors common among children with autism, such as reduced eye contact, might cause police to think they’re acting guilty. Unfortunately, police officers… read on > read on >
Do parents use Santa Claus to help guide kids to better behavior? It happens often, a new poll shows. One-quarter of parents of kids ages 3 to 5 said they’ve threatened misbehaving kids with no Santa or gifts if they don’t shape up, according to results from the University of Michigan Health C.S. Mott Children’s… read on > read on >
Air pollution could be harming the brain development of children before they are even born, a new study warns. A 10 parts-per-billion increase in ozone exposure during the second trimester of pregnancy was associated with a 55% increased risk of intellectual disability among children compared to their siblings, researchers found. “Ozone exposure during pregnancy is… read on > read on >
Head lice can be a wintertime headache for families and schools, but simple precautions can stop the spread of these pesky parasites. Every year, 6 million to 12 million children in the United States, ages 3 to 11, experience head lice infestations, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Contrary to popular… read on > read on >
The same technology behind COVID vaccines might be able to protect both the mother and child from a dangerous complication of pregnancy. A new mouse study published Dec. 11 in the journal Nature shows that injections based on that vaccine platform reduced the risk of preeclampsia in lab mice. Preeclampsia is persistent high blood pressure… read on > read on >
Despite decades of campaigns highlighting the “baby on back” recommendation for safe infant sleep, 12% of 4-month-old babies in the United States are still put to bed lying on their sides or tummies, a new report finds. That number rises to 19% among infants aged 9 months and 23% among 1-year-olds. Putting an infant to… read on > read on >
Too much screen time can sabotage preschoolers’ sleep, potentially turning them into terrors around the house, a new study warns. Bad sleep can exacerbate children’s struggles with poor attention, hyperactivity and moodiness, researchers reported Dec. 12 in the journal Early Child Development and Care. Worse, kids can wind up in a downward spiral, with screen… read on > read on >
For children genetically predisposed to develop multiple sclerosis (MS), exposure to cigarette smoke in the family home could raise that risk even higher, new research shows. “A higher genetic MS risk is associated with an increased vulnerability to the negative effects of household smoking on brain development,” conclude a Dutch team led by Dr. Rinze… read on > read on >
In guidelines that may encourage more women to get screened for cervical cancer, a leading health task force has backed giving women over 30 the option to collect their own vaginal samples for testing. Instead of needing to have a complete pelvic exam, these women can now go to a doctor’s office and collect their… read on > read on >
If Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is approved to head the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, he will be free to revisit a long-debunked link between autism and childhood vaccines, President-elect Donald Trump said Sunday. The remarks came during an exclusive interview with “Meet the Press.” “I think somebody has to find out,” Trump… read on > read on >
