Fetal exposure to fluoride from a mom-to-be’s drinking water might raise the odds for physical and mental health issues in toddlers, new research suggests. The study, which was funded by the U.S. National Institutes of Health, wasn’t designed to prove cause-and-effect. However, researchers believe the findings are worth investigating further. “This is the first U.S.-based…  read on >  read on >

The nation’s top pediatrics group has reversed its decades-old position on HIV-positive mothers breastfeeding their infants. The American Academy of Pediatrics now says it’s generally safe for moms with HIV to breastfeed or provide breast milk to babies if their infection is properly controlled. The risk of HIV transmission through breastfeeding from a mother who…  read on >  read on >

Many teens are spending their days buzzed on caffeine, with their parents mostly unaware of the potential risks, a new national poll says. A quarter of parents reported that caffeine is basically part of their teen’s daily life, according to the University of Michigan Health C.S. Mott Children’s Hospital National Poll on Children’s Health released…  read on >  read on >

Women treated for infertility were twice as likely as those who conceived naturally to be hospitalized with heart disease within a year of delivery, recent research shows. They are particularly likely to land in the hospital with dangerously high blood pressure, with risks more than double that of moms who didn’t receive fertility therapy, researchers…  read on >  read on >

Sleepaway camp can be a lot of fun for kids, but only if they’re ready for the experience. And that’s the tough part — figuring out as a parent when a child is ready to stay away from home, and what they’ll need while they’re at camp, said Dr. Laurel Williams, a professor of psychiatry…  read on >  read on >