Chemicals commonly found in sunscreen, makeup and other personal care products could be putting pregnancies at risk, a new study warns. Phenols and parabens in these products increase a pregnant woman’s risk of high blood pressure by 57%, particularly at 24 to 28 weeks of gestation, researchers reported Aug. 14 in the journal Environmental Health… read on > read on >
Parvovirus B19, a seasonal respiratory virus that subsided during the pandemic, is making a comeback, U.S. health officials warned Tuesday. In a health alert issued by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the agency said it has received reports of higher test positivity rates in recent months: The proportion of people with antibodies… read on > read on >
Child safety experts have warned about the sometimes lethal dangers of toy water beads. Now, a report finds a doubling in just one year of U.S. pediatric ER visits linked to the products. “The number of pediatric water bead-related emergency department visits is increasing rapidly,” said study senior author Dr. Gary Smith, who directs of… read on > read on >
Want to be a better, more effective mom or dad? Trying sharing a good laugh with your kid. New research among folks ages 18 to 45 found many citing humor as one of the reasons they had, and continue to have, a positive relationship with their parents. “My hope is that people can learn to… read on > read on >
Not all babies born prematurely will suffer long-term developmental problems, a new study finds. Preemies tend to fall into three risk categories, with about one in five (20%) scoring above average on standard cognitive tests, researchers reported Aug. 13 in the journal Child Development. A second profile representing 41% of preemies scored above normal on… read on > read on >
Kids more often get the psychiatric care they need if they live in states that mandate insurance coverage for child mental health care, a new study confirms. Parents and caregivers were 20% less likely to say they’d had trouble getting mental health services for a child if they lived in states with comprehensive laws around… read on > read on >
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 >
Simantha Nation’s son, Atticus, struggled to breathe from his very first gasp for air. Born very preterm at 26 weeks’ gestation, Atticus was rushed to the NICU, where he was intubated and connected to a ventilator. The first time Nation saw her son, he was covered in tubes and wires. “It was devastating to see… 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 >
