Sepsis kills more than twice as many people worldwide as once believed, and children in poor regions account for an excessive number of such deaths, researchers say. Sepsis is an out-of-control immune response to infection that harms organs. People who survive sepsis can have lifelong disabilities. In 2017, there were 48.9 million cases of sepsis…  read on >

A condition called lymphopenia — low levels of lymphocyte blood cells — could be an early warning for illness, a new study suggests. Danish researchers linked the condition to a 60% increased risk of death from any cause during the study period. A low lymphocyte count was also associated with a 1.5- to 2.8-fold increased…  read on >

How teens see their family’s social status may play a part in their mental health and success at school, a new study suggests. Social status appears to be more important than what their parents do for a living, how much money they have or how educated they are, the researchers said. “The amount of financial…  read on >

Bullying can be physical, verbal or through virtual spaces including the internet and social media, says KidsHealth. Regardless of the medium, bullying can make young people afraid, stressed, depressed and anxious. KidsHealth advises what your child can do about bullying: Tell a trusted adult, such as a parent, teacher or coach. Ignore the bully and…  read on >

Can television teach kids how to eat healthy? Maybe, suggests new research. Watching cooking shows that featured healthy recipes seemed to encourage healthy eating in children, the study showed. “The findings from this study indicate cooking programs can be a promising tool for promoting positive changes in children’s food-related preferences, attitudes and behaviors,” said lead…  read on >

Regardless of their family’s insurance status, many children get medical care they don’t need, a new study suggests. One in 11 publicly insured and 1 in 9 privately insured children in the United States were given what the researchers called unnecessary, “low-value” care in 2014, the researchers report. “While we found that publicly insured children…  read on >

If your child is going to be home alone, it’s a good idea to have the child check in periodically, says the American Red Cross. For older children, ground rules about having friends over and cooking should also be established. The Red Cross mentions other steps parents should take: Post an emergency phone list where…  read on >

After months of delay, the Trump Administration is expected to announce this week that it will ban mint-, fruit- and dessert-flavored e-cigarette cartridges, while allowing the continued sale of menthol- and tobacco-flavored vapes. The White House originally proposed a ban on flavored e-cigarettes — thought to be especially enticing to teens — back in September.…  read on >

Obesity can increase your child’s risk of cardiovascular disease, high cholesterol, high blood pressure and prediabetes, says Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. With minor changes, you can help your child maintain a healthy weight. To help your child safely shed pounds, the hospital encourages parents to: Reduce or eliminate sweetened beverages, including soda. Add more vegetables…  read on >

Having dense breast tissue raises a woman’s odds for breast cancer, so many states require providers to notify women if a mammogram finds they have dense breast tissue. But a new study suggests that the notifications may be having little impact in alerting women to their added breast cancer risk. The goal of dense breast…  read on >