When parents can no longer get “personal-belief” exemptions from childhood vaccinations, they may get around it by asking for religious exemptions for their kids, a new study finds. Researchers found that after Vermont banned personal-belief exemptions, the number of kindergartners with religious exemptions from vaccination suddenly shot up — from 0.5% to nearly 4%. That… read on >
Ground beef tainted with salmonella has led to 10 known infections across six states, including eight people so ill they had to be hospitalized, and one death. “Illnesses in this outbreak are more severe than expected for salmonella,” the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said in a statement issued Friday. So far, infections… read on >
Almost 41 million American children will don costumes and go trick-or-treating tonight, so all parents should remember that not every treat is safe for their kid. Inspect your children’s candy haul for signs of tampering before you let them eat anything, said Bruce Ruck, managing director of the New Jersey Poison Control Center at Rutgers… read on >
Are you still having a hard time getting your kids to eat their fruits and vegetables? Studies, including one in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, show that a successful solution is to grow your own. Kids get excited as they watch a garden produce and are more motivated to eat what… read on >
Debating whether or not you should have that second cup of coffee? New research that links caffeine consumption to a healthy gut microbiome — the trillions of microorganisms that live in your digestive tract and affect your overall health– may prompt you to pour generously. In recent years, numerous studies have demonstrated associations between coffee… read on >
There are many unanswered questions about the long-term safety and impacts of artificial sweeteners in children, a new American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) policy statement says. The AAP statement also recommends that the amount of artificial sweeteners should be listed on product labels to help parents and researchers better understand how much children are consuming,… read on >
Weight-loss surgery should be more widely used to treat severely obese children and teens, a leading pediatricians’ group says. Severe obesity is a serious and worsening public health crisis among U.S. youngsters, and weight-loss surgery is one of the few effective ways of treating it, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) in its… read on >
Allergies and asthma can turn Halloween into fright night, so parents must be vigilant. Some fun-sized candy bars have no labels to alert about possible food allergens, such as peanuts, said Dr. Todd Mahr, president of the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology. But food allergens aren’t the only potential concerns. “Halloween happens in… read on >
“Informal” sharing of breast milk may be more common than thought, with too many parents mistakenly thinking it’s risk-free, new research suggests. In a pair of studies, researchers delved into the issue of donor breast milk, and how parents are choosing to get it. In one, a survey of 655 parents who used donor milk… read on >
Trampolines aren’t just for backyards anymore, and the rise in commercial trampoline parks may be sparking a rise in kids’ injuries, a new report finds. “While trampolines are a great source of fun and exercise for children, the potential for injury, particularly in recreational areas with an underlying business incentive, needs to be recognized,” stressed… read on >
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