Many children have difficulty with learning at some point, but those with learning disabilities often have several specific and persistent signs, which can start in preschool years. Recognizing them as soon as possible allows a child to get needed help and make better progress. General signs include difficulty with reading, writing, math skills, understanding or…  read on >

With thousands of kids heading to camp for the summer, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has some tips for keeping them safe and happy. In a new report, the group recommends that all children have a checkup before leaving for camp. Parents should also know what health services the camp has and talk with…  read on >

Sleepaway camp can be the experience of a lifetime for your child, says the YMCA. Whether the child is a youngster or a high schooler, he or she can come away with longtime memories and lifelong friends. To prepare your child for the adventure, the YMCA suggests: Get the child excited by describing what the…  read on >

Having a healthy baby starts before you get pregnant, Penn State doctors say. Nearly half of all pregnancies in the United States are unplanned, said Dr. Andrew Lutzkanin, a physician in the department of family and community medicine. “Fortunately, most women of childbearing age are healthy,” he said. “And most pregnant women are motivated to…  read on >

A face-lift for Father’s Day, anyone? It could happen: A new report finds many more men are taking advantage of the same plastic surgeries that have long been associated with women. The midlife decision by men to try a face-lift or other procedure has been nicknamed the “Daddy-Do-Over” — referencing the “Mommy Makeover” for women.…  read on >

Vaccinating against the common infant infection rotavirus not only cuts a child’s odds of getting sick, it might also prevent them from developing type 1 diabetes later in life, new research suggests. Infants who got all of the recommended doses of the “stomach flu” virus vaccine had a 33% lower risk of developing type 1…  read on >

Kids who don’t drink water take in nearly 100 more calories from sugary drinks every day than those who do, according to a recent Penn State study. About one-fifth of children fall into the no-water group. But a multi-year experiment in the New York City public schools involving more than 1 million students found that…  read on >

It’s not just Moms: Just ahead of Father’s Day, a new survey finds that about half of American dads say they’ve been criticized about their parenting styles. The way they enforced discipline topped the list of things naysayers called them to task on, with two-thirds of critiques focused on that subject. Forty-four percent of the…  read on >

The waning effectiveness of a flawed whooping cough vaccine is the main culprit in recent outbreaks of the highly contagious bacterial infection, a new study reports. More than four out of five confirmed whooping cough (pertussis) cases strike children who are fully vaccinated, the study authors said. That’s because the vaccine for whooping cough loses…  read on >

Shingles isn’t usually considered a kids’ disease, but children can get this painful condition. Fortunately, the chickenpox vaccine can also protect them against it, a new study finds. “The virus that causes chickenpox also causes shingles. It’s pretty uncommon in kids, but we wanted to see what would happen to the rates of shingles among…  read on >