If you’re in a frequent tug of war with your kids over turning off their gadgets, it could be the tactic you use when you try to persuade them to disengage. It turns out that giving 1- to 5-year-olds a time warning that screen viewing is about to end makes the transition away from a…  read on >

The actual number of childhood cancer cases worldwide is nearly double the recorded number, a chilling new study finds. “Our model suggests that nearly one in two children with cancer are never diagnosed and may die untreated,” said study author Zachary Ward. He is a researcher at Harvard’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health in…  read on >

Feeling trapped behind a desk, a counter or on the factory floor does no favors for the mind. Now, research helps confirm that women with jobs that demand long hours may be more prone to depression. Researchers found that compared with women who worked a standard 40-hour week, those who were on the clock 55…  read on >

Obesity and severe obesity have been added to the list of conditions that put children and teens at increased risk for early heart disease. So says a new scientific statement from the American Heart Association (AHA). “Parents need to know that some medical conditions raise the chances of premature heart disease, but we are learning…  read on >

Flu season is in full swing. Thousands of children under the age of 5 have been hospitalized for the flu in the last decade, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says. The CDC suggests following these precautions to protect younger children: Keep yourself and the child away from people who are sick. If…  read on >

When parents abuse prescription painkillers, their teenagers may follow their example, a new study finds. The study of thousands of U.S. teenagers found that kids were 30 percent more likely to abuse prescription opioids if one of their parents had. The results mirror what’s been seen in past studies of substance use, including cigarette smoking:…  read on >

Kids can be as strongly influenced by TV commercials as by the shows themselves, and many studies have found that tempting food ads have a particularly harmful effect, contributing to childhood obesity. While the government has stepped in with nutrition guidelines for manufacturers, these are largely voluntary and, therefore, not enforceable. So it’s up to…  read on >

It may still be winter, but it’s never too early to plan for your kids’ summer camp. And now’s the time to think about preparing them to handle allergies and allergic reactions, according to experts at the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology (ACAAI). “Kids who suffer from seasonal allergies, food allergies or asthma…  read on >

Americans aren’t out of the woods yet, as the flu season continues to spread across the country, health officials reported Friday. One major shift that’s occurred is in the viruses that are circulating. At the start of the flu season, the predominant strain was influenza A H1N1, but now a more severe strain, influenza A…  read on >

Obese young children may have less risk for high blood pressure if their mother took the omega-3 fatty acid DHA — found in fish oil — during pregnancy, new research suggests. The findings could be important since rising numbers of American children are obese and experiencing hikes in blood pressure. That could have long-term consequences…  read on >