HealthDay News) — Schools often have classroom pets, such as hamsters, fish or frogs. Caring for those animals can be a great learning experience for kids. But exposure to animals does have some risk, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says. Young children are still developing an immune system, so they are more likely… read on >
The earlier the better when it comes to having your child’s vision checked, eye experts say. “Babies must have a vision screening by a health care professional soon after they are born, which must include an evaluation of the ‘red reflex’ of the eyes,” said Marcela Frazier. She’s an associate professor at the University of… read on >
Parents of a child with epilepsy may be preoccupied with keeping the child safe during the school day. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention offers these suggestions: Develop an action plan so that teachers and school officials know what to do in the event of a seizure or similar emergency. Contact the Epilepsy… read on >
The consequences of the opioid epidemic may be more far-reaching than thought. New research suggests that children who experience drug withdrawal after birth may be at risk of educational disabilities between the ages of 3 and 8. Additionally, the Tennessee study reported that children with neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) were also more likely to need… read on >
Kids should ride in rear-facing car safety seats until they reach the highest height and weight their seat can hold, a leading pediatricians’ group now says. The previous advice from the American Academy of Pediatrics was to stop using a rear-facing seat when a child was 2 years old. “Fortunately, car seat manufacturers have created… read on >
Teen boys who drink may raise their risk for aggressive prostate cancer decades later, a preliminary study suggests. Compared to non-drinkers, men who reported having at least one alcoholic drink a day between ages 15 and 19 had more than triple the odds of developing aggressive prostate cancer in adulthood, the researchers said. The study… read on >
Teens who drink or smoke already have stiffening arteries, and the risk is highest for those who are both heavy smokers and heavy drinkers, a new study reports. Arterial stiffening is a sign of blood vessel damage that increases the chances for heart attack and stroke later in life. The good news is that teens… read on >
Limiting online access used to be the main parenting strategy to protect kids from internet hazards like cyberbullying and sexual predators. But research suggests that teaching them how to avoid these risks in the first place is a smarter and safer approach. Thanks to photo- and video-sharing apps, much of a teen’s and even a… read on >
Your child’s backpack may be incredibly handy and reflect a personal sense of style. It should also be functional and help protect your child’s back, the Nemours Foundation says. If a backpack is poorly worn or too heavy, it can strain muscles and joints and cause back pain. Doctors recommend that kids keep backpacks filled… read on >
Autism spectrum disorder — or ASD — is a developmental disability now diagnosed in about one in 37 boys and one in 151 girls in the United States. Researchers are learning more about why differences in the brain develop and result in autism spectrum disorder, which includes autism and Asperger’s syndrome. Both environmental factors and… read on >
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