When it comes to having “the talk,” many teens admit they’re not communicating with their parents or their doctors about sex, new research reveals. “Teens and young adults account for more STIs [sexually transmitted infections] than all other ages combined,” said study co-author Dr. Kari Schneider, an assistant professor in the department of pediatrics at… read on >
All Mommy:
Strict Gun Laws Spare Young Lives: Study
Fewer young Americans are killed by guns in states with stricter gun laws, a new study finds. “Injuries due to firearms are the nation’s third-leading cause of pediatric death,” said study author Dr. Monika Goyal. She is director of research in the division of emergency medicine and trauma services at Children’s National Health System in… read on >
Make Your Amusement Park Visits Safe
Hundreds of millions of people visit U.S. amusement parks every year and take over a billion rides. Serious injuries are few — about one in 24 million. Yet accidents — including fatal accidents — do happen, often because riders didn’t follow safety guidelines or had a pre-existing medical condition. But sometimes accidents can be caused… read on >
Simple Drug Packaging Change Could Save Toddlers’ Lives
As America’s opioid crisis continues, too many toddlers are accidentally overdosing on narcotic medicines. But a new study suggests that better packaging might curb the problem. Among kids under the age of 6, single-dose packaging prompted a 79 percent decrease in the number of unintentional exposures to a narcotic called buprenorphine. The medication is given… read on >
French Bulldogs: Cute, But Health Issues Abound
French Bulldogs can melt your heart with their wrinkled faces and big ears, but they come with a special set of health problems, a new report warns. The breed is becoming the most popular in the United Kingdom, so researchers at the Royal Veterinary College analyzed data from more than 2,200 French Bulldogs that received… read on >
Health Tip: When Your Child Graduates High School
Graduating from high school is a milestone that includes some emotional stress for you and your child. The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests how you can support your child as he or she graduates: Make sure your teen has medical coverage after high school, and that the teen knows how to use it. Many health… read on >
Opioid Crisis Means More Newborns With Hepatitis C, But Few Get Tested
Due to the U.S. opioid epidemic, hepatitis C is up among pregnant women, raising the risk for mother-to-child transmission of the virus, a new study reveals. Hepatitis C can be contracted via dirty needles used by opioid addicts. But just a fraction of newborns exposed to hepatitis C in the womb are screened for the… read on >
Teens Willing to ‘Cash In’ on Curbing Cellphone Use While Driving
Teens love their cellphones, but that love affair can turn deadly when they climb behind the wheel of a car. But new research suggests that financial incentives and other measures might help to dissuade young drivers from texting while driving. Many teens who admit to texting while driving said they’d be receptive to cash rewards… read on >
What Foods Can Hasten, or Delay, Menopause?
What women eat might determine when they enter menopause, new research suggests. After tracking more than 35,000 British women for four years, investigators found that menopause tended to start earlier among those whose diets were heavy in refined carbs. In contrast, menopause tended to begin later among those who consumed a lot of fish and… read on >
Gardening Isn’t Just for Adults
Still having a hard time getting your kids to eat fruits and veggies? Studies show one solution is to grow your own. Kids get excited as they watch a garden yield fresh foods and are more motivated to eat what they helped grow. It gives kids a good understanding of what it takes to get… read on >