Photo-editing tools that make people look more perfect online than in real life may be a health threat, medical experts warn. The tidal wave of altered photos on social media is changing perceptions of beauty. And that can trigger a preoccupation with appearance that leads to risky efforts to hide perceived flaws, researchers suggest. Those… read on >
Be sure to put vaccinations on your children’s back-to-school lists, whether they’re just starting school or heading off to college, experts say. By protecting infants, children and teens from serious diseases, vaccinations also protect families, schools and communities. “The best way to treat diseases is to prevent them in the first place, and the diseases… read on >
“Put your listening ears on!” frustrated parents often say. But some kids aren’t deliberately tuning out Mom and Dad — they really can’t hear them. If you suspect your child has a hearing problem, get it checked out, experts advise. Even minor hearing loss can affect a child’s ability to learn and also lead to… read on >
Some children love taking a shower, while others find it just another chore to struggle with. Thankfully, for the parents of kids in the latter category, a daily shower may not be necessary, the American Academy of Dermatology says. While a daily bath or shower shouldn’t hurt kids aged 6 to 11, it isn’t absolutely… read on >
You eagerly await baby’s first words and delight at his growing vocabulary. But that excitement may cause you to miss speech problems that should be corrected quickly. According to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), many parents don’t know common warning signs of speech problems or that they’re easier to correct before age 4. At 12… read on >
Kids are spending more time than ever in front of screens, making it more likely they’ll become overweight or obese, a new review claims. The average 8- to 18-year-old spends more than seven hours a day fixated on a screen, whether it’s a computer, smartphone, tablet, video game or TV, the latest evidence shows. Teenagers… read on >
Anyone — especially a young child — can drown in only a few inches of water. The American Academy of Pediatrics says it doesn’t recommend any swim instruction for kids under the age of 1. And even after a child learns how to swim, the child should be supervised by a parent or guardian (preferably… read on >
If you love fish and you’re pregnant, new research suggests eating lots of it might help you avoid delivering your baby too soon. The researchers found that women who had the lowest levels of fatty acids from fish during their first and second trimester were 10 times more likely to have a preterm birth than… read on >
Excess weight boosts the odds of flu complications, but that’s not all. Obese adults are contagious for much longer than their slim peers, researchers report. It’s known that obesity increases a person’s risk of hospitalization and death from flu, but these findings suggest extreme weight may also play a role in how the flu spreads.… read on >
By the age of 5, the majority of young children will have an ear infection, the American Academy of Otolaryngology says. Most ear infections will resolve without medical intervention or with a dose of antibiotics. But in some children, ear infections become chronic. In these cases, parents may wish to discuss with a doctor the… read on >
