Friendships forged during a person’s turbulent teenage years lay the essential foundation for their happiness later in life, a new study suggests. Being broadly accepted by peers in early adolescence and forming close connections as an older teen both predict how well-adjusted a person will be in adulthood, researchers found. “Friendships during the teenage years… read on > read on >
All Mommy:
2 Million Fisher-Price Infant Swings Recalled After 5 Deaths
The Fisher-Price company is recalling more than 2 million of its Snuga infant swings, after the suffocation and deaths of five infants who went to sleep while in the swings. “The swing should never be used for sleep and bedding materials should never be added to it,” according to an alert from the U.S. Consumer… read on > read on >
Six-Week Abortion Bans: More Than a Third of Women Don’t Know They Are Pregnant by 6 Weeks
More than a third of women don’t know they are pregnant in time to meet the six-week abortion ban active in four U.S. states, a new study finds. About 37% of women who got an abortion in 2021 and 2022 discovered they were pregnant at six weeks or later, according to findings from the sexual… read on > read on >
Heat Stress in Pregnancy Might Affect a Babies’ Development Later
Hot weather can be more than just uncomfortable and annoying: New research finds it can impact an infant’s development both before and after birth. Babies are more likely to be delivered at low birth weight as an expecting mom’s average daily heat stress increases during the first trimester, researchers found. What’s more, growing infants regularly… read on > read on >
3% of U.S. High School Students Identify as Transgender, First National Survey Finds
WEDNESDAY, Oct. 9, 2024 (HealthDay news) — About 3% of U.S. high school students identify as transgender, according to the first federal attempt to gather national data on trans teens. Another 2% question their gender identity, results from the 2023 Youth Risk Behavior Survey showed. The survey also found that trans and gender-questioning teens face… read on > read on >
EPA Finalizes Rule to Require Removal of Lead Pipes in U.S. Water System
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency on Tuesday finalized a rule that will require the removal of all lead pipes from the country’s water systems. “We’ve known for decades that lead exposure has serious long-term impacts for children’s health. And yet, millions of lead service lines are still delivering drinking water to homes,” EPA Administrator Michael Regan… read on > read on >
Hospital Drug Tests Far More Likely for Minority Teens
Teens from minority groups seeking treatment at pediatric trauma centers are more likely than their white counterparts to be tested for drugs and alcohol. That’s the takeaway from a new study led by researchers at UCLA and Children’s Hospital Los Angeles. “While screening can positively affect patients if it is followed by counseling and treatment,… read on > read on >
Record Rate of U.S. Kindergartners Failed to Get Recommended Vaccines
In yet another sign that childhood vaccinations can’t be taken for granted, new government data shows that a record number of kindergartners were exempted from the required shots during the last school year. That leaves more than 125,000 new students without the protection of at least one childhood vaccine, even as measles vaccination rates among… read on > read on >
Antibodies in Mom’s Breast Milk Are Protecting Babies
THURSDAY, Oct. 3, 2024 (HeathDay News) — Moms-to-be have long known about breast milk’s multiple benefits. Now, a global study confirms that antibodies passed from to baby in breast milk can indeed shield against disease. Immune system antibodies against one common infection, rotavirus, were especially protective, said a team from the University of Rochester in… read on > read on >
Reading to Your 1- and 2-Year Old Boosts Their Vocabulary, Study Finds
Sharing a book with your baby will build her vocabulary fast, but time with screens likely won’t, Norwegian researchers report. Their new study on shared reading and vocabulary size dovetails with a new policy statement from the American Academy of Pediatrics that urges parents to read books to their little ones. A team at the… read on > read on >