Get Healthy!

As pint-size witches, ghosts and superheroes roam the streets on Halloween, it's important for adults to keep their eyes on safety.

“It's always best for an adult to accompany young children when they trick-or-treat,” said Dr. Sadiqa Kendi, chief of pediatric emergency medicine at Boston Medica...

Not all children diagnosed with autism as toddlers continue to have that diagnosis once they reach elementary school, a new study shows.

While some past research has suggested this could be true, the new research backs that up, finding that a large percentage — about 37% — of these toddlers no longer met the criteria for the condition by the age of 6.

“I think what this shows ...

Some children who have a common form of eczema should also be tested for allergic reactions because they may have a second allergic-type eczema, a new study suggests.

While atopic dermatitis is common and usually develops by age 5, allergic contact dermatitis has similar symptoms and can be triggered by a range of substances. In general, eczema is a group of medical conditions causing in...

For parents worried about how Disney princesses might impact their child's self-image, a new study is saying, “Let it go.”

“In children's media, about 60% of the characters are men and boys, they're male. And Disney princesses are probably one of the more visible and more well-known examples of media, made for children specifically, that's focused on female characters and women's st...

Two new studies looked to explain an increased risk of respiratory infections like coughs and colds in babies and young children, finding city living to be among the culprits.

Young children who grow up in towns and cities instead of the countryside suffer more respiratory infections, according to research presented Monday at a meeting of the European Respiratory Society, in Milan, Italy....

Lots of parents are giving their children the supplement melatonin to help with sleep, but is it safe?

In a new survey, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) found that 46% of parents -- what it called a “shocking number” -- have given melatonin to children under the age of 13. About 30% gave their teenager melatonin to aid in sleep.

Yet, there is little evidence that m...

Just like adults, kids face daily stressors.

Luckily, a new study suggests that teaching them creative thinking can help them manage it all.

Researchers found that when school-age children learned some "narrative creativity" techniques -- such as shifting your perspective and imagining "what if" scenarios -- they quickly became better problem-solvers.

After a week-long creativ...

Lots of children and adolescents have the condition known as ADHD, or attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder.

What should parents know? A number of treatments exist to help with functioning, including medications approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Typically, ADHD begins between ages 3 and 6, according to the U.S. National Institute of Mental Health. It can continu...

It's time for everyone to change the words we use when we talk about kids who are deaf or hard of hearing.

This is one of the main messages from newly updated guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics on hearing in infants...

Guns are now the leading cause of death among kids in the United States.

That's the chilling message from a new study that looked at numbers of U.S. children killed by guns from 2018 to 2021. During this time, there was close to a 42% jump in firearm-caused deaths.

“There is a skyrocketing rate of firearm violence in this country, and it's getting worse,” said study author

When U.S. parents express their concerns about their school-aged children, social media use and the internet are at the top of the list.

Mental health issues are another top worry, according to the University of Michigan Health C.S. Mott Children's Hospital National Poll on Children's Health.

“Parents still view problems di...

Research into a possible link between childhood health problems and natural gas wells in western Pennsylvania is wrapping up with some answers.

Children who lived near these wells were more likely to develop rare lymphoma, the research found.

In addition, residents of all ages near the wells had increased risk of severe asthma reactions, the Associated Press reported.

Buying back-to-school shoes should be more about the right fit than the right look — but with luck you can combine the two.

Shoes play a big part in how kids' feet function and should be selected with care, say orthopedists at the Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) in New York.

“When parents bring their children in with foot pain or an injury, the first thing I do is ask about ...

As kids prepare to return to school, a new poll warns that the many children who found the last school year challenging are likely to be apprehensive this time around.

The online survey, conducted by the Harris Poll on behalf of the nonprofit On Our Sleeves Movement for Children's Mental Health, found that 71% of American parents say their children experienced challenges last school year....

Many parents in the United States aren't installing child car seats correctly, a new study finds.

Errors in car seat installation are common, even for seats that have a 5-star rating for features like ease of use, researchers found. The study found that fewer errors were detected when parents installed seats that had higher ratings, but researchers recommend that parents seek out safety ...

Testing children with a suspected sinus infection for three common bacteria might cut unnecessary antibiotic prescribing, a new study suggests.

Only half of kids with sinusitis -- inflammation or swelling of the sinuses -- show any improvement with antibiotics, which target bacterial infections, not viral infections, the researchers note.

"When a child comes in with a sore thro...

Most early childhood vaccines require three or four doses for best protection, but more than 1 in 6 toddlers aren't getting them all, leaving them vulnerable to potentially deadly infections, a new study finds.

There are many reasons that kids aren't completing their vaccine series, according to researchers. Some families may have moved across state lines and others may lack health insura...

The Biden administration on Monday awarded $58 million in grants to help schools and daycare centers remove lead from drinking water.

The announcement came during an event in Boston.

“I am excited to join local leaders in Boston to announce $58 million in grant funding that can be used to test for lead in drinking water, identify potential sources, and remove those so...

Here's another reason to get your kids up and moving: Excessive TV watching in childhood leads to a higher risk of metabolic syndrome at age 45, a new long-term study finds.

“What's really important about this is that even if these sedentary kids decided somewhere along the line, like in their 20s, that they wanted to get active, they still had increased metabolic risk at age 45. So th...

Close to one-fifth of kids with COVID-19 may still have lingering symptoms months after their initial infection, new research finds.

The review, of 31 international studies, found that over 16% of children and teenagers with COVID had problems such as sore throat, persistent fevers, fatigue and muscle weakness at least three months later.

Experts said the findings add to a still-evo...

If your child is in sports camp this summer, you'll want them to have fun and stay safe.

The National Athletic Trainers' Association (NATA) offers some tips on dealing with existing medical conditions, staying hydrated and heat safe, avoiding weather dangers and protecting skin from the sun.

“Just as parents don't drop off their children at a pool without a lifeguard, they shouldn...

Whether your child attends a year-round school or one on a traditional calendar, parents can take steps to make classroom reentry healthier for kids with asthma.

Asthma causes an estimated 13.8 million missed school days each year, according to the Respiratory Health Association. That's more than any other chronic illness.

Having an inhaler on hand at school is one important step fo...

Shootings are the leading cause of death among U.S. children, surpassing even car crashes. But a new study suggests there may be a sensible way to reduce those firearm tragedies.

Researchers found that kids who had watched a one-minute gun safety video were more likely to make a safe choice when they came upon an unlocked gun than children who had not been taught about gun safety.

MONDAY, July 17, 2023 (HealthDay Now) -- Parents now have a new long-acting drug to protect their children against respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), a common germ that hospitalizes as many as 3% of children under the age of 1 in the United States each year.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Monday