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Children's health news
Schools have cut recess for years. Why new pediatric guidance says that should change
Recess isn't just a fun break for grade schoolers. It's crucial to good health and good grades for kids of all ages.
3 hours ago
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Like mother, like fetus: Study finds contagious yawning begins in the womb
Yawning is incredibly contagious, and more often than not, seeing someone yawn right in front of us makes us instinctively do the same. It is often tied to social and emotional connection and brain mirroring, where we automatically ...
18 hours ago
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Malaria's hidden toll on children: Why survivors may struggle in school years later
A disease transmitted by the bite of a tiny insect—one that once devastated entire armies—remains among the leading causes of death worldwide. In 2024 alone, there were 282 million cases of malaria reported and 610,000 deaths ...
New tool measures whether lactating mothers' psychological needs are being met
A UH nursing researcher has developed the Lactation Psychological Needs Scale, providing a new way to measure the psychological experience of breastfeeding.
May 9, 2026
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Over half of parents in England are pestered by their children to buy junk food while food shopping, survey suggests
A study using a nationally representative survey of parents in England, presented at the European Congress on Obesity (ECO 2026, Istanbul, Turkey, 12–15 May), reveals that over half (58%) of parents are frequently pestered ...
May 9, 2026
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Children with rare debilitating brain diseases suffer from mutations in a little-known protein complex
Thousands of times per year, a family's moment of joy turns to unexpected grief. A seemingly healthy infant stops smiling or making eye contact. Their limbs grow weak. The tiny child suffers seizures and breathing problems.
May 8, 2026
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Malaria vaccine averts 1 in 8 child deaths across three African countries in first rollout
Findings of a rigorous evaluation of the public health use of the RTS,S malaria vaccine, published in The Lancet, confirm significant reduction in child deaths in the first African countries to offer the vaccine.
May 8, 2026
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Study reveals how parenting styles shape babies' willingness to help others
New research from Durham University shows that the way parents instruct and encourage infants to help plays a key role in how helping behavior develops, and that these approaches vary across cultures.
May 8, 2026
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The effects of child abuse may be connected to changes in development, body regulation, study suggests
Children who experienced abuse or neglect displayed disrupted development and decreased ability to maintain stable function of internal bodily systems, according to a new study led by researchers in the Penn State Department ...
May 8, 2026
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Diagnostic delays are common for US pediatric patients with malaria, researchers find
Researchers from Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP), in collaboration with colleagues across the country, found that more than one in four pediatric patients treated for malaria in the United States had a delay in ...
May 8, 2026
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Mothers bear the brunt of food insecurity, study shows
Mothers from households which don't have enough food are going to great lengths to ensure their infants are fed well, often at the expense of their own well-being, a University of Otago – Ōtākou Whakaihu Waka-led study has ...
May 8, 2026
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For preschoolers, fear of new foods is common—and responding can feel anything but simple
Feeding children can be challenging. It is sometimes hard to know if you're getting it right. We want the best for our children, and we often think that means making sure they eat the right amounts of the right foods. Research ...
May 8, 2026
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Scientists take crucial step in developing world's first measles treatment
Scientists at La Jolla Institute for Immunology (LJI) are the first in the world to characterize human antibodies capable of neutralizing measles virus. These antibodies bind to key sites on measles virus and prevent the ...
May 7, 2026
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Gene duplication tied to juvenile glaucoma in 20 patients across 10 families
A major international study led by Flinders University has identified a genetic contributor to juvenile glaucoma. Published today in the journal JAMA Ophthalmology, the study marks another important step toward treating multiple ...
May 7, 2026
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Bullying and politics fuel suicide risk for LGBTQ+ teens and young adults, survey finds
More than a third of LGBTQ+ young people have seriously considered suicide in the past year, driven by bullying from both peers and politicians, a new survey has found.
May 7, 2026
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High-fat diets during pregnancy may worsen severe GI illness in preterm babies
A new mouse study led by Johns Hopkins Children's Center researchers suggests a link between a high-fat prenatal diet and induction of potentially deadly symptoms of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) in premature babies. Findings ...
May 7, 2026
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Emergency surgery after childhood injury carries nearly sixfold higher death risk in poorer countries
Children who need life-saving emergency surgery after a serious injury are almost six times more likely to die in poorer countries than in wealthier ones, according to an international study led by the University of Cambridge.
May 7, 2026
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Cash prescription program associated with significant reductions in infant maltreatment investigations
A study published in JAMA Pediatrics provides rigorous, population-level evidence that Michigan State University's Rx Kids program, the nation's first community-wide prenatal and infant cash prescription program, is associated ...
May 7, 2026
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Can positive experiences help break the cycle of abuse?
Our childhood experiences create ripple effects across our lives and with those whom we encounter. Adverse childhood experiences, or ACEs, have been linked to depression and dementia, and even to perpetuating abuse. The intergenerational ...
May 7, 2026
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Children of mothers who work nonstandard hours face greater vulnerability
New research from the University of St Andrews has prompted calls for additional support for mothers of young children who work "nonstandard hours," i.e. evenings, nights, and weekends.
May 7, 2026
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Controlled peanut intake may reduce allergies in toddlers
Researchers at Karolinska Institutet have successfully treated children aged 1–3 years with peanut allergies. The children slowly became accustomed to eating peanuts by consuming small amounts of them daily, which were gradually ...
May 6, 2026
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Evidence review finds aluminum-adjuvant vaccines not tied to autism, asthma or type 1 diabetes
Current evidence does not support direct (causal) associations between aluminum-adjuvant vaccines and serious or long-term health outcomes, including autism, diabetes and asthma, finds a review of the latest data published ...
May 6, 2026
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Why melatonin shouldn't be a bedtime go-to for kids
If your child has trouble falling asleep, you are not alone. And when a child does not sleep well, it can affect everyone's sleep in the home. Many families are looking for a simple solution, and melatonin often feels like ...
May 6, 2026
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Teens view cannabis as less harmful than alcohol, vapes and cigarettes
Adolescents in California consistently perceive cannabis as less harmful than other commonly used substances, according to a new study analyzing data from two large statewide school surveys. Shu-Hong Zhu, Ph.D., professor ...
May 6, 2026
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Examining factors that might account for the increased risk of autism in children with epilepsy
Children with epilepsy have a higher risk of also having autism spectrum disorder (ASD). A new study appearing in Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology has examined factors associated with the co-occurrence of autism and ...
May 6, 2026
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