Pediatrics news

Publix recalls baby food over possible lead contamination

Publix is recalling one of its popular GreenWise baby food pouches because it may contain lead, the company said this week.

Nicotine pouch use in teens linked to lower risk for continued vaping

Nicotine pouch use in adolescence is associated with a lower likelihood of continued vaping, according to a study published in Pediatrics.

Maternal air pollution exposure worsens asthma severity for offspring

A mother's exposure to air pollution during pregnancy can increase asthma risk in her adult offspring, according to a new mouse study published at the ATS 2025 International Conference. Researchers also found that offspring ...

New protein target discovered for childhood medulloblastomas

Medulloblastomas are one of the most common childhood brain cancers. Group-3 medulloblastomas are particularly aggressive and incurable, contributing to childhood cancer deaths. Led by University of Michigan researchers, ...

Road emission policies could prevent 1.9 million deaths by 2040, study finds

Smart policies addressing road transport emissions could save 1.9 million lives and prevent 1.4 million new children's asthma cases worldwide by 2040, according to a new study.

Early puberty may increase risk of overweight later in life for girls, finds study

Girls who enter puberty early have a higher risk of developing overweight later in life—even if they were not overweight as children.

Not their parents' disease: Researchers tackle puzzling youth-onset type 2 diabetes

By the time Kristen Nadeau, MD, MS, began her fellowship in pediatric endocrinology at the University of Colorado School of Medicine in 2001, concern in her field over an emerging disease in youth had risen to the point that ...

Doctors warn of magnetic toy dangers as study reveals hundreds of children hospitalized

Parents are being warned against buying toys containing magnets after new data revealed that hundreds of children have been hospitalized from swallowing them.

Ciliary dysfunction linked to bronchopulmonary dysplasia severity in infants

Premature infants are at risk of bronchopulmonary dysplasia, or BPD, a type of lung injury associated with increased mortality. Now a new study published at the ATS 2025 International Conference shows that ciliary dynamics ...

Laying the groundwork to diagnose speech impairments in children with clinical AI tool

Speech and language impairments affect over a million children every year, and identifying and treating these conditions early is key to helping these children overcome them. Clinicians struggling with time, resources, and ...

Poll reveals some parents say they waited too long to stop pacifier use or thumb-sucking in children

Pacifiers and thumb-sucking can help soothe babies and ease them to sleep, but some parents struggle with knowing when and how to stop these habits, a new national poll suggests.

A step toward lifesaving therapy for premature infants in respiratory distress

So your primary school child has a 'boyfriend' or 'girlfriend'. Should you be worried?

If you have a child in primary school, you may not be expecting to help them manage romantic relationships. Surely this is an issue for the high school years?

Study shows infant immune systems respond differently to severe COVID-19

Infants hospitalized with severe COVID-19 have significantly different immune responses than adults or older children. The finding comes from scientists at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, The Jackson Laboratory for ...

Americans say benefits of MMR vaccine for children outweigh risks by nearly 5-1, survey finds

The United States is in the midst of the second-highest year of measles cases since 2000, when the disease was declared eliminated in this country, meaning that cases within the United States originated outside the country. ...

'It takes a village': Community-led approach can reduce youth suicide risk

Empowering everyday community members to lead suicide prevention efforts—by promoting wellness, strengthening relationships and implementing tailored actions—can significantly reduce the risk among youth.

HHS, FDA begin 'Operation Stork Speed' to improve quality of infant formula

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration have begun to comprehensively review the nutritional value of infant formula, a program the agencies have dubbed Operation Stork Speed.

Sleep-related infant deaths are on the rise: Expert on keeping sleeping babies safer

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), there are approximately 3,500 sleep-related deaths among babies in the United States each year. The leading cause of death for infants 1 month to 1 year is ...

Newborn vitamin D deficiency linked to higher risk of ADHD, schizophrenia and autism

Newborn babies with a vitamin D deficiency have a higher chance of later developing mental disorders such as ADHD, schizophrenia and autism, a major study involving the University of Queensland has found.

Most newborns naturally eliminate HPV infections within first six months of life, study finds

Nearly all newborns who contract human papillomavirus in the perinatal stage will eliminate the virus in the first six months of life, with very little persistence or recurrence, according to a new Canadian study published ...

Exposure to air pollution in childhood linked to poorer health in late adolescence

Young people in the U.K. who lived in polluted areas during their early years are more likely to report worse general health than their peers at age 17, according to new UCL research.

Cyberbullying in any form can be traumatizing for kids, study reveals

As concern grows over adolescent mental health, a new national study adds to the growing body of research showing that cyberbullying should be considered an adverse childhood experience (ACE)—a category of childhood trauma ...

AAP updates guidance on evaluation, treatment of patent ductus arteriosus in preemies

In a clinical report published in the May issue of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Pediatrics presents updated guidance on the evaluation and treatment of patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) in preterm infants.

Violence between parents or in the community increases risk of child punishment

Exposure to higher rates of violence in the larger social context may spill over to family violence, including caregivers' use of physical child abuse, according to a new University of Michigan study published in the journal ...

Research finds link between gene activity in babies noses and wheezing illnesses

New findings from the Barwon Infant Study show the pattern of gene activity in babies' noses is strongly linked to their risk of subsequent wheezing illnesses.

School dinners may encourage picky teenagers to eat better, says new study

Having school dinners rather than packed lunches could encourage picky-eating 13-year-olds to eat a wider variety of foods, according to a new University of Bristol-led study. The findings are published in the Journal of ...

Researchers develop recommendations to improve neonatology staffing

Staffing challenges related to patient safety, physician well-being and workforce sustainability are a growing concern in the subspecialty of neonatology that call for reform.

Got data? Breastfeeding device measures babies' milk intake in real time

While breastfeeding has many benefits for a mother and her baby, it has one major drawback: It's incredibly difficult to know how much milk the baby is consuming. To take the guesswork out of breastfeeding, an interdisciplinary ...

A step forward in treating serious genetic disorders in utero

Evidence is mounting that clinicians can treat serious genetic disorders prenatally by injecting medicine into the amniotic fluid, thus preventing damage that begins in utero.

AI can predict child malnutrition and support prevention efforts

A multidisciplinary team of researchers from the USC School of Advanced Computing and the Keck School of Medicine, working alongside experts from the Microsoft AI for Good Lab, Amref Health Africa, and Kenya's Ministry of ...

Models predict severity of pneumonia in kids to help guide treatment

Researchers derived pragmatic models that accurately distinguish mild, moderate and severe pneumonia in children, based on evidence from a study performed in 73 emergency departments (EDs) in 14 countries through the international ...

SNAP shields kids from future heart disease risks, long-term study finds

Experiencing food insecurity in early childhood is associated with worse heart health two decades later, especially higher Body Mass Index (BMI). But participation in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) may ...

New study identifies cheek skin biomarkers in infancy that predict atopic dermatitis before symptoms appear

A new study conducted by researchers at National Jewish Health has found that early changes in the cheek skin barrier may predict the onset of eczema, or atopic dermatitis (AD), well before any clinical symptoms appear. AD ...

US to withdraw prescription fluoride for children

US President Donald Trump's administration has announced plans to withdraw prescription fluoride drugs for children, part of a growing movement reexamining public exposure to fluoride.

RSV vaccines and nirsevimab tied to reduced RSV-linked hospitalization

Maternal respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccination and nirsevimab were associated with a reduction in RSV-associated hospitalization rates among infants aged 0 to 7 months during the 2024–2025 RSV season, the first ...

Greater risk of overweight, obesity among preschoolers living in rural areas linked to more sedentary, screen time

New research being presented at the European Congress on Obesity (ECO25) in Malaga, Spain (11–14 May), reveals that 3 to 4-year-olds in rural areas are more likely to be living with overweight and abdominal obesity (excess ...

Postpartum depression and bonding: Long-term effects on school-age children

Postpartum maternal mental health and mother-to-infant bonding are well-established as critical factors in a child's psychosocial development. However, few studies have explored the combined impact of postpartum maternal ...

Enterovirus infections linked to severe respiratory illness in children without asthma

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and seven US pediatric medical centers report a notable association between Enterovirus D68 (EV-D68) and severe respiratory illness in children without prior medical conditions. ...

Physical activity and organized sports participation may ward off childhood mental ill health

Physical activity in early childhood, especially taking part in organized sports, may ward off several mental health disorders in later childhood and adolescence, suggests research published online in the British Journal ...

Nearly 19 million children live under same roof as parent with substance use disorder

In 2023, nearly 19 million children in the United States were estimated to be living in a household with at least one parent or primary caregiver with a substance-use disorder (SUD), according to a research letter published ...

Breastfeeding provides health benefits to both babies and their mothers, according to new UF/IFAS guides

Both the World Health Organization and the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend that infants exclusively breastfeed during their first six months of life, but only 24.9% in the United States do, according to Centers for ...

GLP-1 drugs are helpful for children who are living with severe obesity, research finds

Children who are living with severe obesity are more likely to experience a clinically relevant change in BMI when GLP-1 agonist drugs form part of their treatment, new research being presented at the European Congress on ...

Parents urged to act on early warning signs of eating disorders

Flinders University research has identified the most common early warning signs of eating disorders in children, to provide a guide for parents and caregivers about when to seek help.

Survey shows privacy and safety top list of parental concerns about screen time

As kids spend more time on screens, a new national survey conducted by Ipsos on behalf of The Kids Mental Health Foundation, founded by Nationwide Children's Hospital, identifies parents' greatest fears for their children ...

Children's health services could see trims even under scaled-back Medicaid cuts

Even as Republicans in Congress walk back their most aggressive proposal to slash federal Medicaid spending, they are weighing other options that could force states to cut services for children and other vulnerable populations.

Better support needed for teenage contraception in rural and regional areas, Australian study says

Teenagers in rural and regional areas may not be receiving the level of contraceptive support they need, according to GPs interviewed in a new study from Monash University's SPHERE Center of Research Excellence.

Why are urban children more prone to allergies?

Scientists discovered that a previously uncharacterized subset of immune cells may play a critical role in the development of allergic diseases and explain differences between urban and rural populations. The finding, published ...

Passive scrolling linked to anxiety, other mental health concerns in teens

Heightened anxiety, depression, aggression and impulsiveness in vulnerable adolescents can be attributed to prolonged screen time, specifically passive scrolling, according to a new Western study.

A child's first five years provide a critical window of opportunity for preventing overweight and obesity

The first five years of a child's life may be key to preventing overweight and obesity in years to come, say the authors of new research being presented at this year's European Congress on Obesity (ECO 2025) held in Malaga, ...

Trump administration cuts funding for life-saving baby heart device

A Cornell University project to save babies born with serious heart defects has lost key funding just days after it was approved.