pediatrics news stories on Newser

New Infant Guidelines: No Bumper Pads, No TV

Evann Gastaldo — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 14:27:51 CDT

The American Academy of Pediatrics has issued new guidelines for infants to cut down on sleep-related deaths and reduce TV time. The new sleep guidelines now recommend against all types of bumper pads, noting that “there is a potential risk of suffocation, strangulation or entrapment.” They also urge mothers to...

'Chaotic' Breastfeeder Loses Custody of Baby

Rob Quinn — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 01:00:00 CDT

Child-care experts are backing supporters of a young Spanish mom whose baby was taken away from her by authorities who complained about her "chaotic" on-demand breastfeeding patterns and habit of taking her baby into her bed at night. She "uses breastfeeding as a pacifier and a toy, offering her breast...

1 in 13 US Kids Has Food Allergy

Matt Cantor — Mon, 20 Jun 2011 09:23:05 CDT

One in 13 American kids suffers from food allergies, a study finds: That’s 6 million children, double the number most recently estimated by the CDC. Some 40% of them have severe reactions to the foods in question, most commonly peanuts and milk, a figure researchers say emphasizes the fact that...

Doctors Warn: Energy Drinks Can Kill Kids

Mark Russell — Mon, 14 Feb 2011 03:19:28 CST

Doctors are warning that children should not use energy drinks, which they call understudied and possibly dangerous, reports AP . The chief danger? The drinks' caffeine and caffeine-related content, which can be four or five times greater than a normal soda and can cause heart trouble, strokes, seizures, nausea, diarrhea, and...

Anti-Vaccine Push Threatens Kid Health

Rob Quinn — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 01:40:43 CDT

A flourishing anti-vaccination movement based on bad science and distrust of Big Pharma is pressing the rewind button on decades of advances in reducing child illness, writes Amy Wallace. Parents who believe—despite the lack of credible evidence—that vaccines harm children are endangering other people's children as well as...

15% of Teens Expect to Die Young

Jess Kilby — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 04:42:42 CDT

Teenagers who engage in risky behavior may do so because they believe they’re going to die young anyway, and may create a self-fulfilling prophecy with that belief, reports the Minneapolis Star Tribune . A study that tracked 20,000 kids in grades 7 through 12 found that 15% thought they would...

Depression Screening for All Teens Worries Parents

Rob Quinn — Tue, 26 May 2009 01:24:46 CDT

A federal task force recommendation that all adolescents between the ages of 12 and 18 be screened for depression is causing controversy among parents and pediatricians, the Washington Post reports. Critics fear the amount of antidepressant drugs prescribed to teens will rise massively, although the Preventive Services Task Force stressed...

Obese Kids Have Middle-Aged Arteries

Rob Quinn — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 04:19:24 CST

Arteries of seriously overweight teenagers are as clogged as those of middle-aged people, according to US News & World Report . Researchers used ultrasound to measure the neck arteries of chubby kids at risk of heart trouble and were alarmed to find that their "vascular age" was an average of three...

Fans Linked to Lower Risk of Infant Death

Rob Quinn — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 02:00:30 CDT

A simple fan could be the key to reducing the risk of Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, reports ABC News. Researchers discovered that babies who slept in a room with a fan were 72% less likely to die from SIDS, according to the study published in the Archives of Pediatrics and...