May 22 Children's health research at risk over lack of EPA funding By Ellen Knickmeyer, Associated Press Long-running research projects credited with pivotal discoveries about the harm that pesticides, air pollution and other hazards pose to children are in jeopardy or shutting down because the EPA will not commit to their continued funding. Continue reading
May 16 Baby teeth study reveals children near smelters are exposed to dangerous lead in the womb By Jill Johnston, The Conversation Outdated regulations for lead have failed to protect children’s health. Continue reading
Apr 24 UN recommends no screen time for babies, only 1 hour for kids under 5 By Associated Press The World Health Organization has issued its first-ever guidance for how much screen time children under 5 should get: not very much, and none at all for those under 1. Continue reading
Sep 21 For kids in Puerto Rico, 'we don't know all the damage they have endured' from Hurricane Maria By Laura Santhanam There were no lights, air conditioning or working toilets when Natalia Merced returned to her dorm room at the University of Puerto Rico in late October, a month after Hurricane Maria struck the island. Classes had resumed at the university's… Continue reading
Feb 23 Watch 3:20 The devastating, underdiagnosed toll of toxic stress on children By Dr. Nadine Burke Harris When a child's flight-or-fight response is activated too often, from abuse, neglect or parental addiction, it can change the structure of a developing brain. It's called toxic stress, and pediatrician Nadine Burke Harris believes every medical professional in the country… Continue watching
Jan 05 Give peanuts to infants to prevent allergies, new guidelines say By Lauran Neergaard, Associated Press Most babies should start eating peanut-containing foods well before their first birthday, say guidelines released Thursday that aim to protect high-risk tots and other youngsters, too, from developing the dangerous food allergy. Continue reading
Feb 29 Rocky home lives could hinder kindergartener success, study finds By Lisa Gillespie, Kaiser Health News Very young children who endure neglect, abuse and dysfunctional home lives go on to struggle as kindergartners, leaving them at risk for more difficult years as adolescents and adults, a new study finds. Continue reading
Mar 01 Dysfunction in Congress not limited to homeland security fight By Andrew Taylor, Associated Press Congress' dysfunction isn't limited to the struggle to keep a Cabinet department running without interruption. Continue reading
Feb 12 In world's poorest slums, landfills and polluted rivers become a child's playground By Ariel Min Children living among rubbish and human waste are especially susceptible to diarrheal diseases and pneumonia, the top killers of children under 5 worldwide. In this photo essay from Reuters, photographers capture “playgrounds” built among landfills and junkyards, and children swimming… Continue reading
Jun 25 Twitter chat: How important is early childhood reading? By Nora Daly Reading aloud gives young children a head start. Experts weighed-in on how pediatricians, policy makers, and child advocates can help. Continue reading