Child health News

What puts babies' at risk for colds

The immune response babies are born with affects their risk for colds in the first year of life, a new study finds.

Autism often missed till age 5

Even though autism symptoms typically emerge before age three, most children with autism are diagnosed when they're five or older, a new snapshot of autism shows.

Overweight kids risk going blind

Some overweight or obese children are at increased risk for a brain condition that can lead to blindness, a new study shows.

Musical pacifier helps prem babies

Many premature babies have trouble learning how to suck and feed, so Florida State University hasdeveloped the Pacifier Activated Lullaby device to hospitals around the world.

Prenatal nutrition cuts mortality

In malnourished regions the earlier in pregnancy women receive micronutrient and food supplements, the greater the benefit in terms of infant and child mortality, a report notes.

Breastfed babies gain less weight

Babies who breastfeed gain less weight over their first year compared to babies fed from a bottle - even if the bottle contains breast milk, suggests a new study.

Autistic people lag in school

Young adults with autism are less likely to go to college or hold down a job than their peers with other types of disabilities, a new US study finds.

Batteries to blame for ER visits

The number of kids treated in emergency rooms after swallowing batteries or lodging them in their noses and ears – has almost doubled over the past 20 years, a new study suggests.

Gut bugs a factor in child obesity

Levels of certain gut bacteria and low protein intake may raise children's risk of being obese, new research suggests.

Kids who sleep with parents thinner

Children who wake up at night and are allowed to fall back asleep in their parents' bed re less likely to be overweight than kids put back into their own bed, a new study says.