We had some excitement at our house this past month when my 8-month-old daughter had two systematic allergic reactions to food. [Read more…]
Kids and food allergies: What we don’t know
June 30, 2014 By Leave a Comment
How to measure childhood obesity
June 25, 2014 By Leave a Comment
Obesity has more than doubled in children and quadrupled in adolescents in the past 30 years, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control. Now a new systematic review has found that even more youth may be classified as obese. [Read more…]
The evidence on kangaroo care
May 21, 2014 By Leave a Comment
An estimated 18 million babies worldwide are born each year with low birthweight – the vast majority of them in developing countries where comprehensive neonatal care is not available. So what’s the best way to care for them? [Read more…]
Do girls perform better in school?
May 9, 2014 By Leave a Comment
When you think about an elementary school classroom, do any gender stereotypes pop into your mind? Most of us have opinions about how boys and girls perform at school. Maybe you subscribe to some commonly held beliefs that girls are better at reading and writing, or boys are more successful in math. But what does the evidence say?
What we know about indoor tanning and youth
April 17, 2014 By Leave a Comment
For nearly 100 years, Americans have valued tanned skin as a symbol of health and vitality. (Before 1920, Americans and Europeans considered pale skin and indicator of health and success.) The trend began when doctors began to prescribe sunbathing for ailments, including tuberculosis. Soon Hollywood stars and fashion icons started to boast of tanned skin, and the rest of America followed suit. [Read more…]
New evidence on toothpaste for kids
April 3, 2014 By 1 Comment
In the U.S. dental care has long been a priority for young children. Decades ago, I can clearly remember our church giving out toothbrushes and toothpaste every Halloween before it was time to trick-or-treat. But for many reasons, tooth decay is a growing problem among preschool children. [Read more…]
Smoking bans are good for kids
April 1, 2014 By Leave a Comment
It’s a well-established fact that smoking is bad for your health. Thousands of studies and hundreds of systematic reviews have documented health problems related to individuals smoking. But this week, researchers published the first-ever review that found smoking in public places has broader negative consequences for child health.
[Read more…]
Mentoring works for troubled, but how?
March 18, 2014 By 1 Comment
When young people are struggling – with school, addiction, criminal behavior or a number of other problems – help often comes through a mentor. Thousands of organizations across the country pair at-risk young people with a role model to help them get back on track. But does mentoring work?
A new way to help mistreated children
February 28, 2014 By Leave a Comment
Each year in the U.S., more than 600,000 children suffer abuse or neglect that warrants the intervention of Child Protective Services. Often times, these children need support for emotional and behavioral difficulties. It’s a heart-breaking problem, but there is evidence that some treatments can help. [Read more…]
How to keep teen parents in school
February 7, 2014 By 1 Comment
The evidence shows that high school dropouts earn less money, have poorer health outcomes and are more likely to get into legal trouble. And teenagers who are pregnant or who are parents are especially vulnerable to dropping out of school. There are hundreds of programs designed to keep teens in school. But how effective are they, especially for pregnant and parenting teens?
New evidence: The internet and self-harm
December 10, 2013 By 1 Comment
As the Internet and social media continue to transform our society, today’s youth are growing up in unchartered waters. For young people who confront problems like depression, the Internet is a particularly tricky issue to navigate.
New evidence on kids and exercise
December 2, 2013 By Leave a Comment
We’ve all heard the reports that children today spend too much time in front of TVs and computers, and therefore are less physically fit compared to children in decades past. But what does the evidence say on the matter?
