msnbc.com: Children's health

More kids eating detergent packs, docs report

Thu, 24 May 2012 22:15:04 GMT

Miniature laundry detergent packets arrived on store shelves in recent months as an alternative to bulky bottles and messy spills. But doctors across the country say children are confusing the tiny, brightly colored packets with candy and swallowing them.

1 in 3 developmentally delayed babies untreated

Tue, 22 May 2012 19:42:53 GMT

About one out of every three infants who scores well below average on a test of developmental skills -- and is therefore considered at a high risk of having delays -- does not get referred to early intervention services, according to a new study.

Drowning still a leading cause of death for toddlers

Thu, 17 May 2012 18:27:26 GMT

A new CDC report finds that drowning remains the leading cause of death in children under age 4 other than birth defects.

Parents, have you taped the remote? Why you should

Mon, 14 May 2012 11:20:07 GMT

Every three hours a child shows up in a U.S. emergency room with a button battery that’s been swallowed or placed in the mouth, ears or nose, a new study shows.

Bottles, binkies, sippy cups can hurt kids, study says

Mon, 14 May 2012 11:17:21 GMT

Of all the things Jackie Sherrill had to worry about while juggling school, work and two kids, someone breaking a tooth on a baby bottle was least among them.

FDA delays new rules for sunscreen

Fri, 11 May 2012 21:42:11 GMT

Sunscreen confusion won't be over before summer after all. The government is bowing to industry requests for more time to make clear how much protection their brands really offer against skin cancer.

Sleeping with parents may lower child's obesity risk

Wed, 9 May 2012 19:55:31 GMT

A new study from Denmark finds parents who let their young children climb into bed with them during the night may decrease their child's risk of obesity.

Concussion crisis growing in girls' soccer

Wed, 9 May 2012 14:30:06 GMT

The number of girls suffering concussions in soccer accounts for the second largest amount of all concussions reported by young athletes, according to the American Journal of Sports Medicine. Kate Snow reports for Rock Center.

1 in 8 teens misuses prescription painkillers

Tue, 8 May 2012 23:23:30 GMT

One in eight older teens has used powerful painkillers when they weren't prescribed — and many of them start misusing the medications earlier than was previously assumed, according to new research.

Mothers like chubby toddlers, study suggests

Mon, 7 May 2012 23:21:37 GMT

Mothers of overweight toddlers often mistakenly think their children are normal weight, and mothers of underweight toddlers often wish they were plumper, U.S. researchers said on Monday.

Argentine 'miracle baby' stable a month on

Sun, 6 May 2012 19:02:02 GMT

An Argentine baby who was mistakenly declared dead and whose parents found her breathing in the morgue 12 hours later has survived her first month of life, weighing in at just under 2.2 pounds.

TODAY Moms get creative with discipline

Fri, 4 May 2012 14:47:42 GMT

Like the laptop-shooting dad and the Facebook-shaming mom, TODAY Moms readers have their own take on creative discipline. Here, they share their own clever punishment tactics.

Bioethicist: For organ donation, Facebook beats the DMV

Tue, 1 May 2012 16:14:08 GMT

Right now, nearly 114,000 people in the United States are waiting for organ transplants to save their lives. Tens of thousands more are in need of tissue, bone and cornea transplants to restore their mobility or sight.

Stricken Texas 'bucket list' baby dies, father says

Tue, 1 May 2012 23:39:49 GMT

A Texas baby born with an incurable disease whose parents created an online "bucket list" for their daughter that became an Internet sensation has died, her father said on Tuesday.

Heavy teens have trouble managing diabetes

Sun, 29 Apr 2012 22:17:51 GMT

New research sends a stark warning to overweight teens: If you develop diabetes, you'll have a very tough time keeping it under control.

Blood test may spot teen depression

Tue, 17 Apr 2012 14:17:19 GMT

A simple blood test may one day be all that’s needed to help parents figure out whether a child is suffering from clinical depression or normal teenage angst, a new study suggests.

Flesh-eating bacteria case spurs study, treatment

Mon, 16 Apr 2012 21:53:56 GMT

A 5-year-old boy in Wisconsin who fell off his bike, skinned his chin and bit his lip was likely one of thousands of kids with a minor injury that day in 2008.

3 ways parents can reduce kids' soda intake

Thu, 5 Apr 2012 22:49:10 GMT

The best way for parents to reduce the amount of soft drinks their young children drink is to not serve it with meals, a new study suggests.

Parents worry as doctors seek to redefine autism

Thu, 5 Apr 2012 20:13:57 GMT

One child doesn't talk, rocks rhythmically back and forth and stares at clothes spinning in the dryer. Another has no trouble talking but is obsessed with trains, methodically naming every station in his state.

Moms' caffeine intake doesn't wake babies

Mon, 2 Apr 2012 19:02:34 GMT

Pregnant and nursing women who consume caffeine aren't causing their babies to wake up at night, a new study says.

As more autism reported, doctors say check early

Fri, 30 Mar 2012 18:02:03 GMT

At 18 months, Cristina Astacio spoke only a few words, wouldn't respond to her name and shunned other kids in her day care group. Last October, her worried parents found out why.

'Autism spectrum' may explain diagnosis surge

Thu, 29 Mar 2012 21:03:05 GMT

CDC officials suggest the increase in autism cases could be the result in changes in the way such disorders are diagnosed

Better diagnosis, screening behind rise in autism

Thu, 29 Mar 2012 20:31:26 GMT

Autism cases are on the rise again, largely due to wider screening and better diagnosis, federal health officials said Thursday.

Poison centers warn about cinnamon challenge

Sat, 17 Mar 2012 12:03:53 GMT

After calls to poison centers regarding teens' exposure to cinnamon rose dramatically in the past three months, officials are warning that the 'challenge' is risky and not recommended.

In praise of germs: Why bugs are necessary for kids

Mon, 26 Mar 2012 13:00:04 GMT

Attention, germaphobes. Exposure to the microscopic bugs is crucial for keeping kids healthy, according to new research in the prestigious journal Science.

Nearly 1 million child-proof locks recalled

Thu, 22 Mar 2012 18:28:23 GMT

Dorel Juvenile Group Inc is voluntarily recalling 900,000 Push N' Snap cabinet locks after scores of small children were able to open them, the Consumer Product Safety Commission said on Thursday.

Low-carb diets help obese kids but tough to follow

Wed, 14 Mar 2012 17:36:44 GMT

When it comes to managing children's obesity, cutting portion sizes and cutting carbohydrates can work equally well -- though carb control is tough for many kids, a new clinical trial finds.