Parenting/Kids News

WASHINGTON (AFP) - Exotic pets such lizards and more common animals like hamsters and hedgehogs pose a health risk to children and the elderly, a new study found Monday.

MONDAY, Oct. 6 (HealthDay News) -- Free prescription drug samples distributed to pediatric patients may be unsafe, research suggests.

MONDAY, Oct. 6 (HealthDay News) -- Exposing your children to the joys of pet ownership may, in some cases, also mean exposing them to infections and injuries.

MONDAY, Oct. 6 (HealthDay News) -- Although most people think of young children when they hear about childhood vaccinations, adolescents need certain booster shots as well as new immunizations.

MONDAY, Oct. 6 (HealthDay News) -- Simple changes to hospital procedures can significantly reduce the side effects children suffer while on opiates to relieve pain, a new study reveals.

Reading a book may not burn many calories, but the right material may help kids shed pounds

CHICAGO - Warning: young children should not keep hedgehogs as pets — or hamsters, baby chicks, lizards and turtles, for that matter — because of risks for disease.

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Reptiles, monkeys, rodents and other exotic pets are growing in popularity but should be discouraged in homes with small children or people with immune system problems, according to a report published on Monday.

CHICAGO - More children have died from flu because they also had staph infections, according to a new government report that urges parents to have their kids get the flu shot.

(HealthDay News) -- Children with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) often require special attention to help manage their behavior.

(HealthDay News) -- Having asthma doesn't necessarily mean an unhealthy pregnancy. The key is to control symptoms and prevent attacks.

FRIDAY, Oct. 3 (HealthDay News) -- Behavioral management weight loss programs can help obese school-age children and teens lose weight or prevent further weight gain, according to a new report.

FRIDAY, Oct. 3 (HealthDay News) -- The standard test for checking the vision of young children cannot be completely trusted, Johns Hopkins University researchers report.

FRIDAY, Oct. 3 (HealthDay News) -- New research suggests that federal guidelines on the length of needles used to vaccinate children could put some kids in danger of injury.

FRIDAY, Oct. 3 (HealthDay News) -- Couples made up of one Asian and one white partner may face an increased risk of gestational diabetes and a higher risk of Caesarean delivery, say researchers at the Lucile Packard Children's Hospital and the Stanford University School of Medicine.

WASHINGTON - The largest study of U.S. children ever performed — aiming to track 100,000 from conception to age 21 — will start recruiting mothers-to-be in North Carolina and New York in January.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A study that will cost $3.2 billion and last more than two decades to track the health of 100,000 U.S. children from before birth to age 21 will be launched in January, U.S. health officials said on Friday.

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - US children are substantially more likely to be prescribed drugs for mental conditions than their peers in the Netherlands and Germany, new research shows.

(HealthDay News) -- While sexual intercourse throughout a healthy pregnancy is usually safe, it may not be recommended for women who are a higher risk for complications.

THURSDAY, Oct. 2 (HealthDay News) -- Young children who wheeze when they have rhinovirus infection -- the most common cause of colds -- are at much greater risk of developing asthma later during childhood, a new study says.

THURSDAY, Oct. 2 (HealthDay News) -- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration will take its time considering whether to ban over-the-counter cold medicines for children, a top agency official said Thursday at a public hearing on the matter.

WASHINGTON - A top government health official Thursday rejected pediatricians' calls for an immediate ban on over-the-counter cough and cold medicines for young children, saying it might cause unintended harm.

BELTSVILLE, Maryland (Reuters) - Over-the-counter cough and cold medicines should not be sold for young children because they are unproven and can be dangerous, doctors and consumer advocates said on Thursday, despite objections from industry representatives.

THURSDAY, Oct. 2 (HealthDay News) -- After recommending earlier this year that children under the age of 2 not receive over-the-counter cold medicines, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration on Thursday is meeting with the public to help answer an even more important question: Should kids' cold medicines remain "OTC" at all?

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Some breakfast cereals marketed to U.S. children are more than half sugar by weight and many get only fair scores on nutritional value, Consumer Reports said on Wednesday.

BEIJING (AFP) - China has recalled milk powder sold abroad, a diplomatic source said Thursday, as it continues moves to contain the scandal over tainted milk that has sickened thousands of children.

(HealthDay News) -- Baby teeth usually begin to appear between 5 months and 7 months of age. Infants may continue to get baby teeth until they are about 2 1/2 years old.

WEDNESDAY, Oct. 1 (HealthDay News) -- Women with a history of dieting or other practices that restrict their eating habits may be more vulnerable to gaining too much or too little weight during pregnancy, a new study finds.

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) - New research indicates that the rates of cesarean deliveries, gestational diabetes, and other pregnancy-related outcomes differ among Asian, Caucasian, and interracial Asian-Caucasian couples.