News and Features Related to Children's Health

Thirdhand Smoke Creates Indoor Cancer Risk

Feb. 8, 2010 -- Taking a breath inside a smoker’s home or car could increase your risk of cancer, even if there is not a lit cigarette in sight. Tobacco smoke residue lurking in carpets, upholstered furniture, and on other everyday surfaces can react with common chemicals in indoor air to form cance
Read Full Article
High-Traffic Areas May Lead to Kids’ Obesity

Feb. 5, 2010 -- Traffic congestion may increase the risk of extra weight gain and obesity among children living in heavy traffic areas, new research indicates. “When it’s not safe to play outside, kids are more likely to stay inside and play computer games or watch television,” lead author Michael J
Read Full Article
Heavy Backpacks Strain Kids' Spines

Feb. 3, 2010 -- A backpack loaded with books may set your child up for spine strain rather than success. A new study shows heavy backpacks place significant strain on children's spines and may lead to back pain. Researchers say it's the first study to use magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans to do
Read Full Article
Study Linking Autism to Vaccine Retracted

Feb. 2, 2010 -- The venerable British medical journal The Lancet has retracted a 1998 study suggesting a link between autism and childhood vaccination with the measles-mumps-rubella MMR vaccine. The Lancet tells WebMD that it has retracted "10 or 15" studies in its 186-year history. The retraction
Read Full Article
Metformin May Help Obese Teens Lose Weight

Feb. 1, 2010 -- The diabetes drug metformin may help obese teenagers lose weight when combined with healthy lifestyle changes. A new study shows that non-diabetic obese teenagers treated with metformin XR (extended release formulation) along with healthy lifestyle modifications had a more significan
Read Full Article
Study Linking Vaccine to Autism Broke Research Rules, U.K. Regulators Say

(Editor's Note: On Feb. 2, 2010, The Lancet formally retracted the 1998 paper by Wakefield et al., noting that claims made in the paper "have been proved to be false.") Jan. 29, 2010 - The British doctor who led a study suggesting a link between the measles/mumps/rubella (MMR) vaccine and autism act
Read Full Article
Ambidextrous Kids More Likely to Have ADHD

Jan. 25, 2010 -- Young children who can eat, write, and perhaps throw a ball with both hands are more likely to develop learning, language, and mental health problems than children who are strictly right- or left-handed, according to a new report in the journal Pediatrics. The ability to write and p
Read Full Article
Kids' Chest Infections Up Since Vaccine

Jan. 19, 2010 - Childhood pneumococcal vaccination may be linked to an increase in a serious complication of pneumonia, a new study suggests. The proven benefit of the vaccine -- which since its introduction in 2000 has slashed rates of pneumonia, bacterial meningitis, and blood infections in childr
Read Full Article
Concussions Not Taken Seriously

Jan. 19, 2010 -- Parents may not be as concerned as they should be when their children are diagnosed with concussions, but the term "mild traumatic brain injury" may be more accurate and should be used more often, new research suggests. In a report in the February issue of Pediatrics, published onli
Read Full Article
Bisphenol A: 9 Questions and Answers

Bisphenol A, also called BPA, is a chemical found in polycarbonate plastic and epoxy resins. Polycarbonate plastics are used in certain food and drink packaging. It's also in compact discs, computers, impact-resistant safety equipment (such as helmets and goggles), and medical devices. Epoxy resins
Read Full Article