One way to manage the nation’s childhood obesity crisis might be to take the most severely overweight kids away from their parents, argues Harvard pediatrics professor and obesity expert David Ludwig in a controversial commentary …
American Academy of Pediatrics
Choosing a Sunscreen: Some Tips from an Expert
Is there anything worse than trying to make informed decisions in the sunscreen aisle? The very attempt is an exercise in frustration: on a recent trip to Target, I scanned the dozens of products on the sunblock display alongside …
It’s the Ads, Stupid: Why TV Leads to Obesity
How much TV do your kids watch? If you don’t know, you might want to find out, say experts, since the time children spend in front of a TV or computer screen can have a profound effect on their physical and developmental health.
Genetic Testing for Kids: Is It a Good Idea?
With the advent of new genetic tests, it’s increasingly easy to gauge whether you’re predisposed to developing certain conditions — diabetes, say, or breast cancer. For adults, that knowledge can be simultaneously …
Babies With Flat Heads on the Rise: Is ‘Back to Sleep’ to Blame?
Nearly 20 years ago, the chief activity in a baby’s life — sleeping — got a radical makeover. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) launched its “Back to Sleep” campaign in 1992, urging parents and caregivers to put …
Car Seat Guidelines Updated: Babies Ride Backward Until Age 2
In the pantheon of child development, many parents consider the act of turning the car seat from rear-facing to forward-facing right up there with the first step.
The Very Hungry Caterpillar: A Dubious Weapon in the War on Childhood Obesity
The Very Hungry Caterpillar is one of those children’s classics, along with Goodnight Moon and Where the Wild Things Are, that belong on every kid’s bookshelf. Written and illustrated by Eric Carle, it’s the story of a …
Pediatricians Group Urges a Ban on Teens at Tanning Salons
Bad news for GTL‘ers-in-training: the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) wants to ban teens from using UV tanning beds.
Lice. They’re Not So Nice.
Bedbugs have stolen the media thunder from boring, old head lice. But for the elementary school crowd, lice are alive and well and still wreaking havoc in hair — at least in Seattle, where I live.
Study: Some Benefits of Probiotics for Kids
A new report by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) finds that probiotics — types of “good” bacteria that colonize in your gut and may help improve digestion, immune defense and even metabolism — can have certain health …
Side Effect of the Recession: An Increase in Child Abuse
Losing your job when the economy takes a dip can have some damaging effects on your health; the stress, anxiety and depression among the unemployed has been linked to heart disease and an increased risk of suicide. But according …
American Academy of Pediatrics: Make the Flu Shot Mandatory
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has called for mandatory annual flu shots for all health-care workers, a position similar to that of other organizations, including the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America and the American College of Physicians. Many hospitals and some health-care systems, including the clinical …
Pediatricians group withdraws statement on female circumcision
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has reversed its controversial decision on female genital cutting (FGC). The ritual of female circumcision — practiced in some African and Asian countries — is illegal in the U.S., but the bioethics committee of the national pediatricians group suggested in April that doctors be allowed to …