Spotting ADHD early can ensure children with the condition get the help they need sooner rather than later.

But how can parents know if the behavior they’re seeing in their child is a sign of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder or merely the mercurial mood and behavior swings of a toddler?

An expert at the Kennedy Krieger Institute in Baltimore offers some guidance.

"Re...

Pregnancy is a difficult and potentially dangerous time in a woman's life, and U.S. women say they aren't getting the support they need while they're expecting, a new HealthDay/Harris Poll has found.

Nearly 2 in 5 women who are pregnant or have ever been pregnant (37%) say they have experienced barriers to getting needed care.

Worse, women in their prime childbearing years (18 to 34...

When parents talk to their toddlers, they are not only teaching them words, but may be shaping their developing brains, too, a new study suggests.

Researchers found that toddlers whose parents spent a lot of time talking to them day to day showed a particular brain characteristic: a greater concentration of myelin in language-related parts of the brain.

Myelin is a protective layer ...

Baby equipment is costly, so many parents buy it used, but they're not always sure whether it's still safe, a nationwide poll reveals.

About half of the 932 parents surveyed in February said they had used pre-owned equipment for their baby, most often cribs and high chairs, according to a University of Michigan Health C.S. Mott Children's Hospital poll released May 15.

Yet, 2 in 3 s...

There's a glimmer of good news when it comes to the mental health of America's adolescents: Visits to U.S. emergency departments for psychiatric troubles declined among kids aged 12 to 17 by the fall of 2022, compared to a year prior.

Overall, mean weekly adolescent emergency department (ED) visits for mental health conditions fell by 11% last fall, compared to higher levels in the fall o...

A "peanut patch" worn on the skin may help protect toddlers who have potentially life-threatening peanut allergies, a new clinical trial shows.

The patch is a form of immunotherapy, which means it exposes peanut-allergic children to tiny bits of peanut protein over time -- with the goal of training the immune system to better tolerate it.

In the trial, researchers found that of todd...

It's easy for kids to get drawn into Instagram, Snapchat or TikTok, and a leading U.S. psychologists' group warns they need some training in social media literacy beforehand.

The American Psychological Association on Tuesday issued 10 science-based recommendations for teen and preteen social media use, the first time it has done so. The APA compares training in social media to getting a ...

What puts kids at risk for pediatric inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and what could help prevent it?

A review of 36 observational studies that included 6.4 million kids offers some key clues.

Taking antibiotics at an early age, eating a Western diet and living in a more affluent family were associated with an increased IBD risk. But living in a household with pets and siblings and...

The synthetic opioid fentanyl is killing increasing numbers of U.S. kids, emulating the chilling trends seen among adults, a new study finds.

Pediatric deaths from fentanyl increased more than 30-fold between 2013 and 2021, according to study author Julie Gaither, an assistant professor of pediatrics at th...

About a third of children with autism aren't able to speak -- but that doesn't mean they're unable to listen and comprehend, a new study reports.

About 1 in 4 kids and teens who have autism and are minimally verbal understand significantly more language than they're able to produce, said lead researcher

In the spring and summer, everyone races outside with their dogs to enjoy the warmer weather, but a new study suggests there is a downside to that.

More children are bitten by dogs in those months, according to researchers at Nemours Children's Health.

But a dog bite isn't inevitable: It's possible to keep both dogs and children safer, and to provide proper care if the unfortunate d...

"Mindfulness" practices may help parents of young children with autism manage their daily stressors, and it could benefit their kids in the process, a preliminary study suggests.

Parenting is stressful, and studies show that parents of kids with autism often have particularly high stress levels.

Autism is a developmental brain disorder that, to varying degrees, impairs communication...

Half of U.S. parents think social media is bad for their kids' mental health, a new survey reveals.

The finding highlights growing concerns about how these platforms affect children's and adolescents' well-being, according to the On Our Sleeves Movement for Children's Mental Health, which had the Harris Poll conduct the survey.

The program encourages parents to help their kids by t...

In U.S. states that provide financial assistance for low-income families, the difference is evident in children's brains, researchers report.

Their study found disparities in brain structure between children from high-income households compared to low-income households. However, the disparity was more than a third lower in states offering greater cash assistance to low-income families, c...

Growing numbers of American kids and teens are cutting or burning themselves, banging their heads against walls, pulling out their hair and even trying to die by suicide.

But figuring out who is at highest risk for harming themselves has been a daunting challenge. Until now.

Researchers report they have developed risk profiles that can help doctors pinpoint which kids or teens are ...

Suicides among the youngest U.S. teenagers were rising for years before the pandemic — with school stress, social media and guns standing as potential factors, according to a new study.

Researchers found that between 2008 and 2018, the suicide rate among 13- and 14-year-olds nationwide more than doubled — from roughly two deaths per 100,000 teens in 2008, to five per...

Drowning isn't always accompanied by the stereotypical flailing and cries for help.

It can happen wherever there's water, including streams, lakes, water parks, bathtubs and even toilets.

It's also often preventable, according to an expert from Penn State Health, who offered tips for parents as water recreation season begins.

“A child can drown in less than 2 inches of water...

Researchers have long tried to pinpoint a reason that some people have autism or autistic traits.

A new study from the United Kingdom builds upon evidence about one potential factor, finding that young children with ear, nose and throat problems were more commonly diagnosed with autism later.

This isn't to sa...

Kids who were infected with respiratory syncytial virus, better known as RSV, in their first year may be at greater risk for asthma, according to researchers.

Their new study looked at the effects of RSV infections of different severities on childhood asthma risk.

“For...

The number of kids who attempted suicide using over-the-counter or easily accessible medications is up sharply, a new study shows.

This research spotlights a pediatric mental health crisis, said researchers from the University of Virginia Health System, who reviewed data on reported suicide attempts that were reported to the National Poison Data System in 2021.

“This significant i...

A new Australian study found that children who had COVID-19 during the first couple of years of the pandemic could be safely treated at home, taking the burden off hospitals.

Children who had COVID-19 with moderate symptoms or preexisting high-risk conditions could be treated effectively via a Hospital-in-the-Home (HITH) program, according to the study.

The program took pressure of...

U.S. schools that have a lot of students with prescriptions for ADHD medication also tend to have a lot of students who misuse the drugs, a new study suggests.

Researchers found that among nearly 3,300 U.S. middle schools and high schools, some had a serious problem with students misusing prescription stimulant medications. At certain schools, upwards of one-quarter of students said they'...

A leading doctors' group recommends that toddlers get screening for autism at 18 months old. That may not be a moment too soon — and earlier may be even better, researchers say.

A new randomized clinical trial, the gold standard for studies, backs up the recommendation from the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Intervention at 18 months for children on the autism spectrum led to be...

With so many American kids and teens dealing with depression or anxiety, pediatricians are increasingly stepping in as mental health care providers. Now, a new study suggests they are doing a decent job -- but too few kids are being referred for talk therapy.

Researchers found that in cases where a pediatrician prescribed medication for a child's depression or anxiety, it was by and lar...

As summer nears, teens may want to apply for their first job or try to boost their hours for the season.

Not all parents think this is such a good idea though, according to a new C.S. Mott Children's Hospital poll.

“Teen jobs can be super positive and I think we see that in...

It's important for children to learn about body safety and boundaries.

Empowering them with information can help them recognize unsafe situations and may help protect them from abuse.

“Children and teens who feel in control of their bodies are less likely to fall prey to sexual abusers,” said

The kids, no matter how they are conceived, are all right.

That is the main takeaway from a new study by British researchers that found no real differences in the psychological well-being of kids who were born via sperm/egg donation or surrogacy and those born naturally by the time they reached the age of 20.

"Children born through third-party reproductive donation -- egg donat...

Your toddler may be going through a phase of nail-biting that might be driving you crazy.

While biting or picking at one's nails is a common behavior in children (50% do it) and many will stop biting their nails on their own, some do not.

There are several reasons ...

There are too many heartbreaking stories of babies and young children suffering serious injury or even death due to an accident in the home. You hope it doesn't happen to your family, and taking preventive measures is the first step in ensuring it doesn't.

Baby-proofing the house is a rite of passage for new parents and caregivers. It helps keep your baby safe from hazards at home.

Constipation is no fun for toddlers, but you can help your child move through a bout of it.

What is toddler constipation?

According to the Cleveland Clinic, your toddler may sometimes have hard, dry stools that are painful to pass. Up to 20% of toddlers experience constipation...

Not everyone wants children, and that number is higher than you might think, a new poll shows.

More than 1 in 5 Michigan adults aren't really interested in becoming parents, a number that initially surprised researchers so much that they repeated the study and found the number who didn't want kids was essentially the same the second time around.

“We found that 20.9% of adults in ...

Does it sometimes feel like your young picky eater is turning every meal and snack into an epic power battle — and you're just not sure how to get them the nutrition they need?

If so, you're not alone.

According to an article published recently in the journal