Child & Teen Health Archive

Separating children and parents at the border can permanently affect a child’s brain development and even risk his or her future health thanks to the “toxic” stress caused by the experience and the loss of parental nurturing and support.

Marijuana smoking around children under 18 has increased and is likely to continue going up. As legal marijuana use becomes more common, parents need to be aware of the risks to children from secondhand marijuana smoke.

Ongoing research on the effects of repeated head injury on the brains of football players raises the question of whether preteen football players should be prohibited from tackling.

Parents can use Screen-Free Week as an opportunity to evaluate their children’s relationship to their electronic devices as well as their own, and try to be more thoughtful about using them.

The overuse of antibiotics and antacids can lead to problems regardless of age, but if given to babies it can contribute to allergies and asthma as children grow.

It’s common to repeat ourselves trying to get children to follow our instructions, but how much of what we are trying to convey does a child truly comprehend? Paying attention to context and using words that make clear what we want are likely to get better results.

With recent data showing that childhood obesity is getting worse, here is some advice for parents on what can be done to help children avoid obesity or get to a healthier weight.