New Healthy Drinks Guidelines for Kids: Skip the Soy, Avoid Sugars

WEDNESDAY, Sept. 18, 2019 -- Four of America's biggest health organizations are banding together to urge parents to better monitor the drinks their young kids sip each day.

The take-home message from the new "Healthy Drinks, Healthy Kids" guidelines: Cut down on sugary sodas, juices and the like, and favor breast milk or cow's milk for youngsters instead of trendy plant-based milks.

Most U.S. Parents Say Vaccination Should Be Requirement for School: Poll

FRIDAY, Sept. 13, 2019 -- More than 8 in 10 U.S. adults say kids should be required to get vaccinated in order to attend school, but far fewer trust the safety of vaccines, a new poll finds.

The nationwide poll from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health sampled 1,550 adults (704 parents and 846 others) and found 84% support rules requiring schoolkids to be vaccinated against diseases such as measles, mumps and rubella. Thirteen percent oppose a requirement.

A Good Night's Sleep Is Key to School Success

TUESDAY, Sept. 17, 2019 -- Now that children are back in school, it's important to make sure they get enough shut-eye, sleep experts say.

"No matter the age, children report improved alertness, energy, mood and physical well-being when enjoying healthy, consistent sleep," said Dr. Ilene Rosen, past president of the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM).

Vulnerable Preemie Babies Often Behind On Vaccines

WEDNESDAY, Aug. 7, 2019 -- Preemies often lag behind full-term babies in getting routine vaccinations -- and the difference remains at age 3, a new study finds.

Misguided parental "hesitancy" over the safety of vaccines for preemies might be to blame, researchers said.

Plastics Chemicals Meant to Replace BPA May Not Be Any Safer for Kids

THURSDAY, July 25, 2019 -- Manufacturers have been phasing out the plastics chemical bisphenol A because of evidence it might harm human health. Now a new study raises questions about the chemicals that have replaced it.

Bisphenol A, or BPA, has long been used in plastics. It was once in a wide range of products -- including the lining of food cans, food storage containers, water bottles and even the coating on cash-receipt paper.