Chickenpox Vaccine Shields Kids From Shingles, Too

MONDAY, June 10, 2019 -- Shingles isn't usually considered a kids' disease, but children can get this painful condition. Fortunately, the chickenpox vaccine can also protect them against it, a new study finds.

"The virus that causes chickenpox also causes shingles. It's pretty uncommon in kids, but we wanted to see what would happen to the rates of shingles among children over time as more kids received the vaccine," said study lead author Sheila Weinmann. She's a senior investigator and epidemiologist at Kaiser Permanente Northwest in Portland, Ore.

Kids Still Being Poisoned by Detergent Pods

MONDAY, June 3, 2019 -- Liquid detergent packets or "pods" continue to poison kids years after their makers volunteered to make them safer.

Such poisonings fell just 18% between 2015 and 2017, a new study reports. From 2012 to 2017, poison control centers fielded nearly 73,000 calls about poisoning from these pods. That's about one call every 42 minutes, and almost 92% involved kids under 6.

Cholesterol Levels Improving Among U.S. Kids

TUESDAY, May 21, 2019 -- Despite an epidemic of childhood obesity, the cholesterol levels of American kids have been improving over the past 20 years, a new study shows.

Researchers found that since 1999, levels of "bad" LDL cholesterol among U.S. children and teens have declined, while levels of "good" HDL cholesterol have risen.

Pool Chemicals Harm Thousands Every Summer

THURSDAY, May 16, 2019 -- Swimming pools are one of the great joys of summer, but U.S. health officials warn that the chemicals that keep the water pristine can land you in the ER.

Between 2008 and 2017, there were more than 4,500 pool chemical-related injuries reported each year, a new report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found.

Many Kids With Chronic Illness Are Still Happy: Study

MONDAY, May 6, 2019 -- Many children deal with chronic health issues -- but it doesn't mean they can't enjoy life as much as other kids, a new study finds.

Researchers found that among more than 1,200 5- to 9-year-olds, those with some of the most common childhood ills were no less happy with their lives than other kids.

Babies Still Dying Due to Unsafe Sleep Practices

MONDAY, April 22, 2019 -- The death of a baby is always tragic, but safe sleep practices could have prevented some recent suffocation deaths, new research claims.

The study found two factors appeared to be behind a majority of infant deaths by suffocation: