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May 7, 2013 Each year more than a million babies die within the first 24 hours after birth, a study finds. But there are some simple, inexpensive things that could save these infants, like early breast-feeding and teaching moms to hold their newborns close.

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April 29, 2013 Psychologists say kids who get entangled in their parents' arguments often suffer shame and low self-esteem. So some are trying to teach parents who feel they just can't stop arguing when they get angry how to "get to calm."

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April 22, 2013 The game, if you want to call it that, involves trying to quickly swallow a spoonful of ground cinnamon without the benefit of anything to wash it down. It's practically impossible. Coughing, gagging and choking are typical reactions.

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April 10, 2013 Infants received different levels of oxygen to see which was better at preventing blindness without increasing the risk of nerve damage or death. But the federal government says doctors in the study didn't tell parents enough in advance about the "foreseeable risks" to their children.

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April 5, 2013 The number of kids with dangerous levels of lead in their blood hasn't declined much in the past decade, as the government has remained focused on managing lead-based paint. Now researchers argue that more attention to contaminated soil is needed to prevent lead poisoning.

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April 2, 2013 Even if you give kids a more healthful school lunch, you can't force them to eat it. You can, however, make small changes to layout and presentation that will make options like fruits and vegetables more appealing to kids, say behavioral economists.

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April 1, 2013 Some pediatricians are worried that babies who spit up are being misdiagnosed with gastroesophageal reflux disease, and that's causing parents to opt for unnecessary prescription medications. Researchers found that using the word "disease" to describe spitting up can have a powerful effect on parents.

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March 29, 2013 Indian mothers are more likely to get more prenatal care when they're having a boy, health economists say. These small decisions about iron supplements and tetanus shots can have a profound effect on a girl's life, the researchers argue.

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March 25, 2013 When abiding fear takes over some kids' lives, they respond with anger and aggression that's not premeditated. One psychiatrist says he's finding profound relief for a particular subgroup of these children in experimental research with the anesthesia drug ketamine.

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March 22, 2013 Packaged toddler foods have surprisingly high amounts of sodium, with some packing almost half of a child's daily limit, according to a new survey. Too much salt early on could be setting children up for a lifetime of high blood pressure.

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March 21, 2013 For the first time, the American Academy of Pediatrics says it favors civil marriage for same-gender couples. The leading group of pediatricians in the U.S. also supports parents' full rights to adopt or provide foster care regardless of their sexual orientation.

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March 20, 2013 Parents are routinely advised to switch toddlers to reduced-fat milk, a move many assumed would help protect kids against becoming overweight. But a new study is the latest of several to find that kids drinking low-fat milk tended to be heavier.

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March 19, 2013 Anthrax has long been considered one of the most likely weapons a bioterrorist might use. Some researchers think the vaccine should be tested on children to find out if it would be safe to use in an attack. But a presidential bioethics commission says that first, researchers will have to show that children would face no more than "minimal risk."

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March 18, 2013 Athletes who have headaches or any other concussion symptoms should be removed from play immediately, according to tougher standards just issued by neurologists. The move comes in response to research showing short- and long-term damage from head injuries.

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March 18, 2013 Parents frequently fret about risks to their daughters from vaccination against cervical cancer, even though the vaccines are safe. Parents who don't plan to have their daughter get the shots often say they don't know enough about the vaccine or that their child doesn't need it anyway.

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