Pediatrics

Children in areas with the lowest Child Opportunity Index—which reflects factors like education, social and economic resources—were over twice as likely to suffer another violent injury within a year after an initial firearm-related emergency room visit, according to a study published in JAMA Pediatrics.

Health experts are warning that whooping cough, also known as pertussis, is making a dangerous comeback.

At the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, firearm violence surpassed motor vehicle accidents as the leading cause of death among US children. A new study led by Boston University School of Public Health (BUSPH) for the first time reveals how this worrying pattern among children varied by age—and how the pandemic-related gun homicide spike is rising faster among kids than adults.

New Curtin University research has revealed child food insecurity in developed countries is not solely driven by poverty but is also strongly influenced by factors such as housing instability, parental mental health and social isolation.

Good parenting can make all the difference as newborns learn to communicate and process information, and an increasing amount of early-childhood development research has shown that parent training is a worthy investment to improve childhood outcomes.

A Texas health official is warning against “measles parties” as an outbreak grows in West Texas, resulting in the death of at least one unvaccinated school-aged child.

As the measles outbreak in Texas spreads, attention is turning to what is commonly called the MMR vaccine.

McMaster University researchers have identified small molecules in the blood that may impact early childhood development, showing how dietary exposures, early life experiences, and gut health can influence a child’s growth and cognitive milestones.

Despite ongoing progress, structural racism and health disparities continue to shape health care practices in ways health care providers may not even realize. A recent study in JAMA Network Open, published Feb. 28, 2025, shows that continued use of race-specific equations in the diagnostic process of children with asthma symptoms limits the identification of reduced lung function in Black children.

Child vaccination is one of the most cost-effective health interventions. It accounts for 40% of the global reduction in infant deaths since 1974 and has led to big health gains in Australia over the past two decades.