Stories by Tara Haelle

The thinner, oxygen-poor air above 2,400 meters may be among the environmental stressors that increase the risk of SIDS

Guidelines that emphasize the need for behavioral therapies often go unheeded, although study results broken out by demographics were surprising

The movement of proteins involved in neurodegenerative diseases could serve as a target for future therapies

Vitamin K injections, given after birth, can prevent potentially fatal hemorrhaging in infants, but anti-vax parents are extending their fears into a general rejection of all shots

Some parents delay vaccines out of a misinformed belief that it’s safer, but that decision actually increases the risk of a seizure after vaccination and leaves children at risk for disease longer

CT scans may soon link human remains to missing persons

That’s the good news. Bad news: Half of drugs used in kids are still unlabeled, which is a problem because of the risk of improper dosing or usage 

The shortcomings of the whooping cough vaccine may help explain the disease's resurgence

Several factors may be contributing to recent whooping cough outbreaks, but parents’ refusal to immunize their children is one

The DSM-5 broadens the criteria for anorexia nervosa, but will the expanded definition of the illness help catch those who need help before their disease progresses too far?

In the wake of a failed New York City law to ban oversize sodas, new findings show the link between sugar-sweetened beverages and obesity starts as young as toddlerhood

Second and third concussions take more recovery time, new research shows, but many concussions are not adequately identified in the first place

Long considered a conquered childhood disease, pertussis has made a comeback in the U.S., in part because the combination vaccine, DTap, appears less effective than its predecessor, DTP

Increased risk of adult obesity is one of the long-term consequences facing children with ADHD, even if their diagnostic symptoms fade

A decade of battlefield experience in Iraq and Afghanistan has led to better understanding of IED injuries that will likely improve the outcomes of survivors of the Boston Marathon bombing

In looking for ways to fight childhood obesity, an emerging consensus of literature points to the need to reengineer kids’ environments to change what and how they eat

Two new studies make clear the global threat to sharks as well as some of the challenges conservationists face, just in time for an international meeting this week that could decide the fate of several of the iconic species

The overuse of many medical tests and interventions wastes money and can actually harm patients, say over two dozen medical societies

Evidence supports the effectiveness of some cognitive behavioral therapies, but barriers to research make it hard to offer specific recommendations in treating children exposed to traumatic events

Legislative efforts aim to tackle the rising incidence of disease