Rapid genome decoding and analysis have made it possible to quickly diagnose some baffling rare diseases that make babies sick. Even when there's no cure, the information can help families cope.
Alex Yiu was born a seemingly healthy baby. But by age 2, his muscle control and speech were deteriorating. His baffling condition took a decade to diagnose. The reanalysis of a DNA test was the key.
After years of decline, rates of uninsured children on on the rise. Immigrants and Hispanics saw large growth, possibly because of Trump administration policies.
New cases of asthma dropped dramatically in Los Angeles communities where air quality improved the most over 20 years. The results illustrate health benefits from pollution control.
While there are thousands of health-related apps around, one being developed at the University of Washington stands out because it uses a phone's microphone and speaker to make a a medical call.
Behavior and environment are big factors in a surge in obesity. Scientists are busy trying to identify the many genes that play a role in weight gain to develop a predictive obesity test.
Research suggests the more of your childhood that is spent surrounded by green spaces, the lower your risk of developing mental illness in adulthood, whether in the city or the country.
Ethan Lindenberger had never received vaccines for diseases like polio or measles because his mom is anti-vaccine. Now he's 18, he's finally getting his shots.
The president's State of the Union address laid out a series of goals, including lowering prescription prices, pursuing an end to the HIV epidemic and increasing research for childhood cancers.
Republican Orrin Hatch is leaving the Senate after 42 years. He led bipartisan efforts to get health care for more kids and AIDS patients. He also thrived on donations from the drug industry.
Rhode Island is among a growing number of states allowing children with autism to be treated with medical marijuana. The benefits are unproved and the full extent of the risks are unknown.
U.S. Surgeon General Jerome Adams issued a forceful advisory about vaping by U.S. teenagers, saying electronic cigarette use among young people has reached levels that require urgent action.
A dramatic increase in vaping among high school students is the largest yearly change ever seen in a long-running survey tracking substance use and abuse by teens.
Economic growth usually means more kids get health insurance, but that's not been the case during the Trump years, a study shows. For the first time in a decade, the uninsured rate for children is up.
Harvard University researchers probed the way ADHD is assessed by taking advantage of a quirk found in many U.S. school systems that means some kids are a year younger their classmates.
In its latest effort to curb smoking by young people, the FDA wants to outlaw menthol cigarettes. The agency would also restrict sales of flavored e-cigarettes to reduce youth addiction to nicotine.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is investigating 252 cases of acute flaccid myelitis and has confirmed 90 cases. One or more viruses is suspected, but CDC says the cause is unknown.
After a C-section, does swabbing a baby with the mother's microbes reduce the risk of obesity and other health problems later in life? An ambitious study to help answer the question is underway.
Acute flaccid myelitis causes weakness in arms or legs. The cause isn't clear but may be related to viruses, environmental toxins or genetic disorders. Since 2014, 386 total cases have been confirmed.
The Food and Drug Administration said teen vaping has reached epidemic proportions, prompting more than 1,300 warning letters to stores selling e-cigarettes to kids and an ultimatum to four companies.
Baltimore Health Commissioner Leana Wen had long worked to encourage breastfeeding. When she became a mother, she experienced just how challenging it could be.
Thousands of migrant children have been separated from their parents by the U.S. government. NPR's Scott Simon reflects on audio recordings this week in which detained children can be heard crying.
