Scientists have published the first report on a new way of preventing potentially harmful plasticizers - the source of long-standing human health concerns - from migrating from one of the most widely used groups of plastics. [More]

Increasing rates of obese and overweight children in the United States may be contributing to a later onset of puberty in boys, say researchers at the University of Michigan Health System. [More]

"As many as one in three children are overweight or obese, according to a new report" released yesterday by U.S. Surgeon General Regina Benjamin. [More]

A new study led by Mount Sinai researchers in collaboration with scientists from Cornell University and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, has found higher prenatal exposure to phthalates-manmade chemicals that interfere with hormonal messaging-to be connected with disruptive and problem behaviors in children between the ages of 4 and 9 years. [More]

Send Word Now, the leading provider of emergency notification and on-demand alerting and response services, announced today that Unity Health System, a 681-bed health-care network based out of Rochester, New York, has selected Send Word Now to provide emergency voice and text communication services to its hospitals. [More]

Frailty is a geriatric condition marked by weight loss, low energy and strength, and low physical activity. UCLA researchers followed 1,072 healthy adults aged 70 to 79 between 1988 and 1991 to determine if productive activities - specifically volunteering, paid work and child care - prevent the onset of frailty. [More]

Child Care & Nutrition, Inc. (CCNI) is pleased to announce a grant for daycare providers who apply for licensing for the first time in most areas of Minnesota. [More]

The Canadian Paediatric Society is calling upon governments at all levels to commit themselves to ending child and youth poverty in Canada. As part of its new report, Are We Doing Enough?, the CPS calls for a national child poverty strategy, with provincial/territorial targets and timetables to address disparities in income and opportunities. [More]

The American Association of Poison Control Centers (AAPCC) has designated Hennepin Regional Poison Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota as an accredited poison control center - a major milestone for the center. The designation by the AAPCC places the Hennepin Regional Poison Center among 58 accredited poison centers in the United States. [More]

As year-end approaches, many employees are faced with an array of choices that can save taxes this year and next. To help you take advantage of these special tax-saving opportunities, William E. Massey, Senior Tax Analyst at Thomson Reuters, highlights the following key year-end planning considerations for employees. [More]

Twenty years after the House of Commons resolved to end child poverty in Canada one in every nine children in Ontario still lives in poverty and the recession will deepen the problem, says the 2009 Ontario Report Card on Child Poverty by Ontario Campaign 2000. [More]

During the ongoing economic downturn that has touched the entire country, many nonprofit organizations have found their services – such as food pantries, temporary shelters and medical clinics – to be increasingly important to their communities. Complicating [More]

In a new study, the amount of television viewed by many young children in child care settings doubles the previous estimates of early childhood screen time, with those in home-based settings watching significantly more on average than those in center-based daycares. [More]

The Food and Drug Administration today announced the publication of the new FDA Food Code, a model code and reference document that provides a scientifically sound technical and legal basis for regulating the retail and food service segment of the food industry. The 2009 FDA Food Code is a key component of the President's overall public-health-focused food safety framework for maintaining a safe food supply. [More]

Parents who dress their children in inappropriate clothing could be inadvertently hampering their child's physical activity in childcare settings. The study, reported in BioMed Central's open access journal, International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, suggests that inadequate or inappropriate clothing could restrict children's outdoor play. [More]