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WASHINGTON, DC - Expectant mothers traveling to the United States with the expressed purpose of giving birth before returning home are presenting more complex medical, social and financial challenges at a large metropolitan children's hospital.

WASHINGTON, DC - Readers with young children frequently turn to parenting magazines for tips on raising healthy kids. While these publications contain helpful articles, a new study found a surprising number of advertisements appearing in the nation's top magazines for parents showed images or products that contradicted health and safety recommendations from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). Nearly 1 in 6 ads containing at least one offense.

WASHINGTON, DC - Coaches and parents need more training on concussions to avoid making bad calls about when to let a young athlete back in the game, according to a study to be presented at the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) National Conference & Exhibition in Washington, DC, on Saturday, Oct. 24.

WASHINGTON, DC - Nearly one in three U.S. adolescents are affected by bullying, placing them at risk for health problems including attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, anxiety, depression and self-harm. Unfortunately, fewer than a quarter of these teens receive help, and new research identifies some of the reasons why.

WASHINGTON, DC - The vast majority of Internet pages visited by people searching for firearms storage guidance prove to be duds when it comes to giving accurate and complete information on how to keep children safe around guns.

Only 2 percent of web pages with information on firearm storage correctly identified all four practices shown to protect children and adolescents living in homes with guns, according to research to be presented at the

WASHINGTON, DC - A new study confirms what doctors working with young athletes already suspected: the number anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) tears among youths, particularly high school students, has risen during the past 20 years.

The study, to be presented at the 2015 American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) National Conference & Exhibition in Washington, DC, reviewed an insurance company's 1994-2013 billing data within a large metropolitan network. Researchers found the overall incidence of ACL tears among 6- to 18-year-old patients increased by 2.3 percent per year.

WASHINGTON, DC - Research shows that stable parent-child bonds are fundamental to healthy child development. For parents of babies born prematurely or with special medical needs, this early bonding can be interrupted by the complex medical care required in a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).

An ongoing study conducted at a large metropolitan NICU, however, shows that a little skin-to-skin snuggling between mothers and babies can go a long way toward reducing maternal stress levels.

WASHINGTON, DC - Freshmen at eight Florida high schools who learned how to provide circulatory support to someone in sudden cardiac arrest using chest compressions without mouth-to-mouth ventilations said they would be significantly more comfortable performing the skill in a real-life situation when their training included a hands-on component, according to a new study.

WASHINGTON, DC - Although survival rates for children diagnosed with cancer have increased dramatically over the past 40 years, hard evidence of proven psychosocial benefits to improve quality of life among patients and families during treatment has remained elusive.

Many hospitals have therapy dogs who visit with patients, and anecdotal evidence underscores the positive impact these programs have on children with cancer and their families. Preliminary findings from a new, multi-center trial provides some of the first quantitative data to validate these claims.

WASHINGTON, DC - A new study finds the overall rate of anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries among high school athletes is significantly higher among females, who are especially likely to experience ACL tears while playing basketball, soccer and lacrosse.

The study, "Sport-Specific Yearly Risk and Incidence of Anterior Cruciate Ligament Tears in High School Athletes: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis," will be presented at the 2015 American Academy of Pediatrics Conference & Exhibition in Washington, DC.

WASHINGTON, DC - When researchers in New Haven, Conn., asked teens to identify solutions to reduce violence in their community, the adolescents had clear recommendations: better employment opportunities, more after-school activities and a cleaner city environment.

The adolescents' input came as part of a unique partnership between academicians and community members. Findings from the project, Youth Haven, will be presented at the 2015 American Academy of Pediatrics Conference & Exhibition in Washington, DC.

WASHINGTON, DC - More than 1 in 10 schools in the United States responding to a survey reported at least one severe allergic reaction during the 2013-14 school year, and 22 percent of those events occurred in individuals with no previously known allergies.

WASHINGTON, DC - Posing as a 15-year-old athlete wanting to bulk up during strength training, a researcher asked more than 200 health food stores whether he should take a sports performance supplement containing creatine. Despite recommendations against using creatine under age 18 by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the American College of Sports Medicine, more than two-thirds of the stores' sales attendants told him to give it a try.

WASHINGTON, DC - When balancing treatment options for a child with a significant difference in leg length, doctors typically advise families about the risks and benefits of surgeries to either shorten or elongate one of the limbs. New research suggests they may also want to consider how the child's ultimate height will affect his or her income as an adult.

WASHINGTON, DC - Researchers at a Dallas children's hospital aim to show that nonpowder firearms such as airsoft, BB, and paintball guns should not be viewed as toys, but rather powerful weapons causing increasingly severe and sometimes life-threatening injuries in pediatric patients.