More US schools are taking breaks for meditation. Teachers say it helps students’ mental health

More US schools are taking breaks for meditation. Teachers say it helps students’ mental health

REX, Ga. — The third-grade students at Roberta T. Smith Elementary School had only a few days until summer vacation, and an hour until lunch, but there was no struggle to focus as they filed into the classroom. They were ready for one of their favorite parts of the day. The children closed their eyes … Read more

Families face food insecurity in Republican-led states that turned down federal aid this summer

Families face food insecurity in Republican-led states that turned down federal aid this summer

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Crystal Ripolio had tears in her eyes as she walked the produce line at the Good News Outreach food bank in Tallahassee. It was the bags of ripe peaches that did her in. “We don’t have anything in our fridge,” Ripolio said. Ripolio and her 8-year-old daughter, Isabella, walked away with paper … Read more

Two couples drop wrongful death suit against Alabama IVF clinic and hospital

Two couples drop wrongful death suit against Alabama IVF clinic and hospital

MOBILE, Ala. — Two couples who sued a hospital and in-vitro fertilization clinic over the accidental destruction of their frozen embryos have dropped their lawsuit, months after Alabama’s supreme court ruled they could pursue wrongful death claims because embryos could be considered children. Emily and James LePage and William and Caroline Fonde filed to dismiss … Read more

On Broadway, two stars of ‘Aladdin’ trace their roles all the way to middle school

On Broadway, two stars of ‘Aladdin’ trace their roles all the way to middle school

NEW YORK — Some years ago, when Sonya Balsara and Adi Roy were in middle school, they were cast in kiddie versions of the musical “Aladdin.” Little did they know it would be very good preparation — for the same roles on Broadway. More than a decade after hitting their marks in the show as … Read more

High Court judge in the UK upholds the government ban on puberty blockers

Two couples drop wrongful death suit against Alabama IVF clinic and hospital

LONDON — A High Court judge on Monday upheld the British government’s emergency ban on puberty blockers, saying a study that found “very substantial risks and very narrow benefits” of the treatment supported the restriction as potentially being harmful. Justice Beverley Lang said a review commissioned by England’s National Health Service concluded that gender care … Read more

Infants’ tongue-tie may be overdiagnosed and needlessly treated, American Academy of Pediatrics says

Infants’ tongue-tie may be overdiagnosed and needlessly treated, American Academy of Pediatrics says

NEW YORK — Tongue-tie —a condition in infants that can affect breastfeeding — may be overdiagnosed in the U.S. and too often treated with unnecessary surgery, a prominent doctors’ group said Monday. The American Academy of Pediatrics is the latest, and largest, medical society to sound an alarm about the increasing use of scissors or … Read more

5 tips to avoid giving your kid a smartphone: mental health experts

5 tips to avoid giving your kid a smartphone: mental health experts

siblings have fun on trampoline under blue sky Golero | E+ | Getty Images It’s hard to avoid giving your child a smartphone in this new digital age, but some parents around the world are looking to buck the trend and seek out guidance on how to protect their kids from the harms of smartphone … Read more

When to give your child a smartphone? Zach Rausch recommends 14

When to give your child a smartphone? Zach Rausch recommends 14

A medium close-up front view of a teenage girl who is sending text messages to a friend and checking her social media as she waits in the corridor of the high school she attends.  Solstock | E+ | Getty Images Parents around the world are debating when to give their children smartphones, as evidence grows … Read more

Parents sacrifice showers to make sure their kids can eat | Personal Finance | Finance

Parents sacrifice showers to make sure their kids can eat | Personal Finance | Finance

Adults grappling with hygiene poverty are sacrificing basic necessities such as deodorant, toothpaste, and hot showers to ensure their families can eat. A survey of 500 individuals struggling to afford everyday hygiene items revealed that a staggering 83% have had to cut back on daily essentials to provide for their children during school holidays. Shockingly, … Read more

Bedwetting, nightmares and shaking. War in Gaza takes a mental health toll, especially on children

Bedwetting, nightmares and shaking. War in Gaza takes a mental health toll, especially on children

DEIR AL-BALAH, Gaza Strip — Nabila Hamada gave birth to twin boys in Gaza early in the war, in a hospital reeking of decaying bodies and full of displaced people. When Israeli forces threatened the hospital, she and her husband fled with only one of the babies, as medical staff said the other was too … Read more