The US has one of the highest teen pregnancy rates among developed nations. Understanding the risk factors for teen pregnancy might lead to effective prevention.

The causes of autism increasingly appear to come from a variety of different risk factors. One of those risk factors may be related to the childhood experiences of the children's mothers.

If possible victims of child abuse could be identified early on, it could save a lot of heartache and pain for everyone involved. Paying attention to babies' injuries may be an important step. A recent study found that infants who are victims of child abuse are more likely to have had another earlier unlikely injury when they were even younger – before they could even crawl. Among a group of abused and nonabused babies evaluated at a hospital, only the abused children had histories of previous injuries, such as bruising. The researchers found that babies with a suspicious minor inj...

Experiencing abuse as a child means more than a higher risk of mental illness. Researchers are learning that abused children are at risk for various long-term physical issues as well.

Ready for some good news about kids today? An annual federal report on children's well-being in the US has a lot of it, from birth outcomes to school performance to deaths.