Children's Health: Teens are not always irrational ♦ Children overcoming adversity ♦ Older kids less likely to have car seats checked for safety than infants

Teens are not always irrational Teenagers are irrational and make bad decisions. Or do they? Researchers find that adolescents between 10 and 16 years of age can be more analytical in their economic choices than young adults. The study suggests not only that society should give adolescents more credit for rationality but also that parents should help children hone their cost-benefit analysis skills in making real-life decisions

Children overcoming adversity A set of four new studies suggest, contrary to prior belief, children in difficult situations need to do more than dream of a happier and successful future self: They need a strategy for becoming that person. Researchers' findings of 'left behind' children in China could apply to children anywhere enduring adverse situations.

Mothers use variety of strategies to mitigate risks to daughters' body image Mothers bear some responsibility for their daughters' weight, socialization to accepted gender roles and general well being, researchers conclude at the end of a recent study. The analysis revealed common ways in which mothers and daughters rejected, negated or resisted oppressive messages and stereotypes related to general or personal body images.

Older kids less likely to have car seats checked for safety than infants Booster seat-aged children are twice as likely to suffer serious injury or death in a car crash than younger children but a new study shows they may be less likely to have car seats inspected for proper use. Less than a quarter of car seat and booster checks analyzed in a recent study were conducted in children ages four and older.