Children's Health: When 8-year olds look like 80 ♦ Up to one billion people at risk of blindness by 2050 ♦ EpiPens save lives but can cut like a knife

When 8-year olds look like 80: Researchers describe mechanism behind premature aging disease Progeria is a premature aging disease. Children suffering from progeria die at an average age of 14 to 15 years, often from heart attacks and strokes. So far, there is no cure for the disease, and though researchers identified the abnormal protein behind the disease – progerin – the exact way in which it causes the accelerated aging remains elusive. In their latest publication, researchers describe a yet unknown mechanism behind progeria that may provide new approaches for therapy

EpiPens save lives but can cut like a knife Epinephrine auto injectors can be lifesaving for patients experiencing anaphylaxis -- a life-threatening emergency -- but according to a new case series, the most commonly used autoinjector appears to be contributing to injuries in children

One in eight children at risk for measles Gaps in measles vaccination rates place one in eight children at risk for becoming sick from the highly contagious illness, according to an analysis of American national vaccination coverage

Up to one billion people at risk of blindness by 2050 5 billion are expected to be myopic (short-sighted) by 2050, scientists say, adding that nearly 1 billion high myopes are at risk of blindness by 2050. Parents are urged to have their children's eyes checked and get them outdoors and moderate time using electronic devices. Governments are called on to fund research and interventions.