Vege-teen-ians
When Abby Helton broke the news at 13 that she wouldn't eat living things -- nothing with a face, nothing casting a shadow -- the reaction wasn't exactly enthusiastic.
( By Mary Meehan, HERALD-LEADER STAFF WRITER, 10/22/2002 07:07 AM PDT)

Scientists Study Preemie Blindness
As premature babies fight for life, another battle is raging behind their tiny eyelids - an eye disease that ultimately blinds up to 2,000 of these infants a year.
( LAURAN NEERGAARD, AP Medical Writer, 10/22/2002 06:35 AM PDT)

Healing hearts: As Kaden recovers, the Cooks face the challenges of his new life
Kevin Cook leans against the hospital bed, staring at his son's fingernails.
( BY JEFF SEIDEL, FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER, 10/22/2002 08:02 AM PDT)

Cancer survivor's story helps kids fight their battle
The teenager had been diagnosed with cancer toward the end of school last spring, and she wasn't talking to anyone. Angie Long, the new child life specialist at Via Christi Regional Medical Center-St. Francis Campus, kept trying to break the ice, but the girl wasn't having any of it.
( BY STAN FINGER, The Wichita Eagle, 10/22/2002 07:20 AM PDT)

15 ways to fat-proof your kids
Surely you've heard by now. American kids are getting fatter. Thirteen percent are overweight. And that percentage has doubled since 1980.
( BY PAM KELLEY, Staff Writer, 10/22/2002 11:09 AM PDT)

Girls More Socially Aggressive Than Boys: Study
These days, adolescent and teenage girls are not very popular. From recent books such as "Queen Bees and Wannabes" and "Odd Girl Out," which describe female bullying and the psychology of girls, to a recent New York Times magazine cover story titled "Mean Girls," females between the ages of 11 and 18 have come under intense social scrutiny.
( Reuters, 10/22/2002 11:50 AM PDT)

Gardening influences tots' views on veggies
Let preschoolers get their hands dirty in a garden, and you might see a shift in their attitudes toward vegetables, new study findings suggest. Researchers at Texas A&M; University in College Station discovered that when 4- and 5-year-olds spent around 30 minutes per week planting and tending to a garden, they became less likely to refuse vegetables when offered them. The children also increased their preference for green beans over other vegetables after spending 8 weeks in a garden that included...
( BY ALISON MCCOOK, Reuters, 10/22/2002 07:43 AM PDT)

UK Experts to Look Into Health of Test-Tube Babies
British health experts announced plans Tuesday to look into potential health problems of children conceived through fertility treatments. Concerns have been raised that test-tube babies might be at higher risk of birth defects.
( BY PATRICIA REANEY, Reuters, 10/22/2002 07:43 AM PDT)

Survey: Parents underestimate Ecstasy
While Ecstasy increasingly becomes a favored drug among teens, only one percent of U.S. parents believe their child has ever tried the "club drug," according to the Partnership for a Drug-Free America's annual report.
( LARRY McSHANE, Associated Press Writer, 10/21/2002 09:02 AM PDT)