Coffee has always been a crowd favorite drink among all age groups. But we all know that caffeine has a different effect on everyone. Doctors often express how young kids and teens should be careful about caffeine but new guidelines regarding this set a firm boundary when it comes to teen health and caffeine. Health experts, working with the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, have new advice on healthy drinks for kids and teens in the age group of 5-18. The guidelines say that water and milk are the best drinks for them. They want kids to get into good drinking habits early so they can stay healthy. They're also worried about kids drinking too many sugary and caffeinated drinks. This new guide helps parents know what's good for their kids to drink.

How Did Caffeine Become So Popular Among Teens?

The new guidelines are especially relevant because caffeinated drinks have become increasingly popular among teenagers. Coffee shops, like Starbucks, are popular hangouts for teens, and energy drinks, often packed with caffeine and promoted by social media influencers, are widely available. And a very popular theme on social media is coffee, people enjoy having different varieties of it, making to a very affordable and trendy thing to enjoy! There are accounts dedicated to coffee consumption and often kids and teens partake in these trends.

A recent poll by the C.S. Mott Children's Hospital found that nearly a quarter of parents say their teens consume caffeine almost every day. The most common sources are sodas, followed by coffee and tea, and then energy drinks. Even chocolate contributes to caffeine intake. The amount of kids who consume coffee raises concerns about the potential health effects of caffeine on young people, whose bodies and brains are still developing. The easy access to these beverages and the marketing strategies targeting young audiences contribute to the problem.

Could The Lack Of Guidelines Be A Reason?

Right now, there aren't any official rules about how much caffeine kids can have. This makes it hard for parents and doctors to know what to tell kids about caffeine. The new report tries to fix this by giving some advice based on research. Experts are worried about how caffeine affects kids' sleep, mood, and health. Kids are more sensitive to caffeine than adults. Caffeine can keep them awake, make them anxious, and might even affect their hearts. Because there aren't any rules, it's important to have experts telling us what's safe.

How Caffeine Affects Kids

Caffeine is something that makes your body speed up. Adults can usually handle some caffeine, but it's different for kids and teens. Their bodies are smaller, and their brains are still growing, so caffeine can affect them more. It can make it hard for them to sleep, make them nervous, and even give them headaches or stomachaches. It can also raise their blood pressure and heart rate. Caffeine can also change their mood, making them cranky or unable to focus. We don't know all the ways caffeine affects kids in the long run, and that's another reason to be careful.

The report says that plain water and plain milk are the healthiest drinks for kids and teens. They say it's okay to have a little bit of 100% juice, plant-based milk, or flavored milk, but not too much. They also say kids should stay away from sugary drinks like soda, sports drinks, and lemonade. And, very importantly, they shouldn't drink caffeinated drinks or other things that give you a jolt. This advice is based on what we know about how these drinks affect kids' health. Sugary drinks can cause weight gain and other problems, and caffeine can mess with sleep and other things.

Pennsylvania’s health department has issued a health alert on congenital measles for the first time in decades as cases rise among pregnant women and newborns.

As of October 19, Pennsylvania had reported 1,286 measles cases across 42 counties, with 247 hospitalizations and six reported deaths. At least 50 pregnant women have reportedly been affected.

At least one death has been linked to congenital measles. The first death reported in the current outbreak was that of a newborn boy who died immediately after birth while his mother was severely ill with measles.

The health department said the outbreak had raised concerns about congenital measles, which has not been identified in the state for decades. The alert provides clinical guidance on managing measles during pregnancy and in newborns.

Decades of MMR vaccination meant many doctors had never encountered such cases. However, declining vaccination rates have allowed measles to spread in under-vaccinated communities.

Nationwide, 4,410 confirmed measles cases had been reported as of October 15, according to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Of these, 96% were in unvaccinated people.

Also read: What Happens After Measles Infection? The Hidden Risks That Can Last For Years

What Is Congenital Measles?

Congenital measles occurs when a pregnant woman contracts measles and transmits the virus to her fetus through the placenta.

According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG), newborns with clinical or laboratory evidence of measles within the first 10 days of life following exposure in the womb are considered to have congenital measles.

Historical reports suggest that transmission occurs in approximately 25% to 30% of cases when the mother develops measles in the days before delivery, although data are limited.

What Happens to Babies With Congenital Measles?

Congenital measles can range from an asymptomatic infection to severe disease and death, according to ACOG. Symptoms may include fever, rash and jaundice. Complications can include pneumonia, low platelet counts and neurological problems. The rash may appear late, look different or be absent.

Can Congenital Measles Be Fatal? What To Watch For In Newborns?

Read More: Measles Cases Are Rising in US—Who Should Get A Booster Shot?

Before immune globulin became widely used, congenital measles mortality was reported to be as high as 30%.

Affected newborns also face an increased risk of subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE), a rare, fatal brain disease that can develop months to years after infection.

ACOG advises considering newborns at risk of symptomatic, transmissible measles if they are born after maternal symptoms begin and up to 14 days after the mother's rash onset.

Asymptomatic newborns who initially test negative may be considered for repeat testing on day 10 of life to check for infection acquired in the womb.

How Can Parents Protect Their Babies From Measles?

MMR vaccination before pregnancy is the best way to prevent measles during pregnancy and reduce the risk of congenital measles.

Women without evidence of immunity should receive at least one MMR dose in non-outbreak settings and two doses at least 28 days apart during outbreaks.

Because MMR is a live vaccine, it should not be given during pregnancy. Women should avoid pregnancy for 28 days after vaccination.

Pregnant women who may have been exposed to measles or are unsure of their immunity should promptly contact their healthcare provider.

The pertussis vaccine, which protects against whooping cough (Bordetella pertussis), a highly contagious bacterial respiratory infection, offers strong protection in young children, according to a new study led by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Published in the CDC’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), the study found that children who received three or more doses of the diphtheria, tetanus, and acellular pertussis (DTaP) vaccine had 96.2% protection against laboratory-confirmed pertussis.

Pertussis Vaccine Offers Strong Protection

The DTaP vaccine is administered in a five-dose childhood series. The first dose is given at 2 months of age, followed by doses during infancy and early childhood. The final dose is recommended between ages 4 and 6 years.

The MMWR study compared children in Alaska who had received three or more DTaP doses with those who were unvaccinated or had received fewer doses than recommended.

Unvaccinated children had approximately 26 times the odds of developing laboratory-confirmed whooping cough compared with vaccinated children.

Overall, adjusted vaccine effectiveness against pertussis was 96.2% among children who had received three or more DTaP doses. Partial vaccination also offered protection, with effectiveness reaching 85.3% among children who had received one or two doses.

“Pertussis vaccination is effective in preventing laboratory-confirmed pertussis in young children,” said corresponding author Joseph McLaughlin of the Section of Epidemiology, Alaska Department of Health, Anchorage.

Also read: RSV Warning: Welsh Mum Urges Pregnant Women To Get Vaccine After Baby Nearly Dies

Whooping Cough Can Cause Severe Complications

Pertussis can cause serious complications in young children, including pneumonia, pauses in breathing (apnea), seizures, brain damage, and death. Severe coughing fits can also trigger vomiting and, in some cases, fractured ribs.

Infants younger than 6 months are particularly vulnerable because their immune systems are still developing. Babies may not develop the characteristic “whoop” sound and can instead experience feeding difficulties or pauses in breathing, making the infection harder to recognize.

According to a provisional CDC report, 16 people died from pertussis in the United States in 2025, including 10 infants.

Whooping cough spreads through respiratory droplets and can affect people of any age. However, newborns and people who are not adequately vaccinated face a greater risk of severe illness.

Previous research has also found that unvaccinated children are more likely to develop severe illness or require hospitalization than vaccinated children.

Childhood Vaccination Rates Have Declined In The US

Read More: US Kindergarten Vaccination Rates Decline, Exemptions Rise as Measles Cases Hit 35-Year High

Despite the protection offered by vaccination, DTaP coverage among US kindergartners has declined in recent years.

CDC data show that coverage fell to 92% in the 2025–26 school year, down from 95.2% in 2017–18.

The findings underscore the importance of maintaining high childhood vaccination coverage to reduce pertussis infections and protect children against severe illness and death.

Identifying Whooping Cough Symptoms

Whooping cough often begins with cold-like symptoms, including a runny nose, sneezing, a mild cough, and sometimes a low-grade fever. After one to two weeks, coughing fits may become more severe and persistent.

The cough can be followed by a characteristic whooping sound as the person gasps for air. Vomiting after coughing fits can also occur. However, symptoms vary, particularly in infants, who may experience breathing difficulties without a typical cough.

Diagnosis may involve laboratory testing of a nasal or throat sample. Early recognition is especially important in infants because the infection can progress to serious complications.

Herpes simplex virus (HSV), which commonly causes cold sores, usually causes mild symptoms in adults but can be life-threatening in newborns, whose immune systems are still developing.

Meg Edmonds, from Staffordshire, UK, lost her 10-day-old daughter, Magnolia, to HSV in February.

“We didn't know a cold sore could kill a baby,” Meg told the BBC. She is now urging parents to learn about the risks cold sores pose to newborns.

The virus is suspected to have been passed on to Magnolia by her mother.

“The guilt is obviously unbearable; it's horrific, but I just try and remind myself that I didn't know and I did what I could have done with the knowledge that I did have,” Meg said.

Mother Did Not Know Cold Sores Could Endanger Newborns

Also read: Rare Pregnancy Infections Linked To 3-Fold Higher Autism Risk: What Is TORCH?

The 22-year-old said Magnolia was born “perfectly healthy” after what she described as a straightforward “water birth”.

Only later did Meg realise she had a sore on her lip around the time of the birth.

“Looking back at photos now, I can see that I had a lesion or sore on my lip whilst I was giving birth which I thought nothing of at the time,” she said.

Meg, who had never experienced a cold sore before, sought advice from health professionals but was reassured that the sore was nothing to worry about.

“They just thought that I might need to drink more or that it might just have been hormonal from giving birth only the day prior, so I thought nothing of it,” she said.

Magnolia's condition later deteriorated, and she died from HSV, according to the report.

Cold Sore Outbreak Brings Back Painful Memories

Meg said she had avoided visitors who were unwell, never kissed Magnolia and washed her hands frequently to protect her newborn from infections.

“I washed my hands constantly because I was worried in general about infections. But I never knew that if that passed to her it could kill her,” she said.

A subsequent cold sore outbreak brought back painful memories.

“I'm constantly reminded anyway that my daughter isn't here any more and why that is, but to actually have a physical reminder on my face is horrible,” she said.

How To Protect Newborns From HSV

Read More: Baby Not Sitting by 9 Months? Warning Signs Parents Should Know

According to the UK's National Health Service (NHS), newborns are particularly vulnerable to HSV, especially during the first six weeks of life. The infection can affect the eyes, mouth and skin or spread to other organs, potentially becoming life-threatening.

HSV can spread after birth through contact with a cold sore, including when someone with an active cold sore kisses a baby. It can also spread through herpes blisters on the breast during breastfeeding.

The NHS recommends these precautions to reduce the risk of infection:

• Wash hands: Wash hands thoroughly before handling a newborn.
• Avoid kissing: People with an active cold sore should not kiss a baby.
• Prevent direct contact: Keep cold sores and other herpes lesions away from the baby.
• Take care during breastfeeding: Do not breastfeed from a breast with herpes blisters until they have healed. Seek medical advice about feeding and expressed milk from the affected breast.
• Inform healthcare professionals: Pregnant women with a history of genital herpes or symptoms of a possible infection should inform their doctor or midwife.

Warning Signs Of Neonatal Herpes

Babies may not develop visible blisters, and neonatal herpes can progress rapidly. Seek urgent medical attention if a newborn has:

• Unusual irritability or difficulty settling.
• Poor feeding or feeds less than usual.
• A fever of 38°C or higher.
• A rash or sores on the skin, eyes or inside the mouth.
• Unusual lethargy, floppiness or difficulty waking.
• Breathing difficulties or seizures.