4 Things We Got Wrong About Kids’ Health in 2025

From viruses and vaccines to screens and anxiety...headlines don’t always tell the whole story. From my perspective as a pediatrician, here’s a look at what we learned — and what we got wrong!

1. Young Kids Really Do Carry the Most Germs (We Were Right!)

Parents and pediatricians have long suspected that young kids harbor the most respiratory viruses during cold and flu season. And we were right! A large study published in Pediatrics this fall confirmed that pre-K and early elementary kids are cess pools. Researchers analyzed weekly nasal swabs and symptom reports from more than 800 students and staff in a Kansas City school district from November 2022 to May 2023, and found kids ages 3–5 had the highest rates of virus detection. More than 85% of participants had at least one respiratory virus detected during the school year, and 92% of the youngest children did.

This helps explain why it sometimes feels like your child is “always sick” — and confirms that frequent illness in early childhood is just the immune system learning to recognize and fight off new pathogens. 

👉 Learn more: Respiratory Virus Detection and Acute Respiratory Illness Rates in Students and Staff in Schools. Pediatrics October 2025

2. Energy Drink Exposures Are on the Rise in Kids

Have you browsed a gas station convenience store or even your own grocery store drink case recently? Energy drinks are everywhere - and our kids are drinking them! Poison control calls about children consuming energy drinks are increasing rapidly according to 2023 data from poison control centers around the U.S. Cases among kids ages 6–12 nearly doubled.

About half of these exposures in young children were unintentional, meaning kids found and consumed them without meaning to. Children and teens should avoid energy drinks entirely because of the risks related to caffeine and stimulants. So hide your drinks parents!

👉 Source: Pediatric Exposures Associated with Caffeine Energy Products Reported to United States Poison Centers, 2011-2023. J Med Toxicol. 2025

3. The Gut Microbiome and Emotional Health: A New Frontier

One of the most intriguing findings of 2025 came from research published inking early childhood gut bacteria patterns with later risk of anxiety and depression.

Scientists found that certain microbes in toddlers' guts — particularly higher levels of Clostridiales and Lachnospiraceae — were associated with differences in brain network connectivity tied to emotional processes, and these differences were linked to anxiety and depressive symptoms at school age.

This doesn’t mean gut bacteria cause anxiety, depression, or mood disorders on their own. But it does suggest that the gut-brain connection — something researchers call the microbiome–gut–brain axis — may influence early emotional development.

👉 Read more: Childhood gut microbiome is linked to internalizing symptoms at school age via the functional connectome. Nat Commun 16, 9359 (2025)

4. Benadryl (and Over-the-Counter) Drugs Aren't Safe

This year’s research into everyday medications reinforced a simple but important idea: just because something is available over the counter doesn’t mean it’s safe for kids.

Studies published in 2025 showed that first-generation antihistamines — older allergy medications often found in combination cold remedies (like Benadryl)— were linked to an increased risk of seizures in children ages 6–24 months compared with kids who didn’t take them or who took newer antihistamines. Although these medications are effective at reducing allergy symptoms, safer alternatives (second-generation antihistamines like cetirizine or loratadine) work just as well and have cleaner safety profiles.

If you rely on OTC allergy meds, talk with your pediatrician about the best and safest options for your child.

So What Does This Mean for Parents?

• Frequent illness in young kids is normal and expected, not a sign that something is wrong.

• Hide your medicines and your energy drinks. Kids aren't just little adults - they can't handle what we deem safe for ourselves to imbibe. 

• Health guidance evolves as we learn more, which means re-examining even long-standing practices.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed by headlines or uncertain about what the latest research means for your child, you’re not alone — and you don’t have to figure it out in isolation. A good pediatrician can help sift through the noise and tailor guidance to your family’s unique situation.

Here’s to a healthier, clearer 2026 — one where we listen to the science and trust our instincts.