The rate of chronic health conditions among U.S. children increased from 12.8% in 1994 to 26.6% in 2006, according to a study in the Feb. 17 Journal of the American Medical Association. Researchers at MassGeneral Hospital for Children and Harvard School of Public Health in Boston examined the prevalence of chronic conditions such as obesity, asthma and behavior/learning problems in three consecutive groups of children, each over a six-year period. More than 51% of the third group of 8 to 14 year olds reported a chronic condition at some point during the six-year study period, up from 28% in the first group. "Chronic conditions in childhood are common and dynamic, underscoring the benefits of continuous, comprehensive health services for all children to adjust treatment of chronic conditions, promote remission, and prevent onset of new conditions," the study concludes.