There’s a host of studies supporting the numerous ways breastfeeding helps baby’s development — and the health of mothers, too.  However, too many women are hesitant to start breastfeeding or stick with it if they do, according to Nadine Rosenblum, a perinatal lactation program coordinator at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore. “There are still so…  read on >  read on >

School not only makes a person smarter, but it can also help them live longer, researchers report. People with more education tend to age more slowly and live longer lives compared to the less educated, the study found. Higher levels of education are significantly associated with a slower pace of aging and a lower risk…  read on >  read on >

Vaping and skipped meals appear to be the main causes of frequent headaches among teens, a new study says. Teens who ate breakfast and dinner with their family had a lower risk of frequent headaches than those who regularly missed meals, researchers report Feb. 28 in the journal Neurology. Meanwhile, vaping also was associated with…  read on >  read on >

Teens have a higher risk of self-injury — deliberately cutting or burning themselves — if they have a fraught relationship with a struggling parent, a new study shows. Teenagers were nearly five times more likely to self-injure if, when they were 6, their moms and dads reported stress and discomfort in their role as parents,…  read on >  read on >

The eyes may have it when it comes to the early diagnosis of autism in children, a new study finds. Researchers at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), have pinpointed a gene that affects how kids’ eyes react when they turn their heads. Typically, people use what’s called the vestibulo-ocular reflex to help their…  read on >  read on >

According to the advocacy group Autism Speaks, one in every 36 U.S. children has an autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Early diagnosis is crucial to helping to treat the condition, but how is a diagnosis done? The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has an updated review of what’s involved in diagnosing autism in kids.…  read on >  read on >

Mindfulness meditation and cognitive behavioral therapy can help ease the mood and sleep problems associated with menopause, a new review says. Women experienced statistically significant improvements in anxiety and depression following mindfulness therapy and cognitive behavioral therapy, according to an analysis of 30 studies involving more than 3,500 women going through menopause in 14 countries.…  read on >  read on >

Most parents have experienced it: Your young child wakes up distraught, sure that the nightmare they’ve just suffered through is real. Dr. Anis Rehman, an internal medicine specialist and consultant to the Sleep Foundation, says that about half of kids ages 3 to 6 experience frequent nightmares, and about 20% of kids ages 6 to…  read on >  read on >