The chance of dying from a common heart rhythm disorder is higher for people treated at rural rather than urban hospitals, a new study finds. The researchers analyzed data from hospitalizations for the heart ailment known as atrial fibrillation — or a-fib — in the United States between 2012 and 2014. A-fib can lead to… read on >
Children born to mothers with rheumatoid arthritis are at increased risk for the disease and other chronic health problems, a new study suggests. The finding comes from an analysis of long-term follow-up data on all children born in Denmark in a 25-year period. That included more than 2,100 children born to women diagnosed with rheumatoid… read on >
Decades after the danger was first recognized, young children are still being injured or even killed by the cords in window blinds. Researchers found that between 1990 and 2015, nearly 17,000 U.S. children younger than 6 years landed in the ER for injuries related to window blinds. Most often, the injuries were not serious. However,… read on >
Storing edibles in the refrigerator may help prevent food poisoning, but it doesn’t eliminate the possibility. Foodsafety.gov suggests how to keep refrigerated foods safe: Do not overpack your fridge. Cold air must be allowed to circulate to chill food properly. Keep your fridge between 32 ˚F and 40 ˚F Refrigerate or freeze perishable foods within… read on >
Holiday toys should be age-appropriate and safe, to avoid injury. The American Academy of Pediatrics offers these safety suggestions: Select toys that match the age, abilities, skills and interests of the child. For babies and toddlers, consider toys that build developmental skills. If you are considering a tablet, smartphone or game system, establish rules for… read on >
Coming just days after reports of a gene therapy that pushed the bleeding disorder hemophilia B into remission, new research suggests the same could be true for adults with the “A” form of the disease. That’s significant because, due to the complexities of the gene responsible for hemophilia A, experts had thought it might be… read on >
As a parent, you may worry most about your kids when they aren’t with you. But many of the falls that send a million children to the ER each year happen at home. Plenty of these accidents involve falls from beds, chairs, baby walkers, bouncers, changing tables and high chairs. Some of these injuries are… read on >
Hospital operating rooms produce thousands of tons of greenhouse gases each year, but changing the type of anesthesia used in surgery can help lower those emissions, researchers report. For the study, investigators assessed the carbon footprint of operating rooms at three hospitals: Vancouver General Hospital in Canada; University of Minnesota Medical Center in the United… read on >
Some thiings never change: Scientists say the bacteria circulating in the International Space Station are similar to those in homes on Earth. That’s the conclusion of researchers at the University of California, Davis, who analyzed bacteria collected by astronauts. “So ‘is it gross?’ and ‘will you see microbes from space?’ are probably the two most… read on >
If your pooch responds well to your smiling face, the “love hormone” oxytocin might have something to do with it, new research suggests. Produced naturally by humans and dogs, the hormone “influences what the dog sees and how it experiences the thing it sees,” said study co-author Sanni Somppi. She’s a graduate student at the… read on >
