“Put your listening ears on!” frustrated parents often say. But some kids aren’t deliberately tuning out Mom and Dad — they really can’t hear them. If you suspect your child has a hearing problem, get it checked out, experts advise. Even minor hearing loss can affect a child’s ability to learn and also lead to…  read on >

You eagerly await baby’s first words and delight at his growing vocabulary. But that excitement may cause you to miss speech problems that should be corrected quickly. According to the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), many parents don’t know common warning signs of speech problems or that they’re easier to correct before age 4. At 12…  read on >

Acne tends to form on the face, neck, back, chest and shoulders. The U.S. National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases says although acne isn’t usually a serious health concern, it can be embarrassing and lead to permanent scars. The agency also says: Doctors don’t know a surefire way to prevent acne, but…  read on >

Ace hitters like Barry Bonds and Derek Jeter probably can confirm this: Baseball players with faster hand-eye coordination are better batters, a new study finds. This is especially true when it comes to measures of “plate discipline,” like drawing walks and swinging at pitches in the strike zone, researchers said. “Batters with better eye-hand visual…  read on >

When you’re having a barbecue or picnic, be sure you don’t invite foodborne illnesses caused by salmonella bacteria. Each year in the United States, salmonella causes about 1.2 million illnesses and 23,000 hospitalizations, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Salmonella contamination can occur in many foods, including melons, cucumbers, chicken, eggs,…  read on >

You might not think much about it when turning on a light in your home, but faulty wiring and electrical products can lead to fire, injury and even death. That’s why it’s important to check for and fix potential problems before they happen. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission suggests taking time to go room-by-room…  read on >

Middle-aged people who drink moderately — no more than a glass of wine a day — may have a relatively lower risk of developing dementia later in life, researchers report. The study, which followed 9,000 British adults for over two decades, found that both heavier drinkers and abstainers had a higher dementia risk than moderate…  read on >

Excess weight boosts the odds of flu complications, but that’s not all. Obese adults are contagious for much longer than their slim peers, researchers report. It’s known that obesity increases a person’s risk of hospitalization and death from flu, but these findings suggest extreme weight may also play a role in how the flu spreads.…  read on >

In their quest to unravel the secrets of human puberty and health, scientists are betting naked mole-rats can help. The hairless rodents reportedly have a lifespan of more than 30 years — nearly eight times that of mice — and an exceptionally low mortality risk. So researchers worldwide have been asking how the odd little…  read on >