Unvaccinated pregnant women are putting themselves and their baby at risk for serious complications of COVID-19, according to new research out of Scotland. For women who have the virus within 28 days of their delivery date, those complications include preterm births, stillbirths and newborn deaths. Infant deaths are four times higher among unvaccinated women, the…  read on >  read on >

Want to look more alluring? Wear a mask. Really. That’s the takeaway from Welsh researchers who found that masking up may make men look more attractive to the opposite sex and that some kinds of masks do a better job of this than others. “Research carried out before the pandemic found medical face masks reduce…  read on >  read on >

Everyone knows cleaner air means healthier bodies, but new research suggests it might also help aging minds. “Our study is important because it is one of the first to show that reducing air pollution over time may benefit the brain health of older women by decreasing their likelihood of developing dementia,” said study co-lead author…  read on >  read on >

Face masks are touted as a key tool in preventing the spread of COVID-19, and a new study offers more proof that they work. Florida researchers found face masks cut the distance that airborne pathogens such as the coronavirus can travel by more than half. The findings suggest that some COVID-19 social distancing guidelines could…  read on >  read on >

Transgender people get greater mental health benefits if they start gender-affirming hormone treatment when they’re teens instead of waiting until they’re adults, a new study finds. “This study is particularly relevant now because many state legislatures are introducing bills that would outlaw this kind of care for transgender youth,” said study lead author Dr. Jack…  read on >  read on >