The placenta was designed by nature to keep baby both nourished and safe. Now, research reveals how it protects the developing fetus from a new foe: The virus that causes COVID-19. “The placenta is one of the few ‘success stories’ of the pandemic,” said study co-author Dr. Elizabeth Taglauer, an assistant professor of pediatrics at…  read on >  read on >

Many American teens and young adults underestimate the risk of sexually transmitted infections from unprotected oral sex, and that’s especially true of young men, a new survey shows. Doctors say oral sex can transmit herpes, gonorrhea, chlamydia, syphilis, HIV and human papillomavirus (HPV), which can lead to cervical cancer, and head and neck cancers. While…  read on >  read on >

As the number of U.S. children with COVID-19 continues to surge, there are a number of things parents should know, a pediatric infectious disease expert says. “What used to be the average number of children with COVID for the whole hospital is now the average just for the intensive care unit,” said Dr. Jessica Ericson,…  read on >  read on >

TUESDAY, Feb. 1, 2022 (American Heart Association News) — Although Danecia Williams was 24 and healthy, her first pregnancy took a toll on her body. Her blood pressure spiked, straining her heart and other organs. Doctors diagnosed her with preeclampsia and closely monitored her and the baby for months. They braced for what might happen…  read on >  read on >

TUESDAY, Feb. 1, 2022 (American Heart Association News) — From life’s earliest moments to its latest stages, music can help make us healthier and happier. It can soothe and invigorate, improve mental health and even help someone stay alive. “There’s great appreciation for the value music can provide that’s non-pharmacological and non-invasive,” said Daniel Tague,…  read on >  read on >

Vaccinations have been given to the first volunteers in a Phase 1 trial of Moderna’s experimental HIV vaccine, the company has announced. The vaccine uses mRNA technology — similar to that utilized in breakthrough COVID vaccines — to deliver HIV-specific antigens that could trigger an immune response against the virus that causes AIDS, the company…  read on >  read on >

Colon cancer rates are increasing for younger Americans, along with rates of obesity. Could slimming down reduce young people’s risk for malignancy? A new study suggests that even a small amount of weight loss may cut your odds for benign growths in the colon known as adenomas, or polyps. Left unchecked, these growths can lead…  read on >  read on >

Enforcement of a rule limiting power plant emissions of mercury and other hazardous pollutants will be resumed, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced Monday. It’s the latest move by the Biden administration to reinstate environmental protections lifted by the Trump administration. “The science is clear: we must limit mercury and toxic air pollution to protect…  read on >  read on >