Having safer neighborhoods, where families feel less stress, can help prevent child abuse, according to new research that supports this long-suspected theory. When parents feel higher levels of stress or hopelessness about their surroundings, they may have a harder time caring for their children, the study confirms. “To get the best outcomes for kids and…  read on >  read on >

Piercings can be a fun way to express yourself, but they can also cause complications — particularly in areas that aren’t the earlobes — and need proper care. “The first step to caring for your piercing is choosing a qualified piercer,” said Dr. Steven Daveluy, an associate professor and program director at Wayne State Dermatology…  read on >  read on >

Symptoms of mild COVID-19 infection have shifted this season, and now are more akin to those of allergies and the common cold, doctors say. Many people with COVID-19 now are presenting with upper respiratory symptoms like runny nose, watery eyes and a sore throat, said Dr. Teresa Lovins, an independent family physician in Columbus, Ind.…  read on >  read on >

As working class neighborhoods gentrify, you’ll likely see rents rise, pricey restaurants move in — and maybe also a rise in gunshot wounds, researchers say. In U.S. neighborhoods that gentrified, gun injuries were 62% higher than they were in similar neighborhoods that hadn’t gone upscale, according to a new study. Overall firearm incidence was also…  read on >  read on >

More people around the world are exposed to wildfire smoke that has the potential to harm human health, and their numbers are growing, new research finds. More than 2 billion people are exposed to at least one day of potentially health-impacting wildfire smoke each year, a figure that has grown by almost 7% in the…  read on >  read on >

Helping undocumented immigrants in the United States connect with primary care doctors could be a money-saver, substantially reducing emergency department use and lowering health costs, a new study finds. The findings are from a New York City program that helped arrange medical appointments from May 2016 to June 2017 for undocumented immigrants with limited incomes.…  read on >  read on >