Vaccination during childhood is essential because it helps provide immunity before children are exposed to life-threatening diseases. If you choose to delay or reject vaccines for your children, there are important responsibilities you must assume to protect others, says the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC asks parents of unvaccinated children to:…  read on >

Children with autism may have trouble interpreting facial emotions in strangers, but research finds some are as “in-tune” with their mother’s expressions as kids without autism. The study included 4- to 8-year-olds with and without autism who viewed five facial expressions — happy, sad, angry, fearful and neutral — on both familiar and unfamiliar faces.…  read on >

Endometriosis is a painful condition that occurs when the uterus lining grows outside the uterus. More than 11 percent of American women from ages 15 to 44 are affected, says the Office on Women’s Health. There is no cure for endometriosis, but treatments are available to minimize symptoms. Options your doctor may suggest are: Birth…  read on >

A minimally invasive procedure called uterine fibroid embolization (UFE) was as effective as the recommended surgery for treating fibroids in the uterus, a new study says. In UFE, the fibroid growths’ blood supply is cut off using a small tube. The new research found that this approach also led to fewer complications compared to myomectomy,…  read on >

The healthiest community in the United States is Douglas County in Colorado, according to the 2019 rankings just released by U.S. News & World Report. The others in the top five healthiest communities are Los Alamos County in New Mexico; the city of Falls Church and Loudoun County, both in Virginia; and Broomfield County in…  read on >

Two medical groups have declared war on sodas and energy drinks by calling for taxes on what has become the leading source of sugar in the diets of children and teens. In a new joint policy statement, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) and the American Heart Association (AHA) also recommended a host of other…  read on >

More U.S. veterans are at increased risk for heart disease, a looming public health problem, researchers say. They analyzed data from more than 153,000 people who took part in the National Health Interview Survey, conducted by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, in 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2015. Vets between the ages of…  read on >

Maybe you rush around with work and activities during the day, then settle in for a large, relaxing meal in the evening. But new research says the later in the day you eat, the more weight you’re likely to pack on. That’s the takeaway from a week-long study involving 31 overweight and obese patients, mostly…  read on >

Fathers-to-be who expose their pregnant partners to secondhand smoke put their babies at risk of heart defects, researchers warn. For the new study, investigators in China reviewed 125 studies that included a total of nearly 9 million prospective parents and more than 137,000 babies with congenital heart defects. All types of parental smoking were linked…  read on >

More American women had health insurance and access to care after the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was fully in place in 2014, and poorest women benefited most, according to a new report. For the study, researchers examined U.S. National Health Interview Survey data on insurance affordability, access to care and the use of preventive services…  read on >