Billionaire and Tesla CEO Elon Musk has made headlines with dire warnings that declining birth rates are an “existential crisis” for humanity. The threat might be even more dire than Musk (the father of at least 14) says, a new study argues. The number of new births needed to maintain human population levels is higher… read on > read on >
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) said it will not create a new autism registry, reversing an earlier announcement from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). “We are not creating an autism registry. The real-world data platform will link existing datasets to support research into causes of autism and insights into improved… read on > read on >
People with autism do not appear to be at greater risk of age-related brain decline, a new study says. Older people with autistic traits have no differences when it comes to spatial working memory, which helps folks remember and use information about where things are and how they are arranged, researchers reported April 24 in… read on > read on >
Dads are supposed to be strong, steady and stoic, given how they’re portrayed in sitcoms and family entertainment. But in real life, fathers sometimes falter — and brushing it off can have a devastating impact on their kids’ development, a new study says. Undiagnosed or unaddressed depression in fathers can have negative social and behavioral… read on > read on >
In a sudden about-face, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) said it won’t slash funding for the Women’s Health Initiative, a major research project focused on preventing disease in older women. The decision follows concerns about a move to end contracts supporting the whole study, which has tracked the health of tens… read on > read on >
Doctors might be able to predict a newborn’s long-term health outlook, by analyzing their umbilical cord blood, a new study says. Genetic clues found in cord blood can offer early insight into which infants are at higher risk for health problems like diabetes, stroke and liver disease later in life, researchers will report at the… read on > read on >
In a sudden about-face, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) said it won’t slash funding for the Women’s Health Initiative, a major research project focused on preventing disease in older women. The decision follows concerns about a move to end contracts supporting the whole study, which has tracked the health of tens… read on > read on >
Doctors might be able to predict a newborn’s long-term health outlook, by analyzing their umbilical cord blood, a new study says. Genetic clues found in cord blood can offer early insight into which infants are at higher risk for health problems like diabetes, stroke and liver disease later in life, researchers will report at the… read on > read on >
THURSDAY, April 24, 2025 (Health Day News) — Fewer babies are being born in the U.S., and experts are worried what that portends for the future. The number of babies born in the U.S. rose slightly in 2024, the fertility rate remains below levels needed to sustain population growth, The New York Times said. More… read on > read on >
Treating anemia during pregnancy might lower the risk of heart defects in newborns, a new study says. Women with anemia in early pregnancy have a 47% increased risk of giving birth to a child with a heart defect, researchers reported April 23 in BJOG: An International Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology. “We already know that… read on > read on >
WEDNESDAY, April 23, 2025 — Three years after the U.S. Supreme Court ended the federal right to abortion, doctors who specialize in obstetrics and gynecology are still dealing with tough decisions about where to live and work. A new study published in JAMA Network Open shows that most OB/GYNS didn’t immediately leave states where abortion… read on > read on >
Early menopause could be a warning sign for future age-related brain decline, a new study says. Women who entered menopause before 40 had a greater cognitive decline than women who entered menopause after 50, according to a study published recently in the journal Alzheimer’s & Dementia. Early menopause also was associated with worse depression, researchers… read on > read on >
The prevalence of depression decreased with older age and with increasing family income read on >
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) will provide private health data to researchers for U.S. health chief Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s new autism study. NIH Director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya told advisers the aim is to help researchers study autism by giving them access to “comprehensive” health records. These records will cover a wide range of… read on > read on >
Women are OK with having an AI program help doctors review mammograms performed for breast cancer screening, a new study says. About 7 out of 10 women (71%) said they’re fine with an AI program providing backup for a radiologist’s review of their breast X-ray, researchers report in the journal Radiology: Imaging Cancer. But women… read on > read on >
Babies and toddlers could be exposed to harmful chemicals while they sleep, due to compounds found in their mattresses, two new studies say. Air samples taken from 25 children’s bedrooms revealed elevated levels of more than two dozen phthalates, flame retardants and other potentially hazardous chemicals, one of the studies says. The highest levels of… read on > read on >
