The short post-pandemic uptick in U.S. births may be over, with 2023 numbers showing a decline in births. According to provisional data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, just under 3.6 million babies were born in America in 2023, about 76,000 fewer than the year before. It’s also the lowest number of… read on > read on >
Prescription opioids taken during pregnancy are not associated with a substantial increase in risk of developmental disorders like ADHD in children, a new study has found. “A slightly increased risk of neuropsychiatric disorders was found, but this should not be considered clinically meaningful” because it was limited to mothers taking more than one opioid, prescribed… read on > read on >
Anne Helms is one busy mom, constantly juggling the demands of working from home with parenting two young children. Despite that whirl of activity, Helms says she often feels isolated and lonely. “I work from home full time and I actually have a job where I’m on camera a lot and I’m Zoom calling people… read on > read on >
The percentage of married American women under the age of 50 who are infertile rose between 2011 and 2019, new government statistics show. Data from the National Survey of Family Growth show that “the percentage of married women ages 15-49 who were infertile rose from 2011-2015 (6.7%) to 2015-2019 (8.7%),” according to researchers. There was… read on > read on >
“Dream it, be it” might sound like a cliche, but a new study says there’s something to the notion. Teenagers who set ambitious goals for themselves tend to be more successful as young adults, researchers reported recently in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. Teens who set higher educational and career goals “tended to… read on > read on >
Acne, psoriasis, eczema, vitiligo, alopecia: Any one of these common skin ailments can render a child vulnerable to stigma and bullying at school, new research confirms. “These chronic skin conditions can be tremendously life-altering, including shaping psychosocial development,” noted study corresponding author Dr. Amy Paller. She’s chair of dermatology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of… read on > read on >
“Dream it, be it” might sound like a cliche, but a new study says there’s something to the notion. Teenagers who set ambitious goals for themselves tend to be more successful as young adults, researchers reported recently in the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. Teens who set higher educational and career goals “tended to… read on > read on >
Acne, psoriasis, eczema, vitiligo, alopecia: Any one of these common skin ailments can render a child vulnerable to stigma and bullying at school, new research confirms. “These chronic skin conditions can be tremendously life-altering, including shaping psychosocial development,” noted study corresponding author Dr. Amy Paller. She’s chair of dermatology at Northwestern University Feinberg School of… read on > read on >
Active military service appears to increase a woman’s risk of having a low birthweight baby, a new review finds. Nearly two-thirds of studies (63%) conclude that women on active service could be at higher risk of having a baby with low birth weight, researchers reported April 22 in the journal BMJ Military Health. However, there… read on > read on >
The pandemic caused only “modest” delays in developmental milestones for infants and toddlers, a new study has found. Previous research has reported that pandemic-related lockdowns disrupted the lives of many people, including families with young children. Day-to-day life was upended as schools and child care centers closed, many people worked from home and the number… read on > read on >
Parents too often wave the white flag when it comes to young picky eaters, a new survey finds. Three out of five parents say they’re willing to play personal chef and cobble up a separate meal for a child who balks at the family dinner, according to a national poll from the University of Michigan.… read on > read on >
Another broiling summer looms, along with another season of kids’ summer sports. It’s a potentially harmful, even lethal combination. But experts at Nationwide Children’s Hospital (NCH) have advice for kids, parents and coaches on how to keep young athletes safe when thermometers rise. Each year, an estimated 240 people die from heat-linked illnesses, and heat… read on > read on >
All expecting mothers should get a blood test for syphilis three times during pregnancy, new guidance issued by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists recommends. The practice advisory calls on doctors to test for syphilis at a pregnant woman’s first prenatal care visit, then again during the third trimester and at birth. The advisory… read on > read on >
Women who smoke and become pregnant may worry that the weight gain that comes with quitting might bring its own harms to themselves or their baby. However, a new study confirms the health benefits of quitting smoking still far exceed any weight-linked concerns. Weight gain can occur once women decide to forgo cigarettes, but even… read on > read on >
Teenagers are frequently bullied about their weight on social media, and the bullying increases with each hour they spend on these sites, a new study reveals. Nearly one in five teens (17%) said they’d experienced weight-related bullying online, according to results published April 17 in the journal PLOS One. “This experience can have adverse effects,… read on > read on >
Active women using the pill appear to receive an added bonus from their birth control, a new study says. These women are less likely to suffer sprains and strains than women not on birth control, researchers reported recently in the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. Women taking oral contraceptives had significantly fewer… read on > read on >
