Molly E. came down with COVID last February when she was 36 weeks pregnant. “My symptoms were mild, and after speaking to my obstetrician, I felt reassured to hear that if anything, my baby would maybe have some antibodies,” said the New Jersey resident, who did not want her last name used. Her daughter was… read on > read on >
All Mommy:
Feds to Toughen Rules on Privacy Around Abortion, Contraceptive Services
U.S. officials said Wednesday that they plan to strengthen existing privacy rules to prevent the sharing of private legal reproductive health care information for use in investigations and prosecutions against patients or providers. The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services (HHS), through its Office for Civil Rights (OCR), moved to strengthen the Health Insurance… read on > read on >
Big Drop in U.S. Pregnancies Seen Since 2010
Pregnancy rates in the United States suffered a steep decline during the last decade, new government data shows. The overall U.S. pregnancy rate fell by 12% between 2010 and 2019, according to figures released Wednesday by the U.S. National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS). The pregnancy rate among women aged 15 to 44 was 85.6… read on > read on >
Many Young Women Wouldn’t Get Flu, COVID Shots in Pregnancy, Poll Suggests
Despite the proven safety and effectiveness of COVID and flu vaccines during pregnancy, many young women are still doubtful, a new survey shows. Compared with older women and adult men, the poll found higher percentages of women ages 18 to 49 doubting that vaccination against these viruses during pregnancy is safe. The survey of 1,600… read on > read on >
Pandemic’s Effect on U.S. Birth Rates May Have Depended on Politics
The “baby bust” that hit the United States during the first year of the COVID pandemic did not affect all states equally — with states that were more racially diverse or more “blue” seeing bigger drops in their birth rates. That’s among the findings of a new study that probed a now well-documented phenomenon: The… read on > read on >
Survival Improves for Babies of America’s Youngest Moms
The death rate among babies born to teen moms has dropped over the past 25 years — but racial disparities stubbornly persist, a new U.S. government study finds. Compared with the late 1990s, fewer babies born to teenage mothers are dying in their first year of life, according to the study by the U.S. Centers… read on > read on >
Move to ‘Green’ School Buses Could Boost Kids’ Class Attendance
Jouncing along to school in a fume-spewing, rattletrap yellow bus is practically a rite of passage for most American students. But outdated buses actually wind up costing kids many days of education, thanks to the clouds of diesel exhaust left in their wake, a new study argues. School districts that upgrade to a “greener” bus… read on > read on >
How to Help Your Toddler Stop Biting Their Nails
Your toddler may be going through a phase of nail-biting that might be driving you crazy. While biting or picking at one’s nails is a common behavior in children (50% do it) and many will stop biting their nails on their own, some do not. There are several reasons you may see your toddler picking… read on > read on >
Long Used in Adults, Wireless Pacemakers Might Soon Be an Option for Kids
Wireless pacemakers could be a safe and effective short-term option for children with slow heartbeats, a new study suggests. Children with a heartbeat that’s too slow — a condition called bradycardia — need a pacemaker to keep their hearts beating normally. Researchers successfully implanted wireless pacemakers into 62 kids to see if the cutting-edge devices… read on > read on >
In Early Days of Outbreak, Access to Mpox Vaccine Varied by Race
In the early days of the mpox virus outbreak in the United States, vaccines got to the states that needed them but distribution was unequal across racial groups, new research reveals. Black and Hispanic patients had to travel significantly farther for doses than white people, according to researchers at Yale School of Medicine, in New… read on > read on >