U.S. public health officials want high-risk individuals who haven’t been vaccinated for mpox — previously called monkeypox — to do so before a potential resurgence of the virus in the coming months. That surge could be worse than last year, federal modeling has found, but only about 23% of those at high risk for the… read on > read on >
All Mommy:
Suspicious Mammogram? Out-of-Pocket Costs Keep Some Women From Follow-Up
Breast cancer screening may be free for women with health insurance, but high costs may still keep some from getting needed follow-up tests, a new study finds. The study, of more than 230,000 U.S. women who underwent screening mammography, found that those in insurance plans with higher out-of-pocket costs were less likely to get follow-up… read on > read on >
‘Harsh’ Parenting Can Bring Mental Health Harms to Kids: Study
Parents who harshly discipline their young children may be putting them on a path toward lasting mental health symptoms, a new study suggests. Researchers found that among 7,500 children followed from age 3 to 9, about 10% fell into a “high risk” group where mental health symptoms — ranging from persistent sadness to acting out… read on > read on >
New Clues to Recent Hepatitis Outbreak in Kids
New research has provided answers to a mystery involving an outbreak of severe hepatitis in children last year. A total of about 1,000 cases emerged around the world in spring 2022, after the easing of COVID-19 lockdowns. Children in about 35 countries, including the United States, experienced severe hepatitis that caused 50 kids to need… read on > read on >
Talking to Your Kids About School Shootings: Experts Offer Guidance
Children should feel safe at school, but learning of a mass shooting — like this week’s tragedy at Covenant School in Nashville — can threaten their sense of security. For parents, it can be challenging to know what to tell them. Two children’s mental health experts from UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas offer some… read on > read on >
Study Refutes Notion That Method of Delivery Impacts Baby’s ‘Microbiome’
Despite a longstanding assumption that babies’ gut microbiome development could be affected by whether they were born vaginally or through cesarean section, scientists report this doesn’t appear to be the case. A team of Canadian researchers looked to infant stool microbiome composition in the first weeks and months of life to evaluate the theory. “We… read on > read on >
Early College Class Times Can Hurt Students’ Grades
Early morning college classes can be a prescription for poor attendance and lower grades, a new study suggests. But starting classes later boosted both, as students got more sleep, were more likely to attend and were less likely to be groggy, which leads to better grades, researchers reported. “Early morning classes likely impair learning due… read on > read on >
Pets Could Help Prevent Food Allergies in Kids
While research has shown that having pets can lower the chances of respiratory allergies in children, a new study finds it might also reduce the risk of food allergies. Japanese investigators found that young children exposed to dogs in the home were less likely to experience egg, milk and nut allergies, while those exposed to… read on > read on >
WHO Experts Say Healthy Kids, Teens May Not Need More COVID Shots
New advice from the World Health Organization (WHO) says healthy children and teens may not need additional COVID-19 shots, though they may need to catch up on other routine vaccines. “The public health impact of vaccinating healthy children and adolescents is comparatively much lower than the established benefits of traditional essential vaccines for children –… read on > read on >
Could COVID in Pregnancy Raise Odds for Obese Kids?
The consequences of COVID-19 during pregnancy are still unfolding, but a new study delivers sobering news: Prenatal exposure to the virus may be linked to childhood obesity. Looking at nearly 280 infants, researchers found those whose mothers had COVID while pregnant had lower birth weight compared to babies whose moms did not have a COVID… read on > read on >