Mommy « Weekly Sauce

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 >

Fussiness, sleeplessness and unresponsiveness could be some of the earliest signs of autism in a baby, a new study says. Using these signs, parents might be able to help detect potential autism within a child’s first year of life, researchers reported in the journal Pediatric Research. That would be a major advance over current diagnostic… read on > read on >

Complications during pregnancy can mean a woman’s future heart health is at risk, particularly if she is overweight or obese, a new study says. Women who are carrying excess weight prior to pregnancy are more likely to develop complications like gestational diabetes and high blood pressure while expecting, researchers said. These complications act as a… read on > read on >

Fewer Americans traveled out of state for an abortion in 2024, according to a new report from the Guttmacher Institute, a group that supports abortion rights. The report found that about 155,000 people crossed state lines for abortion care last year, down 9% from 2023. The total number of abortions stayed steady, however, with 1,038,100… read on > read on >

Children who spend more time playing outdoors or participating in different sports tend to develop better motor skills as they advance through elementary school, a new study says. Even a half-hour of independent outdoor play after a day at childcare makes a difference in kids’ motor skill development, researchers reported in the Journal of Sports… read on > read on >

Autism diagnoses are on the rise again, with about 1 in 31 U.S. children affected, according to a new report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The latest data, from 2022, shows a jump from the 2020 estimate of 1 in 36. The report looked at health and school records for… read on > read on >

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will launch a “massive testing and research effort” to explore the causes of autism, Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. said Thursday. Kennedy, a longtime critic of vaccines, shared the plan with President Donald Trump during a televised Cabinet meeting, The Associated Press reported. He said hundreds… read on > read on >

Early symptoms of menopause will first appear when many women least expect them, a new Ohio State University poll reports. Hot flashes, mood swings, weight gain and insomnia are all symptoms of the hormone changes related to menopause, researchers say. Sixty-one percent of women (3 in 5) think they will hit menopause and start experiencing… read on > read on >

How children respond to movement could provide an early means of detecting autism, a new study says. Children with autism are known to prefer watching repetitive movements over random movements, researchers said. Using eye-tracking methods, a research team found that children with suspected autism spent longer watching repeated movements than random ones, when both were… read on > read on >