A new and inexpensive same-day test could help pregnant women learn if their developing fetus has genetic problems that increase their risk of miscarriage. The Short-read Transpore Rapid Karyotyping (STORK) test can detect extra or missing chromosomes using samples collected from standard prenatal tests like amniocentesis and chorionic villus sampling, a new study found. The… read on > read on >
U.S. health officials said Wednesday that they are investigating an outbreak of E. coli that has infected 29 people in Michigan and Ohio. The outbreak has led to nine hospitalizations but no deaths, and investigators have not yet found a food source responsible for sickening people. They did note that the numbers are likely higher… read on > read on >
Using a lower threshold to diagnose pregnancy-related diabetes does not seem to reduce the risk of having a big baby, on average — but some women do benefit, a new clinical trial suggests. Gestational diabetes is diagnosed when a pregnant woman’s blood sugar levels are abnormally high. The condition can have consequences for moms and… read on > read on >
While babies born prematurely may lag behind their elementary school peers, they eventually catch up, British researchers report. By the end of high school, only the kids born before 32 weeks of gestation were continuing to struggle, according to a new study published online Aug. 17 in the journal PLOS ONE. A team led by… read on > read on >
Pregnant women with epilepsy battle anxiety and depression more often than their peers who aren’t pregnant or don’t have epilepsy, a new study reveals. “The good news is we did not find that pregnant women with epilepsy were any more likely to have episodes of major depression than the other two groups,” said study author… read on > read on >
Children who need kidney transplants have better long-term outcomes when the donor is a living person and not someone who has died and donated organs, a new study finds. “The findings of our study should lay to rest any fears and concerns that centers have about accepting organs from unrelated living donors,” said senior study… read on > read on >
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention failed to respond quickly enough during the COVID-19 pandemic and needs an major overhaul, Director Dr. Rochelle Walensky said Wednesday. With her rebuke, she sketched out a plan to prioritize action on public health needs, The New York Times reported. “For 75 years, CDC and public health… read on > read on >
Kids who enter preschool with good vocabulary and attention skills have a head start on academic success. That’s the takeaway from a new study of nearly 900 4-year-olds and their ability to engage with teachers and peers, as well as their involvement in classroom tasks. “The levels of vocabulary skills and inhibitory control that children… read on > read on >
Are you one of those folks who thinks they have somehow miraculously managed to avoid COVID-19 infection more than two years into the pandemic? You might be mistaken, claims new research that discovered most people hit by the highly contagious Omicron variant had symptoms so mild they didn’t know they were infected. A full 56%… read on > read on >
Strike up the band! A new study finds that the aerosols produced by wind instruments like trombones and flutes are no more concerning than those given off during normal speech and breathing. For the study, University of Pennsylvania researchers worked with the Philadelphia Orchestra to better understand how much aerosol was produced and dispersed by… read on > read on >
