Young American children are not getting enough fruits and vegetables, but they are consuming too many sugary drinks, a new state-by-state government report shows. To come to that conclusion, the survey questioned the parents of more than 18,000 children between the ages of 1 and 5 about their kids’ eating habits. “This is the first…  read on >  read on >

Older people have vaccines available to prevent severe influenza and COVID-19, but there’s been nothing to protect against the third respiratory virus that contributed to this season’s wretched “triple-demic.” Until now. Two major pharmaceutical companies published clinical trial results this week that pave the way for an RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) vaccine to be available…  read on >  read on >

HBO’s hit series “The Last of Us” envisions a world decimated by a fungal apocalypse. A real-life insect fungus called Cordyceps makes the leap into humans, turning those stricken into violent zombie-like creatures that spread it to others through bites. Society collapses in a matter of days after the fungus emerges. But viewers can relax:…  read on >  read on >

Ramen danger: A steaming cup of instant noodles is a big cause of scald injuries in children, researchers report. A new study that examined pediatric admissions at University of Chicago Medicine for burn injuries caused by hot liquids found that nearly one-third were caused by instant noodles between 2010 and 2020. “Anecdotally, it felt like…  read on >  read on >

Women who give birth to bigger-than-average babies are susceptible to developing type 2 diabetes later in life, a new study suggests. Large-for-gestational age infants are defined as those weighing 8 pounds or more, said lead study author Dr. Kartik Kailas Venkatesh, an assistant professor of epidemiology at Ohio State University. “In an environment of obesity,…  read on >  read on >