Child tax credits had a huge impact in U.S. households that struggle to afford food. And after those credits ended, many low-income American families with children had trouble getting enough to eat. Food insufficiency increased substantially, by about 25%, between January and July after the Child Tax Credit payments stopped on Jan. 15, 2022. Black… read on > read on >
All Mommy:
Child Danger: Almost Half of Parents Have Leftover Meds at Home
Getting into prescription or over-the-counter medicines at home is a major source of accidental poisoning for young children. Yet, nearly half of parents say they have leftover prescriptions at home, a new poll shows. “We found that it’s common for parents to keep medicines long after they are expired or no longer needed, which creates… read on > read on >
Sleep-Deprived Kids Will Snack More: Study
Experts studying kids’ sleep and eating habits have learned more about a potential reason for childhood obesity. Kids who are deprived of sleep tend to eat more calories the next day, researchers found. And some of those extra calories come from less-healthy, sugar-laden snacks or treats. “When children lost sleep, overall they ate an extra… read on > read on >
Almost All Adolescents Who Begin Gender-Affirming Hormones Continue Into Adulthood: Study
When young adolescents strongly identify with a gender that does not match their gender at birth, one option is to offer a reversible treatment that can delay the onset of puberty. If the desire to transition endures, that delay can be followed with a second step: hormone treatments designed to trigger physical changes that match… read on > read on >
New Biden Plan Would Help Pregnant Women Fight Opioid Addiction
Pregnant women addicted to opioids have both a compelling reason to change and a harder time getting medications to battle their substance use disorder. Now, a new plan from the Biden administration would expand the use of medications to treat addiction in pregnant women through federal court and health programs. “This is a bold statement,… read on > read on >
Kept Home Under Lockdown, U.S. Couples May Have Spurred a ‘Baby Bump’
The pandemic brought about a lot of changes in people’s lives. For many, that included a new baby. The United States saw a “baby bump” in 2021 described in a new study as “the first major reversal in declining U.S. fertility rates since 2007.” It was the opposite of what early forecasts predicted. “There was… read on > read on >
Your Hospital Room Could Affect Outcomes After Surgery
“Location, location, location” works in real estate, and a new study argues that the location of your hospital room could save your life after surgery. Patients are more likely to die after surgery if they are placed in certain types of rooms to recover, researchers from the University of Michigan School of Medicine found. Specifically,… read on > read on >
Homicide a Leading Cause of Death for Pregnant U.S. Women
It’s not high blood pressure, hemorrhage or sepsis that is more likely to kill pregnant women — it’s their husbands and boyfriends. Homicide is a leading cause of death in pregnant women in the United States, and the risk is growing, researchers warned in a new study published Oct. 19 in the BMJ. It’s “a… read on > read on >
FDA Panel Votes for Removal of Drug Meant to Prevent Preterm Births
A U.S. Food and Drug Administration advisory committee on Wednesday voted to recommend that a controversial drug meant to prevent premature births be pulled from the market. FDA officials have said they want to withdraw the medication, Makena, because of lack of evidence that it works and due to its side effects. The drug was… read on > read on >
Marijuana Users More Prone to Infections After Knee, Shoulder Surgeries
Surgeons have long advised patients to stop smoking cigarettes for several weeks before their operations to lower the risk of complications. But what about weed? New research has found reason for worry: Marijuana users had higher infection rates after minimally invasive knee and shoulder procedures. Patients also had higher rates of deep vein thrombosis (DVT)… read on > read on >