A probiotic supplement appears to clear the body of a type of bacteria that can cause serious antibiotic-resistant infections, a new study finds. More research is needed, but experts said the work could lead to a way to prevent infections with the bacteria, called Staphylococcus aureus. S. aureus usually causes skin infections, but can also… read on > read on >
The new coronavirus continues to dodge, duck, dip and dive, mutating again and again to find its way past people’s immune defenses. The latest COVID variant to gain a foothold in America is called XBB.1.5, which has rapidly started to crowd out other competing variants. XBB.1.5 is the first recombinant COVID variant expected to become… read on > read on >
Wastewater research isn’t for the squeamish, but it can get to the bottom of questions about such things as the effectiveness of COVID-19 air travel restrictions. Tests of toilet tank water from flights entering the United Kingdom helped Welsh scientists determine that steps meant to keep the virus from traveling among countries appear to have… read on > read on >
Doctors are seeing an alarming increase in cases of a specific genital malformation in male babies, and new research suggests environmental factors might be at play. The malformation is known as hypospadias, where the opening of the urethra is not at the tip of the penis, but on the underside of the organ. In the… read on > read on >
As numerous U.S. states move to restrict transgender health care, a new study shows that such care can substantially improve teenagers’ mental health. The study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine, followed transgender and nonbinary teenagers who received “gender-affirming” hormones — either estrogen or testosterone — for two years. During that time, researchers… read on > read on >
In the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade in June 2022, access to surgical abortion became increasingly restricted in several states, pushing many women to pursue medication abortions. But the case of a 22-year-old who took mifepristone and misoprostol — bought on the internet to end a pregnancy —… read on > read on >
By the time they’re teenagers, babies born prematurely may be getting poorer school grades than their non-preemie peers. Researchers found that babies born before 34 weeks of pregnancy had lower scores on math and language tests during their teen years compared to kids born at 40 weeks. However, the study did not find a significant… read on > read on >
While childhood obesity gets a lot of attention, some kids struggle with the opposite issue — they have trouble gaining weight. So, how can parents know if their child is “too skinny?” While the best resource is likely a child’s pediatrician, experts have also weighed in on the topic. “Underlying health conditions can result in… read on > read on >
As colds, flu and COVID continue to circulate this winter, a new U.S. government study finds that young children infected with COVID plus a second virus tend to become sicker. While severe COVID is rare among children, kids can and do fall ill enough to end up in the hospital. During the pandemic’s first two… read on > read on >
When birth rates fall in the United States, experts try to figure out what’s happening. The fertility rate is at its lowest since the 1970s — 1.71 per woman, according to a new study. But it’s not that young people today don’t want children, new research suggests. In fact, they want about as many as… read on > read on >
